IHG is bringing temporarily (likely permanent) Regent and Kimpton-brands into the InterContinental Ambassador-program.

We have previously reported (access here) that Ambassador-benefits, including the free weekend night voucher, were valid for stays at Regent hotels outside of Greater China through the end of 2021. Now, IHG has introduced benefits for Greater China Regents until December 31, 2020.

You can access IHG’s page for the Ambassador-program here.

READ MORE: IHG Rewards Club Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions

Here are the Greater China benefits valid for stays at FOUR Regent Hotels:

• Regent Beijing
• Regent Chongqing
• Regent Shanghai Pudong
• Regent Taipei

Benefits:

• Full breakfast per day (unclear if only for the Ambassador or all registered guests)
• Late check-out 4 PM
• Signature Amenity
• Regent Club access for Royal Ambassadors

Conclusion

Even the Ambassador-program with free night certificate has now become a minefield because you need to remember that:

1. Free Weekend night vouchers are now valid 7-days a week at Kimpton and Regent Hotels outside of Greater China until the end of 2021 (but only weekends at InterContinentals).

2. Regent Hotels are offering one set of benefits outside of Greater China until the end of 2021, while those in China and Taiwan are valid until the end of 2020.

3. InterContinental benefits are “richer” in MAINLAND China (not Greater China) than elsewhere.

4. InterContinental, Kimpton, and Regent spend count towards the Royal Ambassador qualification.

I am all for simplicity when it comes to these loyalty programs. More exclusions you carve out the more difficult they become to run, administer, and ensure compliance.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) or IHG Hotels has been consistently trying to break into the luxury segment first by acquiring Kimpton, and then Regent Hotels and Six Senses.

IHG Rewards Club, the loyalty program for the group, however, is not calibrated correctly to provide loyalty benefits in addition to rewards for members that are used to top elite tier benefits at Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, or even Accor hotels.

You can access IHG’s page for loyalty benefits here.

READ MORE: IHG Rewards Club Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions

Here’s the benefits matrix:

So, what is guaranteed for IHG Rewards Club’s elite members? Only bonus points and nothing else.

How does this compare with competitors that offer:

1. Breakfast

2. Club lounge access

3. Space available & guaranteed suite upgrades

4. Guaranteed 4 PM check-outs

5. Lifetime status

None of these are guaranteed or available even for top-tier IHG Rewards Club members outside of the paid Ambassador-program or the invitation-only Royal Ambassador-level.

Also, IHG tries to run three semi-separate programs; IHG Rewards Club (points and some benefits), InterContinental Ambassador (only for three brands with set benefits and paid) and InnerCircle for Kimpton.

Here’s what IHG need to do:

1. Introduce the benefits outlined above, and;
2. Combine IHG Rewards Club, InterContinental Ambassador & Kimpton Inner Circle-programs.

Conclusion

As the name “IHG Rewards Club” suggests, IHG Hotels don’t really have a loyalty program, but a rewards one.

Nobody cared about the distinction between these two when IHG used to shower us with points, and they didn’t have luxury hotels such as Regent or Six Sense, where loyalty benefits would genuinely matter. Offering merely rewards was enough when most hotels were standardized boxes such as Holiday Inn Express or Candlewood Suites. These select service hotels at all chains have very little to offer to elite members.

If you merely stay at select-service brands, IHG Rewards Club is a good program. You can earn free nights quite fast, especially if you live in any of the markets where IHG affiliated credit cards are available.

The Ambassador program with the guaranteed one-category upgrade and 4 PM check-out is solid for someone who cannot qualify for top tier status with any of the main competitors (Accor, Hilton, Hyatt, or Marriott), but comes as a cost of $200 or 40,000 points yearly.

I had Royal Ambassador status for years but gave up the other year when I decided that I would not put up anymore with any substandard hotel in markets where better hotels exist. The InterContinental spend that year ($12K+) was not enough for re-qualification.

Quite frankly, I should have given up on IHG Rewards Club & Royal Ambassador-program years earlier, as I would have already by now earned lifetime status with both Hilton and Hyatt, adding to my Marriott and semi-lifetime with Accor.

If you travel a lot, IHG unfortunately doesn’t have much to offer on their loyalty program side. You should have a serious look at one of their competitors.

IHG Rewards Club launched earlier this month a points sale with a 100% bonus that ends tomorrow (July 31, 2020).

IHG sells points throughout the year (the maximum bonus is 100%), and members can now buy up to 150,000 points every calendar year before any targeted offers.

You can check your personalized IHG Rewards Club buy points offer here.

READ MORE: IHG Rewards Club Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions

Note that the purchase limit is raised from 150,000 to 250,000 for the duration of this sale. Members can buy a total of 500.000 points when the bonus is factored in.

Price at the 100% bonus:

The price at the 100% bonus is 0.5 cents each when the maximum number is purchased. My purchase limit was raised to 250,000 (before bonus – 500,000 with extra).

IHG has sent out emails to their new approach to award night pricing:

IHG Rewards Club “Introducing our new approach to Reward Nights” Email

Does it make sense to purchase points?

Purchasing points merely because they are on sale doesn’t make sense. If you have a good use for them, buying can lower the price of the stays considerably.

Usually, using points make sense at the most expensive properties, during or when the paid rates are through the roof due to some event in the city.

IHG recently moved to variably priced awards, and there have been some excellent deals lately by using points, although some of the best ones have already been “corrected”.

Conclusion

IHG awards are now more sensible once they introduced the dynamically or variably priced awards based on the price and demand.

This is the lowest price IHG Rewards Club has sold its points for some time with an increased purchase limit thrown in.

