New IHG PointBreaks list of 129 x 5,000 point hotels released, book on Monday

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• SydneySwan says:

  28 Jan28 January 05:19

  Very poor list. Yet again nothing in Australia and NZ. I haven’t managed to make a PointBreaks redemption since 2014. As I am spending several weeks in Ireland and UK in February and March I hoped I might be able to score a redemption this round but unfortunately I won’t be going close to any of the 5 UK hotels.

• David says:

  28 Jan28 January 05:49

  I think part of the problem is that 5k points is now very low by comparison to the points some hotels are charging for normal redemption nights (you have hotels going for 60k at normal rates). I remember when 30k for an IC (which was the top end of the IHG table) made me wonder if it was a waste of points compared to a CP at 20/25k.

  However much the hotels are receiving from IHG for 5k points, in many cases I’m sure the hotel can offload their rooms (for a higher rate) via other sales and distribution channels. In some cases, I further wonder whether (despite it being a perishable product) 5k points is below the cost for them to fulfil the room – when you consider house keeping time, laundry time, wear and tear, mineral water, toiletries, breakfast (if applicable) – in many cases they might conclude it is better the room is not used (and we keep the capacity to potentially offload for more by other means).

  Pointbreaks are and should be a very popular options for many people.

  I think the solution might be to allow hotels more pointbreak price levels to choose from, 5k, 10k, 15k, etc. That way your 60k properties can still participate in their off seasons or when they are out of favour, but without coming all the way down to 5k.
  We might even start to see some city centre properties return.

  Hotels can then be promoted by IHG based upon the strength of their relative discount. (A 50k property coming down to 20k getting more promotion than a 15k going to 10k, etc).

  • The Real Garry says:

    28 Jan28 January 08:21

    I didn’t realise hotel room nights are ‘a perishable product’… 5k points works just fine. There’s always at least one or two good properties in the list. Also: the IHG programme is so poor in every other regard compared to its peers,it needs 5k Point Breaks.

    • David says:

      28 Jan28 January 10:13

      Like airline seats, once the flight has flown or in this case the overnight has occurred, you are not going to get another chance to sell the same night. (Unlike a factory production line where you can hold the product for as long as you want.)

      I’m not saying get ride of 5k point breaks (if you read what I wrote you will see that).It clearly does not ‘work fine’ the number of quality properties appearing is a fraction of what it was years ago.
      I’m saying the programme would be better if it had the framework to allow more quality properties to discount more flexibly. You could still cut from 60k to 5k if you wished. I think most people would consider more opportunities to use your points at good rates would appeal. I think IHG would contend that more hotels clearing their inventory via IHG rather than hidden site discounting is a good thing, as is strengthening their IHG rewards club offering.

  • John says:

    28 Jan28 January 09:25

    The hotel receives the same amount of money whether IHG charges 5000 points or 60000 points. This amount received depends on how full the hotel is that night.

    It isn’t the hotel that chooses the redemption levels AFAIK.

    As a Spire non-Amb, paying anything for an IC is a waste compared to a CP which will give you club access for nothing extra.

    • David says:

      28 Jan28 January 10:06

      I’m sure the hotel decides if they participate in point breaks. Indeed, I can recall evidence that suggests this is the case. And I can’t see it working for either party in many situations if they don’t.

      Further, does that hold true – about amount received by hotel – when on a pointbreak redemption? I’m not certain it does.
      So, my point it a greater number of point break choices, may persuade more hotels to go on pointbreaks which should benefit all three parties.

      • Chris says:

        29 Jan29 January 09:12

        David
        They don’t, though it is believed they can request it.

        Pointbreaks inventory is from the same pool as standard reward inventory. You cannot book full points price redemptions during the promoted period, until the PB rooms are gone.

        Hotel does not see how many points the room cost, that is your agreement with IHG and none of their business. They are paid a flat rate on a sliding scale which has been widely published on FT and which is very low, but they get a payday if reward stays are on a sold out (or nearly sold out) night as in this case they get a much larger price – something like 90% of ADR if memory serves.

        Reducing the redemption value to 5k is IHGs mechanism for stimulating bookings at the property, it isn’t different in that respect to accors happy Mondays, just a little more indirect

• Nathan says:

  28 Jan28 January 06:20

  Might be an easy way to earn status and hit the accelerate bonus (which would cover a lot of the points used)

  • John says:

    28 Jan28 January 09:26

    Reward nights count for status, but not for earning. So you wouldn’t hit any accelerate bonuses unless you got a “earn when you redeem” or possibly a “cash and points” one

    • mark2 says:

      28 Jan28 January 09:48

      not “cash and points” either.

      • John says:

        28 Jan28 January 23:19

        A bit late, but I was referring to if you got a specific accelerate target to book “cash and points”

        • Chris says:

          30 Jan30 January 10:19

          Yes, but you can’t cash and points a 5k Pointbreaks redemption

• Leo says:

  28 Jan28 January 07:37

  I suspect everyone will be trying to book the Indigo in Krakow.

