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Years ago, I wrote an article about why the ‘IHG Mastercard Partner Rate’ was my favourite ongoing hotel discount promo. Simply by booking from the right page on the IHG website, it was possible to save up to 30% on hotel stays!

Historically, there were a number of different versions of the IHG Partner Rate available (British Swimming, Railcard, Mastercard, Hertz, etc), but they all worked in the same way. Sadly, the days of 30% discounts seem to be over for now, but you can still save up to 15% off the flexible rate by using this booking page here. 

What’s the catch?

There isn’t one really – but you do need to pay close attention to the terms, as the rate won’t always best suit your needs.

The offer only applies to hotels in Europe, India, Middle East, Africa and the Maldives. Late check out and a welcome drink are also available in those regions excluding Europe.

To be eligible for the discount, you must book the hotel stay through the dedicated IHG website. The discount is deducted from the flexible rate without any discount for members of the loyalty programme. In practice you will usually save approximately something like 10%.

When booking it is also necessary to pay the deposit for the first night. You can cancel bookings free of charge up to 72 hours before arrival. After that you pay for the entire booking. So if you have booked several nights, you also have to pay for them if you cancel within 72 hours before arrival.

The discount for Mastercard holders can be used until 31st December 2022, for stays until 3rd January 2023. The lower rate is only valid if you book at least three days in advance. All terms and conditions of this promotion can be found on the booking page.

Bottom line

If you are happy to book a completely non-refundable rate, you will often be able to find cheaper options than the IHG Mastercard Partner Rate. Similarly, if you need the flexibility of being able to cancel closer to a stay than 72 hours, the rate won’t help.

For stays when you want a bit of flexibility though, you will often be able to save some money by using the discount rate.

I like to view promotions like this as another tool in the ‘travel hacking toolbox’, rather than a silver bullet. It won’t always suit your needs or save you money, but is well worth knowing about.

If you spot a better IHG partner rate, please let me know in the comments below!