Here are the terms and conditions of this offer:

Offer available for purchases made between 12:00 AM ET July 8, 2020 and 11:59 PM ET July 31, 2020 inclusive. Members will receive a 100% Bonus when they purchase a minimum 15,000 points purchase threshold on a per transaction basis in order to qualify for the bonus. Members may purchase a maximum of 150,000 points per calendar year and receive as a gift a maximum of 150,000 points per calendar year; during the term of this promotion, that limit is raised to 250,000 points. This is an exclusive, non-transferable offer for intended recipients only and may not be forwarded. Offer is subject to change. Offer cannot be combined with any other offer.

Price includes all applicable fees. Purchased Points are not refundable and are applicable toward all IHG® Rewards Club awards. Please allow 72 hours for points to post and appear in the recipient’s account. All other IHG® Rewards Club Terms and Conditions apply.

IHG Rewards Club has launched a new offer to drive membership sign-ups in the United States this fall.

A new member who signs up using a specific link between July 30 – September 30 can earn a free night certificate after two stays by January 31, 2021. The free night certificate is valid until April 30, 2021, and capped at 40,000 points.

You can access this offer on IHG’s website here.

READ MORE: IHG Rewards Club Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions

Note that this offer is only valid for new members who sign up and have the qualifying two stays in the United States. There is no geographical limitation where the free night certificate can be redeemed.

Remember that there is a separate offer for a free night if you sign up or renew InterContinental Ambassador membership:

IHG InterContinental Ambassador Enrollment & Renewal Offer With Complimentary Award Night Certificate July 30 – November 15, 2020

You can combine these two offers and earn two free night certificates capped at 40,000 points per night. At least one of the stays need to be at Kimpton or InterContinental brand (no Regent hotels in North America).

Conclusion

We haven’t seen offers to get new members to sign up with IHG for a while. This is an excellent opportunity to earn a free night certificate after just two stays.

Here are the terms and conditions of this offer:

You must be a new IHG® Rewards Club member to participate in this promotion. New members who join IHG Rewards Club between July 30, 2020 and September 30, 2020 and complete two qualified stays at IHG brand hotels in the U.S. between July 30, 2020 and January 31, 2021, will be awarded a free night (Reward Night) redeemable for up to 40,000 points. If enrolling in-hotel, the enrolling stay does not count toward the 2-stay requirement. The free night will be deposited into the member’s account 2-4 weeks after completing two qualifying stays and is valid until April 30, 2021. This offer is valid for U.S. residents only for qualified stays in U.S. Hotels.

The free night must be consumed by April 30, 2021 and is nontransferable. The number of points required for a free night (Reward Nights) at IHG hotels varies by date, brand and individual hotel and subject to availability. Fees may apply to the Free Night.

A Qualifying Stay is defined as a minimum 1-night stay booked under a Qualifying Rate, with total spend exceeding US $30 per night. A Stay is defined per IHG Rewards Club Membership Terms and Conditions as one night or consecutive nights at the same hotel, regardless of frequency of check-in/out. Qualifying Rates include most business and leisure rates. IHG® Army Hotels, Mr. & Mrs. Smith properties, and Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas are excluded from this Offer. Only one room per member per Qualifying Stay will be eligible. If more than one member checks into the same room, only one member is eligible for the Offer. No retroactive credit will be awarded for Stays prior to enrollment. This Promotion is subject to standard IHG Rewards Club Membership Terms and Conditions and earning structure, which can be obtained here. The use of certain rates may be subject to applicable agreement(s). Any misuse of such rates is considered a fraud activity subject to IHG Rewards Club Membership terms and conditions. IHG reserves the right to remove a member’s free night award or cancel a member’s account if fraudulent use of the Promotion is detected. To the extent permitted by applicable law, IHG Rewards Club reserves the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify the Promotion/Offer at any time with or without notice. To the extent permitted by applicable law, IHG reserves the right of final interpretation of this Offer. Members must make any promotional inquiries by 60 days from the end of the campaign redemption period on April 30, 2021.

IHG Rewards Club yesterday launched the promotion that we wrote about earlier this week (read more here) to get new members to sign up or existing Ambassadors to renew between July 30 – November 15, 2020.

These emails have gone out to select members. However, this offer is open for EVERYONE, offering an additional free night certificate capped at 40,000 points after staying at InterContinental, Kimpton, or Regent hotels once by January 31.

You can access and sign up or renew InterContinental Ambassador here.

READ MORE: IHG Rewards Club Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions

Note that the free night certificate can be used at all IHG hotels when the maximum points rate is 40,000 or lower (remember that the point required for award nights now greatly fluctuates with IHG).

Here’s the short introductory text on the email:

And a recap of the Ambassador benefits:

New members (no previous IHG accounts) can earn TWO free night certificates if they fulfill the requirements of two separate free night certificate offers:

1. Ambassador one requires buying the Ambassador membership for $200 or 40,000 points

and

2. New member IHG Rewards Club promotion for sign-ups in the United States that offers a free night certificate after two stays also capped at 40,000 points.

Here’s more information about the new member offer:

IHG Rewards Club New Member Offer: Free Night Certificate After Two Stays July 30 – January 31, 2021

Conclusion

A reader just dropped us an email that he had tried to sign up today, but none of the phone associates were aware of this offer (not surprised – unfortunately). There is no need to do anything else than to buy or renew the membership.

You will automatically earn the free night after one stay at one of the eligible three brands. If it doesn’t post automatically, then you need to contact the customer service to fix the issue.

