5 Things To Know About IHG

Personal Finance Digest wrote a post about Three Things To Know About IHG. The post was very informative, but he missed some very important parts about IHG.

    1.  IHG Credit Card Gets You Platinum Status 

         Yes, there is a secret 80,000 point card offer. However, one of the secondary benefits of
         the card is Platinum Status.

          Platinum Status is the top status of the IHG chain. It doesn't get you great benefits, but its
          better than nothing:

    2.  Intercontinental Hotels Have Their Own Status

            While Platinum status is the top status for most of the IHG hotels, Intercontinental
            hotels have their own status: Ambassador Status. Unlike Platinum Status earned
            from getting the credit card, Ambassador status must be purchased.

            In November, I wrote about how I was wavering on purchasing Ambassador
            Status. In the end, I decided to shell out the 32,000 points for it. With only two
            stays under my belt, I so far think it was a great decision to buy Ambassador status.

           The benefits of Ambassador status are numerous:

         
          Also, it gives you Platinum Status with IHG. A Win, Win, Win!


      3. Ambassador Status Could Be Bought for 23,800 Points

           Wait, didn't I say that I purchased Ambassador Status for 32,000 points? Yes, but my net
           cost of getting Ambassador status came out to only 23,800 and the same could happen
           for you.

           First, if you have the IHG credit card, you get a 10% rebate on all point redemption
           including buying Ambassador Status. 32,000 x 10% = 3,200 points.

       
           Next, one of the benefits of getting Ambassador Status is a 5,000 points certificate.

         
           Ambassador Status for 23,800 points:

                   32,000 - 3,200 (10% Credit Card Rebate) -5,000 (Points Certificate) = 23,800 points


       4. IHG Members Get Free Internet

           Starting this year, any member of the IHG's membership program will be given free
           internet, during any stay.

          Unlike other hotels, there is no minimum membership level to get the free internet.
          Any member of the program, even basic members, can get free internet access.

       5.  A Worldly Hotel Chain

           IHG hotels has 4,400 hotels in 100 countries. That's a little over 50% of UN
           member counties.

•     Hilton has only 540 hotels in 78 countries
•     Hyatt has 548 hotels in 48 countries
•     Marriott has 3,800 hotels in 72 countries
•     Choice Hotels has 6,300 hotels in 30 countries

           The IHG brand is a true world wide brand. If you are traveling to a country,
           you have a 50/50 chance that an IHG hotel will be there. 

           

There it is 5 Things To Know About IHG. 

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I Won Big, But Don't Think I'll Play Again

One of the biggest promotions of the end of 2013 was IHG's The Big Win. I wrote here about how my planned travel worked with this promotion and how I was going to "win."

Shortly after returning from my trip to Buenos Aires, I got an email stating that I "Won Big"

By winning, I earned 107,700 points off the promotion. However, I earned alot more points than 107,700. Alot more:

As a wrote here, I earned 22,917 points with my first stay. While that was my highest earn, I did pretty good with my other four stays:

2nd - 14,675
3rd - 7,275
4th - 5,248
5th - 5.085

My five stays earn me about 55,200 points.

Add that into the 107,700 points from the promotion, I earned 162,900. Amazing haul for 5 stays!

The good news is that The Big Win is back for Quarter 1 of 2014.

So after earning 162,900 last time, I don't think that I am going to participate this time. Why you might ask?

First, my possible win total is 20% less than last time, at only 86,100.

Second, my travel schedule does not work with this promotion. At the moment, I have very few planned hotel stays and those I do have aren't at IHG hotels. In addition, my tasks aren't easy:

Here are my tasks to win again:

1) Stay a total of 5 nights

2) Stay at 3 different brands

3) Book 1 stay through the Best Flexible Rate with Breakfast

4) Book 3 separate stays directly with IHG.com

5) Stay 2 Saturday Nights

6) Stay at 2 Holiday Inn hotels

7) Take a survey

Therefore, I would need to make 4 stays (3 different brands + Holiday Inn again) and pay for 5 nights. What I am not positive of is if Holiday Inn Express would count for # 6"Stay at 2 Holiday Inn Hotels." If it does, they I only need 3 stays, which could be done. 

