However, this offer isn’t available to everyone. It’s a targeted promotion, so only certain IHG members have received an invitation to participate. To see if you’ve been selected, check your email for an invitation from IHG. Or try entering your IHG member number on the registration page. The promotion runs from October 1 to December 31, 2024, giving you a three-month window to complete your 10 nights.

If you’ve got some travel plans coming up, this could be an easy way to unlock some additional perks for your future stays. With Diamond Elite status, you’ll gain access to benefits like room upgrades, 100% bonus points on stays and free breakfast. Be sure to check your email to see if you’re eligible for this offer and take advantage of it if you are.

Summary of Promo Terms and Conditions

• Registration: Register in advance after receiving the invitation. You can pre-register from September 16 to September 30, 2024.
• Offer Period: The promotion runs from October 1 to December 31, 2024.
• Qualifying for Diamond Status: Stay 10 qualifying nights at participating IHG Hotels & Resorts during the promotion period to earn Diamond Elite status.
• Qualifying Nights: Only nights that are part of a “Promotion Eligible Qualifying Stay” count. This includes:
  • A minimum one-night stay booked under a qualifying rate.
  • Total spend of over $30 USD per night.
  • Nights must be within the promotion period.
  • Reward Nights or Points & Cash bookings do not qualify.
  • Bookings made through third-party sites like booking.com or expedia.com do not qualify.
• Credit for Multiple Rooms: If you book more than one room on the same night, only one room’s stay will count towards the offer.
• Diamond Status Validity: Once earned, Diamond Elite status is valid through the end of 2025.
• Posting of Status: Allow up to 6 weeks for the Diamond Elite status to be reflected in your account.

Buying Bonus Points

During the process of booking a stay at an IHG hotel, you might be presented with the option to buy bonus points. There are usually three or four different amounts to choose from, with varying prices. If you select one of these bonus points packages, the extra cost is simply added to your room rate and you recieve the points after your stay, along with the standard points.

Elite Qualifying Points

A notable feature of these bonus points is that they are elite qualifying – meaning they count towards the annual targets for reaching higher status levels. This means you could effectively buy Diamond status, providing you stay enough nights and receive the offer to buy bonus points.

How Much Do The Points Cost?

The prices offered to buy points seem to vary widely but are often close to the accepted value of 0.6 cents per IHG point. This means you should be able to get good value from redeeming the points for stays. However, you will need to check the prices you get are good value and select the best option. There is of course a risk that the points could be devalued before you have a chance to use them.

Comparing the Options

Here’s an example of how this would work. Go to the IHG web site, or open the app and start a new hotel search. When the hotel list appears, select the option to show prices with taxes and fees included (usually at the top right of the screen/app.)

Select your chosen hotel and select a room rate. You might then be presented with this screen:

In this example there are four options with different amounts and prices. Lets break them down and examine the prices in detail:

The last option is clearly the best, with a price per point of 0.48 cents, which is below the generally accepted value for IHG points of 0.5-0.6 cents. This is also below the lowest price it is usually possible to buy IHG points, which is 0.5 cents during a 100% bonus sale. It should be possible to redeem the points for hotel stays and get at least this value or more.

Get Diamond Status in 20 Nights (Instead of 70)

As an experiment, lets consider how to maximize this opportunity and buy enough bonus points to reach the top Diamond status level. Assuming you get the same offer as in the example above, you would need 24 nights to buy the required 120,000 bonus points. Of course, you would also earn standard elite qualifying points for the hotel stays.

With an average cost of $100 per night, excluding taxes and fees, you could stay 20 nights, earning 20,000 standard points and buying an additional 100,000 bonus points. This would get you to Diamond status in 20 nights instead of the usual 70, at a cost of $480, which could be recouped via hotel stays booked with the purchased points.

While this example is not going to be practical for most people, it illustrates the potential of this method to reach a higher IHG status level than you otherwise could with regular stays.

Downsides to Consider

While Diamond status is valuable, getting you free breakfast and potential upgrades, it does not include lounge access. This is only available via Milestone Rewards – these require staying actual nights. To get lounge access you would need to stay 40 nights in a year.

There is another potential issue to be aware of. In the past, the IHG web site explicity stated that the bonus points were elite qualifying, but this text has since been removed. Although the points are still posting as elite quaifying, there is a risk that could change in the future.

