Diamond Status challenge

[DoubleA]

Just had an email offering Diamond for 8 nights before 20th March. A lot cheaper than the buying points offer!

[NorthernLass]

I’ve also got it. I’ve got quite a few nights booked on points in March, so tomorrow I’ll have a look at whether it’s worth converting them to cash stays (I haven’t read the whole email, but presume award nights don’t count!)

[BBbetter]

DoubleA wrote:

A lot cheaper than the buying points offer!

The net cost on that offer was about £400 after deducting the redemption value assuming 0.4p.
So, unless you are in a region where you can find rooms for less than £50, not sure its massively cheaper.

[Swiss Jim]

Not read the terms but given IHG I’d expect reward nights to count.

[Swiss Jim]

Ok, I take that back. Reward nights don’t count.

[DoubleA]

BBbetter wrote:

DoubleA wrote:

A lot cheaper than the buying points offer!

The net cost on that offer was about £400 after deducting the redemption value assuming 0.4p.
So, unless you are in a region where you can find rooms for less than £50, not sure its massively cheaper.

I’m not sure my offer was quite that good as I had to buy 100k+ points.

[t0m]

I just got a double points challenge email but nothing about a Diamond status challenge 😕

[NorthernLass]

My points offer was also very high. But I think this one is a no from me as well, it’s a bit late and insufficient time to complete the challenge. I’ve pretty much got my travel for the rest of this year sorted, including 20 nights for the suite upgrade award, and the extra cash outlay wouldn’t be worth it for the number of free breakfasts Diamond would get me.

Now if they were offering it for the rest of 2025 and all of 2026, that would be different …!

[Paul]

I got the 8 night challenge and as luck would have it have a 9 night stay booked in an IC coming up. Happy chappy. Don’t need to do anything as I have the lounge pass so breakfast should be covered. But it does mean I can pass on Hilton later in the year and focus again on IHG.

[DoubleA]

Yes, works out nicely for me as I have a bunch of work nights already lined up so I’ll just need the extra one or two to push me over the line.

Then I may consider the Seafire again if breakfast is covered!

[LD27]

I’ve also got the offer. Was thinking about cancelling my 3 night booking at IC Lisbon next month, but if I don’t, I have 9 nights booked in total by the 20th. Decisions, decisions.

[Bloomy]

I have just received stay 8 nights get diamond through 2025! great as i have 8 nights booked in Thailand from 7 Feb including 2 nights using the confirmed suite upgrade in the IC Bangkok for valentines day!!!!!
I just dropped from diamond in January, i am loyal to IHG TBF. Happy days. 👍 😎

[NorthernLass]

@DoubleA, you do get breakfast at the Seafire as Diamond, which saves you $100 per couple if you were going to pay for it! It’s a decent breakfast but not worth what they charge. We’ve got 3 nights booked next month. but will just go out for breakfast or have something in the room as there’s a mini kitchen; it still wouldn’t be worth doing the extra paid nights for us.

[Swiss Jim]

Sounds good, but it’ll very much depend on circumstances. Like others, on reflection it’s a no for me – Hilton Diamond through 2026 and stacks of Hilton points, so will focus there. If IHG challenge took me through to end 2026 I’d probably go for it.

[Grant]

BBbetter wrote:

DoubleA wrote:

A lot cheaper than the buying points offer!

The net cost on that offer was about £400 after deducting the redemption value assuming 0.4p.
So, unless you are in a region where you can find rooms for less than £50, not sure its massively cheaper.

There are plenty of people who didn’t get that points offer, or got offered a poorer rate, so this is an attractive alternative IMO if it aligns with your plans for the rest of the year.

If you are in easy reach of any of the bigger cities around the country then I am finding plenty of Sunday nights between now and 20 March at various HIEs for <£45. If you have some stays planned at nicer IHG properties later in the year then the maths might work for mattress runs.

[elguiri]

Is this challenge just appearing for those that were Diamond before? The 8 nights are probably achievable for me and am currently lowly platinum at the moment…

[Chas]

elguiri wrote:

Is this challenge just appearing for those that were Diamond before? The 8 nights are probably achievable for me and am currently lowly platinum at the moment…

I think so. I’ve just dropped from Diamond, and the thrust of my email is about earning Diamond Elite status again.

[NorthernLass]

OH is the same as me but hasn’t had the offer so I’m thinking it may also depend on how many nights you either had last year or already have booked this year.

It is slightly annoying as it would have been fairly easy and cost-effective if we hadn’t had to cancel our 4 nights in Valencia this week!

[FFoxSake]

elguiri wrote:

Is this challenge just appearing for those that were Diamond before?

Not being offered to me (I just dropped from Diamond).
Their loss not mine!

[Pangolin]

Swiss Jim wrote:

Sounds good, but it’ll very much depend on circumstances. Like others, on reflection it’s a no for me – Hilton Diamond through 2026 and stacks of Hilton points, so will focus there. If IHG challenge took me through to end 2026 I’d probably go for it.

Agreed. Unless you can do it organically, like some people with stays already booked, it doesn’t seem worth it to go from Platinum to Diamond if you lose the status at the end of this year. Lounge pass is a lot more valuable than Diamond.

[LittleNick]

FFoxSake wrote:

elguiri wrote:

Is this challenge just appearing for those that were Diamond before?

Not being offered to me (I just dropped from Diamond).
Their loss not mine!

Not offered to me either, nor did I get the points offer either end of last year. They must not have liked me when I was a diamond lol

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

These offers are targetted and only IHG knows who they target and why they target them.

I didn’t get the diamond buy up offer or this one but late last year I did get a “stay 10 nights and get diamond” offer – I was existing diamond but would have struggled to get 70 nights but I could have done a matress run at a pinch

I also got the one released in January for 2x qualifying nights (max of 10 – see separate thread) which other people didn’t get.

[Paul]

I had 40 nights last year and dropped to platinum. If that helps others who wonder what the cut off might be for this offer.

[JDB]

Paul wrote:

I had 40 nights last year and dropped to platinum. If that helps others who wonder what the cut off might be for this offer.

Blimey, 40 IHG nights seems quite a harsh sentence within the current judicial sentencing guidelines.

[NorthernLass]

Worry not, @JDB, the PM has authorised early check out!