IHG One Rewards Retention Offer: Keep Diamond Elite By Purchasing 120,000 Points
Having Diamond Elite status in the IHG One Rewards loyalty program can help you save quite a bit of money each year as you may choose to select complimentary breakfast (for every day of your stay) as your welcome amenity. While I have been fortunate enough to utilise my benefits at the Holiday Inn Bali Sanur this year, I have not been able to renew it since it requires 70 elite qualifying nights in a calendar year.
Knowing that I will most likely not be able to renew my Diamond Elite status for 2024, IHG One Rewards has sent out an email offering me the opportunity to purchase points to secure Diamond Elite status through 2024: Buy 120,000 Elite Qualifying Points by 31 December 2023 to extend your Diamond Elite status and all the benefits that come with it through 2024.
The cost of purchasing 120,000 Elite Qualifying Points (which you can use for Reward Nights across all participating hotels in the IHG One Rewards loyalty program) is USD 1,500 (approximately S$2,000) and unless you plan on staying in IHG properties quite a bit in 2024, this is honestly a pretty high price to pay for just complimentary breakfast and the hopes of an upgrade.
I personally value IHG Reward Points at 0.8 cents each based on my previous redemptions and therefore, 120,000 IHG Reward Points are worth approximately S$960 - this effectively means that I would be paying S$1,040 to extend my IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite status for another year which I personally think is a fairly high price considering how little nights I would probably spend (especially since World of Hyatt and Marriott Bonvoy are my main hotel loyalty programs). Previously, it was possible to extend your IHG One Rewards elite status by purchasing an InterContinental Ambassador membership (for just USD 200 a year) but this loophole has unfortunately been patched.
TRIBE Living Bangkok Sukhumvit 39 is a great value choice for budget-conscious travelers but its slightly longer walk from Phrom Phong BTS Station may make it less convenient compared to more accessible (but pricier) options in the area.