IHG One Rewards is running one of its better points sales, with a 100% bonus on purchased points available until October 5, 2026. That drops the effective price to 0.5 cents per point — the best rate the programme typically offers, and roughly what the points are actually worth. For anyone with an IHG hotel stay on the horizon, that can translate into serious savings.
The mechanics are simple but have a catch. You need to buy at least 5,000 points in a single transaction to unlock the full 100% bonus, and the usual annual cap of 150,000 points (pre-bonus) has been doubled to 300,000 for this promotion. Buy the full 300,000 and you'll receive 600,000 points for $3,000. Note that the 20% purchase discount that comes with IHG's co-branded Premier credit cards doesn't stack on top of bonus pricing, so it's irrelevant here.
So when does buying points actually pay off? IHG uses dynamic award pricing, meaning redemption rates roughly track cash rates, but there's plenty of slack in the system. The real wins come at the premium end — InterContinental, Six Senses, Regent and Kimpton properties — where buying points and redeeming can cut more than 50% off the cost of a luxury stay. At the other end of the portfolio, Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza redemptions can still work out cheap, but the discounts are usually less dramatic.
The single biggest multiplier is the fourth-night-free benefit attached to IHG's Premier, Premier Business and Traveler credit cards. Book four award nights on one of those cards and you pay for three — effectively 25% off, with no limit on how often you use it. Combined with points bought at 0.5 cents each, that's where the maths gets genuinely compelling for a longer holiday.
A few practical notes. Purchases run through points.com, so they don't code as hotel spend on credit cards — use whichever card you're trying to hit a spending bonus on, or one with strong everyday earn. Points expire after 12 months of inactivity for non-elite members, though any earn or redemption resets the clock, and they never expire for elites (Platinum status comes free with the Premier card). There are no blackout dates on awards, but capacity controls mean standard rooms for points aren't always released.
Is it worth it? If you already know you'll stay at an IHG property where the cash rate is high relative to the award rate, this sale is essentially a discount voucher. If you're stockpiling speculatively, be more careful — dynamic pricing means IHG can nudge award rates upward, and 0.5 cents a point is fair value rather than a steal. Buy for a trip you've priced out, not just because the bonus looks big.