From 1 May, IHG is increasing the number of points you have to use to redeem for a free a night. In some cases massively!
The announcement of a slew of increases was hidden away in their positive announcements of expiring miles and a new elite level earlier in the month. Of course, at the time there was no list of exactly which were going up available.
Today you can read the list, and weep unless you get in before 1 May to book an award.
Noticeable amongst the list are:
Holiday Inn, Sydney Airport from 25,000 to 35,000 points
Holiday Inn Express, Frankfurt Station from 25,000 to 35,000 for a Holiday Inn Express!
Intercontinental Hong Kong from 45,000 to 50,000
Crowne Plaza, Amsterdam from 40,000 to 45,000 at the same time as the Intercontinental Amsterdam goes from 45,000 to 50,000.
Holiday Inn, Warsaw down from 20,000 to 15,000
Holiday Inn, Istanbul City up from 15,000 to 25,000
Holiday Inn, Glasgow Airport up from 15,000 to 25,000
Holiday Inn, Stratford City up from 25,000 to 35,000
So, if you hoped to use your points for a decent length stay, check the list and make a booking this weekend if your chosen hotel is going up.
The part that gets me is how many Canadian hotels are going up by 10,000 points, especially given that the Canadian Dollar has fallen by 15-20% relative to the GBP & USD (not sure which IHG bases their loyalty night payments on) compared to the last time they devalued.
Make the Holiday Inn Express in Hamburg I redeemed for 30,000 points look like a bargain.