How Much are IHG Points Worth
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IHG One Rewards points may not have the same value as Hyatt or Marriott points, but when used wisely, they can be the key to a great travel experience. In this article, we’ll take a look at how much are IHG points worth, and explore how that value changes during peak travel periods or when you spend money on IHG’s premium brands like InterContinental, Kimpton, and Six Senses. We’ll dive into real-world examples comparing cash and points, and give you some tips to help you get the most out of your IHG stash.
You can read about ways to earn IHG points in our guide, Mastering the IHG Rewards Game: Your Guide to Earning More Points.
Baseline Value of IHG Points (Cents Per Point)
How much is an IHG point worth? On average, most analysts value IHG One Rewards points at about 0.5 cents per point. In other words, 10,000 points are equal to about $50 USD if redeemed for hotel stays.
NerdWallet notes that IHG points have dropped from about 0.8¢ to 0.5¢ each, so they are now worth slightly less than Hilton points.
Why 0.5¢? One clue is that IHG often sells or lets you transfer points for 0.5 cents each, effectively setting a market price for their value. So, if you’re getting less than half a cent per point at redemption, you’re probably better off paying cash or saving your points for a better deal.
That said, 0.5¢ is a very subjective average. Depending on how and where you find to redeem your points, you may get a much higher (or lower) value. The value of points is not absolute – it fluctuates depending on hotel prices.
Here are some key things to know about IHG points value:
Dynamic pricing: IHG uses dynamic pricing (similar to Hilton and Marriott), which means that the price of points for a free night changes depending on the cash rate, season, demand, and other factors. You might need 5,000 points for a cheap night or up to 150,000+ for an ultra-luxury resort.
“Aim for at least 0.5¢”: Because of the above, you won’t always get exactly 0.5¢ per point for every rental. Some bookings will bring less value, some more. A good rule of thumb to follow is to try to look for redemptions that give ≥0.5¢ per point. Think of 0.5¢ as a baseline minimum target.
Realistic averages: In practice, many travelers are getting ~0.7¢ effortlessly.
Next, let’s look at how the value of points can fluctuate higher or lower in certain scenarios, such as during peak seasons or at luxury hotels.
Peak Travel Periods & Special Events: How Demand Impacts Value
When traveling, timing is everything – and when you redeem your IHG points can have a significant impact on their value. Peak travel periods like summer vacations, Christmas/New Year’s Eve, major conferences or events often result in a sharp rise in hotel prices. Due to the dynamic pricing of IHG awards, the value of points tends to increase during periods of high demand as well, but not always in perfect sync.
This creates some interesting effects on the value of your cents per point:
High demand, higher points: Generally, when travel demand is high (say, a holiday weekend or a popular festival), IHG’s system awards more points for the same room. This allows you to maintain a stable point value – you spend more points, but you would otherwise spend more cash. For example, if a hotel that normally costs $200 (or 20,000 points) jumps to $400 on New Year’s Eve and now costs 40,000 points, you still get ~0.5¢ per point. You just pay more in both currencies because it’s peak time. In such cases, the value of your points (¢/point) stays about average – you’re not “cheating” the system, but you’re saving a lot of cash by using points.
When points lag behind cash: In some cases, dynamic pricing doesn’t fully coincide with the cash spike. This is the “happy medium”. Some hotels have a points cap or a less aggressive pricing policy, so if cash prices skyrocket during an event, your points can bring unpredictable benefits. Case in point, the Kimpton Seafire Resort in Grand Cayman where room rates fluctuate wildly from $494 in low season to $3,773 per night, but bonus nights are worth 70,000 points all year long. The result. Using 70,000 points on a $3,773 stay during peak dates yields ~5.39¢ per point. Even on a more typical night in high season (~$1,140), you’ll get ~1.63¢ per point, and in low season ($494), you’ll get about 0.7¢ per point.
This is a clear example of how points can benefit from seasonality.
