I catch a lot of flack for not covering hotel promos. I just don’t. I have this ridiculous desire of writing about things that interest me. That does backfire at times, as different people have different interests. My situation is unique, as I rarely pay for my travel. I rarely go on a business trip, and when I do, I normally use points and miles anyway. Since I run my own business, I really, truly strive to save money for my employer.
So you can probably see why things like mileage or mattress runs are a foreign concept to me. I almost always ignore hotel promos, because they still want me to pay for my stays most of the time. And this is the reason I don’t write about them. There are plenty of other bloggers who do, and they do it better than me. No reason for redundancy.
Every now and then, however, an offer comes around that is so freakishly good, that it’s a travesty not to write about it. The newest IHG Into the Points promotion is right in that league! Even though I never do mattress runs, I’m leaning toward breaking my own rules–so good it is! If you are an IHG member, the chances are you’ve got it in the mail. If you haven’t, here is the link. Sign in to your account and go here: IHG Into the Night Promo.
There is a little problem with this offer, though. The problem is that it is different for everybody. And it is slightly complicated. You must read it carefully, even if it doesn’t sound good at first. Because, the chances are, it is! If you still don’t get it, call: 888-897-0083 and ask the agent to clarify it for you. Here is mine.
At first, it seems like too much work and expenses. But let’s look closely.
1. I only need to pick 3 offers out of 4. So the offer#1 is out. I’m not going on a 5-night mattress run to get a bonus.
2. The second offer is the principal here. I have to stay two Saturdays.
3. The third offers can be inclusive of the second. Yes, I have to stay twice on Saturdays, but one of these stays can be at the EVEN hotel in Norwalk, CT or Rockville, MD. They sent me this because I’m on the East Coast. I’m pretty sure they customize their offers depending where you are based. So basically I’m ditching the offer#1 in favor of offer#4, because a survey is a no-brianer.
What will I be getting if I decide to betray my principles and go for this two-stay mattress run? I will be getting 32,100 points plus two free nights at any IHG property anywhere in the world! Is it worth it? I’ve just checked the rates for some Saturdays at both Rockville and Norwalk. Norwalk seems to be around $99, while Rockville is on average 15-20% more expensive. Since Rockville is twice the distance to get to from NY than Norwalk, I guess we have a winner. My other Saturday escape might be around the Poconos. My kid loves the snow, and I’ve seen IHG properties in the area for as low as $69 per night. I”m sure I will be able to sweeten the deal with Orbitz/Hotels.com/Travelocity codes or IHG BRG.
Regardless, let’s say that with taxes and breakfasts, these two nights will run me $250 total. Charged to the IHG Platinum card, that would give me an extra 5,000 points (20 points combined for a $1 spent), so the total tally comes up to 37,000 points. $250 for 37,000 points? That’s even better than if you simply use the trick to buy IHG points at $0.70. That would cost you $259, but with this promo you’re are also getting two extra nights at any IC in places like Paris, London, Hong Kong, Bora Bora, or New York. Of course, we need to take into account gas, tolls, and all the extra expenses because every outing ends up costing more than staying home. Then again, you do get to stay at a new, and hopefully nice hotel, explore a new area, and simply have fun. How do you put a price tag on that?
I’m kidding of course, you can and must put a price tag on everything if you are serious about the budget.
Maximizing the benefits
- Book with a Travelocity/Orbitz/etc/ code or at the portal. Use Cashback Monitor to compare. Right now, the best CB is 8% from Be Frugal.
- Book st IHG and check better rates, then find a cheaper rate and use IHG BRG (Best Rate Guarantee).
- Book with IHG credit card for x20 return.
- Combine this offer with other IHG codes (at your own risk, read the corresponding Flyertalk thread).
- If you don’t have an IHG card, and it’s been over 2 years since you had the bonus, get a new 80,000-point card.
- If you have kids, play together with your spartner and get two rooms. That might double your point rewards; you will get four free nights at any IHG property in the world; and your kids will love and cherish you forever. 🙂
- Get your spartner apply for the 80K-points IHG card too, while you’re at it.
- Use your free nights at the most expensive and desirable IHG properties in the world.
Convinced yet? I certainly am!
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Your personal deal way better than for us in Minnesota. My Into the Night would be stay 6 nights at 2 different Holiday Inns with one stay needing paid breakfast for reward of 15,600 pts and 2 free nights (no survey option). I’ll pass, but thanks for the tip, I would have never even looked without your post.
Yeah, I don’t blame you. That sounds draconian.
Two aspects are important to consider:
– it is preferable to book directly on IHG website (stays that are paid directly to Orbitz / Travelocity/etc. are not eligible for the promotion). Furthermore, the discount codes from these big travel agencies do not work for large international hotel chains, like IHG, Hilton, Marriott, etc;
– attention should be given to BRG rates. Terms are not very clear, but they might be non-eligible, as well.
You’re right! Checked the terms more closely and found this: “…points are not issued for stays at the following reduced room rates… most rates booked through most third party web sites.” Not worth the risk.
So that leaves two options: BRG and portals. The policy doesn’t seem to contain any language against those, but I wonder if we’d be better off asking them in writing.
Thanks for the comment!