At the moment, I have one trip that I could stay at a Holiday Inn, but it wouldn't be convenient.  Even if I did that one stay, I would still have complete mattress runs.

For these reasons, I think I am going to pass this round. I had fun IHG, but I am think I am going to sit out this dance.


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George Costanza was right: Double Dipping is OK!

Everything that happens in the world can always be brought back to Seinfeld somehow. In an 1993 episode, George accompanies his current girlfriend to her aunt's wake. It is at the wake that a young boy accuses George of double-dipping his chip...



George was correct "double-dipping" is perfectly ok, especially in the points world. In the points and miles world, the double-dipping doesn't involve chips, but rather earning extra points.

For instance, on our Memorial Day trip, we stayed at two Marriott to participate in Marriott's Unexpected Bonus. We earned Marriott Reward points for every dollar we spent on the hotel rooms. Most people would be happy with getting points for their stay. However, you shouldn't! I earned an additional 2 Ultimate Reward points per $1 spent by simply going to the Marriott website through the Ultimate Reward portal.

Purchase Date Rewards Merchant Rewards Earned

5-17-2013 Marriott 226 extra points 5-17-2013 Marriott 280 extra points

Marriott isn't the only hotel that one can double-dip. In the Ultimate Reward Portal, one can earn additional points with Best Western, Choice Hotels, Holiday Inn/Intercontinental Hotels. Also, the Ultimate Reward portal allows one to earn points on travel booking sites Hotwire, Hotel.com, Orbitz, and Travelocity. Almost every airline and hotel chain has an online points/miles earning portal. However, not all point earning portals allow points to be earned for booking hotels through them.

For many this is not earth shattering news. Double-dipping is common practice in the points community; actually Frequent Miler writes about it all the time. This is the cheapest way of earning points, because it doesn't cost you a thing except extra time. The hardest part of earning points this way is remembering to go though the portal first. I am guilty of leaving valuable points on the table by forgetting to go through the portal first. I always kick myself after I hit the submit button.

George was correct, Double-Dipping is perfectly acceptable.


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One More Goal Down

Last week, I hit a big milestone. I received Gold Status at Priority Club. Why is this a big deal? I have never EARNED status at a hotel before. Yes, I have Gold status at Hilton and Platinum at Hyatt, but those were given to me (Gold was earned at Hilton by plugging in credit card numbers and Platinum at Hyatt by their credit card.)

Earning this threshold was not difficult. One can earn Gold status by either earning 20,000 Qualifying Points or 15 Nights. I earned the majority of my points in 1 stay. Yes, 1 stay. 

Here is how I hit 20,000 points:

1) Priority Club Dining Rewards: 635

2) Priority Club Tool Bar Download: 500

3) Enrollment Bonus (Dining, Shopping, Visa Offers): 2000

4) Stay at Holiday Inn Express San Diego: 14,790

            1) 1290 base points for my stay 10pts per $1

            2) 5000 points for registering and using my Visa Card (I totally forgot I did this)

            3) 8500 points for registering codes for my stays

5) E-Rewards Transfer: 2,200

For a total of 20,995.

Was this easy? Somewhat. 

Did it take time? Yes. 

Could you do it? Of  Course.

What does Gold Status at Priority Club get you?

Nothing to great:

• Points never expire 
• 10% Bonus Points Earned on all Base Points
• Extended Check-Out
• Exclusive Toll-Free Service Line
• Priority Check In™
• No Blackout Dates for Reward Nights
• Complimentary Weekday Newspaper

The better status is Platinum.

