There’s some good news. If you’ve been cashing in on the generous new IHG Rewards Club promotion, you have an extra month to book.
The promotion is called ‘4x’ and you can register here.
You originally had to book your stays by 15th December, and stay by 31st January. This has now changed. You can now register and book your stays until 15th January although the ‘last day to stay’ remains 31st January.
This promotion doubles up with Accelerate
I know what you’re thinking – IHG is already running an Autumn promotion! The latest version of Accelerate gave everyone a set of personalised targets and until 31st December to achieve them. You can read our full article on Accelerate here and register by clicking here.
Get your Accelerate offer going at the same time as ‘4x’ and you’re in for some very generous earning indeed!
What is IHG’s ‘4x’ promotion about?
A lot of people were unexcited by their Accelerate targets this Autumn. It is possible that IHG Rewards Club had already seen this flowing through to lower booking numbers which led them to launch this offer.
‘4x’ encourages you to compete four or more stays by 31st January:
Your first stay earns 1,000 bonus points
Your second stay earns DOUBLE base points
Your third stay earns TRIPLE base points
Your fourth stay and subsequent stays earn QUADRUPLE base points
The key is that ALL stays from your fourth stay earn quadruple base points. Anyone who has done a couple of IHG stays per week over the promotional period will be positively swimming in bonus IHG Rewards Club points by 31st January.
What is the new booking date?
Following the extension, you need to register by 15th January and, more importantly, book by 15th January
The link to register is here.
The final stay date is 31st January.
A bit of cunning thinking may be required …..
Because of the way the bonuses increase, it may be worth pushing more stays towards IHG if you know you will have an expensive stay coming up.
Let’s imagine that you have an IHG stay coming up which you know will cost £1,000 excluding VAT. At 10 base points per $1, you would be earning around 13,000 points (+ status bonuses) from that stay.
However, if you could slip in three other stays before that one, your £1,000 stay would earn quadruple base points – 52,000 points in total!
How to register
You should register for ‘4x’ if you may have an IHG booking coming up – the link is here.
With registration now closing only two weeks before the end date (it was previously six weeks) there is less chance of you getting caught out because you didn’t register in time. However, I still recommend you do it now – if you haven’t done it already – and get it out of the way.
This is certainly a generous offer – especially if you can make those third, fourth and subsequent stays into expensive ones.
About Head for Points
In all honesty moving the booking date forward by 2 weeks make no difference. If they Had pushed back the stay date by 2 weeks or a month that would be a different story and very generous. This is what I thought IHG did from the title of article.
After reading this I just feel disappointed.
For you, sure. But it does make a difference for others, including me, who have less long term visibility of their travel requirements. So your comment isn’t really very useful.
Likewise this works out really nicely for me and means I can get at least a couple more stays in at quad points. This has been a fruitful promo – hopefully the generosity of it doesn’t mean there’s a significant devaluation incoming with the Mr and Mrs Smith tie up in the new year.
The comment is useful if IHG see it and have a rethink. They will get a lot of business from me in February if they extend the end date another week.
ps. “This email has been sponsored by Hilton”. Was that meant to happen?
Oops, i mean “month”, not “week”!
Yes 🙂
though the flip side is that a huge amount of Business for IHG has nothing to do with business travelers. Hence my thought is valid and has a (possible) commercial impact on IHG.
not everyone is a business traveller
though the flip side is that a huge amount of Business for IHG has nothing to do with business travelers. Hence my thought is valid and has a (possible) commercial impact on IHG.
Few business travellers have 6 weeks notice of what they are doing. Two weeks is far more like it.
We only work about 12 weeks ahead for our mega review trips.
I found the IHG promo a huge disappointment. I saw your recommendation and signed up.
After staying at Intercon Shanghai for 7 nights back in November I was rewarded with merely 1000 points!!
Upon checking, was told 1000 points was all I would earn for my first ‘stay’. The number of nights is not the factor here, only the number of ‘ stays’ ie one night or 7 nights makes no difference during one ‘stay’!!