Case study – Holidays in New York: Imagine Christmas or New Year’s Eve in Times Square. The cost of the cheapest room at the InterContinental New York Times Square for cash jumps from $260 to $675, and the price for points also goes up from 49,250 to 119,250 points. Here, your points value will range on dates with a regular nightly price of 0.52¢ to 0.656¢ on peak dates.
During peak periods or special events, expect to redeem more points, and often you’ll get about the standard value (0.5¢-0.6¢ per point). But always do the math – if the price of points hasn’t risen as sharply as the price of cash, you may get a better deal (as in the Kimpton case above). On the other hand, if the redemption price is significantly lower than 0.5¢/point during the peak, consider paying cash or redeeming your points elsewhere.
Luxury Brands and Point Value
IHG’s portfolio of brands ranges from budget-friendly Holiday Inns to ultra-luxury Six Senses resorts. And redeeming points at premium IHG brands such as InterContinental (IC), Kimpton, and Six Senses can bring a completely different value than a regular hotel. Let’s take a look at what to expect when redeeming points at high-end hotels:
Higher Cash Rates = Potential for Higher Value
For example, the InterContinental Maldives (Maamunagau Resort) costs from $900 in off-peak to $2,707 in high season per night, and bonus nights require about 250,000 points. This works out to ~1¢ per point at peak prices – double the typical IHG points value.
The InterContinental London Park Lane, a flagship luxury hotel in the UK, can cost ~120k points per night, which equates to ~$920 cash in peak summer, or about 0.76¢ per point. Premium hotels can give you more value for your points, especially in expensive cities or resort destinations.
The Kimpton Seafire in the Cayman Islands, a night for cash costs between $681 and $2,300, for 70,000 points. Then the cost per point can be as high as 3.28¢.
Please note that on dates with the highest cash fares, points-based booking may not be available.
Kimpton Surfcomber in Miami Beach varies in a wide range (approximately 28k-120k points, $226-$800 cash), reaching about 0.63¢ per point at peak.
A 4-night stay at the Six Senses Ibiza (using the IHG credit card, which includes a free 4th night) costs 150k points per night (i.e. 112,500 points per night on average for four nights) vs. the cash rate of ~$1,479 – about 1.3¢ per point. Without the 4th free night, it would be 150k vs $1,479 (0.98¢ per point). Not bad!
Scoring experts consistently find that Six Senses awards are worth about 0.5-1.0¢ per point before any discounts, and well over 1¢ per point if you use the fourth free night. The problem is that you’ll need a lot of points to stay at these resorts, but if a $1,000+ per night paradise is out of your budget, points can make it attainable.
Luxury doesn’t always mean high cost
Not every luxury hotel will be a good deal for points. Some top-tier hotels require a huge number of points, which is closely related to their huge cash rate, and hence the cost per point remains modest. For example, the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa charges around 227,000 points per night for overwater villas. Cash rates range from ~$1030, so you’ll get ~0.45¢ per point – below average.