Radisson Rewards Points Earning Calculator

How to Use the Calculator

Total Cost (excl. Tax) – Enter the total cost of your stay excluding tax, in USD.

Status – Select your status level in Radisson Rewards. When joining the program, you are at “Club” level initially. The points earning rates for each status level are:

• Club – 8 points/$1
• Premium – 27 points/$1
• VIP – 36 points/$1

Discount  – If you reach Premium or VIP status, you can choose to activate “Discount Booster” – which gives you a discount on room prices, but also results in a lower points earning rate:

• Premium with Discount Booster – 9 points/$1
• VIP with Discount Booster – 12 points/$1

Offers – Select any offers you are eligible for. Check the links to the Radisson web site to register and read any terms and conditions for the promotions.

Extra Points – Add any additional points you will earn here.

Point Value – The default value is set to 2 cents per point. Due to dynamic pricing, the actual value of your points could range from 0.15 – 2.5 cents each.

Marriott Bonvoy Points Earning Calculator

How To Use The Calculator

Total Cost (excl. Tax) – Enter the total cost of your stay excluding taxes and fees, in USD. Example: “1000”.

Total Cost (incl. Tax) – Enter the total cost of your stay including taxes and fees, in USD. Example: “1200”. Bonvoy points are not earned on taxes and service charges, but this figure is used to calculate points earned on your credit card spend. The total points figure will only update after you select a credit card.

Brand – Most Marriott brands earn 10 points per $1, but there are some exceptions which earn a lower rate.

• Main brands: 10 points/$1
• Long stay brands (Homes & Villas, Residence Inn, Towneplace Suites, Element), Protea Hotels, City Express, Four Points Flex, Series: 5 points/$1
• StudioRes: 4 points/$1
• Marriott Executive Apartments: 2.5 points/$1

Status – Marriott Bonvoy members earn bonus points depending on status level in the program, also referred to as Elite Membership Tiers. The levels are:

• Member: no bonus points
• Silver Elite: 10% bonus points
• Gold Elite: 25% bonus points
• Platinum Elite: 50% bonus points
• Titanium Elite: 75% bonus points
• Ambassador Elite: 75% bonus points

Offers – Select any offers your stay will qualify for. Check the links to register or read more details about the promotions.

Credit Card – Select a credit card if you will be paying with a card earning Bonvoy points. The following cards are included:

• Amex cards:
  • Bonvoy Bevy Card: 6 points/$1
  • Bonvoy Brilliant Card: 6 points/$1
  • Bonvoy Business Card: 6 points/$1

• Chase cards:
  • Bonvoy Bold Card: 3 points/$1
  • Bonvoy Boundless Card: 6 points/$1
  • Bonvoy Bountiful Card: 6 points/$1

Extra Points – Add any additional points you expect to earn here. These could be from a targeted promotion or Welcome Points.

Point Value – The default value is set to 0.8 cents per point, but if you value Bonvoy points differently, adjust the figure here.

The main options for booking non chain affiliated hotels are as follows:

Directly on the hotel web site

If you google the hotel name, be careful to choose the real hotel site – third party sites often advertise or rank high in the search results. These sites can appear official, and even have the hotel name in the domain (e.g. the-hotel-name.reservations-site.com)

When you find the genuine hotel site, look for an “Offers” page or any discounts mentioned on the home page. You may get a discount code for signing up to the hotel’s newsletter. (Tip: you might want to use a disposable email address for this). Other offers might be a reduced rate for a longer stay (e.g. 3 or 5 nights)

There can be other benefits to booking directly. Since the hotel does not have to pay a commission to a booking platform, they obviously prefer people to book directly, and may be more likely to offer an upgrade, late check out or other perk.

Hotels.com

Owned by Expedia, Hotels.com is one of the best ways to book independent hotels due to the very simple and rewarding loyalty program. You earn a “stamp” for each night you stay, worth 10% of the amount paid (excluding tax). When you reach 10 stamps, you can redeem for a free night worth the total value or higher.

Not all hotels are included in the program but in my experience it’s very rare to find one that isn’t covered. One quirk of the program is that you must redeem your free night using the Hotels.com app – if you use the web site there is a $5 fee.

Other booking platforms

Booking.com – the largest hotel booking site in the world, which offers a huge array of accommodation options, including apartments.

Agoda – owned by the same parent company as Booking.com, but an excellent choice for hotels in Asia.

