IHG Fourth Night Free - is it worth it???
YAAASSSS!!!!
My favorite perk of the IHG credit card is the fourth night free on award stays! I have saved so much money and so many points with this offer! I will show you an example of a recent find for an award stay in a Bucket-List hotel in London!
The Kimpton Fitzroy in London is one of the most glamorous hotels I have ever stayed in, where people drop thousands of dollars per night for luxurious suites. It is build in a similar style to St. Pancras train station which many will recognize. When I lived in London, I used to walk past this hotel every day on my way to grad school. I always dreamed of staying there, but it seemed completely out of reach on a student budget. Now, I have booked my second stay at this great hotel and will hopefully make this a recurring event!!!
First, lets manage expectations….. In the points and miles game, we do not always find the award stay. Sometimes we actually have to use cash, but always put it on a credit card that will get the most points back for every dollar spent!!! Those points will go toward your next free hotel night stay!
When searching for available award nights, you need to be flexible. For a 4 night stay, it might say that points awards are not available simply because ONE night is booked up and not available for points redemptions. Change the dates around. Check night by night to see what is available. For this particular redemption, Monday to Friday was not available, but Tuesday to Saturday was. I quickly checked the cancellation policy (able to cancel with no penalty within 24 hours of check-in) and I booked it. I have had the devastating experience of finding an exciting award booking, spending a few minutes looking at other options or reading reviews about the hotel and then find it has disapeared. :(
This particular hotel is generally $400 to $600 per night for the most basic room, off-peak, much higher during peak times. I found a point redemption of 58,000 points per night x4 = 232,000. Total points required drops to 166,000 points with the fourth night free. Also, there are no taxes, fees or resort charges.
On the right I included the summary for cash price for those same nights. Each night is about $330 to $357 x4 (plus taxes of $277) = $1,665.
How do I know this is a good deal??? IHG points are worth approximately 0.5 cents per point x 166,000 points equals a dollar value of $830 worth of points. Compare $1,665 cash to $830 worth of points. Clearly by paying with points, I am saving $835 on that 4 night stay!!!! Winning!
Using points and miles to book travel has so many benefits besides just saving money. If you have loyalty status with a hotel, you might also get free parking on a Point Reward Night (Hyatt), or escape resort fees, taxes and other surcharges. Always be sure that you are getting a good redemption value when using your points. If it is actually cheaper to book with cash (happens often with Hilton), then book with cash and use the points you earn later for a great redemption.
If you want to learn how to earn these points and miles, maximize your travel credit card strategy, save money and travel more…..book a private consultation, or check out my comprehensive online course in Offerings. How to Save Money on Travel
