Don’t forget IHG Rewards Club ‘Friends & Family’ rates for cheap hotels

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Back in 2009, when the hotel business was in real trouble, IHG Rewards Club launched a special deal for stays at Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza, Indigo, InterContinental, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites hotels.

It was called ‘Friends & Family’ and was nominally aimed at people who were friends or relatives of hotel employees.

However, the company made no secret of the fact that they were happy for anyone to use it, and even posted links on forums that could be used. After some pushback, people claiming to be friends of Steve Sickel, the head of the programme, found that hotels would occasionally not let them use the rate. Other links, such as this ‘Friends and Family’ link that I use, continue to work just fine.

IHG Friends Family rate

The Friends & Family deals are usually priced below the ‘Advance Saver’ rate for the same dates. They carry the same conditions, ie no changes and no refunds.

The only difference is that these rates do NOT earn IHG Rewards Club points. Hotels do a VERY good job of enforcing this rule. You won’t earn stay credit either. Bear this in mind when booking, especially if you are taking part in the ‘Accelerate’ promotion.

Availability under this programme is worse than it used to be but you can still find the odd deal.

In London on Saturday 12th March, the Friends & Family link gives:

InterContinental Park Lane at £231 vs £265
Staybridge Suites Vauxhall at £96 vs £114
Holiday Inn Bloomsbury at £132 vs £156

Various other properties were available as well. This rate is valid worldwide, not just in the UK.

You have absolutely nothing to worry about by booking this rate using the link above. You will not be asked for any special ID or proof of your friendship with Jennifer. Just be very clear that you will NOT receive any points or stay credit.

IHG Rewards update – December 2021:

Get bonus points: You can earn up to triple IHG Rewards base points with IHG’s new Autumn promotion. It runs from 1st October to 31st December. You can register here and our full article on the offer is here.

New to IHG Rewards? Read our overview of IHG Rewards here and our article on points expiry rules here. Our article on ‘What are IHG Rewards points worth?’ is here.

Buy points: If you need additional IHG Rewards points, you can buy them here.

You will get a 100% bonus when you buy IHG Rewards points by 4th January 2022. Click here to buy or learn more.

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from IHG and the other major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Category

IHG Rewards

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

Ck says:

17 Feb17 February 12:11

I have an android phone, but I also have an iPad. Can I use curve with my iPad?
- Rob says:
  
  17 Feb17 February 12:12
  
  Good question. They text you a verification number but I assume that could go to any phone?
  - Ck says:
    
    17 Feb17 February 12:37
    
    If it won’t, I’ll borrow my friend’s phone just for the text. Rob, can you recommend the more expensive version? Or the cheaper? The cash withdrawals seem too good to be true.
    - Rob says:
      
      17 Feb17 February 13:24
      
      The only difference between the £75 and £35 versions are that you earn more points in a loyalty scheme that is not yet launched! It is impossible to know if it is good value or not.
    - James says:
      
      17 Feb17 February 13:59
      
      To use the card I believe you need the phone to be in reasonably close proximity, i.e. your pocket or handbag. I don’t imagine you will be able to use the card without an iOS phone close by, linked to your card. Besides, the point of the app is that you can change the card selection, so if you use an Amex as a standard card to make purchases but you encounter a place that doesn’t take Amex, you will need to change the card that is linked to the Curve card. Or, carry all your cards, which does defeat an object. In any case I’m willing to bet you need an Iphone nearby at all times.
      - Callum says:
        
        17 Feb17 February 14:18
        
        That would be absurd if true. If there’s some sort of wireless link between the phone and the card (seems unlikely) then that would mean the card becomes useless if your battery dies. If it’s done via the internet/sms, not only would you have the hassle of additional verification when you’re trying to buy something, you have to either be in an area with free wifi or pay for data and/or sending an SMS.
        
