Buying IHG points: what the sale is worth
IHG is selling points with up to a 100% bonus until 5 November 2026. Here's what each point costs, what you get for your money, and what it saves you on a real hotel stay.
What the bonus does to the price
IHG normally sells points for 1 to 1.35 US cents each. The bonus adds free points to what you buy, so each point costs less. Buy 40,000 or more and the bonus is 100%: you get double, and each point costs 0.5 cents, half the normal price.
What you get at each tier
| Buy | Bonus | You pay | You get | Per point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,000 | None | US$54 | 4,000 | 1.35¢ |
| 10,000 | 80% | US$135 | 18,000 | 0.75¢ |
| 25,000 | 90% | US$287.50 | 47,500 | 0.61¢ |
| 39,000 | 90% | US$390 | 74,100 | 0.53¢ |
| 40,000 | 100% | US$400 | 80,000 | 0.50¢ |
| 200,000 the most | 100% | US$2,000 | 400,000 | 0.50¢ |
No bonus below 5,000 points, 80% from 5,000 to 10,000, 90% from 11,000 to 39,000, and 100% from 40,000 to 200,000, the most you can buy. Buying 40,000 costs US$10 more than 39,000 and gets you 5,900 more points.
IHG calls it a "mystery" offer because your account may show a different bonus. Check yours before you pay.
What that saves you
One night at three IHG hotels, at the cash and points prices IHG showed in late October 2026 (reported by One Mile at a Time). Prices change daily.
- Six Senses Kyoto: save about US$663. 165,000 points or US$1,493 cash. Buying 83,000 points (166,000 with the bonus) costs US$830.
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tampa: save about US$23. 33,000 points or US$230 cash. Buying 18,000 points (34,200 with the bonus) costs US$207.
- Kimpton Tres Rios: pay cash. 104,000 points or US$429 cash. Buying 52,000 points (104,000 with the bonus) costs US$520, which is US$91 more.
The maximum, 400,000 points for US$2,000, covers two nights at Six Senses Kyoto (US$2,986 in cash) with 70,000 points left over.
Buying wins when a room's cash price is well above what its points cost you. That usually means luxury hotels, or busy dates when cash prices jump. Check your own stay below.
Cash or points? Check a stay
Enter the cash price and the points price for the same room on the same dates. This works out the cheapest way to buy those points in the sale.
Enter both prices to compare.
Before you buy
- Have a stay in mind. Bought points can't be refunded, and IHG can raise a room's points price later.
- Pay with a card that earns points or miles. The purchase is normal spending, so a rewards card earns its usual rate on it. It won't get an IHG card's hotel bonus, because the charge comes from Points.com, not a hotel. It's charged in US dollars, so a card with no foreign transaction fee saves about 3%. Compare credit cards →
- Short of a free night? Buying the points you're missing usually costs far less than paying cash for the room.
- Fourth night free. Holders of IHG's US credit cards get every fourth night free when they book with points.
- No elite status. Bought points don't count towards it.
- Expiry. Without elite status, points expire after 12 months with no activity. Earning or using any points resets the clock.
- Wait for a sale. IHG runs sales like this several times a year. At full price, buying points rarely saves money.
Referral Rat isn't affiliated with IHG and earns nothing from this page. Sale details are as published by IHG for the sale ending 5 November 2026; your account may show a different offer, and IHG's own terms apply.