The Ambassador program is worthwhile for those that stay at InterContinental (now also at Kimpton and Regent) hotels but don’t stay at hotels enough to get a top tier status with Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott or Accor for better benefits without having to pay a yearly fee.

Here are the terms and conditions of this offer:

1 Reward Night Offer: InterContinental® Ambassadors who enrol in the programme or renew their programme membership between 30 July 2020 – 15 November 2020 and then complete one qualifying stay at InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton® Hotels & Restaurants, or Regent® Hotels by 31 January 2021 will be awarded a Reward Night redeemable for a Reward Night priced at 40,000 points or less. The free night will be deposited into the member’s account within 72 hours after check-out from a qualifying, paid stay and is valid until 30 April 2021. The night is subject to all terms and conditions as outlined here.

2 Participating Kimpton® Hotels & Restaurants and Regent Hotels & Resorts will accept redemption of the InterContinental® Ambassador Complimentary Weekend Night from 30 July 2020 – 31 December 2021, excluding properties in Greater China. The Complimentary Weekend Night is valid on the second night of a paid stay on the “Ambassador Complimentary Weekend Night Rate” and is subject to the standard rules and restrictions as outlined here . Identification and member number must be presented upon check-in. The member must have an un-redeemed and valid Complimentary Weekend Night available within their IHG Rewards Club account. Weekend is defined to include Friday, Saturday and Sunday, except in the Middle East where properties may define the weekend as Thursday, Friday and Saturday. At Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants the Ambassador Complimentary Weekend Night is defined as Any Day. Advance reservations are required and when joining the Ambassador programme in hotel, the weekend night cannot be redeemed for the current stay. Ambassador benefits are not honored at Kimpton® Hotels & Restaurants, including the room upgrade. Regent® Hotels will recognise InterContinental Ambassador on-property benefits from 30 July 2020 – 31 December 2021, excluding properties in Greater China. All Ambassador benefits are subject to the standard rules and restrictions for the InterContinental® Ambassador programme, as outlined here.

IHG Rewards Club launched in early July a 100% bonus points sale that was supposed to end yesterday but has now been extended by two weeks through August 14, 2020.

IHG sells points throughout the year (the maximum bonus is 100%), and members can now buy up to 150,000 points every calendar year before any targeted offers.

You can check your personalized IHG Rewards Club buy points offer here.

READ MORE: IHG Rewards Club Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions

Note that the purchase limit is raised from 150,000 to 250,000 for the duration of this sale. Members can buy a total of 500.000 points when the bonus is factored in.

Price at the 100% bonus:

The price at the 100% bonus is 0.5 cents each when the maximum number is purchased. My purchase limit was raised to 250,000 (before bonus – 500,000 with extra).

IHG has sent out emails to their new approach to award night pricing:

IHG Rewards Club “Introducing our new approach to Reward Nights” Email

Does it make sense to purchase points?

Purchasing points merely because they are on sale doesn’t make sense. If you have a good use for them, buying can lower the price of the stays considerably.

Usually, using points make sense at the most expensive properties, during or when the paid rates are through the roof due to some event in the city.

IHG recently moved to variably priced awards, and there have been some excellent deals lately by using points, although some of the best ones have already been “corrected”.

Conclusion

IHG awards are now more sensible once they introduced the dynamically or variably priced awards based on the paid price and demand.

This is the lowest price IHG Rewards Club has sold its points for some time with an increased purchase limit thrown in.

Here are the terms and conditions of this offer:

Offer available for purchases made between 12:00 AM ET 8 July 2020 and 11:59 PM ET 14 August 2020 inclusive. Members will receive a 100% Bonus when they purchase a minimum points purchase threshold on a per transaction basis in order to qualify for the bonus – click through to see minimum purchase requirement. Members may purchase a maximum of 250,000 points during the promotional period only. Members may gift a maximum of 250,000 points or receive as a gift from another member a combined maximum of 250,000 points during the promotional period only. Points that have been already purchased, gifted or received as a gift in 2020 are included in the 250,000 points limit. Purchased points do not count towards IHG® Rewards Club Elite status. This is an exclusive, non-transferable offer for intended recipients only and may not be forwarded. Offer is subject to change. Offer cannot be combined with any other offer.

More than a thousand IHG affiliated hotels mainly in the United States and Canada were affected by malware back in 2016 that resulted in credit card numbers, expiration dates, verification numbers, and names being handed to hackers.

Now, IHG has reached a settlement that potentially covers some of out of pocket expenses incurred. You, however, need to take action by early September or won’t get anything and forgo your rights.

You can access the class action settlement website here.

Here’s information from the settlement administrator:

A Settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit involving malware intrusions that affected certain Inter-Continental Hotels Corporation and InterContinental Hotels Group Resources, Inc. (“IHG”)-branded hotel, restaurant and bar locations at varying times between August 1, 2016 through December 29, 2016 (the “Data Security Incidents”).

The affected hotel brands include InterContinential, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Candlewood Suites, Crowne Plaza, Staybridge Suites, and Hotel Indigo.  The specific hotel locations and time frames during which the IHG-branded hotel, restaurant, and bar locations were affected by the Data Security Incidents are available in the “Property List” in the ‘Documents’ section of this website.

The Settlement includes all persons who reside in the United States and used a payment card at the front desk of an affected hotel location or to make or attempt to make a purchase at an affected restaurant or bar location (identified in the ‘Documents’ section of this website) during the period in which that hotel, restaurant, or bar was affected by the Data Security Incidents.