        And one the of main selling points of this card seems to be you can use Amex in places that don’t take Amex – so why exactly would you need to log in to the app to remove the Amex card when you’re shopping in places that don’t take it? Surely that defeats the entire point of that feature?
      - Rob says:
        
        17 Feb17 February 14:20
        
        No, you don’t. If the transaction failed then, yes, you could whip out your phone, change the linked card and then try again. In reality, abroad, you wouldn’t do this anyway because it would trigger roaming charges. As long as you have a back-up credit card it wouldn’t matter.
ahop says:

17 Feb17 February 12:33

Did anyone else get a confirmation email beyond the standard ‘confirm your email address’ one?
- Robin says:
  
  17 Feb17 February 12:43
  
  i did not receive any other confirmation, other than the “confirm your email address” one.
Liz says:

17 Feb17 February 12:38

What happens if you draw cash out at UK ATM with your Supercard – is there a fee from Supercard per transaction and does it go through as a purchase – so you just back it off as normal?
Ck says:

17 Feb17 February 13:04

I can’t seem to get past the ‘choose which card’ page. Tried on my laptop, my android phone and my friend’s iPhone 5. Can anyone help?
- Liz says:
  
  17 Feb17 February 13:11
  
  I had that first thing this morning – just kept trying and eventually got it to work on my iPad
  - Ck says:
    
    17 Feb17 February 13:12
    
    You just kept refreshing the page and clicking again?
    - Liz says:
      
      17 Feb17 February 13:39
      
      The iPad wouldn’t open the page properly but I just kept trying – the iPhone said page not found – computer using IE wouldn’t allow me to get past the choose card page like you. Eventually the iPad page opened and allowed me to select the card and proceed to payment – although it bombed me out at the payment page first time but it worked the next time. Keep trying!
jtz says:

17 Feb17 February 13:19

OT But really need some help on this….

Got about 8000 ish HHonours points, am on fast track to gold, but that expires on Feb 29.
Had a Hilton stay booked in Jan that i had to cancel and have the barclaycard Hilton visa- got the free night around dec/jan (still waiting for a proper e-mail/letter though)
Still think I’m a newbie to all this, but can someone tell me the quickest/cheapest way I can do those 4 stays, preferably before I use the certificate.
I know Hilton Newport is the only 5000 points hotel in the UK now, but can’t really work that out into 1 stay, based in London and not sure if other half will like a break in Newport.
Really doubt I can achieve 4 stays by Feb 29, can I sign up to another fast track now, to set off another 90 days, or should I wait for after Feb?
Am on a tight budget too so struggling to find cheap destinations that would allow even a a trip of 7 nights (4 Hiltons, separating days with another hotel) or even 4 night trip that involves 2 different Hiltons.
Even the certificate, was hoping to use it in Conrad koh Samui, but other additional costs of more nights, flights etc will add up quick.

Thanks in advance.
- luke says:
  
  17 Feb17 February 17:42
  
  jtz…unfort read below re the voucher…these are excluded properties, includes koh samui
  
  All Inclusive Properties:
  DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Central Pacific -Costa Rica
  Hilton Bodrum Turkbuku Resort & Spa
  Hilton Dalaman Sarigerme Resort & Spa
  Hilton Hurghada Long Beach Resort
  Hilton Hurghada Plaza Hotel
  Hilton Marsa Alam Nubian Resort
  Hilton Puerto Vallarta
  Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa
  Hilton Sharks Bay Resort
  
  Distinctive Properties:
  Conrad Koh Samui Residences
  Embassy Suites Waikiki Beach Walk
  Kingston Plantation Condos
  Hilton Surfers Paradise Residences
  Royale Palms Condominiums
  Elara, a Hilton Grand Vacations Hotel-Center Strip
  Grand Waikikian Suites by Hilton Grand Vacations
  Hilton Club New York
  Hilton Grand Vacation Club at Craigendarroch Suites
  Hilton Grand Vacations Club at Waikoloa Beach Resort
  Hilton Grand Vacations Suites – Las Vegas (Convention Center)
  Hilton Grand Vacations Suites at Hilton Hawaiian Village
  Hilton Grand Vacations Suites at SeaWorld
  Hilton Grand Vacations Suites at South Beach
  Hilton Grand Vacations Suites at the Flamingo
  Hilton Grand Vacations Suites on International Drive
  Hilton Grand Vacations Suites on the Las Vegas Strip
  Hokulani Waikiki by Hilton Grand Vacations Club
  Kings Land by Hilton Grand Vacations Club
  Parc Soleil Suites by Hilton Grand Vacations
  Park City Hilton Grand Vacations
  Valdoro Mountain Lodge by Hilton Grand Vacations Suites
  West 57th Street by Hilton Club
  Ho’olei at Grand Wailea
  Las Casitas, A Waldorf Astoria Resort
  Qasr Al Sharq, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel
  - Waribai says:
    
