New IHG PointBreaks list features 140 hotels around the world that you can stay at 5,000 points a night until May 31, 2014.
IHG PointBreaks List May 24 – May 31, 2014
If you are an adventurous type who doesn’t mind visiting a place not too popular with tourist crowds — although you can find a pearl every now and then — you can travel on the cheap with IHG PointBreaks year round. You don’t even have to be an IHG point collector, since it’s very easy to get points at $70 for 10,000. Thus, an IHG PointBreak stay will cost you less than $35 per night at a good or even great hotel.
The trick is not to buy your points directly from IHG (right now they’re running a bonus, but 10,000 points would still cost you $108), but to book a room–any room–with Points plus Cash and then cancel the reservation. As long as you have at least 5,000 points in your account, you are allowed to buy 10,000 points to complete a reservation, so when you cancel it, they will refund you points, not the money. Thus, they effectively sell you 10,000 points for $70.
Actually, it’s even better. Since you get a 10 % rebate for all your redemptions, it works out to $63.60 for 10,000 points or $31.81 for a PointBreak night Try to book that on Priceline.
I would like to list some hotels that, I believe, are worthy of your consideration. Please keep in mind that I’m mostly interested in international travel, so here goes.
China
Crowne Plaza Beijing Zhongguancun: a 4.5-star hotel highly rated on Trip Advisor.
India
Intercontinental Marine Drive-Mumbai: a 5-star hotel with excellent reviews, as well.
Honduras
Intercontinental Real Tegucigalpa: a 4-star hotel with very good reviews.
Colombia
Intercontinental Medellin: a 4-star hotel with less than stellar reviews.
Salvador
Crowne Plaza San Salvador: a 3.5-star hotel with very good reviews.
Crowne Plaza Lima: a 4-star hotel in Miraflores with very good reviews.
Kenia
Crowne Plaza Nairobi: a 4-star hotel with very good reviews.
OAE
Staybridge Suites Abu Dhabi-Yas Island: a 4-star hotel with excellent reviews.
Bulgaria
Holiday Inn Sofia: a 5-star hotel (not atypical for Holiday Inns abroad) with excellent reviews.
Germany
Holiday Inn Express Baden-Baden: a 3.5-star hotel close to the spas with very good reviews.
Lythvonia
Holiday Inn Vilnius: a 4-star hotel with excellent reviews.
Brazil
Holiday Inn Express Sumare Ave. Sao Paulo: a 3-star hotel with very good reviews.
When you find something you like, book first, and think later. You can always cancel your reservation without penalty. Even if they are show sold out, check later. As soon as your greedy peers start canceling their reservations, the rooms will reappear. Check often.
can I use Barclays points for this?
thanks!
I don’t see why you wouldn’t be able to earn points using Barclays Arrival, although since you are buying points technically, it depends how IHG codes the transaction. But it should work.