Seems to me nuts and no reward for my length of trip/number of nights. Airlines reward based on where you are flying to and (effectively) how much the ticket costs!
Thoughts ? Or have I got this all wrong ?
Best
Robert McBrain
Yep, as Rob says, a bit of cunning thinking may be required. You could have jumped between a few different properties in Shanghai, or done a couple of mattress runs before your stay. You presumably still got the normal base points for the stay, but if you want to benefit from the promo it seems fair enough that you should check the terms first! IHG isn’t a charity…
Though mattress runs are a bad thing from many points of view, I would agree in general- the rules were there in black and white and there are ways to bend them in your favour
You have to read the terms before deciding which promotions to try and exploit.
But you are being rewarded for the cost of the hotel as the normal points are based on the cost of the stay. Just like those airlines that give you points based on the fare you paid.
And it’s pretty clear that the bonus is per stay not per night.
I find that the terms and conditions of IHG offers to be pretty well written and easily understood whereas some others are woefully written.
I’ve just checked the offer in the app and it clearly says 1000 points for the first stay. Not nights
Nights vs stays required is thé first thing you need to verify on any hotel promotion and adjust stays accordingly. As in comments of other posters. I’m a bimbo and that’s something I’ve never missed.
Welcome to the world of T&C’s 🙂 I had a 3 day stay at the IC Park Lane coming up in Nov, so switched a would be very easy, comfortable arrival night in LHR Sofitel to trying out the CP in Terminal 4 as my first stay. My fourth stay (again at IC Park Lane) just netted 87,812 points !!
Result, well done!
I’d forgotten about this even though I’d registered.
I have a stay next week which will get me 1k points.
I then have a stay on a Friday at the start of January in Manchester then switching hotels for Saturday and Sunday so then I’ll get double for the 1st night and triple for the Sat and Sunday.
Why the hotel switch? I’m anticipating a ‘stay in 3 IHG brands’ target for the next accelerate offer which should start soon. If it doesn’t well I’ve got these extra points plus I’ll get 2 free drinks on arrival lol for not much inconvenience!
With this many points being “given away”, I’m wondering if it’s a pre-cursor for something we’re not going to like?
More likely they have had a poor year and are making up for it.
But @Scott’s comment will prove correct in due course.
Grrr as pretty sure I still can’t make use of this one. IMV I would need to be sure I will do at least 3 stays and better 4, before I give IHG even one booking. Sadly due to impossible Accelerate targets, those stays I am doing are already fixed with other hotels than IHG. January being quiet I may rack up 4 nights but would not be able to predict more than 2 of them. So not worth giving IHG any stays.
Not happy at missing out but that’s the rational decision. Useful improvement in the booking period but it’s come too late for me to have given IHG any of this year’s stays so as to start a set that would definitely become 4 within the stay period.
Hope to make some use of it soon!
Sorry, O:T, has anyone travelled to Cuba flying Iberia from Madrid? I’m just wondering wether I can get a tourist card/visa onboard? Or should I apply elsewhere?
Used Avios and looking forward to our trip.
Just apply online. You’ll get your card through the post.
Thanks.
You can’t get it on board. I’d suggest you other it beforehand.
There’s an option to buy it at MAD airport T4 (Viajes el Corte Inglés). They charge a premium, around 50€.
Thanks
We have just got back from a trip to Cuba using Iberia’s 90K Avios promotion. If you google Cuba Visa we got our visa from the first one on the list. I am not sure is posting the link is allowed! It took about 5 days to arrive. They asked to see it at Checkin and again at boarding.
The Iberia flight was great, we even managed to catch GBR beating Germany in the Davis Cup during our positioning night in Madrid! I am actually now considering cancelling an Avios BA flight to the States booked for next year and using Iberia again!
Oh yes, and we loved Cuba. I am sure you will have a fantastic time!
Thanks Hugh. Our trip is in February but I like to be organised well in advance of all my travel plans so will apply today.
Hi Nick. I went in February this years. Got my tourist card from https://www.visacuba.com/ for £19.
