Weekend staycation break? Two interesting IHG hotel deals in York and Oxford

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Two totally unconnected – but good value – deals at IHG Rewards Club properties have come up, so I thought I’d put them together in this article.

First up ….

Half price redemptions at voco Oxford Thames

The newly upgraded and rebranded voco Oxford Thames is, as you can see in the picture below, not your usual IHG property:

To quote:

“Close to the heart of Oxford, on the banks of the River Thames, lies voco Oxford Thames hotel. With a history dating back to the Middle Ages, the hotel’s surroundings have an intriguing story to tell. Originally headquarters of the Knights Templar, the house and its lands have been owned by notable religious figures, lords, and even kings throughout the centuries.

voco Oxford Thames combines its medieval character with 21st-century style to create a unique setting for memorable meetings, conferences, and weddings alike.”

voco Oxford Thames is usually 40,000 IHG Rewards Club points per night.

However, for stays until 7th November, it has halved the redemption rate to just 20,000 points per night.

I tend to value an IHG Rewards Club point at 0.4p which means 20,000 points would normally get you a room worth around £80. voco Oxford Thames sells for noticeably more than this – £130 seems to be the minimum and it can go over £200 – so this is a good deal.

The hotel website is here if you want to learn more or book.

Meanwhile, over in York …..

Exceptional rates at Principal York

Principal York is the hotel next to the railway station. A LOT of money was spent on it by the former owners, and I had a pleasant lunch there last year.

IHG is taking its time deciding which brand it slots into, and it is remaining a Principal for now.

This may be an error, but the hotel is offering some exceptionally cheap ‘Special Dinner Packages’ at the moment.

Take a look at Sunday 1st September for example.

A standard room costs £144, room only.

The ‘special dinner package’ gets you:

dinner for two people (a three course set menu or £25 per person towards the a la carte menu)
breakfast for two people
a King Superior room

and is selling for just £100! See the screenshot below (click to enlarge):

It is available on other Sunday nights at £100, and on certain other nights this package is the same price as a standard room.

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.

Andrew (@andrewseftel) says:

13 Aug13 August 07:16

Looks like a perfectly pleasant hotel, but nb that ‘Close to the heart of Oxford’ translates to four miles or so. Looks like there’s a reasonable bus option to the high street but would probably be looking to take a taxi to get there if you were arriving by train. Free parking for those driving.
- Genghis says:
  
  13 Aug13 August 07:40
  
  It’s basically on my old cycling route. The Kings Arms close by is (was) v pleasant.
- Mr(s) Entitled says:
  
  13 Aug13 August 08:06
  
  This hotel is to Oxford what London Luton airport is to London. Could have a banging night on Cowley Road though if you prefer.
  - Andrew says:
    
    13 Aug13 August 08:53
    
    Cowley Road is only a 10 minute walk from Voca…
    
    Out the drive onto Sandford Road. Turn left, walk for 10 minutes and you come to a roundabout. Take a left for Oxford Road and a right for Cowley Road.
    
    Unless you meant the other Cowley Road? 😉
- The Original Nick says:
  
  13 Aug13 August 15:55
  
  @ Andrew, you know Oxford very well.
Ryan says:

13 Aug13 August 07:32

I wouldn’t be surprised to find this York deal has come around due to the demise of York based Super Break who went bust recently. Heavily reliant on Travel Trade business especially ‘Sunday Night Offers’ such as these.
- Craig says:
  
  13 Aug13 August 10:10
  
  Number one daughter very relieved she used the Amex Supp to book, she doesn’t like owing Dad money these days.
TripRep says:

13 Aug13 August 07:38

Hotel related.

This Hilton offer looks decent

https://www.hiltonhonors.com/en_US/7500-points-media/landing/
- Dave Barron says:
  
  13 Aug13 August 08:04
  
  Many thanks TripRep.
  
  Didn’t expect this offer to load to my account as usually this sort of thing says I’m not eligible – but pleased to say it worked for me. Have a couple of Hilton stays before end of this month so effectively a free 7500 points – cheers!
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  13 Aug13 August 08:12
  
  Offer valid for stays now through January 31, 2020. Nice extra 7.5k points.
- Nate1309 says:
  
  13 Aug13 August 09:20
  
  Thanks TripRep
- Neil says:
  
  13 Aug13 August 09:57
  
  Great spot – Thank you!
- BJ says:
  
  13 Aug13 August 10:18
  
  There’s a 10,000 bonus version out there too. Best to try it first. Links to both been on LL for some time. Neither worked for me but despite quite a lot of stays I still hot targeted with the 5,000 point version directly by email.
  - BJ says:
    
    13 Aug13 August 16:59
    
    Update: I was able to register for this offer (thanks TripRep) despite having already registered for the 5k offer. I have no idea whether I will get none, one, the other, or both triggered by stays. It should be noted that the t&c for this offer state that only recipients of the email invitation are eligible so don’t count on it posting even if registration is successful.
n_g says:

13 Aug13 August 08:00

Principal York is a lovely Hotel.
Chrisasaurus says:

13 Aug13 August 08:13

I cant find any dates where there is availability for more then 2 adults in a room, even for cash (this is the Voco)

Shirley not?
- Surely says:
  
  13 Aug13 August 10:38
  
  Don’t call me Shirley!
Sherri Elwick says:

13 Aug13 August 09:25

I think the hotel in York made an error as I can’t get the special dinner package
- Sherri Elwick says:
  
  13 Aug13 August 09:27
  
  I take that back, got it!
pommy ray says:

13 Aug13 August 09:48

would this booking count towards their status match challenge?
Rui N. says:

13 Aug13 August 10:42

Anyone knows the price of the breakfast at Voco Oxford? Also, is it a buffet?
TIA
- Chris says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 10:53
  
  Breakfast at Voco Oxford Thames is £16.95. Buffet style but they do a range of egg dishes – omelettes etc to order. When busy service is poor.