Bits: 100% bonus on IHG points is back (again), our backpack competition winners

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News in brief:

100% ‘buy points’ bonus back with IHG Rewards Club

Literally just days after finishing their last 100% bonus, IHG Rewards Club has relaunched it. The offer is available again until 11th December.

Buying IHG points can be an excellent deal if you like staying at luxury five star hotels. I ran this full analysis last month so I won’t repeat it again.

The bottom line is that for £189 you can buy enough points for a night at the InterContinental Times Square New York (photo below), Park Lane London, Le Grand Paris etc – hotels which very, very rarely sell for as little as £189.

The link to buy is here.

SLICKS backpack competition winners

Thank you to everyone who entered our competition last week to win a SLICKS backpack, worth £260. There was a fantastic response.

I’m pleased to announce that the two winners are:

Chris H

David M

… both of whom are UK based. Well done. You will receive an email from me this morning.

If you didn’t win, SLICKS is giving away another backpack to anyone who joins their mailing list via their website. There will be another quick HfP competition coming up before Christmas!

Category

IHG Rewards

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

Andrew H says:

9 Dec9 December 23:24

Just looking at the Intercontinental Park Lane for a couple of nights. Buying 50k (and getting a bonus 50k) would get me two nights. I notice you can only use the points to book the Classic room, which is the smallest room at 18 sqm. That’s pretty small for five stars, and it doesn’t look roomy on a Youtube room review either… what are the main benefits of staying there?
- Lostantipod says:
  
  10 Dec10 December 18:36
  
  You’re right Andrew, I’ve redeemed there before. Tend to get a smallish room with a window facing an internal “courtyard” (in truth, just a view of another building, possibly another wing of the hotel). Hilton and Novotel that I usually stay at are certainly bigger rooms and have a view. In the case of this particular property, I simply use it as an option should I need a room in London at relatively short notice Eg. if I find I need to be in London In a week’s time and the overall market price for my usual haunts is up, then in this case an IC Park Lane redemption becomes a quality room that beats the market rate at that moment in time. Otherwise , I prefer to redeem these points in other properties overseas.
  - Andrew H says:
    
    10 Dec10 December 23:09
    
    Thanks Lostantipod. I’m looking at the Hotel Indigo Kensington which has bigger rooms for better value. I’ve bought 30k (plus 30k bonus). Should get the points through tomorrow.
    
    I can’t quite believe that buying 30k of points to book a couple of nights for my Mum (at half the price advertised on Kayak) will take me from the bottom tier to platinum. And presumably the same level at Hilton and Hyatt if I request a status match. Crazy!
    - Rob says:
      
      10 Dec10 December 23:29
      
      You won’t get status from buying the points, unfortunately.
      - Andrew H says:
        
        11 Dec11 December 08:47
        
        That’s a shame. Still, £234 for two nights at the Indigo Kensington seems a good deal.
      - Andrew H says:
        
        11 Dec11 December 09:52
        
        Are there any hotel chains that give you status for buying points?
Andrew H says:

11 Dec11 December 22:36

Oddly my 30k purchase yesterday didn’t get processed by Paypal despite IHG sending me a purchase receipt. Had to phone Paypal UK tonight and they pushed it through. I don’t know if anyone else has had this problem, but if you don’t get a Paypal receipt straight away, I would check your account.