The Settlement provides for payments to people who submit valid claims for documented out-of-pocket expenses of up to $250 that either of the Data Security Incidents was a contributing factor to the expense being incurred, and for reimbursement of documented fraudulent and unauthorized losses of up to $3,500 that were more likely than not caused by the Data Security Incidents. The total payments to the class are capped at $1,550,000.

Information about the process:

Download (PDF, 177KB)

Affected properties:

Download (PDF, 3.97MB)

Conclusion

The settlement amount with the lawyer fees is roughly $2M for the IHG to pay that is highly inadequate considering the spread of this event that affected quite a few hotel chains.

Hackers had been able to somehow install malware to the system used by these hotels and got the swipe information.

Other hotel chains had similar issues with the swipe information diverted. Let’s see what will come out of those cases.

IHG has launched a 50% off Sale for stays at participating hotels in Europe through April 30, 2021, that is available for bookings until August 24.

You must book a two-night stay (not longer), and the discount is 50% off of the Best Available Rate. This Limited Time Offer is prepaid, noncancelable, and nonrefundable.

You can access this offer on IHG’s website here.

READ MORE: IHG Rewards Club Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions

Here’s availability for a weekend stay in London this September:

InterContinental Madrid has some great rates available:

As does InterContinental Istanbul:

Conclusion

Both participation and availability varied between dates and cities a lot. These are probably the lowest prices that I have seen for many of these hotels.

I would still be, however, hesitant to make advance payments for accommodation outside of the country you are living in. It is unpredictable how this Covid-19 will play out this fall and winter, and flexibility is the key.

Here are the terms and conditions of this Sale:

Book the Limited Time Offer rate between 00:01 local time on 3 August 2020 and 23.59 local time on 24 August 2020 for two-night stays at participating Europe IHG branded hotels between 3 August 2020 and 30 April 2021 (both dates inclusive) to receive a discount of 50% off the Best Flexible Rate (BFR). Minimum one day advance booking required.

Bookings cannot be amended, full payment is required upon booking and no refunds will be given for cancellations.

The Limited Time Offer is available to the public and IHG® Rewards Club members. Membership in IHG® Rewards Club is free. See www.ihgrewardsclub.com to enrol. IHG® Rewards Club Membership Terms and Conditions apply, available at https://www.ihg.com/hotels/gb/en/global/customer_care/member-tc.

Rates are per room per night and the 50% discount is subject to limited availability and blackout dates, and other restrictions set by participating hotels may apply. City taxes may apply in some cities. Currency rates and exchange rates may vary.

Offer qualifies for IHG Rewards Club points, but the Limited Time Offer rate cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount promotion. IHG reserves the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify the Limited Time Offer at any time with or without notice. IHG reserves the right of final interpretation of the Limited Time Offer.

Here’s a comprehensive look at IHG’s coronavirus policies and IHG Rewards Club promotional opportunities both rate and points for August 2020.

Remember to forward us promotional offers by email that you receive from both hotels and airlines. You can send questions and comments as well.

You can access IHG here.

READ MORE: IHG Rewards Club Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions

IHG Rewards Club members can earn up to quadruple points through September 8, 2020.

IHG Rewards Club Up To Quadruple Points June 12 – September 8, 2020 (Now Open For All)

IHG Rewards Club members in Greater China can earn double points until September 15, 2020.

IHG Rewards Club Greater China Double Points July 15 – September 15, 2020

IHG Rewards Club members can buy points with a 100% bonus and increased limit until August 14, 2020.

IHG Rewards Club Buy Points 100% Bonus With Increased Limit Through August 14, 2020

New IHG members in the United States can earn a free night award after two stays.

IHG Rewards Club New Member Offer: Free Night Certificate After Two Stays July 30 – January 31, 2021

IHG is offering new Ambassador members and for those who renew a free night certificate after one stay.

IHG InterContinental Ambassador Sign Up & Renew Promotion Now Live Through November 15, 2020

IHG is offering Gold & Platinum status fast tracks.

IHG Rewards Club Gold & Platinum Fast Track Through December 30, 2020 (Now With Sign Up)

IHG Rewards Club members can earn double points for stays at select hotels in Asia through December 30, 2020.

IHG Rewards Club Double Points Select Asia Hotels Through December 30, 2020

IHG Rewards Club members can earn 50% Bonus Points Package bonus for stays at select US hotels through December 30, 2020.

IHG Rewards Club 50% Bonus Points Package Bonus Select Americas Hotels Through December 30, 2020

Six Senses are selling certificates with a 20% bonus until December 20, 2020.

Six Senses “Plan Now, Play Later Certificate” Sale With 20% Bonus Until December 20, 2020

IHG Hotels & Resorts Covid-19 policies:

IHG has several reservation cancelation policies due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

IHG Global Cancellation Fee Waiver Now Valid Through August 31, 2020 (June 18)

IHG affiliated hotels in the United States and Canada require guests to wear a face mask.

IHG Requires Face Mask In The United States & Canada Starting July 27, 2020

IHG has a new Clean Promise.

IHG Clean Promise

IHG Rewards Club extends tiers by a year and free nights too.

IHG Rewards Club One Year Member Tier & Free Night Extensions Due to Covid-19

IHG has extended Royal Ambassador and Inner Circle tiers by a year through January 2022.

IHG InterContinental Royal Ambassador & Kimpton Inner Circle Renewals Through January 2022

IHG has lowered elite tier requirements for 2020.

IHG Rewards Club Revised 2020 Elite Qualifying Criteria

IHG has extended Ambassador memberships for the second time.

InterContinental Ambassador Additional Extension May 28, 2020

IHG has waived points expiry through December 31, 2020.

