Earn bonus points on paid stays with IHG's Cyber Monday promotion

Many loyalty programs are launching deals and promotions for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. IHG One Rewards joined the fun last Tuesday as it announced its “biggest member event.”

These promotions have been slowly unveiled over the past week, and include discounts on select bookings and bonus points earning opportunities. Here’s a look at some of the offerings you might consider.

Earn 10,000 points per 2-night stay

IHG's biggest offer comes in the form of bonus points on paid stays. Through the end of the day Nov. 29, you can earn 10,000 bonus points per two-night stay completed by Dec. 31. TPG values IHG points at 0.5 cents apiece, making the bonus worth $50. You can register for this promotion on this landing page.

You'll earn 10,000 points for every two nights you stay so long as you book and stay within the promotion period. So, if you book six nights by Nov. 29 and complete them by Dec. 31, you'll earn 30,000 bonus IHG points in addition to standard earnings.

Note that this is only valid on paid bookings. Award nights and Points & Cash redemptions are not eligible for the promotion. Additionally, your stay must cost at least $30 per night in order to qualify for this promotion.

If you have upcoming nights with flexible cancellation policies, you may want to see if you can cancel and rebook them at a similar rate. This way, you can earn bonus points during this promotion by rebooking within the promotional period.

Even better, this promotion should stack with IHG's ongoing global promotion that offers up to 10,000 bonus points on stays of four nights or more.

25% off Points & Cash bookings

IHG is also offering a 25% discount on Points & Cash bookings made by Dec. 2. This is valid on stays completed between Jan. 1 and Feb. 28, 2023. The discount only applies to the cash portion of the booking, so points prices do not change.

Run the numbers and see if it makes sense for you to book a Points & Cash redemption during this promotion. It can sometimes present a good value if cash prices are high, but this varies by property and when you stay.

Other IHG promotions

Finally, IHG launched two promotions Nov. 22 which will continue through Dec. 2. With these promotions, you can:

• Save 10% on Advance Saver and Book Early and Save rates for stays through Feb. 28, 2023, at participating IHG hotels and resorts.
• Get 1,000 points when you download the IHG mobile app for the first time and sign in.

Plus, there’s a Kimpton sale for bookings between Nov. 22 and Dec. 5 for stays at U.S. Kimpton properties between Nov. 25, 2022, and April 30, 2023. You can get 20% off the Best Flexible Rate for eligible bookings, and Kimpton will donate $5 per night to No Kid Hungry.

You’ll see the discounted rates when you search for stays on IHG’s website or mobile app, so it’s worth checking your upcoming stays to see if you can cancel and rebook at a lower rate. However, note that many discounted rates aren’t freely cancelable or refundable.

If you’ve never downloaded the IHG mobile app before, it’s worth doing so before Dec. 2. One thousand IHG points are worth about $5 based on TPG’s valuations. IHG says it may take up to six weeks for the points to appear in your account.

Finally, IHG is also offering a 25% discount on merchandise purchased through the IHG One Rewards catalog by Dec. 2. In short, the catalog lets you redeem IHG points for gift cards, electronics and other things. However, even with the discount, we recommend you steer clear of these redemptions as it generally provides a poor value when compared to booking travel.

Related: The incredibly easy way of redeeming IHG’s 4th-night reward

Bottom line

If you enjoy staying at IHG properties and getting value from the IHG One Rewards program, you’ve likely already installed the IHG mobile app. But if not, go ahead and do so, log in to your account and snag an easy 1,000 bonus points.

But for the rest of us, the most interesting promotion is 10,000 bonus points per two nights booked. If you can book a stay by Nov. 29 and stay by Dec. 31, this can be a great way to rack up bonus points on your year-end travel.

Additional reporting by Andrew Kunesh.