    17 Feb17 February 20:53
    
    AFAIK The Koh Samui Residences is different from the hotel. You can never (please correct me) redeem points at the residences but you can at the hotel. Likewise, I would’ve thought the free night voucher would work at the hotel.
    - jtz says:
      
      19 Feb19 February 15:22
      
      I’m sure I’ve ready many posts on FT and blogs about CKS being a good redemption for the free night?!
      Please can someone let me know about this?
      Thanks
      - Rob says:
        
        19 Feb19 February 15:33
        
        CKS?
      - harry says:
        
        19 Feb19 February 15:34
        
        C*** Koh Samui
        
        Conrad?
      - Rob says:
        
        19 Feb19 February 15:37
        
        Ah yes!
        
        If you search HFP there is a review of it which one of the readers submitted.
Ryan says:

17 Feb17 February 13:28

I have plumped for it. As a Director/Owner Limited Company the small print seemed fine but is of slight concern – or is it just tactics to try and limit sign-up?

Hopefully the Android version comes soon as i don’t want to carry another phone just for the App.

Code: Code: XUUCw
URL: http://www.imaginecurve.com/r=XUUCw
- Rob says:
  
  17 Feb17 February 13:46
  
  No, it is cleverer than that. By claiming this is a ‘business card’ it is not bound by the 0.3% EU limit on interchange fees. That is how the business model works.
  - harry says:
    
    17 Feb17 February 13:56
    
    That presumably won’t be the case for the consumer version of Curve…(out later this year)
    - Rob says:
      
      17 Feb17 February 14:21
      
      Correct. That card will presumably have a far more restrictive feature set.
  - idrive says:
    
    17 Feb17 February 14:13
    
    so, you think anyone could apply safely?
    - Rob says:
      
      17 Feb17 February 14:18
      
      If you declare on the form you have some form of self employment (on top of your nomrmal job, of course) I doubt they will spend too much time looking into it.
  - Callum says:
    
    17 Feb17 February 14:25
    
    I’m not particularly knowledgeable on the behind-the-scenes workings of finance, but I can’t work out how that would work? Presumably for that to be relevant, Curve themselves need to be charging the interchange fee – in which case, who would they be billing?
    - Rob says:
      
      17 Feb17 February 14:36
      
      You buy £100 item in a shop – shop is charged £1.30 by Curve (a typical 1.3% uncapped business credit card interchange fee)
      Curve charges £100 to your MasterCard and is charged the 0.3% EU capped interchange fee plus a small handling fee, say 0.1%, so 40p
      Curve makes 90p
      
      On an Amex it would be very marginal, however. On ATM transactions they are swallowing a loss.
      
      This is not how it works in practice due to the various parties involved but the net result is similar.
      - Callum says:
        
        17 Feb17 February 14:44
        
        Thanks for the really quick summary. I still don’t understand it (I thought interchange fees were just the fees between banks, not the fee between a card issuer and a retailer) but I probably never will unless I delve into it in-depth – which I can’t see myself ever being bored enough to do!
      - harry says:
        
        17 Feb17 February 20:46
        
        That can’t be right, AndyR. The new capped (non business) interchange rate for MC is 0.3%.
        
        So Nick M makes a very good point. Why would a shop be happy to pay 1.3% when they were expecting the fee to be 0.3%?
      - RIccati says:
        
        20 Feb20 February 11:02
        
        The interchange fee is between banks (within the Mastercard or Visa or Amex) system, but it is only a part of what the card acquirer charges to the shop/retailer.
        
        The shop buys service from the card acquirer, which could be a bank but usually a payment processing company set up/partially owned by a bank, or even completely third-party. The total charge is from the acquirer to the merchant is the said 1.3%.
        
