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IHG brings back its generous ‘Accelerate’ promotion for the Summer

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UPDATE – DECEMBER 2021:  This article is now out of date, but don’t worry.  We produce a monthly summary of the top hotel bonus point offers – please click HERE or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ menu above.

You can earn up to triple IHG Rewards base points with IHG’s new Autumn promotion. It runs from 1st October to 31st December 2021. You can register here and our full article on the offer is here.

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

IHG Rewards Club, the Holiday Inn, HI Express, Crowne Plaza, InterContinental etc loyalty scheme, has announced its Summer 2016 promotion – IHG Accelerate.  Yes, it is repeating the Autumn and Spring offer!

To be honest, IHG is the only major hotel chain offering a global promotion this Summer which offer genuine value.  Everyone has their own personal target but, for most of us, the challenge is pretty straightforward.

Here are the headline details:

IHG Accelerate (Version 3) covers stays from 1st June to 31st August

All hotels are participating

Your bonus is personalised – you need to log in here to discover yours 

This was my target for 55,000 points maximum, comprising:

  • 6,000 points on my next stay
  • 5,000 points for a stay in June
  • 10,000 points for staying five nights
  • 3,500 points for booking three stays via the IHG app
  • 6,400 points for booking 2 x 2-night weekend stays
  • 2,000 points for booking a Bonus Points Package
  • 1,000 points for purchasing IHG Rewards Club points
  • 21,100 points for completing five of the six targets above, excluding the June bonus

This isn’t bad.  Let’s ignore the ‘two weekend stays of two nights’ one as I doubt I will do that.

I will receive 48,600 bonus points – plus the base points – for completing five nights, as long as those nights involve at least three stays (booked on the app) and one is for a Bonus Points Package.  This is worth – assuming 0.4p per point of value – £200 of free future stays.

I could earn 13,000 bonus points from just one stay, as long as it is in June and is a Bonus Points Package.  I will do my best to hit that if nothing else.

My wife got an even easier one for 55,000 points:

  • 5,000 points on her next stay
  • 5,000 points for a stay in June
  • 10,000 points for staying five nights
  • 4,800 points for booking two stays via the IHG app
  • 3,000 points for booking a Bonus Points Package
  • 27,200 points for completing three of the four targets above excluding the June bonus

All she needs to do is book two one-night stays via the app as she can skip the ‘five nights’ one.  Job done, 45,000 points banked!  That is £180 of bonus points, plus base points, which should be possible fairly cheaply.

Note: if you have a target saying that you must spend $x on food and drink, be aware that this is EXCLUDING VAT.  Ensure you spend ‘x + 20%’ and then add on a bit more because IHG will probably use a duff exchange rate!

Conclusion

As long as your target is sensible, this is highly likely to be the most generous hotel promotion you are likely to see this Summer.

Log in to the Accelerate website here and see what your target is.


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.

Comments (144)

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

  • Paul L says:

    Strangely when I click on the ‘My offers’ tab I haven’t been registered for any offers!

    • Drolma-la says:

      Both my husband and I are deemed ineligible for the Accelerate 2016 summer promotion. I wonder why.

      • Genghis says:

        Me too. Any ideas?

        • Genghis says:

          Answering my own question. I had earning preference as BA avios – D’oh! Changed to IHG points and then received the below. I don’t think I’ll be taking part!
          5,000 June Bonus Offer Stay once in June and get 5,000 bonus points
          1,000 Stay Once Get 1,000 Thank you for being a loyal IHG® Rewards Club member. Stay once and earn 1,000 bonus points.
          5,000 Stay 3 nights Stay 3 nights and earn 5,000 bonus points.
          3,000 Stay 3 More Nights Get an additional 3,000 points after night 6.
          3,000 Stay 3 More Nights Get an additional 3,000 points after night 9.
          3,000 Stay 3 More Nights Get an additional 3,000 points after night 12.
          15,000 Stay 3 More Nights Get an additional 15,000 points after night 15.

          • Paul L says:

            Used Raffles link and worked. Similar offer to Rob. One night at HIX in June will teigger 6k and 6k June bonus that will do

      • Harry says:

        Tried it and still not eligible.

        • Stuart says:

          There has been some comment on FT that if US based and signed up for the summer offer you aren’t eligible

    • Ruth says:

      Have you clicked on the IHG Accelerate link in the article above? this will take you through registration. Your offers will then appear. Raffles is quicker than IHG at letting us know about these deals!

      My offers are OK, we already have a June weekend stay booked, so hopefully that will hit a few triggers.

      I did well on the last two accelerates, obtaining 45,000+ on both. I have used some points to reserve the Intercontinental at the O2 (prior to the points required dropping) for my friend’s wedding night as a gift – Is that a bit cheap of me?! They may need to change plan last minute so at least there is nothing lost if they cancel. I will keep an eye on the cash price nearer the time, as it has already dropped quite substantially.

  • Leo says:

    Mine’s reasonable for the first time. Might actually get most of the 55K offered. But I’ve got so many IHG points at the moment I don’t know what to do with them. Can’t find decent redemptions. Just cancelled IC TS on rewards because the actual cost was so cheap I wasn’t even getting the cash value for points.

  • Steve says:

    I have been given offers totalling 86K points for staying 50 nights!

    It would be cheaper just to buy the points!

  • Ian says:

    500 Download the IHG® App
    2,000 Stay 3 night(s) and earn 2,000 bonus points
    2,000 Book 2 stays directly through IHG and earn 2,000 bonus points.
    2,000 Stay at 2 number of brands and get 2,000 bonus points.
    10,000 Complete 3 of the 4 offers above and earn (an additional) 10,000 bonus points.
    15,000 Complete 4 of the 4 offers above and earn (an additional) 15,000 bonus points.

