IHG is back with another great promo. This is a big promotion where you can get 50,000 points for 3 night stays, or 2 free nights from 4 nights. Although the range for what promotion you can get varies greatly.
In short, the promotion (like the other recent IHG promotions) is customized to you. You have tasks to complete and prizes in points or free nights.
This post is kind of a remake of the one I did for the previous Set Your Sights promo (which is long dead). But I’ll explain it in a similar way and go over all the details.
The Basics
- Register here
- Dates: “1 September 2015 to 31 December 2015 (inclusive)”
The Reward
Like I said, the reward varies. So you get points for completing small tasks, and if you complete enough small tasks, you get a bigger bonus.
A typical one is that if you complete 4 of the 5 tasks, you get 50,000 points. You can usually complete 4 of the tasks in 3 to 7 nights. Although my account has something like 17 nights for one of the tasks, the good news is that I don’t have to complete all of them.
Best log in and find out.
New accounts
What’s interesting is that new accounts get a very simple task (which seems smart), which is to complete two stays and get a free night. They can do this twice. Thus, completing four stays would get you a total of 2 free nights which can be used anywhere.
This is a great deal worthy of encouraging any relative on a vacation to sign up for.
Also, remember that a stay can go towards multiple tasks. If you stay at a Holiday Inn for two nights over the weekend… that could count towards a task of staying at a Holiday Inn, a weekend, and for two nights.
I chart out our promotions and try to complete them in as few nights as possible.
Details
Can I book two nights separately to get two stays?
Not two nights in a row with the same account,. As dumb as IHG is, you can not just book two different reservations back to back. The computer will recognize that you just stayed two nights in a row and count it as one stay.
However, if you have a gap in paid stays, that will be two stays.
Also, if you and another person/account have two different reservations, those will indeed be two different stays; one on each account. For example, if I check in one night, and Carrie checks in the next night with her account, it will be two different stays.
Note that in my experience IHG (remember they ain’t too bright) will count both stays on one account and make the other person’s stay non-qualifying. You simply have to fill out a missing points form. Not a big deal, just look out for it.
How does the weekend stay work?
It needs to be a two night stay on the weekend nights. For example, a stay with Friday and Saturday, or Saturday and Sunday night. This will only count towards 1 stay no matter how you do it, but it will count as two nights. And it could still count as a specific brand, like the Holiday Inn stay.
If I don’t have to complete all my tasks, which one do I skip?
Well, the obvious answer would be the one that adds the most nights. Although each task has a different bonus. So if the difference in nights isn’t huge, you could choose to keep the task that’s easier, or the one that gives more points. In general, I try to keep earning 5,000 points under $25.
Which rates complete promotions? Does “Cash + Points” count?
Paid rates only, and the “cash + points” does not count. In general, corporate codes should work, but the terms and conditions officially say “most” corporate rates count. Guess you would have to inquire with your company or IHG for more details. But otherwise, paid nights work.
The one exception is that I did get a task that says to redeem points.
Holiday Inn vs Holiday Inn Express
Very plainly, if your goal says “Holiday Inn Express” a regular “Holiday Inn” will not count, and vice versa. Read that part.
However, Holiday Inn Resorts and Vacations do count towards “Holiday Inn” stays… at least that’s what my account says.
Is this promotion a good deal?
Well, it’s customized so everyone’s is different.
But for new accounts, yes, this is a great deal.
If you can complete your tasks in 3 to 5 nights, it’s probably a good deal. But remember, you can go broke saving money. Just because it’s a good deal doesn’t mean you should pay towards it.
But if you’re paying for hotels anyways, getting 50,000 points for completing the 3 to 5 paid nights… is a fantastic deal. Really if you’re paying for hotels anyways, why not get 50,000 points? It could be worth more than the paid nights.
![Nick of FM on #40kFarAway [TIF Podcast]](https://travelisfree.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/travel-is-free-podcast-nick-40K-120x86.jpg)
The big question is obviously: if your offer is really bad, should you create a new account? Will you be doing that?
Mine is pretty good.
Should you do it? That’s really a personal thing. New accounts get two free nights after 4 stays, it’s a good deal. But obviously different people feel differently about the “should” part.
I agree with you for the most part, but some people actually have received as one of their tasks, a “cash and points” redemption requirement — in my partner’s case it must be done 3 times!
So, that is the task that likely will go unfulfilled.
However, it is incorrect to state that “cash and points” stays won’t be counted, for although for most tasks, that is true, for this one specific “offer,” it is the basis of the offer, itself!
That’s an interesting observation, since that’s one of my offers on a “four out of five” for 43,600 points. I see a Holiday Inn three miles from home where I can stay for $40 plus 5,000 points. So this would cost me $120 for 28,600 points (43,600 – 15,000) and three nights of lodging to do it three times, through which I would fulfill three other tasks and finish the promo. Essentially buying points at .042 per point, which is good or bad depending on how the points would be used. Of course the value proposition rises greatly if I actually have the need to put someone up in a hotel locally during the time frame or have occasion to stay somewhere similar in the normal course of my travels. I registered and will defer judgment as to how this may play out.
