Attached to my InterContinental Ambassador statement this month, alongside the warning of the massive devaluation of the reward chart on the 18th, was an interesting InterContinental deal.
Up to April 8th, you will receive 5,000 bonus Priority Club points when you stay at any of 22 European InterContinental hotels. See this webpage for details.
Of course, there is a catch. You need to book at the special ‘5000 bonus points’ rate, which may be more expensive than the standard flexible rate.
In Berlin on February 9th, for example, the 5000 points rate is €164, versus Best Flexible at €159. Clearly the bonus rate is a good deal here for just €5 more. In Paris on the same night, however, the price is the same – although both rates are a lot more than a prepaid, non-refundable rate. You should check carefully to ensure you are not making a bad bargain.
The good news is that the 5,000 points SHOULD count towards status, under the new structure.
(To see our complete list of all current hotel promotions for the major chains, click here to visit our ‘Hotel Promos’ page or use the link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)
About Head for Points
Renewal at $150 seems to getting 15000 points plus free night, a free night which like the 5000 bonus rate also is at a higher rate than standard rooms.
It also states that ambassador status comes with elite membership of priority club but does not say if gold or platinum.
In the small print in the T&Cs it states Gold Elite.
My hope is that in the rush to change everything at IHG Rewards they manage to remove the split of earning between Americas (x10 per $) and the rest of world (2,000 only).