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The brand new PointBreaks list allows us to book hotel rooms beginning today, for stays through September 30th, 2018 for as little as $25 per night.

This post will tell you how to book any hotel on the list of IHG Reward Club’s PointBreaks hotels for as little as $25 to $75 per night, even the ones that ordinarily cost a lot more.

  • What’s my strategy to make the most of PointBreaks?
  • What are some top properties on the newest PointBreaks list?

IHG Rewards Club Pointbreaks

IHG Rewards Club is the loyalty program for InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Candlewood Suites, and Staybridge Suites.

IHG Rewards Club normally charges 10,000 to 70,000 points for a free night depending on the property. IHG’s award chart suffered a devaluation at the beginning of this year (when they added the 70k tier awards–they used to be capped at 60K). Check out what hotels changed in reward night price earlier this year.

Every few months, IHG Rewards Club releases a list of a select few hotels where you can stay for 5,000; 10,00; or 15,000 points per night.

The new list of PointBreaks hotels is good for stays today through September 30, 2018.

ANA Holiday Inn Resort Miyazaki, Japan, bookable for 10k points/night
ANA Holiday Inn Resort Miyazaki, Japan, bookable for 10k points/night

Brief History of PointBreaks Changes

Over the last few years, the quality of hotels on the PointBreaks list hasbeen dropping. Especially over the last year, the majority of PointBreaks hotels were located in obscure places, or were just low-end places not many had an interest in booking.

Then IHG changed PointBreaks pricing in January of this year, adding two higher (but still discounted) tiers to the promotion: 10k points/night rooms, and 15k points/night rooms. While the list of 5k/night rooms shrunk, the addition of 10k and 15k/night rooms meant nicer options in more popular destinations.

To be clear, these 10k and 15k/night rooms are on sale from their standard award price.

What I Do With a New PointBreaks List

When a new list comes out, I check its end date then consult my travel schedule to figure out where I’ll be between now and then that I might want a hotel. I also consider trips I haven’t planned, but have been mulling.

I note all the hotels that I might want to stay at.

Potential Problems and Their Solutions

Problem #1: Not every night is available at hotels that are on the list–and what availability there is can disappear quickly.

Solution: Book award space as soon as possible (check now!)

This leads to Problem #2.

Problem #2: I may want to change my plans later, but I may have to cancel the entire award to do that, costing me the chance at 5,000 point nights.

“Due to the limited availability, each member may only book two PointBreaks® Reward Nights reservations per hotel during the special offer time period.”

You have to make your best guess for when you’ll want to stay at a hotel. Or you can always make two reservations each from multiple accounts.

InterContinental Buenos Aires, Argentina, bookable for 15k points/night
InterContinental Buenos Aires, Argentina, bookable for 15k points/night
Problem #3: I don’t have any IHG Rewards Club points.

Solution to this problem:

Buy them through this points.com sale. The price per point will depend on which bonus you are targeted for. I am targeted for a 50% bonus, which makes the points .9 cents each. At .9 cents each, a 5k room would cost $45, a 10k room $90, and a 15k room $135.

Others have been targeted for as much as a 100% bonus, which would knock the price down to .5 cents a piece, or $25, $50, or $75 a night respectively. The sale ends 11:59 PM ET August 22, 2018.

Big Caveat

Not all hotels are on the PointBreaks list. Not all nights are available as 5k/10k/15k point award nights at the hotels that are on the list. Check availability before buying points, and also check the cash price on your desired dates and compare that to how much you’d spend buying points to make sure it’s not a better deal. 

Hotels on the List

The list is mostly Holiday Inns, Holiday Inn Expresses, and Crown Plazas abroad plus Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites in the United States. Now with the higher tier 10k and 15k discounted awards, there are also Hotel Indigos and InterContinentals on the list as well.

Here are some properties that caught my eye because of location or just looking nice:

Crowne Plaza Guangzhou Huadu, bookable for 5k/points a night
Crowne Plaza Guangzhou Huadu, bookable for 5k/points a night
Crown Plaza Nairobi, Kenya, bookable for 15k points/night
Crown Plaza Nairobi, Kenya, bookable for 15k points/night

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Bottom Line

The new PointBreaks list is out from IHG Rewards Club for stays through September 30, 2018.

This is a list of hotels you can book for 5k to 15k points per night. The best way to take advantage of the list is to be active ASAP, as good hotels in popular destinations sell out quickly. If you need more points, check this targeted points.com sale to see if it makes sense for you to buy.

Are you going to book any PointBreaks hotels?

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