However it specifically says that reward nights and cash and points are not “stays”. So if you task asks for stays, it still won’t count. If your task asks for a reward night, obviously the reward night counts towards it. Same, if it asks for cash and points, clearly cash and points count towards cash and points.
Here is what I got:
Earn 58,300 total bonus points.
Complete all your offers to get 58,300 total bonus points
5,000 Stay Once Get 5,000
Thank you for being a loyal IHG® Rewards Club member. Stay once and earn 5,000 bonus points.
10,200 Stay More, Earn More
Get closer to the rewards you want when you stay 5 night(s) and earn 10,200 bonus points.
6,000 A Bonus Weekend Stay
Stay with us for the weekend and earn 6,000 bonus points. A Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday night stay required.
3,000 Earn More, Faster
Earn 3,000 bonus points when you book 1 Bonus Points Package stay(s) and get to your next reward faster.
10,800 Corporate Account Bonus
Stay 4 time(s) using your negotiated rate and earn 10,800 bonus points.
2,300 Spend on your IHG® Rewards Club Credit Card
Book and pay for one stay with your IHG® Rewards Club Credit Card and earn bonus points
5,000 Renew Your Ambassador Membership
Earn 5,000 points when you renew your Ambassador Membership.
16,000 Your Achievement Bonus
Complete 6 of 7 offers and earn (an additional) 16,000 bonus points.
So what is the simple way to look at this? How many stays?
Cut out whichever one you can’t do, and complete the other 6.
A bonus package, on a weekend will still count towards the 5 nights. However, it won’t work towards the corporate rate one… which is the one I’d probably skip.
I got a pretty crappy offer.
1) 5,000 points for a September stay.
2) 5,000 points for any stay
3) 5,000 points for staying 3 nights
4) 3,000 points for staying another 3 nights (i.e. 6 nights)
5) 3,000 points for staying another 3 nights (i.e. 9 nights)
6) 3,000 points for staying another 3 nights (i.e. 12 nights)
7) 3,000 points for staying another 3 nights (i.e. 15 nights)
8) 30,000 points for staying another 3 nights (i.e. 18 nights)
#2 is very doable. #1 and #3 are maybes. The rest–forget about it.
I got basically the same offer. I will probably just do one September stay for the 10,000 points and be done with it.
Identical to what I got.
Take yours, and change #3 to five (5) nights.
….I don’t think that’s happening.
Mine is awful:
5,000: Stay Once
1,000: Redeem for anything
22,800: Stay 10 nights
6,000: Book a single stay of four or more consecutive nights
6,000: One weekend stay
2,000: Apply for the IHG® Rewards Club Select Credit Card (Chase hates me and hasn’t approved any of my apps yet)
5,400: Book 3 stay(s) using Points and Cash. (Do these count as “stays”?)
13,000: Complete 6 of 7 offers
I guess I lose this one. I was lucky on the summer and spring ones. They must know I’m not outlaying much cash for these; pity as my fall/winter travels take me to the cheapo lands of India and Egypt among others. The only way I’d do this is if I score another mistake rate, but that’s still $120
Good news is you can cut out the stay 10 nights… but it cuts out nearly half your bonus. That’s kinda lame.
Is it possible to sign up for a new account with your same name? Maybe just change the email? My wife and
I have terrible offers on our regular accounts. Suggestions?
I think you should first take a course on ethics.
SMH
@HORACE, people don’t come here to read what you think. You’re not the expert.
Hope Drew will answer on what to do re: new account versus existing.
Not being the expert, nor the lack of tact, doesn’t make Horace’s point any less salient.
Pretty judgemental response. I understand what you’re inferring, however there’s shades of grey here.
I apparently created an account over a year ago, have never used it, and intend on creating a new one.
Judge away if you so choose. In the spirit of the promotion I’d of never stayed at an IHG hotel so I am indeed a new member as far as their bottom line is concerned. Who knows, maybe their brand will grow on me and cause a shift in hotel preferences. Perhaps i pick up their credit card. I am after all the type of person they’re targeting with the free 2 nights.
Putting aside ethics (pretty sure Drew is not an expert on ethics, so we will have to leave that for another blog!), the terms and conditions with IHG preclude two accounts for one person. If you choose to do so anyway, then please understand that it is well within IHG’s rights to shut down both accounts and take away all points and cancel any point or free night future reservations. Please do not return to lament the horrible treatment that you received from IHG when they do exactly what their T&C say that they will do.
@farnorthtrader – thanks for the details on the IHG Ts & Cs, and possible implications.
I mean, it’s possible to create new accounts, the join page isn’t restricted. I don’t know what precautions they take for duplicate accounts; in terms of same name, same email, same address… but I don’t imagine it’s strict.
Obviously some people don’t feel comfortable with it.
I suppose one legal way to do it is to stay on behalf of a family member. Get a cousin to create an account and you check in… that may work. But you can definitely redeem free nights for anyone.
