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IHG has been revamping several different aspects of their program, some positive, some negative. In the past, one of the easiest and quickest ways to accumulate IHG points was via their Accelerate promotion. The long and short of the promotion that you earn bonus points for each targeted requirement you fulfill, earning more for the cumulative number of requirement.
In all honesty, my hopes for this first quarter’s promo were quite low. BUT…happy days – I was proved wrong. I was targeted for a whopping 65,700 total bonus points and if I stack the way I stay, I could tick off all but 12,000 bonus points in 4 stays. Let’s take a look at my offer
Getting 53,700 bonus points in 4 nights.
The first 28,800 bonus occurs when I stay at 3 different brands, so that alone requires 3 of the nights. However, if you drop down to the second requirement, stay at 2 Intercontinental hotels, that adds on the 4th night requirement. I’d avoid the 2 weekend stays, and on one of the 4 nights ( 2 at Intercontinental, 2 at other brands ) I book two bonus packages and pay with my IHG Rewards Club Select Card ( currently unavailable and replaced with the IHG Premier )
It would look like this then
- Stay 1: Intercontinental Pay with IHG Rewards Select ( Pick up 1,500 )
- Stay 2: Intercontinental ( pick up 16,800 )
- Stay 3: Holiday Inn ( Bonus Package )
- Stay 4: Crowne Plaza ( Bonus Package ) Pick up 28,800 for 3 different brands, 6,600 for 2 bonus package stays
- Total: 53,700 bonus points
What could I do with 53,700 Points
At some point this year I want to get the IHG Premier card ( read that article, but the benefits are killer and one is a 4th night free). I just visited Budapest and the Intercontinental is in a fantastic location and runs 30k points per night. Since I’m Ambassador and renewed with an offer to receive 10% back on Intercontinental Stays, and my legacy IHG Rewards Select card gives 10% back as well, I could stay two nights at the Intercontinental Budapest for just 54k points. Unreal value and it’d be wonderful to visit Budapest again in the summertime, rent bikes, and enjoy the city in a different way.
There are plenty of other uses as well, this is just the first to pop into my head as I just stayed in Budapest and the hotel is in a wonderful location, and with just a lobby visit, quite nice as well. The Danube view rooms must have stunning views.
You can check out your offer and register here:
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome Offer
60k Points after $4k spend in 3 months
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 60k points after $4k spend in 3 months
- Worth $750 in Chase Travel℠ and way more if you maximize transfer partners
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, including eligible delivery services for takeout & dining out
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travel℠
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 2x on all other travel
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel℠ and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver ( primary ), purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 14 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in Chase Travel℠ for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver is my favorite
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024
- $95 Annual Fee
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is exceptional starter card and offers transferrable Ultimate Rewards, and pairs well with other Chase cards.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex℠and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash® , Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
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