Hotel price comparision sites

There are countless hotel booking sites to check, so instead of searching them all individually, you can use a hotel aggregator or comparison site. Some of the best known are: Trivago, Hotels Combined and Tripadvisor.

A challenge with these sites is that the prices listed are not always accurate or up to date – you click through to the booking site and find the price suddenly increases.

You may also see some very attractive prices on comparison sites, offered by less established or well known booking sites, which are much lower than anywhere else. As with many things – if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. You might get lucky and have a great experience, or you might turn up at the hotel and find they don’t have any record of your booking.

Google Travel

Another platform which has become a major player in recent years is Google. When you search a hotel name on Google, you will notice that a box appears with various information about the hotel, including a list of prices pulled from various booking sites.

Interestingly, you will sometimes get a lower price on the same site if you start your search on Google, rather than going directly to the booking or comparison site. For example: Google > TripAdvisor > Agoda may give you a lower price than starting your search on TripAdvisor or going directly to Agoda.

Conclusion

Hotel pricing is a confusing and opaque world. There are multiple companies and interests all competing to make a sale and get a piece of your travel spending.

Our suggestion is to check the price on the official hotel site, Hotels.com and then other booking sites via a search on Google. Depending on how much money you’re spending and how much time your have, you could then do a more extensive search and check other niche travel sites.

Buying IHG points speculatively (without a use in mind) is risky and generally a bad idea. The value of the points could be devalued at any time – meaning the number of points needed for a free night could increase without notice.

Also, there is no guarantee that the hotel you want to book will have points availability at the time you decide to book it. Finally, the hotel may have availability but with “dynamic pricing” for points, the price in points may be a bad deal compared with paying cash.

How Many Points Can You Buy?

IHG One Rewards members can buy up to 150,000 IHG points per calendar year, in increments of 1000. There are sometimes offers which allow you to buy more than this limit.

How Much Does It Cost To Buy IHG Points?

The standard price for buying IHG points is 1 cent each. However, there are regular promotions where points can be purchased for a lower price. Currently, you may be offered a bonus of 75% extra points, which means a price of approx. 0.6 cents per point, which is right around where we value IHG points. Check what bonus you’ve been offered at Points.com.

If you have the Chase IHG Premium credit card you can buy points with a 20% discount, however this can’t be stacked with any other discounts.

When Is It A Good Idea To Buy Points?

Booking a Cheap Points Stay

If you find a hotel stay where the points price will be significantly less than paying with cash, then obviously buying points can be a great idea. If you have the Chase IHG Premium credit card you can take advantage of the fourth night free benefit, allowing you to book a 4 night stay with points and get 1 night free, effectively reducing the cost by 25%.

Topping Off Your Balance

If you already have lots of IHG points but are just short of the amount needed for a redemption, it can make sense to top off your account by buying points. You should still check if the price in points is a good deal compared with the cash rate.

You’re a Frequent Traveller

Possibly the only situation when it could make sense to buy IHG points speculatively, would be if you’re a frequent traveller with upcoming trips. If you know that you will have opportunities to use the points in the near future, you might want to stock up in advance so you can quickly book a good redemption if you see one.

Consider Points You Will Earn By Paying Cash

If the difference in cost between points and cash is small, it may be worth considering the “value” of the points you will earn if paying cash. Depending on your IHG status and current promotions, this might tip the scales in favor of paying cash. Try our calculator to check how many points you can expect to earn from a stay.

Hilton Honors Points Earning Calculator

How to Use the Calculator

Total Cost (excl. Tax) – Enter the total cost of your stay excluding taxes and fees, in USD. Example: “1000”.

Total Cost (incl. Tax) – Enter the total cost of your stay including taxes and fees, in USD. Example: “1200”. Hilton points are not earned on taxes and service charges, but this figure is used to calculate points earned on your credit card spend. The total points figure will only update after you select a credit card.

Brand – Almost all Hilton brands earn 10 points per $1. The exceptions are Tru and Home2 which earn a reduced rate of 5 points per $1.

Status – Hilton Honors members can earn bonus points on top of the standard base points, depending on status level in the program, also referred to as Membership Tiers by Hilton. The levels are:

• Member: no bonus points
• Silver: 20% bonus points
• Gold: 80% bonus points
• Diamond: 100% bonus points

Offers – Select any offers your stay will be eligible for. Check the links to the Hilton site to read more about any terms and conditions for the offers.