• Brian says:

  28 Jan28 January 09:10

  Did you actually have any communication about those bonus points? I only read about it on LoyaltyLobby – there was no mention of it on the calendar website, as far as I can see. Wouldn’t be surprised if it was targeted – quite a lot of the offers on LL are useless for most people.

  • Liz says:

    28 Jan28 January 09:42

    Got emailed about it every day I think – or most days.

• VP says:

  28 Jan28 January 09:10

  Slightly off topic but may help some trying to meet accelerate targets.
  I had as target 1 weekend, 2 stays through IHG apps, 2 stays with corporate codes among others.
  Booked a sat night and a Sunday night separately through IHG app using corporate code, also paid for them separately at the hotel though never had to change any rooms, Now all 3 targets have been ticked as completed so it is possible to combine 2 IHG app stays and 1 weekend night target

• Liz says:

  28 Jan28 January 09:26

  Anon – I did it religiously on our 2 accounts and like you get annoyed when the promotion date finishes and no points materialise. I did email IHG club rewards and obviously got someone helpful as they credited me the 2500 pts each as a goodwill gesture – but it shouldn’t be a goodwill gesture – they should post as a proper promotion.

  • Kinkell says:

    28 Jan28 January 09:51

    I emailed yesterday and got the standard reply of we will get back to you. Still chasing points for a stay where i asked tor points rather than welcome drink . No sign of anything being recorded on my accelerate account. Somewhat fed up that IHG are so slow in getting accounts properly credited. Not sure the hassle is worth it,and, the recent points break is pants.
    Not a good start to my weekend!

    • Liz says:

      28 Jan28 January 09:54

      I emailed this week about missing welcome pts from last weekend and got 300 credited straight away – I must be emailing the right people at the moment – although I have also emailed to ask when my big 125k birthday bonus will pay out – I am expecting the run around on that one!

      • Graeme says:

        28 Jan28 January 10:29

        I avoid IHG rewards club contact wherever possible as I find them obstructive and defensive at best.

        For missing welcome points I email the hotel concerned and they add them on immediately. They seems to be able to do this whereas issues with stays need to go to IHG rewards themselves.

        IHG IT seems to be much quicker these days with welcome points posting within a few hours (sometimes minutes) of checking in, and stays showing as pending the day or day after checkout.

      • Graeme says:

        28 Jan28 January 10:34

        Thats a mighty birthday bonus they’re offering @Liz and to be frank sounds a bit too good to be true! I was offered 4000 for a two night stay. I hope you get it but that sounds about double what people are being offered on their various accelerate targets…

      • Liz says:

        28 Jan28 January 10:52

        I got 2 birthday offers on my IHG app – one for 1000 which they have posted twice and the other for a weekend stay within 90 days of my birthday which we did last weekend – I have photos of the offer as evidence – the offer seems to be the balance of my account on the date of my birthday which was 125102 pts – it’s still showing on my app messages – I had just bought 60k + 60k pts at the end of November!

• Liz says:

  28 Jan28 January 09:34

  We have 20 of our 28 nights Rte66 trip booked with IHG – 20 of them are in May and 5 of them I could have switched out had the dates been right – bummer. I will try and book the Springfield MO one – the Jacksonville IL is pushing it a bit off our route so will pass on that one. So only 1 booking to save 10k – better than nothing I suppose.

  • Liz says:

    28 Jan28 January 09:40

    Also in the process of writing to all the hotels asking for upgrades and free parking where applicable. First night in Chicago on a free night cert has been upgraded us to a suite and a couple of others have given us upgraded rooms so far. The St Louis hotel replied saying the city is holding its first Robotics championship the same time we are there so no upgrades available – the city will be full of thousands of kids from age 5 – 20 – that should be a fun few days!

    • Alan says:

      28 Jan28 January 21:47

      Good plan to do that – hope you have a fantastic trip! 🙂

    • HayMow says:

      29 Jan29 January 07:49

      How does that work Liz? Is there a special reason you can ask for the upgrades and free parking? It’s the latter I’d particularly value with the unfavourable $/£ fx rate at present. And if you are emailing each directly, are the em addresses easily found on their websites? TIA

      • Liz says:

        29 Jan29 January 09:02

        Once you have booked you can go in to your reservations in the Manage your account page – click on the link to the hotel and it will open the website to hotel – from there there will be an email link direct to the hotel. I always find by the time you check in in the USA there are no upgrades available so I have started emailing and asking beforehand – some do it and some say you need to wait to,check in – some don’t reply – but we managed a few last year and so far this year for our trip. Also last year at the CP in Houston we got free parking for being Spire Elite which I had never had before – saved quite a lot of money – so where there is a parking fee I am asking if this is free for Elite members. Just said it was a retirement trip for my hubby and we are on a 28 day trip/adventure! If you don’t ask ….

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