Register Now for IHG's Fall Accelerate Promotion to Earn Bonus Points on Stays
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
IHG runs promotions every couple of months to incentivize IHG Rewards members to stay (more) at its hotels. Many of us know the promotion by the name "Accelerate," although IHG has been waffling between that name and "Make Every Stay Count."
The current Accelerate promotion is still running through August 31. However, you can register now for this new version which just launched for stays from September 1 to December 31, 2019.
Unlike prior versions of these type of promotions, the terms and conditions don't state a minimum number of points. And, we are seeing that the offers are all over the place. To register, head to the promotion landing page, agree to receive emails about this promotion and accept the terms and conditions to see your offer:
As I live on the road and cover IHG, I logged 93 nights at IHG properties in 2018 on my account and 68 so far in 2019. I was expecting a rather tough challenge, and ended up with one that requires at least seven stays -- with four of those being weekend stays -- to score 64,800 bonus points:
- Saturday Stays Bonus -- Stay 4 weekends, including a Saturday night and another night, and earn 8,800 bonus points.
- Stay at 6 IHG Hotels -- Stay at 6 IHG hotels and earn 16,800 bonus points.
- Corporate Account Bonus -- Stay 7 times using your corporate rate and earn 6,800 bonus points.
- Achievement Bonus -- Complete 3 of the 3 offers and earn an additional 32,400 bonus points.
Katie's offer includes modest bonuses for six different achievable offers with no achievement bonus. That said, if planned correctly, she can knock out all six and earn 36,000 bonus points from four stays:
- Discover Our Brands -- Stay at 3 brands and get 10,800 bonus points.
- Stay at Crowne Plaza -- Stay at 2 Crowne Plaza hotels and earn 8,400 bonus points.
- Stay for Less and Earn -- Book 1 stay using Points & Cash and earn 4,500 bonus points.
- Corporate Account Bonus -- Stay 4 times using your corporate rate and earn 6,800 bonus points.
- Stay a Little Longer -- Earn 4,000 bonus points when you book 1 stay of 4 or more consecutive nights.
- Spend on your IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card -- Book one stay at any IHG hotel using your IHG Rewards Club Credit Card and earn 1,500 bonus points.
TPG's Senior Points and Miles Editor Jasmin Baron also wasn't targeted for an achievement bonus offer. Her offers range from low-bonus easy tasks -- like spending on an IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card once and booking one night with Points & Cash -- to much more difficult tasks with larger payoffs.
Meanwhile, Jasmin's boyfriend received the saddest Accelerate offer that I've ever seen:
TPG's Travel Analyst Zach Griff received a generous offer of 36,000 bonus points for completing just two weekend stays, one Points & Cash booking and putting at least one of those stays on an IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card:
TPG's Credit Card Editor Benet Wilson received perhaps the most interesting offer. While each of the four individual offers have small bonuses, she has two achievement bonuses that quickly add up.
If you’re looking for other ways of racking up points for an upcoming trip, make sure to consider the IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card. You can earn 125,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
In addition to that hefty sign-up bonus, you’ll get IHG Platinum Elite status, which has gotten me numerous room upgrades around the world, and 25x total points on purchases at IHG properties. And you can stretch your points further with an automatic fourth-night free on award stays. Starting with your first card anniversary, you'll get a certificate for an anniversary night at a property costing 40,000 points or less.