How to Use IHG Points + Cash to Save on Hotel Stays (Plus Save an Additional 20% with These Tips!)

InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) Rewards Club is my favorite hotel loyalty program for so many reasons… it’s hard to know where to begin!

I love the family-friendly brands that are part of IHG (e.g. Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites, etc.). I love that you can stay at select “PointBreaks” hotels for only 5,000 points. I love the free night certificate I earn each year that I have my IHG Rewards Club Mastercard.

And recently I’ve learned to love the Points + Cash option for stretching my points even farther. In this post I’ll share how Points + Cash reservations work plus share two tips for saving even more on hotel stays!

We regularly make trips to Ohio to visit my family and have found a great Holiday Inn in Charleston, WV that has become our regular stopover on the trip. The hotel has great rooms, an on-site restaurant in which kids eat free, and a super-fun saltwater pool and hot tub. It is also total bargain at only 15,000 IHG Rewards Club points per night!

A few weeks ago I checked availability for our upcoming trip to Ohio and found that there was an option to use Points + Cash for our travel dates. Since I’m starting to run low on IHG points I decide to go ahead and book a room for 10,000 points + $40. I also could have booked the same room for 5,000 points plus $70.

That alone would have been a great deal considering the quality of our accommodations. But about a week ago I read on Million Mile Secrets that IHG Cardholders could save 12% off of the cash portion of Cash + Point bookings through September 18th. I was able to cancel my original reservation and re-book with the 12% discount so that brought the price down to $35.

On top of that, I earned 8% cash back through Swagbucks on what I paid for the stay. I cash my Swagbucks in for Amazon gift cards and use them to buy cheap pantry essentials.

So after my Swagbucks savings my grand total for the night was $32. I also got 500 bonus points added to my account at check-in because I am an IHG Rewards Club cardholder. Not too shabby for all of the fun we had at the luxurious pool complex!

Are you a member of IHG Rewards Club? If not you can sign up for free here. If you are, what is your favorite aspect of the program? Please share in a comment below!