• Points never expire 
• 50% Bonus Earnings on top of Base Points
• Extended Check-Out
• Exclusive Toll-Free Service Line
• Priority Check In™
• No Blackout Dates for Reward Nights
• Complimentary Weekday Newspaper
• Complimentary Room Upgrades
• Guaranteed Room Availability

To get platinum, you need to earn 60,000 Priority Club points or stay 50 times. I will never hit it on stays, but I may earn 60,000 points if I put an effort. (maybe 2013’s goal?). 

Or if this sounds to difficult, you could always get the Chase Priority Club credit card that offers you 60,000 points after spending $1000 in three months. One gets Platinum status as long as you hold the card and an annual free E-Certificate. The annual fee is $45 and not waived for the first year. 

I am very proud to cross this goal off my list!

Holiday Inn Express - San Diego

After leaving the Four Points, I headed over to the Holiday Inn Express for a one night stay. The Holiday Inn

Express is a seven block walk uphill - it was a true work-out. 

I arrived at the hotel slightly before Noon and was told that my room was not ready. I was asked to come back after 3 pm, but asked if I would like to lock-up my luggage. I kindly accepted.

I left to find brunch and start my food adventure (more about that this weekend).

I arrived back at 5 pm. The front desk attendant was upbeat and warming. I was given a room on the third floor, the top floor. My room was the closest to the elevator which I thought meant noise all night. That was not that case, I did not hear the elevator once.

As I entered the room, I was shocked by the size. It had a king bed on one end of the room:

The other side was a living area with a coach, a desk and dresser with a TV on it:

This is where I found a bottle of water and a bag of cookies:

And a card:

This small step of the card made me feel special and shows a major difference between my stay at Four Points and the Holiday Inn Express. At the time, I did not have status in either Priority Club or Starwood. However, the staff at the Holiday Inn took the time to leave a note. It is the small things that make a hotel experience amazing. 

The bathroom was small, but sufficient for one person. If I was traveling with another person, the two of us could not be in the bathroom at the same time.

The toiletries were nothing to write home about (but I will anyway):

My room had a long balcony

I didn't sit out there, because the view was of other buildings:

The hotel had a small bar area, but I never saw a bartender or anyone hanging around there

Breakfast was included in the price of the room. I had a hard time finding where breakfast was served. After asking, I learned it was downstairs. Wait! This place has a downstairs. In deed it did:

The dining room could hold about 50 to 75 people. The breakfast bar was small and could get crowded:

Here is a sampling of food:

                                      

The food selection gave you a variety of choices. The staff was nice enough to give me a doggy bag for me to take a sandwich for my flight home.

I received another card from the staff in my bill thanking me for my stay.

Would I stay at this hotel? Yes. The property may have worn down, pretty far from downtown, but the staff made me feel like home. There small little efforts made the whole difference.

Good, Bad, & Ugly - San Diego Trip

Now that I am back on the east coast, I wanted to give you an update of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of my trip to San Diego. A full trip report will follow with in the next two weeks.

In reverse order:

The Ugly

• No water put on the plane on the outgoing flight
• No circulated air in the gym @ Four Points Hotel
• Camera phone pictures ( I'll let you decide!!!)
• Bacon Maple Smores Bar

The Bad

• Seersucker Restaurant
• Staff @ Four Points Hotel sending me to a trolley stop closed over 6 weeks ago
• Walking 4 miles in flip-flops
• No gym @ Holiday Inn Express
• Hot weather and locals complaining of the hot weather (It was 91)
• Being asked to gate check my bag due to space issues, but having the bin above my seat empty 

The Good

• Empty middle seat on the outgoing flight
• Staff @ Holiday Inn Express
• San Diego State University v. San Jose State University Football Game
• Trolley System
• Fried Pickles wrapper in Prosciutto stuffed with cream cheese
• The Movie, "Big Miracle" 

Overall, the trip was amazing and exactly what I needed.

 I did nothing major and loved every moment of it!!!