IHG Devalues Points, Increases the Cost of Top InterContinental Hotels

Updated: April 8, 2025, 12:32pm CDT

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IHG Increases Points Pricing at Some Luxury Hotels
Putting This Into Perspective
Final Thoughts

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Another day, another devaluation. IHG is the latest offender, making its IHG One Rewards points less valuable yesterday without any advance warning.

The cost for top IHG properties, such as those under the Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts brand, will now be higher.

Here’s what we’re seeing.

IHG Increases Points Pricing at Some Luxury Hotels

As noted in a Flyertalk thread and confirmed by other blogs, IHG One Rewards has indicated a notable increase in the cost of standard room redemptions at high-end InterContinental properties when redeeming IHG One Rewards points. While not all hotels are affected, these increases target properties already known for high award costs.

IHG One Rewards employs a dynamic pricing model for award redemptions, meaning the number of points required for a free night fluctuates based on demand, seasonality, and cash rates. Historically, award nights at top resorts could reach up to 200,000 points per night. Now, we’re seeing award rates north of 200,000 points per night for some of IHG’s best InterContinental Hotels and Resorts.

For instance, the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa is one of IHG’s most aspirational properties in its portfolio. Historically, award nights at this resort ranged from approximately 70,000 to 100,000 IHG One Rewards points per night. However, we’re seeing redemption rates up to 227,000 points per night for dozens of dates this year.

Points rates at top InterContinental resorts can now exceed 200,000 points per night. Image Credit: IHG

It’s not just resort properties that are affected. The same can be said for city hotels. For example, award nights at the InterContinental London Park Lane typically ranged between 75,000 and 100,000 points per night. However, we’re seeing several nights this summer at 120,000 points per night.

IC London Park Lane — Resort properties aren’t the only ones affected by this devaluation. Image Credit: IHG

Hot Tip:

Some of IHG’s best hotels are under the InterContinental brand. While the devaluation has made such properties more expensive with points, considering the high cash rates, utilizing points is likely still the best method to book these aspirational resorts. Check out our guide on how to book IHG luxury hotels using points for maximum value.

Putting This Into Perspective

With an increase in airline and hotel loyalty programs using the dynamic pricing model, there are no guardrails dictating how much a flight or hotel can cost, which means there’s no designated maximum amount. Members will have to discover pricing themselves.

Despite these hikes, IHG One Rewards can still provide value at high-end properties, particularly when cash rates are extremely high. For example, redeeming 120,000 points per night at the InterContinental The Willard Washington, D.C. may still be a good value compared to paying $2,000 or more per night.

InterContinental D.C. — Some value can still be had when redeeming IHG One Rewards points at top-tier properties when cash rates are astronomical. Image Credit: IHG

However, the program continues to lose its luster among IHG One Rewards members who seek exceptional value from top-tier hotels and resorts.

Final Thoughts

It’s never fun to see a devaluation, and IHG’s recent updates for its top InterContinental hotels highlight the challenges of dynamic pricing. Although these increases aren’t disastrous, they lessen the value of IHG One Rewards points, especially for aspirational redemptions.

If you’re looking to stay at some fantastic IHG hotels and resorts, it’s a great idea to redeem your points sooner rather than later. Over time, airline and hotel loyalty programs often diminish the value of their award currency, making your points less useful in the long run.