Credit Card – Select a credit card if you will be paying for your stay with a card earning Hilton points. The following Amex cards are included:

• Hilton Card: 7 points/$1
• Hilton Surpass Card: 12 points/$1
• Hilton Business Card: 12 points/$1
• Hilton Aspire Card: 14 points/$1

Extra Points – Enter any additional points you expect to earn here. These could be from a targeted promotion, Milestone Bonus or MyWay choice.

Point Value – The default value is set to 0.5 cents per point, but if you value Hilton points differently, adjust the figure here.

Based on our research, the fair value of IHG points is approx. 0.6 cents

Calculating the value of IHG points is difficult, especially as the hotel chain has now moved to a ‘dynamic’ pricing model, where the amount of points needed for a free night changes constantly. However, by comparing prices at a range of hotels and reading about the experiences of other travelers, we can get a general idea of the fair value for IHG points.

IHG Points Value Calculator

Conclusion

Based on our own research and the collective wisdom of other travellers, we can conclude that IHG points can be valued as follows:

• Average Value: 0.6¢
• Possible Value Range: 0.5 – 0.8¢

Ultimately, points are only worth something if you can actually use them. You need to find a hotel with points availablity on dates you are travelling. Unless you can be flexible about your travel plans, it’s often better to accept an average valuation rather than holding out for a great deal – which you may never find or have a chance to use.

Quick Guide to IHG Points Valuations

IHG One Rewards Points Earning Calculator

How To Use The Calculator

Total Cost (excl. Tax) – Enter the total cost of your stay excluding taxes and fees, in USD. Example: “1000”.

Total Cost (incl. Tax) – Enter the total cost of your stay including taxes and fees, in USD. Example: “1200”. IHG points are not earned on taxes and service charges, but this figure is used to calculate points earned on your credit card spend. The total points figure will only update after you select a credit card.

Status – IHG members earn bonus points depending on status level in the program. The status levels are:

• Club Member: no bonus points
• Silver Elite: 20% bonus points
• Gold Elite: 40% bonus points
• Platinum Elite: 60% bonus points
• Diamond Elite: 100% bonus points

Offers – Select any offers your stay will qualify for. Check the Offers page in your IHG account for details of promotions you have registered for.

Brand – Almost all IHG hotel brands earn 10 points per $1. The exceptions are Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites, which earn a reduced rate of 5 points per $1.

Credit Card – Select a credit card if you will be paying for your stay with a card earning IHG points. We have included the following Chase credit cards:

• IHG Premier Card – 10 points/$1
• IHG Premier Business Card – 10 points/$1
• IHG Traveler Card – 5 points/$1
• IHG Select Card – 5 points/$1

Other credit cards earn points which can be transferred to IHG, however the conversion rate is poor value so we have not included them.

Extra Points – Add any additional points you expect to earn here. These could be from a targeted offer, Milestone Rewards or Welcome Amenity (for Platinum and Diamond members).

Point Value – The default value is set to 0.6 cents per point, but if you value IHG points differently, adjust the figure here. Read more about how we value IHG points.

World of Hyatt Points Earning Calculator

How To Use The Calculator

Total Cost (excl. Tax) – Enter the total cost of your stay excluding tax, in USD. Hyatt members earn 5 base points per $1.

Total Cost (incl. Tax) – Enter the total cost of your stay including tax, in USD. Hyatt points are not earned on taxes and fees, but this figure is used to calculate points earned on your credit card. The points total will update after selecting a credit card.

Status – Hyatt members earn bonus points on top of the base points, depending on status level in the program. The different membership tiers are:

• Member – no bonus points
• Discoverist – 10% bonus points
• Explorist – 20% bonus points
• Globalist – 30% bonus points

Offers – Select any offers your stay will qualify for. Check the links to register if needed and read about any terms and conditions.

Credit Card – Select a credit card if you will be paying for your stay with a card earning Hyatt points, or a card earning points which can be transferred to Hyatt. The following cards from Chase are included:

• World of Hyatt card: 4 points/$1
• World of Hyatt Business card: 4 points/$1
• Sapphire Reserve card: 3 points/$1
• Sapphire Preferred card: 2 points/$1

Extra Points – Add any additional points you will earn here. These could be points from a new promotion not included in the calculator.

Point Value – The default value is set to 1.8 cents per point, but if you value World of Hyatt points differently, adjust the figure here.