Interesting, I made a new account and am not seeing any 50,000 point offer. I just have 2 offers: 2 stays gets a free night, 2 more stays gets another free night; if I complete both of those tasks, I get 2 free nights. So essentially it’s 4 stays for 4 free nights.
With an offer like this, the devil will definitely be in the details, no? I.e., if the reward availability is very good, there are very expensive IHG places I want to stay before Dec 2016, and I can do the 4 stays very cheaply, this could be worth it. Otherwise I’m not so sure.
Michael – yes this is the offer that the post was talking about at the top. Pay for 4 cheap nights and you get 4 expensive nights anywhere. A great deal. Availability for these free nights is generally good, if it’s like the previous promos. If there is availability at a hotel with points, then you can book the free nights.
On another note, I could go without the holier-than-thou comments of “take a course on ethics”. This is arbitrage. We’re all guilty of doing things in this game that others don’t approve of. We all will have a slightly different moral compass.
To answer the question about having multiple accounts – yes, of course it’s possible. But understand the risks of getting shut down. If I drain the points in my main account first, it’s probably worth the risk.
I believe that it’s 2 NIGHTS equals a free hotel night, am I wrong?
Whaaaat. You get a bonus two nights, for getting two nights? That’s crazy.
I saw that new accounts get a free night after a stay… twice. So max is two free nights. I haven’t heard of four. Very good deal! Do it!
The details are that there has to be award availability and it expires in a year.
So search IHG.com for reward nights and if there is space, you can use a free night. I’ve used a number of free nights through the years and have never had an issue.
Odd. I only have 3 offers.
Thank you for being a loyal IHG® Rewards Club member. Stay once and earn 1,000 bonus points.
Get closer to the rewards you want when you stay 5 night(s) and earn 6,800 bonus points.
Book and pay for one stay with your IHG® Rewards Club Credit Card and earn 1k bonus points.
Your Achievement Bonus
Complete 3 of 3 offers and earn (an additional) 40,700 bonus points. Terms
Pretty good deal if you can do all 5 nights anyways/cheaply.
If I change hotels every night – Hotel A, Hotel B, Hotel A, and Hotel B – over 4 days. Would I get two free nights as a new member?
Changing hotels does indeed count at different stays.
Changing reservations does not… but that does seem to be what you’re asking. But yes. That will work.
Hi! I’ve been a silent reader on your blog but thanks for all the info. I thought the IHG promo was the same for everyone. However thanks for sharing what each of you received. My offer is listed below and it seems pretty doable.
5,000 Stay once get 5,000
10,200 Stay more, earn more: 5 nights
6,000 A bonus weekend stay
2,300 Use IHG cc to book and pay for 1 stay
26,000 complete 3 of the 4
If I was to book weekend stay with my IHG cc, would that accomplish task 1,3,4 and 5?
Exactly, that should net you 40,000 points for the one stay. Good deal!
And thanks for reading and commenting. 🙂
Would a BRG stay qualify for these offers? If I stay one night in September, I’ll get 10K points. Even better if I can get the points without having to actually pay for that night.
BRGs are not qualifying nights. The only exception is that some hotels refuse to honor them and IHG has to send a check. But if IHG changes the rate for you and you pay $0… it’s not a stay. If you pay money and IHG reimburses you later (very rare), it would indeed count.
I have something decent –
1) stay once 5,000
2) stay 5 nights, 10,200
3) stay 3 times w/points+cash, 5,400
4) IHG credit – 2,300
5) 3 out of 4 of the above, 27,100
Since generally I think points+cash is a poor value, this means a single 5 night stay could get me 44,600 points, which isn’t bad. At 0.5 cents a point this is $223 in value.
But I’m envious of those who got free nights anywhere, since I would have combined them with my IHG credit card free night and gotten multiple nights at an Intercontinental.
Drew, this is a different subject,hopefully you don’t mind me asking you if you have an award booking service, I need help booking 300,000 AA miles for Australia in December 2015 from TXK to SYD. I just don’t have any luck. Thank you
Mine is terrible, just like last year. I’m always curious to see what other people get, because mine is SO different. I understand of course that it’s based on my history with IHG, but they’ve made it nearly impossible for the last 2 years. Didn’t get the big bonus because the challenges were similar. Here goes:
Stay once for 5,000 points
50,000 points for staying 39 nights (!!!)
4,000 points for a stay of 4+ consecutive nights
4,000 points for a weekend stay (2 nights, Fri & Sat or Sat & Sun)
2,000 for applying for the credit card
1,000 points when I redeem my points (for anything)
** 8,000 bonus – if I complete 5 out of 6.
Mine had:
1 stay – 1000 points
1 paid with CC – 2300
Bonus points booking – 3000
Do these 3 and get 33,5000
I booked a room a little over a week ago and did the bonus points and paid with a CC which should have knocked off all 3 but only the booked with bonus points is showing as fulfilled…my question is does it usually take a while for the other stuff to catch up (I would think stay 1 nigh would hit immediately) or do I need to contact IHG or something?