The latest IHG Pointbreaks hotel list came out and became bookable today. Many people have complained about how lackluster the hotel selection was this time (and last time, the time before that, and the time before that). It appears that the days of high-end places like the Intercontinental Bora Bora being on that list are gone. Now, the list is heavy with Holiday Inn Express hotels and other hotels that people would never travel to because of the hotel.
4 Ways to Make the Most of Unimpressive IHG Pointbreaks Lists
But, there are still ways to make the most of these unimpressive IHG Pointbreaks lists! Here are just 4 of the ways to make these lists work for you so that you can still get incredible value.
IHG Pointbreaks are hotels that IHG designates at the 5,000 point per night level for a few month period. These hotels may regularly cost up to 60,000 points but they are available for only 5,000 points when on this list.
Airports & Interstates
This one is easily searchable and can be a big help! Since 5,000 IHG points can be easily purchased for .6 cents per point, this places these Pointbreaks properties at a cost of only $30 out of pocket per night. That is a great deal and one that can easily be realized with airports and interstates.
When it comes to traveling, airport hotels and hotels along interstates can be great but sometimes pricey depending on where you are. If you have a layover of a few hours or more (or are traveling with kids), having an airport hotel is a great way to get some work done, freshen up, and rest before/after a long flight. They can also be great, of course, for early morning flights.
Interstate hotels are the same – they provide a great place to crash for a few hours when on long drives. I have done that at a few and while there are some that can be booked for around $30-40 per night, it doesn’t hurt to see what the prices are in the areas you are going by.
Already Booked Trip
If you already have booked a trip, check your cities against the Pointbreaks list! You may find that your destination is very near one of the hotels on the list and it can help to save you a lot of money or points by switching to a Pointbreaks hotel.
This has happened for us before. We had a family event in town and one of the IHG properties nearby was on the list. My relatives were going to be staying in a nearby hotel for $110 per night. By using a Pointbreaks hotel near there, it was possible to realize a savings of the $110 per night!
So, check that list! Do not just perform a search as some of the locations are in a nearby town and are under a different area name than you may look for. Check the state and look up anyplace you are not sure of.
Add On Destination
Again, nothing on this list screams at you to come visit for the hotel’s sake. But, there could be hotels on the list that are in a place you would have thought about visiting except for the hotel situation. For example, if you are traveling to Europe this summer, you could throw a visit to Belgrade or Madrid into the mix for a night or two and get that hotel for only 5,000 points per night! That would make it more convenient/cheaper to check out more places!
Race Destination
Finally, check the list for hotels in cities where there are races. If you plan on running a race during this period, you may just find a hotel that could suit your purposes and do it for only 5,000 points per night.
There have been such hotels in the past, some that were only about a mile from the starting line! That is a great way to lock in a cheap hotel!
Summary
Sure, some of these lists are far from inspiring, but there are still ways to realize value from them. Here are 4 ways that can help you to do that!
