As an industry observer I really like the way IHG runs their seasonal promos. As a consumer maybe not so much given that the returns thus far have not been particularly worthwhile for me personally, but the overall concept of targeting the promotions based on individual behavior – theoretically based on past activity and patterns – is a good thing. Assuming it actually works. And so this week I logged in to the portal for their Into the Nights promotion, the latest version of what was previously the Big Win, to see what my potential earning was.
My qualifying requirements are actually pretty easy to hit this time around. I can do it all if I book two stays at different Holiday Inn properties via the IHG App and if those stays combined cover three nights, two of which are a Saturday. It shouldn’t be too hard to find those nights somewhere in the next 115 days.
But the reward value is also a bit more limited this time around. Rather than the variety of bonus points for hitting all the targets this iteration is a fixed value for everyone: 50,000 points or 2 award nights. Those 50,000 points could be a single night at one of the nicer properties or ten nights on Point Breaks awards. The two award nights option would be two nights anywhere, so better than the points if higher-end properties are on the horizon.
Or, as is most likely for me, it continues to probably not be worth bothering to go for. If I can make the three nights at Holiday Inn properties work in my schedule without going out of my way for it then I suppose I’ll download the app to make the bookings. I’m definitely not going out of my way to make sure I hit the target. The RoI on speculative stays just isn’t there for me.
But I really do like the customized benchmarks for earning qualification. Sure, it is more complicated for the programs to run promos that way, but I’m betting it is also much more beneficial to the programs as well.
Related Posts:
Never miss another post: Sign up for email alerts and get only the content you want direct to your inbox.
“Rather than the variety of bonus points for hitting all the targets this iteration is a fixed value for everyone: 50,000 points or 2 award nights”
That seems to be the default offer, but they are indeed again offering customized bonuses. Mine is 24000 or 2 free nights, plus the 63000 from the offers.
Interesting. I had only seen 50k/2 night bonus options for getting ’em all.
Only 18k bonus or two nights for me but as I say almost all my individual 7 tasks are unachievable so won’t be even close. By comparison with Big Win 1 I completed it, for Big Win 2 I did one task – they’re getting worse every time!
I got the exact same offer… but are the free nights going to be good at any IHG hotels? There was never any clarification on that on the website. That would help determining if I would opt for the free night or the 25k points.
Yes, the free nights are valid at any property from what I’ve read (Gary confirmed it as well).
I agree – I like these kinds of promos. To me, the more “complicated” they are, the more likely that there will be ways for enterprising folks to maximize the benefits.
I was also reading the terms and conditions and it looked like there might be one reading of them that suggested that you could earn 50,000 AIRLINE MILES which would certainly be worth more than 50,000 IHG points (and possibly worth more than 2 free nights, depending on how you value miles vs. points)
I got an odd one. I have to do 4 out of 5 challenges to get the bonus points. The largest challenge, points-wise (16.3K), is to download and book one stay the app. The next largest (15K), which I won’t make, is to stay 9 nights total. However, if I skip the 9 nights challenge, the other 3 challenges can all be satisfied with that same one-night stay I book via the app, (and applying for the credit card).
So, for a single one-night stay I can get 35K bonus points, plus whatever the stay itself earns, plus the points from the credit card.
Wow I wish I had no offer that good! I’ve only had one stay with them this year (a 3 night reward redemption) but my targets are way tougher and less rewarding than yours. Result – zero extra stays to IHG and more to Hilton!
Jesus, man, what does it take to excite you?
Two stays at a Holiday Inn and you can stay at any IHG hotel in the world for 2 nights? That’s incredible. I have a similar offer and I’m gonna maximize the shit out of it.
At what cost and to what value?
If I’m out $300 on room nights I don’t really need anyways then the value of those two free nights isn’t that great. Since I need weekend stays at Holiday Inns to get mine that means either finding some at places I’m going to already be on weekends (initial outlook isn’t too positive on that front) or book extra trips. And booking extra trips so I can spend money on a hotel room just to get a “free” night doesn’t make a ton of sense to me.
If it works for you then rock on.