5 Tips for Getting Started with Hotel Points

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of IHG Rewards Club. All opinions are 100% mine.

One of the most important tools in my family’s travel arsenal is travel loyalty points. Travel can be expensive, but families can do more of it and do it cheaper by maximizing the benefits these loyalty programs have to offer. For those of you new to points, hotel programs can provide a lot of value.

Here are 5 tips to get your family started with hotel loyalty points.

Tips for Getting Started with Hotel Points

1. Sign up!

This tip is beyond obvious, but you’d be amazed by how many frequent travelers forget this simple step. While many travelers remember to collect airline miles, some forget that hotels often have similar programs. It is usually much easier to redeem these hotel points for the nights you want than it is to redeem your airline miles for the flights you want, so don’t leave points (especially highly-usable ones) on the table.

2. Earn points through partners.

You can easily earn points by staying at a hotel, but most hotel loyalty programs have a number of other travel, dining, and shopping partners. Check the loyalty program’s website to find out the best ways to turn things like car rentals into extra points.

3. Get a co-branded credit card.

Hotel rewards programs often partner with a bank to offer a credit card that earns that hotel’s loyalty points. Often the signup bonuses for getting the card can be lucrative, so watch for big promotions. The cards sometimes even offer other perks like a free night.

4. Look for discounts on points redemptions.

Just like hotels have discounts and sales, many also offer sales on redeeming your points for free nights. Look for these discounted points rates published on a regular basis to see if a deal happens to match your travel plans or looks good enough to inspire a last-minute trip.

5. Maximize hotel promotions.

Hotels often run promotions that allow you to earn lots of bonus points for your stays or nights during a limited promotion period. If you have someone in your family who travels for business or are simply planning several nights in a hotel for a family vacation during the promotion period, the points can really add up. Just make sure to read and follow the promotion’s rules.

IHG Rewards Club #ShareForever Promotion

(EDITOR’S NOTE: This promotion has ended.)

With summer break rapidly approaching, I’m guessing a lot of you have family vacation plans that will require a hotel stay and would love to have the chance to maximize one of these lucrative hotel promotions. While my family’s summer travel plans are just now taking shape, we are definitely (as always) eyeing opportunities to earn more points in the process.

IHG® Rewards Club (the hotel loyalty program for hotel brands like Intercontinental, Holiday Inn, and Crowne Plaza) has a summer promotion called Share Forever (Register Now) that can get you well on your way to earning hotel points for future travel.

Here’s how the IHG® #ShareForever program works:

Earn 500 Points for an IHG® hotel stay from May 1, 2015 to September 2, 2015.
Earn another 500 points for that same hotel stay to share with another member or keep the points for yourself.
Earn additional points for additional nights stayed, anywhere from 68,500 to 115,500 bonus points depending on how many nights you stay and your individualized promotion offer (plus up to 58,500 bonus points to share or keep).

One thing that works about IHG® hotels for travelers with kids like me is the geographical reach of the brand at different price points with different perks. Hotel brands that are part of IHG Rewards include Intercontinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, and Staybridge Suites, among others.

How do you participate in the #ShareForever promotion? In case you aren’t yet a member of IHG® Rewards Club, you can both register for membership in the program and register for this promotion at the same time at shareforever.ihg.com. After completing registration, then simply make a reservation at an IHG® hotel and stay during the promotion period. After you stay, you’ll find bonus points awarded for you and some to share (or keep). Stay more and earn more. Your specific promotion offer will be visible in your IHG® account after you login.

The sharing feature affords a lot of flexibility to family travelers, especially if your spouse or another family member is an IHG® Rewards Club member. The sharing feature is a great opportunity to top off someone else’s account in your family if that family member needs some extra points for a future redemption. If not, then keep the points for yourself.
IHG Share Forever Summer Rewards Program

So, where are you headed this summer and how many points are you aiming to earn?