A Comparison of the Value of Points at Different High-end Ihg Properties in Different Regions
To put all this into perspective, here’s a comparison of point values at various IHG high-end properties across different regions. It illustrates how the cents-per-point value can swing from sub-0.45 to over 4 cents(!) depending on the hotel and timing:
| Hotel (Location) | IHG Brand | Nightly Points Cost | Cash Rate (Range) | Value per Point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimpton Seafire Resort – Grand Cayman | Kimpton (Resort) | 70,000 (fixed) | ~$495 (off-peak) to ~$3,773 (peak) | ~0.71¢ (low) – 4.25¢ (peak) |
| InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau | InterContinental | ~227,000 – 250,000 | ~$1,297 (low) to ~$2,707 (high) | ~0.57¢ (low) – 1.08¢ (peak) |
| InterContinental Bora Bora Thalasso | InterContinental | 227,000 (standard villa) | ~$785 (low) to ~$1,418 (peak) | ~0.45¢ |
| InterContinental London Park Lane | InterContinental | ~78,000 – 112,670 | ~$440 (off-peak) to ~$747 (peak) | ~0.56–0.6¢ (peak) |
| Kimpton De Witt – Amsterdam | Kimpton (City) | 34,000 – 84,000 | ~$180 (low) to ~$400 (high) | ~0.53¢ |
| Kimpton Surfcomber – Miami Beach | Kimpton (Resort) | 77,666 – 120,000 | ~$480 (low) to ~$731 (peak) | ~0.6¢ |
| InterContinental Paris – Le Grand | InterContinental | 94,000 – 120,000 | ~$542 (low) to ~$802 (peak) | ~0.65¢ (low) – 0.58¢ (peak) |
| Six Senses Ibiza – Spain | Six Senses (Resort) | 150,000 (standard) | ~$1,479/night (high season) | ~0.98¢/pt (or 1.3¢/pt with 4th-night-free) |
IHG credit card holders get every 4th award night free, which effectively reduces the per-night point cost by 25% on a 4-night stay. In this Six Senses case, 4 nights at 150k/night becomes 600k points for 4 nights, i.e. 112,500 points per night on average. That makes the cents/point value jump from ~0.98¢ to ~1.31¢ if you leverage the fourth-night-free perk!
Tips to Maximize the Value of Your IHG Points
Finally, let’s look at some tips and strategies for getting the most out of your IHG One Rewards points:
Take advantage of the IHG 4th Night Free benefit: This is probably the best benefit that increases the value of IHG points. If you have an IHG Premier (or Premier Business) card, whenever you book a 4+ night stay with points, every 4th night costs 0 points. This effectively gives you a 25% points discount on a four-night stay.
Focus on high cash fares: Redeem points when hotel prices are high (due to peak season, holidays, events, or simply expensive destinations). You’ll save more money and often get better value for your points.
Keep an eye out for IHG Points promotions and discounts: IHG often runs promotions that can increase the value of your rewards.
Point Sales: IHG often sells points with 100% bonuses (mostly at 0.5¢). If you’ve determined a high redemption value (say, 1¢ per point or higher), buying points on sale may make sense rather than paying cash. For example, if you can buy 50k points for $250 and redeem them for a room that would cost $500, you win. However, never buy points speculatively without a plan.
New hotels with a 15% discount: IHG has a “Reward Night Discount” page on their website that features new or recently renovated hotels that are 15% off their reward night for a limited time.
Choose hotels strategically: As the luxury analysis showed, some brands or regions offer better prices.
- Combine a luxury stay with InterContinental Ambassador status if you’re at IC or Six Senses – you can get perks like free breakfast or upgrades that make your stay even better.
- IHG has all-inclusive resorts (Holiday Inn All-Inclusive, etc.), meals/activities add extra value to your points usage that pure monetary math won’t show.
Focus your points on expensive stays and pay cash (or use a free night certificate) for cheaper stays.
Mix points and cash as needed: If you’re short on points, IHG’s Points and Cash option allows you to pay some points in cash to reduce the number of points you need. This can be useful to “buy” the remaining points at a favorable rate.
Always compare alternatives: Finally, make sure you compare using IHG points to paying cash.
Using other points – for example, if you have the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, it can sometimes make sense to transfer them to IHG, but often using those points for Hyatt hotels or flights is more beneficial. Likewise, if a Marriott or Hilton nearby offers a better deal for points, consider it.
Save for future use – don’t burn points now for nothing. If you don’t see value in them, save them for a redemption that interests you. IHG points (for elite members) don’t expire as long as your account is active.
Conclusion
The value of IHG One Rewards points may only average about half a cent, but as we’ve seen, that’s only the beginning of the story. With smart strategies and the right timing, you can often surpass this baseline – whether it’s 0.8 cents per point on a vacation, 1+ cent at a luxury resort, or even 4 cents per point.
Remember that “value” is a personal thing. It’s not just about the math – if using your points for a specific trip brings you joy or saves you from blowing your budget, that’s a great use of points, even if it’s not the absolute highest monetary value.
