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.
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