    Already have the app, so can’t complete 1 or indeed all the tasks 🙁 So makes it hardly worth it.

    Have a few bookings at other brands, so probably not too hard – shame there is no IHG hotel in Peterborough

    • TimS says:

      Same here, and they were the same as I had for the previous Accelerate too.

      As I also have the app already, I’m not sure how I can complete this either. I might just uninstall & re-install to see if that works.

  • Andrew (@andrewseftel) says:

    I have a goal to book a points & cash stay. Presumably that stay won’t count towards the other goals?

    • Rob says:

      Other readers had this last time, I’m sure someone can chip in.

      • James says:

        It didn’t work for me last time 🙁 I made that mistake and lost out on about 27k points. Silly me!

        Glad to hear that stays already booked count as I have 12 nights coming up in June-Aug.

  • JamesWag says:

    Not going to get all of this done I expect.
    Messed up the last Accelerate as to complete the last task (and activate big bonus) I’d have needed to stay in a HIX instead of a HI for my final stay and for some reason I really thought I had booked a HIX. Fuming with myself, can’t believe I made such a stupid mistake. Cost me 17,500 points 🙁 not happy with myself at all. Total buffoon.

    5,000
    June Bonus Offer
    Stay once in June and get 5,000 bonus points
    Terms
    BOOK NOW

    5,000
    Stay Once Get 5,000
    Thank you for being a loyal IHG® Rewards Club member. Stay once and earn 5,000 bonus points.
    Terms
    BOOK NOW

    5,000
    Stay 4 nights
    Stay 4 nights and earn 5,000 bonus points.
    Terms
    BOOK NOW

    3,000
    Stay 3 More Nights
    Get an additional 3,000 points after night 7.
    Terms
    BOOK NOW

    3,000
    Stay 3 More Nights
    Get an additional 3,000 points after night 10.
    Terms
    BOOK NOW

    3,000
    Stay 3 More Nights
    Get an additional 3,000 points after night 13.
    Terms
    BOOK NOW

    15,000
    Stay 3 More Nights
    Get an additional 15,000 points after night 16

    • Mark Priest says:

      My friend got the same offer as this. What a load of rubbish!

    • Susan says:

      Same as me – will not be bothering with this.

      • Susan says:

        OH got the double points upto 30k – also not worth changing from current Hilton bookings

  • JamesWag says:

    Will existing bookings count ?
    Checked TS&Cs of a couple of my goals and they say ‘stay’ within the promotional period not ‘book & stay’…………

    Eg:
    Stay once in June and get 5,000 bonus points

    Must be an IHG® Rewards Club member and must register your member number in advance to participate in this Offer (“Registration”). Number of bonus points listed above will be awarded after your Qualifying Stay at any IHG brand hotels which must be completed between 1 June 2016 and 30 June 2016 (both dates inclusive) at InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Hotel Indigo®, Holiday Inn®, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites®, EVENTM or HUALUXETM hotels worldwide. Stays at Holiday Inn Resorts® , Holiday Inn Select, and the Holiday Inn Club Vacation® properties count as Stays at the Holiday Inn® brand and Stays at InterContinental Alliance Resort properties count as Stays at the InterContinental brand. A Stay is defined per IHG Rewards Club Membership Terms and Conditions as one night or consecutive nights at the same hotel, regardless of frequency of check-in/out (“Stay”). For purpose of this Offer under this Promotion a Stay constitutes a “Qualifying Stay” which include most business and leisure rates. IHG® Rewards Club is responsible for fulfilment of the bonus points offer. Please allow 6 to 8 weeks for the bonus points to be posted into your account. This Offer is subject to the General Promotion Terms and standard IHG Rewards Club Membership Terms and Conditions and earning structure, which can be obtained by visiting http://www.ihgrewardsclub.com. This exclusive Offer is valid and applies to the original recipient only. IHG reserves the right to remove a member’s bonus points or cancel a member’s account if fraudulent use of the Offer is detected. IHG® Rewards Club reserves the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify the Promotion/Offer at any time with or without notice. IHG reserves the right of final interpretation of this Offer.

  • Scott says:

    I’ve got nothing. No emails or details in my account 🙁

    • Scott says:

      Ignore that. Used the link at the top and now I have something.
      No foreign stays this time.

      3,000 Stay Once Get 3,000

      7,500 Stay More, Earn More
      Get closer to the rewards you want when you stay 5 night(s) and earn 7,500 bonus points.

      3,800 Travel with the IHG® App
      Book 2 stay(s) with the IHG® App and earn 3,800 bonus points.

      9,600 Saturday Stays Bonus
      Stay 2 weekend(s), including a Saturday night and another night, and earn 9,600 bonus points.

      3,000 Earn More, Faster
      Earn 3,000 bonus points when you book 1 Bonus Points Package stay(s) and get to your next reward faster.

      800 Eat, Drink, and Earn
      Spend $40 on food or beverages at IHG hotels and earn 800 bonus points.

      1,000 Points Purchase
      Earn 1,000 bonus points by purchasing IHG® Rewards Club points

      21,300 Your Achievement Bonus
      Complete 6 of the 7 offers above and earn (an additional) 21,300 bonus points.

      5,000 June Bonus Offer
      Stay once in June and get 5,000 bonus points

    • J says:

      Err, you need to click the link in the article

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