InterContinental Hotels' Winter Bonuses: Extra Miles or Extra Points

After 20 years working in the travel industry, and 15 years writing about it, Tim Winship knows a thing or two about travel. Follow him on Twitter @twinship.

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Members of InterContinental Hotel Group’s IHG Rewards program have their choice of two new systemwide promotions, depending on their preferred earning currency: IHG points or airline miles.

In either case, the latest promotions both apply to stays between January 1 and April 30. Registration is required.

IHG Points

As has been the case with most recent IHG points promotions, the Accelerate bonuses are personalized, targeting individual program members with offers tailored to their presumed potential for future hotel stays. By completing a series of transactions, members can earn “at least 30,000 bonus points.”

My offer, as a very infrequent IHG customer, promised a potential total bonus of 33,500 points, as follows:

500 bonus points for downloading the IHG app
2,000 bonus points for completing three nights
2,000 bonus points for booking direct with IHG
2,000 bonus points for staying at two Holiday Inns
2,000 bonus points for completing one weekend stay
10,000 bonus points for completing three of the above offers
15,000 bonus points for completing all of the above offers

Other Rewards members report bonus offers in excess of 100,000 points, but with higher hurdles to clear.

To view their personalized offers, Rewards members must log onto the IHG website with their member credentials. Non-members may sign up online, and will be able to view their offers immediately thereafter.

Airline Miles

The concurrent Double Up promotion, for those who prefer airline miles to hotel points, features double miles in the programs of 33 airlines, including those of American, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and United, for the second and subsequent IHG stays.

There’s a maximum of 10,000 bonus miles that may be earned through the offer.

Deal or No Deal

Double miles is a modest bonus, rendered even less compelling by its restriction to the second and subsequent stays. The best that can be said about this offer is that it gives IHG Rewards members an additional bonus option for winter stays, and hence more flexibility.

On the other hand, the Accelerate bonuses can add substantial value to doing business with IHG. Your mileage may vary, of course, because the incentives are personalized. But it’s well worth checking in to check out your offer.

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After 20 years working in the travel industry, and 15 years writing about it, Tim Winship knows a thing or two about travel. Follow him on Twitter @twinship.

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