Slightly OT but looking to status match my IHG Platinum to Hilton Diamond, Have a load of stays to book. Does anyone know if I should wait to book until the last possible moment or is it stays that complete within the 90 days that count?
Completed.
I don’t think you can match to Hilton Diamond anymore. Gold with 18 stays within 90 days.
You match to Gold regardless for the 90 day period of the offer, stay 10 times in that 90 day period, you keep Gold, stay 18 times, you get bumped up to Diamond.
You can still achieve Diamond but it requires a lot more stays than previously and you only get Gold benefits throughout the 90 match period.
Looking at booking the IC Amstel in Amsterdam for four nights in January. I am Platinum Ambassador. The estimated points earned for these four nights (£1130.21 prepaid) is 87507! 58338 base earnings and 29169 elite earnings. This seems extremely high! I’ve never stayed at an Intercontinental before and I’ve only recently become Ambassador – can anyone confirm if the points for this booking seem realistic? If they are, then I’ll certainly sneak in a couple of nights at a local Holiday Inn too.
That must be a mistake … I’ve just tried a random 4 nights there in Jan, total 1331 euros – Base points given as 14,640 plus elite earnings of 14,640 as I am a RA. That 14,640 would then be multiplied by 3 in my case (having done at least 3 stays already)
Thanks, seems to only generate this mistake on the app.
Wow, I see what you mean – via App, I’m now seeing 150k plus points on a cost of 1750 euros and something similar for IC Park Lane. However, 4 nights in the IC Amstel’s Dom P suite (1,000 euros a night). is showing 0 points !,
Only if it’s your 4th stay. 4 nights isn’t 4 stays. So to get 4x points per dollar you must have done 3 stays anywhere in IHG.
Pretty sure you know that Harry. But its worth reinforcing so people will get what they expect.
IC is definitely the IHG brand to go for on this if you can.
@Lady London – this was just the app showing me a strange set of estimated points earnings for a planned stay at the Amstel, not my calculating the possible points I’d earn from 4x. Sorry for being unclear.
OT, but IHG:
Unlike many here, my partner actually had quite a decent Accelerate offer this time. Four tasks, with considerable overlap, so pretty straightforward. Plus 58K bonus points for completing all four tasks. The last task completed on 17 November, her accelerate page has shown all four tasks as complete since about 20 November.
But still no sign of the completion bonus yet.
Should we be concerned? She has had to do a lot of chasing IHG this year for points promised, but delivered without a gentle kick to the system…
I think the T&Cs say the bonus points credit approx 6 weeks after the promo end.
I called last week about my mising bonus points (49k) from the promo that ended in August and after a quick check by the phone agent they were in my account a few seconds later.
Thanks
IF YOU ARE ALREADY AN ELITE SPIRE MEMBER THE MAXIMUM BONUS POINTS YOU WIL GET ARE 3X. THEY COUNT THE 100% BONUS POINTS YOU GET BECAUSE OF YOUR STATUS AS A PART OF YOUR REWARD. NOT VERY CLEAR AND I BELIEVE VERY MISSLEADING!
I noticed this too.
The x2 / x3 / x4 bonus seems to be in place of the original ‘normal’ bonus rather than in addition to it.
That makes no sense at all!
The x2/x3/x4 bonus seems to be based on the normal base points, minus the original base points.
So if you were due 2000 base points for the stay, for the x4 bonus you’d be getting those 2000 points plus a further 6000 points, rather than say an actual ‘bonus’ of 8000 points.
Not that my opinion really matters, but I would have presumed that the word ‘bonus’ means something in addition to what you would normally have received. So in my opinion if you were due 2000 base points when there was no promotion running, and you are told you are getting a x4 bonus, I would have expected 8000 additional points on top of the original 2000 points I would have been due anyway.
seem to get 5 lots of points so on the 2000 example
2000 are base points
2000 spire
6000 are the triple to make the 4x offer as you have base points already
or is that wrong way to look at it?
or maybe you get 4x and no further points ie spire or even platinum.
Yes that is the same way other hotel groups are also headlining their “x points” promotions.