        It has been discussed here at length that the small shops will not see/not be able to negotiate their total fees down (whatever the regulated interchange cap is).
      - Nick M says:
        
        17 Feb17 February 14:57
        
        Will the business know they will be charged more than “normal” when you present the card? – There are a lot of small businesses near me and it won’t seem fair to be increasing their costs unnecessarily…
      - AndyR says:
        
        17 Feb17 February 20:36
        
        The shop is charged the same fee whether you use Curve or any other Mastercard i.e. 1.3%.
      - Rob says:
        
        17 Feb17 February 20:46
        
        Most big stores are now on ‘interchange plus’ where they pay the actual interchange fee plus a handling margin. Tesco WOULD pay more if they accepted Curve. Smaller retailers don’t have the power to negotiate ‘interchange plus’.
Roberto says:

17 Feb17 February 13:33

Ordered to black with the case…
I was one of the lucky one and got the supercard which I have spent about £15000 on and it been very good albeit with some teething issues where i was declined for 3 days…

Please use my referral code as my imaginary cat needs feeding.. thanks

https://www.imaginecurve.com/?r=2f7fi
- Liz says:
  
  17 Feb17 February 13:41
  
  Roberto do you know what happens if you draw cash from a UK ATM — ie. Fees and is it a purchase – or should it just be for abroad withdrawals ?
  - Roberto says:
    
    17 Feb17 February 14:00
    
    Liz – currently I don’t sorry – but I travel so much it wont really matter to me.. I will know more once all the T&C are fully published .. There will be some wheeze where we can all make hay I am sure.. 😉
    
    Its worth a punt.. https://www.imaginecurve.com/?r=2f7fi
    - Liz says:
      
      17 Feb17 February 14:04
      
      I meant with Supercard not curve – I’ve already signed up for curve
      - RTS says:
        
        17 Feb17 February 14:31
        
        If you read the FAQ on Supercard.io….. that’ll telly you… for the lazy..:
        
        Are there any ATM fees?
        Supercard charges no international ATM withdrawal fees. The ATM provider may charge a fee for using the service, this is usually made clear before the transaction is processed and you will be given the opportunity to cancel before incurring any fees. Note, because Supercard is a travel product, small fees do apply when using Supercard in the UK – see FAQs below for details.
      - Liz says:
        
        17 Feb17 February 14:57
        
        RTS – I did read the FAQ and I’m not lazy – I was asking someone who had used their Supercard a lot if they had used it in the UK and if/what the fees were and how the transaction posted
- Waribai says:
  
  17 Feb17 February 16:48
  
  Yalking of cats…Has anyone had their pet insurance clubcard points yet?
  - harry says:
    
    17 Feb17 February 16:55
    
    Not yet…
    
    Here’s another funny. I went over the 30K limit last quarter so got chopped back to 30K. There was a ‘signed for’ letter from Tesco to pick up so I assumed it had a cheque in it, as some other (luckier) people said they got a cheque for the difference. When I picked it up, it was just a letter of apology, no cheque at all. Why they had to send that by recorded delivery is completely beyond me. Bit disappointing
    - Louise says:
      
      17 Feb17 February 17:41
      
      I had the same, and i paid 70p for the pleasure for delivery to my local post office
Adrian says:

17 Feb17 February 13:34

As a lowly consumer and an android guy I will wait for the consumer card (obviously) but one immediate advantage that comes to mind is churning. My wife and I have frequent conversations about which card she is using, then which one if they don’t take AmEx and this causes a little stress. To be able to give her the curve card and everything goes on that card looks good to me. Also being able to hit AmEx spend on purchases that traditionally would not have been possible, so I’m cautiously optimistic.
- Genghis says:
  
  17 Feb17 February 13:48
  
  I think going forward it’s best to ask your wife to use Amex where Amex is accepted (for the Section 75 protection on purchases £100+ as mentioned above) and use this Curve Card where Amex is not accepted. I know how you feel though as Mrs Genghis gets confused when I ask her to use different cards but I take cards off her that she no longer needs to use to keep things simple.