IHG news: your Accelerate Q2 target viewable, and an interesting IHG / Avis deal

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• Scott says:

  13 Apr13 April 11:26

  @Genghis 08:27 – was that T&C for ‘Saturday Stays Bonus’ ?
  My target is ‘Stay 2 weekend(s), including a Saturday night and another night’ and the T&C says ‘…awarded after required number of Qualifying Stays on Saturday nights have been consumed…’, no mention of minimum of 2 nights.
  I’m not clear whether I need 2 x 2 nights, or just 2 x Sat nights to achieve this target, can anyone advise?

  • Genghis says:

    13 Apr13 April 11:48

    No. “A Bonus Weekend Stay”
    Your offer to me reads 2 x 2 weekends where for both of them there is a Sat night involved.

• Cat says:

  13 Apr13 April 13:26

  I planned a couple of extra weekends away in Europe in order to hit my targets last time (including the annoying 3 different countries one), but I appear to have shot myself in the foot:

  1,500 Stay Once Get 1,500 bonus points
  10,500 for 7 nights
  2,200 for booking 2 stays with the app
  4,000 for a 2 night weekend stay
  *8,000 for 2 stays outside of Europe!!!*
  1,000 for a redemption
  2,000 for getting a credit card
  10,800 bonus for 6/7
  1,500 stay in May

  Grand total of 41,500. I have no long haul trips planned for that time frame, and it’s not worth doing mattress runs for 7 nights. The other targets are for small numbers of points, so I will probably give this one a miss in favour of getting better targets in future!

• Doug says:

  13 Apr13 April 13:38

  OT: Any recommendations for Singapore? I guess Shangri-la looks cool when you have amex plat with jade. Just wonder if they honour 3rd party bookings or I should just go to Marriot. Just planning 2 nights anyway, don’t think Singapore is really worth comparing to other SE offerings.

  • Genghis says:

    13 Apr13 April 13:51

    I really like Singapore. Hadnät been for a while then went last year and spent 4 nights there. We could have stayed longer.

    • Pangolin says:

      13 Apr13 April 14:09

      +1

      Most people who say Singapore isn’t worth more than a brief stopover have never actually been there. I had 3 days there in November but would happily have spent a couple more. You can do nature treks outside the city if you run out of ideas.

      I liked the JW Marriott for it’s location (I prefer it to the downtown places). The people on FlyerTalk always go on about how cold the swimming pool is but I’m not a big pool person so that doesn’t bother me.

      Next time I was going to check out the Conrad but after their recent shenanigans with the EL that’s been struck off my list.

      • JamesB says:

        13 Apr13 April 15:13

        It’s not so much that there is anything wrong with Singapore, just that if time is pressing there are more interesting places in tge region to spend it. I’ve bever really been off tge beaten track there though so I’m open to tge suggestion there is more to it

      • Genghis says:

        13 Apr13 April 15:35

        We did some trekking for most of one day and no word of a lie, the rain came down like golf balls. My wife didn’t speak to me at the time but looking back it was an experience. We really liked the zoo. Didn’t get to walking the Singapore “High Line”. Next time. It’s a great place for people who like food.

      • JamesB says:

        13 Apr13 April 16:10

        I’ve always found tropical storms awe-inspiring, the power of them is just so amazing, particularly when combined with thunder and lightening. Sounds like MrsG even holding you to account for the waether so best keep an eye on your travel seasons 🙂 We were in Phuket for a week once and I recall the rain hardly stopped the whole time.

    • Kai says:

      13 Apr13 April 14:10

      For Shangri-la you always get benefits and stay credits on third-party bookings, just not points.

      • Pangolin says:

        13 Apr13 April 14:28

        Thanks for the info. Maybe Rob should do an article some time on which chains offer benefits or credits on third party bookings.

        • Rob says:

          13 Apr13 April 16:05

          Marriott (benefits, no points).

          Nice and short!

      • Doug says:

        13 Apr13 April 14:33

        Thanks, really helpful. Hopefully just informing my membership number in hotels.com can get me some sweet 10% off plus benefits. Don’t really care about shangri-la benefits, I had a stay 2 years ago, but points expired.

      • JamesB says:

        13 Apr13 April 15:24

        The problem with third-party recognition is that it might be more hotel-dependent than chain-dependent.

  • Rob says:

    13 Apr13 April 14:25

    Capella on Sentosa. Effectively a beach hotel. Very classy albeit a bit out of the way for just 2 nights. We were there for a week three years ago (we hired a house at Capella, they have a few that are usually rented long-term to expats but there are often spares) as my wife had to go to a conference during half term.

    Let’s be clear, Phuket it is not in terms of beach, but in terms of having somewhere to hang out when you get tired of the city it was good to have it.

