IHG Rewards Club only just introduced a new most expensive award price of 70,000 points last January. Since then they’ve stopped publishing award charts altogether and said we’re going to see variable pricing.
What we’ve actually seen is both variable and new highest-level pricing. Last month IHG added two properties in Macau and with room rates around $200 a night priced awards at 75,000 points a night some dates… and 100,000 points on other dates.
Now the new Intercontinental Maldives is pricing at 100,000 points per night as well, and reportedly with a two night minimum stay at that (you’re not going to want to go there for just a night in any case but it could certainly make sense to burn all your points on a night and pay cash for the rest).
Like Hilton, now that IHG no longer tells you how much hotels should cost they aren’t telling you when they raise prices or even institute new maximum prices that are 50% higher than previous maximum prices. That’s not good for members.
Wait for the first 150k signup bonus before getting the card. Next year only consider 200k signup bonuses. Hey IHG- most of us can still add and subtract.
A great way to keep people from getting actual value from the program: remove award charts, then devalue. It’s also more polite than an honest statement that if people want value, look elsewhere.