I like the timing on this as it follows my How To Earn IHG Points With IHG’s Promos. This post has a list of the cheapest ~200 IHG hotels, map of the cheapest 1,000+ hotels, the best of the cheapest hotels, etc…
This is part of a bigger project and post. I already have the points price for every hotel of the major chains, and in finding the cheapest cash rates for each hotel, then I can give an objective / data-driven answer to the most valuable redemptions.
On the other side of the coin, I’m using the data to find the cheapest hotels in the world.
I mentioned that earning at scale requires some creativity, and I believe knowing the cheapest hotels in the world is the first step in big earnings.
What The Data Means
This is the cheapest rate we found for each hotel.
You might not find the same hotel at the same rate. Many of the hotels were surprisingly consistent in price, but some of these hotels have way lower rates in off-peak.
Like one of the hotel locations on the cheaper end in Sanya, China… But that’s a beach resort area near Vietnam, and the price ranged from $39 to $140.
Again, most do not vary that much, but the point is that this is the lowest rate we found.
“We found” also means that there could be lower rates out there on dates we didn’t check. This is a good resource, but not a perfect one.
These are also standard rates, and there may be even cheaper rates with whatever code you use.
I do have the points to cash ratio to show the value as a teaser, but this post certainly isn’t about redemption. It may go without saying, but each of these hotels would be terrible redemptions.
Every IHG Hotel Under $50
Before I go over best hotels and strategies, let me start with the list of the cheapest 228 hotels, with every hotel that we found at $50 or under.
Best IHG Hotels Under $50
You might think this is crazy if you haven’t stayed in these hotels in China, but the average Holiday Inn in China is much nicer than the average Crowne Plaza in the US… by a long shot.
I just Googled a random $30 Holiday Inn (near the Longmen Grottoes in China) and it has a perfect 5 stars on TripAdvisor.
So maybe you’re looking for hotels you don’t actually want to stay in, but solely to complete a promotion… but if you did want to complete a promotion and stay somewhere interesting, there are many interesting locations.
My picks:
- Chengdu – $34
- Shanghai – $37
- Moscow – $35
- Dubai – $35
- Bali – $39
- KL – $39
- Istanbul – $42
- Rome – $43
- Bangkok – $43
- Jakarta – $30
Many of these, like Rome, are a decent ways away from the city center, which is a no go for me.
Best Locations In China
Since Stefan of RapidTravelChai lived in and has traveled all over China, and since so many of the hotels on the list are in China, I asked his opinion on which hotels on the list were in interesting locations. Read his thoughts below.
For short or long (great to hang out):
- Chengdu (awesome, my wife wants to visit each year, picking something in the center, then take trips to the next ones)
- Leshan (Giant Buddha) & nearby Emeishan (Buddhist holy mountain and aggressive monkeys) & other direction from Chengdu is Dujiangyan (UNESCO site Dujiangyan Irrigation, Taoist Qingcheng Mountain)
- Chongqing (atmospheric and can connect with Chengdu, though this one is outside of the center)
- Yangzhou (my wife has stayed here and rates the included Chinese breakfast as top notch, beating many fancy hotels)
- Changzhou & Shaoxing (wealthy cities in the orbit of Shanghai)
- Lhasa (need a permit)
- Hulunbuir (Mongolian grasslands)
- Zhangye (Silk Road stop)
- Luoyang (Longmen Grottoes)
Thanks Stefan! This is valuable information for anyone who wants to plan a visit to China.
Map Of Cheapest IHG Hotels
Red indicates the cheapest hotels. Just like the Complete Map Of Award Hotels, click the top right to blow it up and see the key.
Conclusion
Whether you need to actually stay or not, hopefully, this helps you complete your promotions!
As I said in the post on Earning IHG Points with IHG Promos, I can earn 60,000 points (or more) in 3 stays. With $30/night that’s $90 for 60,000 points – that’s also .15 cents per point. That’s enough for 12 nights in PointBreaks or nearly enough for the nicest hotels in the world.
Hopefully, this is helpful information and I will be posting the most valuable IHG redemptions soon!
Also, would this information be helpful for another chain? If so, what chain should I do this for next?
Can you book a room, complete the promotion, but not actually stay or check in?
The Hilton would be the next chain that would be helpful to compare prices/points. And potentially Choice hotels in the future.
Current IHG promotion is not very good compared to previous few, but still can be leveraged with the right stays. The sad thing is that Point Breaks become very pathetic after devaluation – the properties are way lower grade en mass. Hope the IHG will make it better, at least for elites.
Am rather surprised you’re still such a big fan of IHG, especially after so many of the IHG wonders you taught us years ago have long since died…. (beginning with the recurrent “into the chaos” promotions, the collapse of the point breaks program, all the massive devaluations – and all major inflation that’s hit the chain as it swallowed the high end Kimpton fare…) Sure, it’s great you’re showing us ways to still earn ihg points, but it’s still a big “meh” for me…. Yet with you being the pioneer in this space, will look again, will read and read anew… but the general favorable view of IHG, the thrill is really gone.
ps, re. your map, luv the effort…. yet one quibble…. the Miami Holiday Inn Express is not in Florida, but in Miami, Oklahoma, roughly in the middle of nowhere, on the way northeast from Tulsa towards Joplin… been there, classic IHG interstate fare. It’s cheap because of its location….
ps #2: when we do see the (rare) cheap IHG locations, and not one of the run-down or under-construction non-starters (like Manassas, VA), then unlike you, we don’t mind occasionally using our easily earned (for free — for real via staples, gyft, etc.) Chase UR points…. (even as yes, well remember your rather certain insistence that we ought never do this….. will listen to the podcasts and try to figure out why not.)
Love your website and great tips. Much better than other points blogger I’d say.
Just one correction – Emeishan is a Taoist mountain, not Buddhist.
Otherwise, well done generating great content!
Would love to see this updated post covid and following the brutal devaluation of points.
Looking to perhaps add a couple of mattress runs of 5 days a piece this year.
I’m in the UK so warm European places with good food would be perfect !!
But cheap is the key !!