I’ve done well from this promo and I’m on about my 10th booking that is in x 4 bonus points bracket and checked the maths when I read this. I’m the same, only getting my Spire bonus and 3 x the base points as the bonus. Nowhere in the terms does it state that it is anything but a bonus on top nor to top up base or elite bonuses to give the total multiple. I’ emailed them asking them for the missing bonus points and they replied saying the base points ‘become’ bonus points! Terms don’t cover this at all. I’ve gone back and asked them to clarify where the terms cover the fact that these bookings effectively earn no base points, but get 4 x bonus points (even though the base points are still listed!).
Hi Brian,
Thanks for dropping me an email and I’m grateful to be of help to one of our awesome Spire Elite members. I trust that your weekend’s going well.
I’m sorry to get you confused about our Earn Up To 4X Bonus Points offer. I appreciate that this made you move your stays back to IHG to be able to maximize what we have in store. I carefully checked your account and can confirm that you’ve earned the right number of points. I see that you got qualified to get the 4x points starting from your stay at our Holiday Inn Milton Keynes East M1, Jct.14. It did not sacrifice your Elite Bonus points but instead counts the base points as part of it.
I hope this clarifies it. Let me know if you have more.
Yours in Hospitality,
Frank Lester Amistoso
eMedia Coordinator
IHGService
This is very shoddy. Rob, perhaps you could approach?
Do the bonus base points count towards attaining Spire? If so, I think I’d be pretty close to Spire by the end of January with some tactical bookings.
Erm… Spire…. Why?
@Lady London – not aiming for Spire as a priority but might happen if extra base points count.
I’m unlikely to get top status in any other program because I only travel for holidays, unfortunately.
Don’t lose any sleep over it, they should rename it Dire, would be much more appropriate.
Haha, thanks – you’re not a fan? I’m just looking to capitalise on my stays. The IC Sydney and Amstel look fantastic and Ambassador free night has gotten me a wonderful suite with club lounge access and a harbour and opera view.
Couldn’t justify the extra £500 or so for the Waldorf in Amsterdam (maybe next year when I get a pay rise) and wasn’t impressed by Hilton’s in Australia.
IHG is secondary to Hilton for me. I’m Diamond but I even rate Gold above Spire from my experience. The best think you can do with Spire is get a Hilton Diamond challenge IMO. Should you wish to do that then I recommend you wait for the new variant that will hopefully come out April. That is what my partner will be doing if I don’t retain Diamond. In reality I am not a huge fan of high end hotels. I will stay at them if I can make them work for me but more typically I’ll stay at doubletree. Also perfectly happy to stay in budget places provided they are clean and bed and linens are comfortable. I spend so little time in the hotels during the day that it is hard to justify extra luxury. Even the worst travelodge is probably a better place to sleep than a Qatar Qsuite so…
Hilton Diamond does look excellent – thanks for the tip on status matching. Currently Hold through Amex.
*Gold.
I know what you mean about high end hotels – I haven’t stayed at many and tend to use them for special occasions or when all hotels are expensive. Will be quite happy with the HIX in Melbourne, I imagine.
Nope.
Remember your account resets end of Dec. 75k base points by end of Jan would be v impressive. It normally takes me till about March / Apr (with spend).
Thanks. Looks like I could earn over 50,000 bonus points in January (including bonus base points) if I made a few cheap HI stays before my four nights at the Amstel Amsterdam.
*over 50,000 base points
To the best of my knowledge no form of bonus points will count.
Thanks, shame! Guess it doesn’t really matter when you’re looking at ICs and have Ambassador.
If you want to stay there anyway then why not, strange things happen some times and stuff just comes together.
Just catching up on the comments … great choice Harry – IC Sydney. I was there last month – ask (nicely) for the Suite ending xx02 if you can when they contact you about your arrival – there is a Suite in each corner, and the other harbour/opera view hasn’t such a panoramic scape as the xx02. You will love the Club – wonderful just to sit there with a coffee, or something stronger, to take in that glorious view!
@Doreen – thank you, duly noted!