IHG Rewards Club Points Expiry Waived Through December 31, 2020

IHG Rewards Club has launched a status extension policy for members whose account address is in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, or Taiwan on or before February 17.

IHG Rewards Club Elite & Ambassador Status Extensions Due To Coronavirus

Variable Award Pricing

IHG has informed some members about the change in award night pricing.

IHG Rewards Club “Introducing our new approach to Reward Nights” Email

IHG already partially devalued its variable awards.

IHG Rewards Club Dynamic Award Massacre

Variable awards pricing has extended to Europe and North America.

IHG Rewards Club Expands Variable Award Pricing

IHG Rewards Club Master Property List:

IHG has more than 6,000 affiliated hotels as of May 2020

IHG Rewards Club Master Property List (May 2020)

Look at IHG’s brand and point distributions.

IHG & IHG Rewards Club Brand And Point Distributions May 2020

IHG Rewards Club Greater China benefits:

IHG Rewards Club members are eligible for better elite benefits in Greater China compared to elsewhere.

IHG Rewards Club Spire Elite Greater China Benefits In 2020

IHG Rewards Club has several discount stay & rate programs:

IHG has a 50% off sale for stays at select hotels in Europe for stays through April 30, 2021. Book by August 24.

IHG Hotels Europe 50% Off Sale For Stays Through April 30, 2021 (Book By August 24)

IHG is offering discounted rates for stays in Greater China until August 31, 2020.

IHG Rewards Club Greater China “Summer Adventure With Breakfast” 20% Off Rate Plan For Use Until August 31, 2020

IHG has a discount plan for stays in the US through the end of 2020, if booked by September 30.

IHG “Stay Longer and Save” Sale For Stays In The US Through December 31, 2020 (Book By September 30)

IHG members can save up to 50% on their stays in the Middle East, India, and Africa until March 31, 2021, if booked by September 30.

IHG Hotels 35% – 50% Off Middle East, India & Africa Through March 31, 2021 (Book By September 30)

IHG members can save on UAE staycations if booked by August 31.

IHG Hotels United Arab Emirates Breakfast & Dinner Staycation Deal Through December 30, 2020

IHG hotels in Europe are offering a third night free through March 31, 2021, if booked by September 10.

IHG Europe Third Night Free (33% Off) Through March 31, 2021 (Book By September 10)

IHG is offering discounted rates for members who dine first at hotels in Southeast Asua and Korea.

IHG Hotels Southeast Asia & Korea “Dine Now – Stay Later” Offer

California residents are eligible for a discounted rate for Kimpton stays in the state.

Kimpton California 25% Off Residents Rate For Stays Through December 31, 2020

IHG is offering up to 30% off rates for stays in Korea through the end of 2020. Book by September 1.

IHG Rewards Club Korea 30% Off Through December 30, 2020

IHG is offering AAA members up to 30% off discounts for stays at Kimpton hotels through the end of 2020.

IHG Rewards Club Kimpton Up To 30% Off AAA Rate Through December 31, 2020

IHG has a new up to 30% off rate plan for MVP in Canada.

IHG Rewards Club Canada MVP (Sports & Athletics) Rate Plan

Conclusion

IHG has its Covid-19 elite extension policies in synch with competitors and flexible reservation cancellation and refund policies in place too.

IHG decided to open up the quadruple points offer for most of the world that was first open only for members in the United States. There is a separate bonus opportunity for members in Greater China.

There are several sales available for stays in most of the markets.

Kimpton’s Last Minute Deals have returned from the Covid-19 break, and the latest release is valid for stays through August 11, 2020.

These rates are only available for IHG Rewards Club members, are prepaid and available on select dates depending on the property (see the list below).

You can access this offer on IHG’s website here.

READ MORE: IHG Rewards Club Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions

Here are the participating hotels and dates this week:

Conclusion

We now cover these weekly, depending on whether there has been a change in the number of participating hotels. The list used to be longer before Covid-19.

These are an excellent way for hotels to push their weekend inventory when occupancy levels are softer because business travelers have their time off.

Some IHG Rewards Club members were quite surprised last week when an email from IHG arrived trying to get them to sign up for the Ambassador-program by offering free flights on Spirit Airlines!

IHG started a new offer last week to drive member to sign-ups or renewals for the Ambassador-status (read more here), and there is another one for those that don’t have a membership with IHG at all (read more here). Both come with a free night certificate capped at 40,000 points.

You can access IHG’s page for the Ambassador program here.

READ MORE: IHG Rewards Club Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions

Here’s a copy of the email that IHG sent out:

It is clearly listed as one of the benefits in addition to the room upgrades, late checkout, Platinum elite status, and a complimentary free weekend night voucher.

The “Free flights on Spirit Airlines” must have been a placeholder text because IHG sent the following update today:

Graphic and layout designers usually use placeholder text when they plan the product and typically have “Lorem Ipsum” text in place such as:

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Here’s the real offer:

IHG InterContinental Ambassador Sign Up & Renew Promotion Now Live Through November 15, 2020

And a free night for new members:

IHG Rewards Club New Member Offer: Free Night Certificate After Two Stays July 30 – January 31, 2021

Conclusion

Free flights on Spirit Airlines for signing up InterContinental Ambassador membership? Does someone at the IHG think that Spirit Airlines would be the right fit for this upmarket lodging product to even has it as a placeholder for something else?

I am surprised that it took IHG close to a week to correct this communication. Perhaps having a contact center in Manila instead of close to your corporate office slows down the communication (out of sight – out of mind). Not good.

