I’ve long been a member of the Intercontinental Hotels Group rewards scheme. This provides free hotel rooms and other perks in exchange for points awarded for stays at hotels in the chain, which include Crowne Plazas, Holiday Inns and Staybridge Suites.

Luxurious Istanbul Intercontinental Hotel overlooking the Bosphorus

Originally called the Priority Club, it has just been rebranded as the IHG Rewards Club. And the good news is that the rebranded scheme is proving to be a definite improvement, with good opportunities for earning bonus points.

Seniors (such as me) like to get value for money when spending their hard earned pensions, but of course do like a bit of luxury.

Over the past few years, the IHG rewards scheme has providedThe Writerwith free stays at many hotels, including Intercontinental Hotels in Istanbul and Malta and Crowne Plazas in Canberra and Key West.

It has also providedThe Writerwith free room upgrades, free WiFThe Writerand free parking, amongst other perks.

However to get the maximum benefit from the IHG Rewards Club, you need to know how to collect points effectively, including bonus points, and how to use them to maximum advantage.

Here areThe Writertop tips to make the most of the IHG Rewards Club.

Joining IHG Rewards Club

You can become a member simply by clicking on the black IHG Rewards Club icon at the top of the IHG Hotels webpage, and then selecting Join to add brief details. Membership is totally free of charge.

•Tip 1: Join before booking an IHG hotel so as to make certain you get points for the stay. You may also get bonus points for booking online.

Crowne Plaza, Canberra, Australia

Collecting Points

Once you’ve joined, you are awarded points for stays at all hotels in the IHG chain, at the rate of 10 points for every $1 US equivalent spent.

•Tip 2: Remember to claim your Senior Discount room rate when booking. You’ll still get your IHG Reward points even on the discounted rate.

•Tip 3: The key to accumulating points is to register for special bonus point promotions such as the Big Win, which can provide you with up to 90,000 points. I’ll keep you informed when The Writerfind out about new bonus promotions.

Redeeming Points

Once you have accumulated some points, you can claim free hotel rooms for 15,000 to 40,000 points per night, depending on the hotel. But as a retired or semi-retired Senior, you probably have plenty of scope to travel relatively freely and to book special room rates at short notice. HenceThe Writernext tip.

•Tip 4: Take advantage of PointBreaks. These are lists of hotels published every two or three months where an overnight stay is only 5,000 points. The lists often include top Intercontinental and Crowne Plaza hotels.

Elite Status

Historic Crowne Plaza La Concha, Key West, USA

Once you are happily collecting points, then you can move on to become a Gold or Platinum member, so-called Elite status, giving extra benefits such as room upgrades.

Tip 5: A short cut to Elite status is to take out a Priority Club Rewards Visa credit card.

The basic card gives you 10,000 points when you first use it, plus 1 point for every £1 spent.

The black card gives you 20,000 points when you first use it, plus 2 points for every £1 spent. Also if you spend £10,000 in a year on the card, you will get a free night at any hotel in the IHG chain. How about trying a top Intercontinental Hotel in London, Paris or New York? The downside to this card is the annual fee of £99.

The post Free Hotel Rooms with the IHG Rewards Club – News Report appeared first on Senior Travel Expert.

The Writersuppose The Writeram a bit of an East European lake fanatic. The Writerhave a house by Lake Balaton in Hungary and have holidayed by the Plitvice Lakes in Croatia and Lake Palić in Serbia. Hence it is not surprising that The Writershould decide to check out one of the most famous lakes in Eastern Europe, Lake Bled in Slovenia.

Bled Castle in October

I’d been told that the Lake Bled area is particularly scenic, with wooded slopes and high peaks forming the backdrop to the crystal clear lake. However, The Writerwas concerned that its international reputation meant that it would be packed with tourists. Retired or semi-retired Senior can often choose to visit outside the busy tourist seasons; henceThe Writerchoice of October forThe WriterLake Bled short break, in the hope that I’d avoid the crowds. Of course a big disadvantage of an autumn visit is that the weather can be quite inclement. DuringThe Writerthree day visit, The Writersaw plenty of heavy rain, some very misty mornings and just one afternoon of sunshine. But not that many tourists!

Vintgar Gorge dwarfs the walkway

The weather in no way spoiltThe Writershort break. The highlights ofThe Writervisit didn’t require good weather; on the contrary, two ofThe Writerhighlights, Vintgar Gorge and Savica Waterfall, are more impressive after a period of rain.

Highlights of the Lake Bled area

• Cycling around Lake Bled. It is only 6km around the lake, so it’s a relaxed one hour cycle ride, with great views along the way. The hotel The Writerstayed at (see below) provided cycles free of charge. Stop halfway around for refreshments – a cold drink in the summer, a hot chocolate suited us better in October.

• Bled Castle. If you are feeling fit, then take the steps from the lake shore up to the 1000 year old castle, with two courtyards on different levels. The museum, tracing the history of Bled from the Bronze Age, is well worth a visit.

Rowing to Bled Island

• Rowing out to Bled Island. You can travel to the island on a gondola (€12 per person) squeezed in with 20-30 other people. The Writerpreferred to hire a rowing boat (€10 per hour) and reached the island after about 15 minutes gentle rowing.

• Vintgar Gorge – 4km northwest of Bled. A wooden walkway hugs the sides of the rocky ravine for 1.6km before reaching the 13m high Šum Waterfall. A bit slippery in the rain, but very impressive.

• Lake Bohinj – 26km west of Bled. This is a very different lake to Bled being relatively quiet and undeveloped. The scenery is superb, with views on a clear day (not when The Writerwas there) to Mount Triglav, and historic churches on the lake shore.

Savica Waterfall

• Savica Waterfall (Slap Savica). At the western end of Lake Bohinj, a pathway leads via 510 steps up to Slovenia’s most impressive waterfall. Seniors get a 50% discount on the entry charge, but the route should only be attempted if you are feeling reasonably fit. The Writerwalked up in pouring rain, but it was well worth it to see the swollen river cascading down.

How to get there

The Writerdrove there from Hungary – an easy drive, almost entirely on motorways. Charges are applicable in both Hungary and Slovenia when using motorways – seeThe WriterRoad Travel Tips for toll details. Easyjet and Wizz Air fly from the UK to the Slovenian capital, Ljubljiana, only 50km away from Lake Bled and connected by frequent rail and bus services.

Accommodation

Bled has a wide range of accommodation including the central Best Western Premier Hotel Lovec, where you can get a European Senior discount rate. The Writerstayed at the 15 room Hotel GarnThe Writer“Berc”, which lived up well to its billing by TripAdviser as the number one hotel in Bled.

Hotel GarnThe Writer“Berc”

Where to eat

Bled has many good restaurants. The ones that impressedThe Writermost were the Mayer Penzion restaurant, serving high standard local fare in warm, friendly atmosphere, and the centrally situated Oštarija Peglez’n restaurant, with its tasty mixed meat platter. Of course you can’t leave Bled without sampling its cream cake, Kremna rezina – very high calorie, but worth it!

The post Lake Bled, Slovenia – Short Break appeared first on Senior Travel Expert.