    • Cat says:

      13 Apr13 April 21:26

      I’m surprised Raffles isn’t getting a mention here, Rob. I always assumed it was a favourite!

      If you don’t stay there, go for an evening to soak up the history while sipping a Singapore Sling! WRT food, I’d actually recommend exploring the street food scene.

      Pulau Bintan is an easy getaway, if you want to stay a bit longer but escape the city. It is, however, in a different country!

      • Rob says:

        13 Apr13 April 22:51

        Thought it was still shut for refurb?

      • Cat says:

        13 Apr13 April 23:22

        Due to open again in second half of 2018 I think, so depends on when Doug’s stay is, but if it’s open, it’s def worth a visit!

        Have an amazing time Doug, Singapore is fantastic!

  • Steve says:

    13 Apr13 April 16:13

    I don’t know about hotels but definitely stop by at Momma Kongs in Chinatown for some black pepper Crab.

    • Doug says:

      13 Apr13 April 16:42

      Cheers!

      • Leo says:

        13 Apr13 April 18:48

        I really like Singapore and I agree with Genghis and Pangolin. Actually I think it is a really interesting mix and it has unique background all it’s own. If not using points you might consider the Fullerton Bay – it has a great view from the rooftop bar in any event “Red Lantern” even if not staying there.

      • Jtz says:

        13 Apr13 April 20:15

        I loved Singapore. Stayed for 2 nights rather than 3 because our flight was delayed but we managed to squeeze everything we wanted in except a nature trail…but that was made up with the 3 week Thailand break…back for 1 night HIX Singapore for flight back home. Out of the far East hubs, if I had to pick between KL and SIN would pick SIN in a heartbeat. I really recommend HIX Clarke quays, really nice atmosphere around it, lovely marina walks and excellent staff and breakfast..roof terrace was pretty good. The room was amazing…I would pair it more of a nice Hilton style than hix.

• AlanC says:

  13 Apr13 April 14:53

  Finishing off the current Accelerate this weekend with a £25.98 Rtn flight to Germany to get my 2nd traveller stay abroad.
  Upcoming Accelerate basically 10 nts and renew AMB for 55,000 points.

  Cheers
  AlanC

• Ammar says:

  13 Apr13 April 14:58

  Ot – have one stay booked at end of q1 for the current accelerate offer, its booked 29/30th April as a points booking and I tagged on a paid night 30th April to 1St May, would that paid night count towards my target if I am checking out on 1/5/18? Also, why in Japan despite booking a dbl bed room in they are charging me for an extra person on the estimated charges?

  • Genghis says:

    13 Apr13 April 15:31

    Yes, eligible. As a general rule, Japanese hotels tend to charge for people, not per room.

  • Rob says:

    13 Apr13 April 16:04

    Goes by check-in date, so stays on 30th April won’t count.

    • Genghis says:

      13 Apr13 April 16:11

      …for Q2 but will for Q1 which OP refers to?

      • Ammar says:

        13 Apr13 April 17:00

        @genghis, thats great. Thank you. Its q1

• Jane says:

  13 Apr13 April 15:11

  Well that’s just typical! I gave up waiting for the next Accelerate offer yesterday, and made a non-refundable booking for May last night. I’ve also already got a reward night booked for May, which is another one of my targets. Will just have to keep fingers crossed and hope I get the points even though the bookings were already made! Sensible targets this time although I doubt I’ll hit them all if none of the May stays are counted.

• Grimz says:

  13 Apr13 April 15:16

  OT, I have 2 Amex cards (BA Blue + nectar) that I want to cancel as I am moving away for a while but I have not even activated these cards. Has anyone done this before as I don’t want to upset Amex when I come back and apply for other cards!

• Canuck says:

  13 Apr13 April 15:26

  Mine is just odd this time round! Uninspiring.

  1,000 = May Bonus Offer
  1,500 = Stay once at InterContinental, Indigo or Even.
  1,000 = Stay Once
  5,000 = Stay 3 Nights
  3,000 = Stay 3 more nights
  3,000 = Stay 3 more nights
  3,000 = Stay 3 more nights
  3,000 = Stay 3 more nights
  15,000 =Stay 3 more nights

  • Pangolin says:

    13 Apr13 April 17:19

    I got that kind of dross 3 times in a row. It was even worse than yours since none of the tasks on the list was any more than earning 1K per night (plus a 12K completion bonus), e.g stay a total of 21 nights to earn 33K. I challenged anyone on FT to show a worse deal but I think that was the theoretical minimum (you can’t earn less than 1K per night and there has to be a kicker bonus).

    The third time round I simply refused to book any IHG nights at all and then they gave me something more worthwhile next time.

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