A LoyaltyLobby reader sent us a question regarding the IHG Rewards Club Spire Elite benefit that you can choose yearly.

Remember to send us questions and comments by email, and Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. We’ll try to cover them here several times a week.

You can access IHG’s page for choosing the Spire Elite benefit here.

READ MORE: IHG Rewards Club Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions

Here’s the email from the reader:

Did you hear anything about a change (read: removal) of the Spire Elite Choice Benefit ?

IHGs annual gift of status to a friend or 25k points for yourself..

It’s not showing on my account, whereas last selection was in MAY19 (more than a year) & I requalified for Spire on basis of points (no need of the Corona measures, which I could understand if cheap IHG does not give this benefit to).

Here’s what the T&Cs say:

Upon qualification for Spire Elite, Members may choose to either receive a 25,000 annual point bonus or to gift Platinum Elite to a family member or friend.

You can check your gift status here.

There is a technical issue that appears to prevent IHG from displaying this choice to many. If you look at the screenshot above, I got it in 2018 and then again in 2020. I had to request it manually in 2019.

Update from the reader:

Hasn’t been added yet to accounts, but swiftly provided after submitting the choice via email.

Inefficient, and those that don’t ask save IHG 25k points, so nothing new for IHG..

Conclusion

Yes. Unfortunately, you often have to chase this “gift,” but that has been the case ever since it was introduced.

There is no rhyme when the selection shows up in your account or when you need to contact the customer support to have them manually choose it for you. They do it without pushback, however.

IHG hasn’t promoted this elite benefit much lately. I wouldn’t be too surprised if it were enhanced away at some point.

IHG has been in the process of converting static award night prices to match those of paid rates better and to fluctuate with the demand. We have covered the change this year multiple times.

When I was writing a piece about the current Europe 50% off “Flash Sale”, I came across quite a few anomalies where the PAID rate was cheaper than the CASH portion of the POINTS + MONEY That doesn’t make much sense.

You can access IHG here.

READ MORE: IHG Rewards Club Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions

Here are some examples:

Holiday Inn Express hotel in London

Crowne Plaza Hotel in London City

Crowne Plaza Hotel in Berlin

Crowne Plaza Hotel in Rome

Crowne Plaza Hotel in Brussels

IHG’s 50% off sale for stays in Europe:

IHG Hotels Europe 50% Off Sale For Stays Through April 30, 2021 (Book By August 24)

Here are previous articles about these dynamic awards:

IHG has informed some members about the change in award night pricing.

IHG Rewards Club “Introducing our new approach to Reward Nights” Email

IHG already partially devalued its variable awards.

IHG Rewards Club Dynamic Award Massacre

Variable awards pricing has extended to Europe and North America.

IHG Rewards Club Expands Variable Award Pricing

Conclusion

If IHG really wants to implement these dynamic/variable award pricing correctly, then these prices must fluctuate with the paid rates also when they are low (and not only up).

A situation when the paid rates are LOWER than the CASH portion of Points + Money is crazy. Points + Money should enable the member to save over paid ones not to pay more.

We have previously seen lower paid rates compared to the cash portion of the Points + Money in some hotels in Indonesia, but not in a major destination such as London, Berlin, or Rome.

IHG has had a partnership with Mastercard for years that has offered cardholders discounted room rates in Europe.

The promotion has now returned, and Mastercard cardholders get 15% off of stays in Europe through June 30, 2021, if booked by December 31.

You can access this offer on IHG’s website here.

READ MORE: IHG Rewards Club Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions

Note that this rate plan can be canceled up to 72 hours before scheduled arrival (check the rate rules for individual hotels). The reservation must also be made a minimum of 72 hours before check-in.

Conclusion

One rate plan to keep in mind if there are no better offers around. I like the fact that this gives quite a bit of flexibility to cancel before your arrival.

Here are the terms and conditions of this promotion:

Enjoy 15% off at IHG hotels in Europe with Mastercard

Book between 00:01 EST on 1 July 2020 and 23.59 EST on 31 December 2020 via the following link www.ihg.com/mastercard for stays at participating Europe IHG branded hotels between 4 July 2020 and 30 June 2021 (both dates inclusive) to receive a discount of 15% off the Best Flexible Rate (BFR).

Bookings must be made 72 hours in advance. Bookings on the BFR offer maximum flexibility to change or cancel your reservation. For direct bookings this rate can be fully changeable or refundable up to 72 hours before the day of arrival (dependent on the hotel’s individual house policy). Full cancellation policy is available at https://www.ihg.com/content/gb/en/customer-care/travel-advisory

This discount is only available to Mastercard cardholders via official Mastercard partner channels. Bookings must be made via the following link www.ihg.com/mastercard and must be booked and paid for using a Mastercard.

Rates are per room per night and discount is subject to limited availability and blackout dates and other restrictions set by participating hotels may apply. City taxes may apply in some cities. Currency rates and exchange rates may vary.

It was IHG’s turn today to release their second-quarter 2020 numbers, and they were quite in line with what Hilton and Marriott have announced in the past week.

IHG performed somewhat better due to being heavy on the select service versus luxury that has performed better in this environment. The global RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room) was down by 75%, and 5% of IHG’s hotels (roughly 300) were closed at the end of July.

You can access IHG here.

READ MORE: IHG Rewards Club Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions

Here are some slides from the presentation that I found interesting:

Note that this is not the occupancy rate but RevPAR performance of different regions in 2020. It shows how fast and earlier the Greater China demand collapsed, but how it has rebounded faster.

