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IHG Rewards has a fantastic promotion called Into the Nights in which you can turn a few cheap stays into free stays at top tier hotels worldwide.

Everyone is given several tasks to complete that vary in difficulty. Each task has an associated amount of bonus points. Complete a set number, and you also earn another set of bonus points or the two Free Nights.

This promotion began two weeks ago, but I avoided writing about it until I knew what “Free Nights” meant.

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The word has come back to Gary Leff that these Free Nights are identical to the Free Nights earned by the credit card and can be used at any IHG Rewards property whenever there is award night availability with points.

  • What is my targeted offer?
  • What is yours?
  • Am I participating?
  • How should you calculate whether participating is a good deal for you?

My Offer

Here are my six tasks, which add up to 37,200 points.

  • 8,800: Stay 6 night(s) at any of IHG’s 4,700 hotels worldwide Terms
  • 5,600: Stay 3 Saturdays at any of our IHG hotel brands Terms
  • 8,000: Stay at 2 Holiday Inn hotel(s) Terms
  • 4,800: Download and sign in to the IHG App and book a stay. The IHG App allows you to get mobile-exclusive rates, access your virtual membership card and more. Terms
  • 2,000: Apply here for the IHG® Rewards Club Select Credit Card and earn 2,000 points. Plus, you can earn an additional 60,000 points if you’re approved for the credit card. Terms
  • 8,000: Travel 1 time(s) internationally Terms

If I complete five out of six by 12/31/14, I get 14,000 bonus points or two Free Nights. The latter is much more valuable, so I’ll select the two Free Nights. (Not sure how yet, but I’m sure it will be apparent.)

Let’s throw applying for the IHG card out immediately. There are other Chase cards I’d rather get.

That means I’d have to complete the other five tasks. The quickest way to do that would be:

  • 6 nights on 3 stays
  • Including 3 Saturdays
  • 2 of which are at Holiday Inn, the brand of the 3rd stay doesn’t matter
  • 1 of which is international, the country of the other 2 stays doesn’t matter
  • 1 of which is booked on the IHG app

Assuming I can find hotels for about $70 all in per night, that would be $420 spent to earn 37,000 bonus points, two Free Nights, as well as the normal points from $420 worth of stays. You earn 10 points per dollar at some properties and 5 points per dollars at others.

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Let’s assume the stays earn me 3,500 more points because of the normal earning rate.

That’s 40,500 points and Two Free Nights for $420. I value each point at 0.5 cents and each Free Night at $200. That means I’d get over $600 worth of points and nights for spending $420.

It looks like I’d come out ahead if I can find cheap hotels for the stays and as long as this doesn’t take too much of my valuable time. Note that I’m also assigning zero value to my stays because I don’t have any upcoming hotel needs yet. If I actually get more than zero value from my stays, then this becomes an even better value.

Your Offer

Find your offer by signing into the Into the Nights promotion. Share it in the comments. I think less active members tend to get better offers.

Should you participate? It’s a math problem.

Add up the costs:

  • the cost of the hotel room
  • if you are only getting the hotel for this promo, the cost of your transportation to the hotel
  • if you are only getting the hotel for this promo, the cost of your time checking in

Add up the benefits:

  • the points earned on the hotel
  • the bonus points earned for tasks
  • the two Free Nights
  • the value of the stays

Convert the time costs to dollars. Convert the points and nights earned to dollars.

If benefits exceed costs, go all in. The costs exceed benefits, don’t participate in the promo.

You’ll be much more likely to see benefits exceed costs if you have a need for the hotel room for an already planned pleasure or business trip.

Who’s going all in with Into the Nights? Where will you use the Free Nights?


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