Presentation slide that deals with IHG Rewards Club. Not sure exactly what this 25% more value is measured? 25% fewer points. At least IHG now states that 80% of hotels globally has implemented this program.

There is quite a bit of information on this slide. The number of hotels closed 16% is high in EMEAA (Europe, the Middle East, Africa & Asia). IHG also breaks down the occupancy level across its regions, and by its segments (mainstream, upscale, and luxury).

I find it interesting how IHG breaks down its brands in three segments of mainstream (essentially all select service except Holiday Inn), upscale (theoretically Holiday Inn would belong here), and luxury (all clear).

This shows how thin IHG is in the luxury segment that helps it during this environment where many luxury hotels are still closed or facing very low occupancy rates compared to select service (mainstream in IHG speak).

Here’s IHG’s presentation:

Download (PDF, 2.6MB)

Here’s the press release:

Keith Barr, Chief Executive Officer, IHG, said: “Throughout the crisis we have continued to act responsibly, doing all we can to support our hotel colleagues and owners, and create a clean, safe stay experience that we know guests can trust. The teamwork, dedication and care that our colleagues and owners have shown to adapt our approach is central to meeting the evolving needs and expectations of guests, as well as the communities in which we operate. I would like to sincerely thank everyone for ensuring that our purpose of providing True Hospitality shines through, even in the toughest of times.

The impact of Covid-19 on our business has been substantial. Global RevPAR declined by 52% in the first half and was down 75% in the second quarter, when occupancy at comparable hotels fell to 25%. Despite this challenging environment, we delivered an operating profit of $74m. Small but steady improvements in occupancy and RevPAR through the second quarter continued into July, with an expected RevPAR decline of 58%, and occupancy rising to around 45%.

The support we have offered owners, such as fee relief and increased payment flexibility, was well received. Together with other measures we’ve taken to preserve cash, we have maintained substantial liquidity of around $2bn. Our ongoing actions to reduce costs include plans to make around half of the $150m of savings we will achieve this year sustainable into 2021, alongside continued investment in our growth initiatives. However, with limited visibility of the pace and scale of market recovery, we are not proposing an interim dividend.

As has been the case in previous downturns, domestic mainstream travel is proving to be the most resilient. Our weighting in this segment, led by our industry-leading Holiday Inn Brand Family, positions us well as demand returns in our key markets. In the US, our mainstream estate of almost 3,500 hotels is seeing lower levels of RevPAR decline than the industry, and is operating at occupancy levels of over 50%.

Reflecting our long-term growth prospects, and the strength of our brands and owner relationships, we opened more than 90 hotels in the half and strengthened our pipeline with an average of one new signing a day, including almost 100 for our Holiday Inn Brand Family. We have also taken voco, our upscale conversion brand, outside of EMEAA, with initial signings in the US and Greater China.

The impact of this crisis on our industry cannot be underestimated, but we are seeing some very early signs of improvement as restrictions ease and traveller confidence returns. Whilst the near-term outlook remains uncertain and the time period for market recovery is unknown, we are well positioned with preferred brands in the largest markets and segments, a leading loyalty platform and one of the most resilient business models in the industry. This gives us confidence in our ability to meet the needs of our guests and owners, and to emerge strongly when markets recover.”

H1 Comparable RevPAR: Global (52)%. Q2: Global (75)%; Americas (71)%; EMEAA (88)%; Greater China (59)%.

• Net system size growth of 3.2% YoY. In H1, 12k room additions and 12k removals, including 2k relating to a previously flagged portfolio of hotels in Germany. Global estate now 883k rooms, over 5,900 hotels.

• First half signings of 26k rooms (181 hotels). Total pipeline now stands at 288k rooms (1,932 hotels).

• Operating profit from reportable segments down 82% to $74m before System Fund result of $(52)m and operating exceptional items of $(255)m predominantly comprising non-cash impairments to owned and leased hotels and acquired management agreements, together with impairments of trade deposits and receivables.

• On track to reduce Fee Business costs by ~$150m in 2020; targeting around half this level to be sustainable into 2021.

• Q2 free cash flow broadly neutral, resulting from strong cash management; H1 outflow of $66m.

• Total available liquidity of $2.0bn at end of June and end of July.

• July comparable RevPAR expected to be ~(58)%; occupancy levels in comparable open hotels improved to ~45%. 317 hotels or 5% of the estate closed as at end of July; 3% of Americas, 16% of EMEAA and <1% of Greater China.

Here are the complete financials:

Download (PDF, 1.47MB)

Conclusion

I like this IHG’s old fashioned presentation when you combine it with the commentary (I listened to their conference call).

They don’t mention the issue of potentially losing more than 100 hotels in North America (read more here) due to a dispute with the SPT on the presentation. They commented about the situation on the call, however. IHG has no performance guarantee for these hotels, but there is something called the owner’s priority in place that these hotels don’t meet, and the SPT can use this end the affiliation with IHG. The talks are still on-going. They commented that these 100 hotels represent less than half of a percent of IHG’s performance.

There are quite a few conversions taking place that tend to accelerate during the crisis (flag changes or independent hotels becoming part of a chain). This appears to benefit the voco brand that IHG often uses for conversions. Previously, they marketed the Indigo for the same purpose.

IHG also sees the business travel eventually bouncing back, and the scenarios that are drawn at the height of the pandemic/crisis don’t tend to materialize.

IHG Rewards Club launched in early July a 100% bonus points sale that was already extended once but does now end this Friday (August 14, 2020).

IHG sells points throughout the year (the maximum bonus is 100%), and members can now buy up to 150,000 points every calendar year before any targeted offers.

You can check your personalized IHG Rewards Club buy points offer here.

READ MORE: IHG Rewards Club Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions

Note that the purchase limit is raised from 150,000 to 250,000 for the duration of this sale. Members can buy a total of 500.000 points when the bonus is factored in.

Price at the 100% bonus:

The price at the 100% bonus is 0.5 cents each when the maximum number is purchased. My purchase limit was raised to 250,000 (before bonus – 500,000 with extra).

IHG has sent out emails to their new approach to award night pricing:

IHG Rewards Club “Introducing our new approach to Reward Nights” Email

Does it make sense to purchase points?

Purchasing points merely because they are on sale doesn’t make sense. If you have a good use for them, buying can lower the price of the stays considerably.

Usually, using points make sense at the most expensive properties, during or when the paid rates are through the roof due to some event in the city.

IHG recently moved to variably priced awards, and there have been some excellent deals lately by using points, although some of the best ones have already been “corrected”.

Conclusion

IHG awards are now more sensible once they introduced the dynamically or variably priced awards based on the paid price and demand.

This is the lowest price IHG Rewards Club has sold its points for some time with an increased purchase limit thrown in.

Here are the terms and conditions of this offer:

Offer available for purchases made between 12:00 AM ET 8 July 2020 and 11:59 PM ET 14 August 2020 inclusive. Members will receive a 100% Bonus when they purchase a minimum points purchase threshold on a per transaction basis in order to qualify for the bonus – click through to see minimum purchase requirement. Members may purchase a maximum of 250,000 points during the promotional period only. Members may gift a maximum of 250,000 points or receive as a gift from another member a combined maximum of 250,000 points during the promotional period only. Points that have been already purchased, gifted or received as a gift in 2020 are included in the 250,000 points limit. Purchased points do not count towards IHG® Rewards Club Elite status. This is an exclusive, non-transferable offer for intended recipients only and may not be forwarded. Offer is subject to change. Offer cannot be combined with any other offer.

Kimpton’s Last Minute Deals have returned from the Covid-19 break, and the latest release is valid for stays through August 18, 2020.

These rates are only available for IHG Rewards Club members, are prepaid and available on select dates depending on the property (see the list below).

You can access this offer on IHG’s website here.

READ MORE: IHG Rewards Club Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions

Here are the participating hotels and dates this week:

Conclusion

We now cover these weekly, depending on whether there has been a change in the number of participating hotels. The list used to be longer before Covid-19.

These are an excellent way for hotels to push their weekend inventory when occupancy levels are softer because business travelers have their time off.

IHG has allowed IHG Rewards Club members to use their points towards select merchandise purchases, including some Apple products.

A reader dropped us an email about changes in availability over the past two weeks. All Apple products are suddenly not available.

You can access IHG’s page for awards here.

READ MORE: IHG Rewards Club Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions

Here’s the question from the reader:

Maybe you can get the information from IHG. Try to order iPad Pro from the IHG reward global catalogue. Two week ago all products available. Now today I try to order however All products been remove above 20000 points only products below can be order.

Call the 800 number and ended up in a  callcenter in Philippines. They told me nothing has change. Has IHG stoped all higher price products in the rewards global catalog?

Appreciate if you can find it out if the stoped the offers.

I decided to have a look at the selection today:

Executed a search for items costing 100,000 to 500,000 points (some Apple products should be within this range);

Then I decided to search for Apple, and it only returned some accessories.

The selection doesn’t look right.

Here’s what IHG spokesperson told us:

IHG has implemented some temporary adjustments to the IHG Rewards Club Catalogue. These changes still provide our valued IHG Rewards Club members with hundreds of redemption options, including digital downloads and donating points to charity.

Conclusion

IHG is not the only loyalty program that has temporarily limited or eliminated some/most merchandise rewards (money going out).

These have never been good value per se, but certainly a way to efficiently lower your balance if you cannot use them towards complimentary hotel nights. I would assume that these return in due course once the Covid-19 situation stabilizes.

Kimpton Hotels have had a secret password, now called “social password,” for years, and this tradition continues.

The new social password is out today. You must say “ROAD TRIP” at the time of checking in to get a special treat that can be complimentary breakfast, parking, complimentary drinks, or a gift.

You can access IHG here.

READ MORE: IHG Rewards Club Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions

Note that the expiry of this social password is unclear.

Conclusion

This is a lovely gift from the hotels and Kimpton, and I am somewhat surprised that this not so “secret” tradition that has continued for quite some time

Remember to report what you have received at a Kimpton when using this password!

IHG has opened a new Kimpton hotel in Dallas and is offering bonus points and discounts for stays through December 30, 2020.

IHG Rewards Club members can get 20% off and earn 2,000 bonus points at Kimpton Pittman in Dallas if booked by September 8.

You can access this offer on IHG’s website here.

READ MORE: IHG Rewards Club Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions

Remember to use the social password:

Kimpton Social Password Is Back!

Conclusion

It is good that there are new hotel openings in this challenging environment. Opportunity for IHG Rewards Club members enjoy discounted rates while earning 2,000 bonus points for each stay.

Here are the terms and conditions of this promotion:

Welcome to the terms and conditions, a.k.a. “small print,” where we are obliged to let you know that this offer is subject to availability.  Offer must be booked by September 8, 2020. The Bonus Points have no cash value and cannot be used towards a future stay. The world being the way it is, additional taxes and fees may apply.  Not valid in conjunction with any other promotions or offers. Not valid for discounted or negotiated rates, groups or existing reservations. Finally, Kimpton Hotels reserves the right to cancel reservations booked with erroneous room rates.