Whether looking for a chic European city hotel, a beach retreat in the Maldives, or a rejuvenating visit to a Japanese spa, IHG points can help you find the aspirational hotel stay of your dreams.  Here are seven aspirational IHG properties to book on points.

IHG—the hotel group behind Kimpton (a brand I love), InterContinental, Holiday Inn, and more—prices its awards dynamically. Award prices are typically pegged to the cash price. This can make it hard to get outsized value for your points the way we do with Hyatt, but there is still good value to be had, and there are fabulous properties bookable with your points if you are flexible with your locations and dates. 

 

Kimpton Seafire – Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands 

The Kimpton Seafire might be the most raved-about IHG property in our Facebook group—and for good reason! Grand Cayman is a gorgeous island with picturesque sandy beaches and stunning turquoise waters. This resort has excellent food, attentive service, and it is very kid-friendly. Some readers have reported getting upgrades, though this will depend on how busy the resort is at the time of your trip. 

Booking with Points: One of the things we love about Seafire is that the points price is generally 70,000 IHG points per night. Especially at peak times like spring break, when a room can cost as much as $3,000 per night, you can get tremendous value for your points here. 

 

 

InterContinental London Park Lane 

The InterContinental London Park Lane is a luxury hotel in the heart of London’s upscale Mayfair neighborhood. The hotel is located on the site of Queen Elizabeth’s childhood home! The property is close to the London Eye, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and many more of London’s exciting attractions. The hotel has 449 elegant rooms and 71 suites, as well as a high-end spa if you need a massage after walking around London all day. The property has several restaurants and a club lounge (though you’ll need to book a room with club access to use it). 

Booking with Points: Points cost typically ranges from 80,000 to upwards of 120,000 per night. 

 

 

Kimpton St Honoré Paris

The Kimpton St Honoré Paris is a chic boutique hotel with less than 150 rooms for a relaxing stay in the City of Light. It’s in a prime location near the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, and the Eiffel Tower, among other attractions. The property has a spa and a hip indoor pool—perfect for a Kimpton! Restaurant options include a rooftop bar with lovely views of Paris. 

Booking with Points: The Kimpton St. Honoré is rarely below 100,000 points per night and can reach 170,000 points at peak times like Christmas and New Year’s. 

 

 

Six Senses La Sagesse – Grenada 

Six Senses is among the most luxurious properties IHG offers, and this stunning hotel in Grenada might be one for your travel wish list! No crowds here with only 56 pool suites and 15 villas for the entire hotel. Located between a secluded bay and the Caribbean Sea, this hotel offers pampering and relaxation with a focus on wellness; it even has its own organic garden. The property offers a spa, yoga pavilion, gym, and more to keep you healthy and centered during your time in paradise. The resort even offers aerial yoga if you’re flexible and feeling adventurous! 

Booking with Points: This property frequently has availability for 85,000 IHG points per night, a bargain for a luxury hotel that can cost as much as $900 per night on peak dates! 

 

 

Holiday Inn Resort: Kandooma – Maldives

A villa in the Maldives for 50,000 IHG points? Yes, please! The Holiday Inn Resort: Kandooma Maldives is a beautiful resort is on the private island of Kandooma Fushi, so you’ll need to arrange a boat transport with the hotel. The 154 villas offer various options, including garden and beach views that are bookable with points. The outdoor sitting areas in the villas even offer a hammock for your vacation napping needs! The resort is a surfer’s and diver’s paradise, offering snorkeling and even a shipwreck excursion. There are also several dining options, a spa, and a kids’ club for kids ages 4 to 12. 

Booking with Points: Points prices range from 50,000 to about 100,000 IHG points, which is quite a bargain for the Maldives! 

 

 

ANA InterContinental Beppu Resort & Spa – Japan 

While we love Japan’s bustling cities, the country also offers gorgeous mountains and even hot springs! You’ll find that at ANA InterContinental Beppu Resort & Spa, a luxury resort with only 89 rooms. Of course, a hot springs resort would not be complete without a spa, and you’ll find an oasis of tranquility at this gorgeous spa facility. You can experience your spa treatment while looking out at tranquil Beppu Bay. At the InterContinental, you can also experience Japan’s wonderful food at a restaurant inspired by the country’s five elements—earth, water, fire, wind, and void. The resort also has an impressive club lounge where you can enjoy afternoon tea, though I have not seen club rooms bookable with points. 

Booking with Points: Flexibility is key at this property, as points prices vary quite a bit—between 70,000 and 120,000 IHG points per night. But the cash price can also be high, so points may be a good deal for this aspirational resort. 

 

 

Regent Santa Monica Beach – California 

If beachfront Hollywood glam is on your bucket list (and you have a lot of points for a splurge), welcome to the Regent Santa Monica Beach. This airy, oceanfront escape has 167 rooms and some striking views of the Pacific. The hotel’s main restaurant is Orla by celebrity chef Michael Mina. You can also enjoy round-the-clock room service and treats from your in-room refreshment center. Like many aspirational properties, the Regent focuses on wellness, with a 10,000 square foot spa, a fitness center, and group fitness classes. 

Booking with Points: The Regent will cost you a lot of points—as much as 300,000 for one night. But check the flexible-dates calendar for slightly less costly nights. 

 

 

Should I Buy Points for an Aspirational Stay?

It’s tough to earn enough points from welcome offers alone to cover some pricier properties. If you’re short on points, you can often buy IHG points on sale for 0.5 cents each. Sales happen frequently, so check our regularly updated blog post for the latest. 

There’s a 200,000 points per year limit per person to purchase points. However, if you still need more points, your traveling companion can also buy up to 200,000 points (or more if IHG raises the limit during a sale). If you have a business (and you probably do without even realizing it), you can sign up for the IHG Business Rewards program and transfer points to someone else to book a stay for free. (This process can take several days, so plan accordingly.) You can also transfer points to someone else for free if you have IHG Diamond status. 

As always, when buying points, make sure the value of your planned stay outweighs the cost of the points purchased. You should also be comfortable enough with the program/currency that you’ll eventually use the points, even if you need to cancel your planned stay. 

 

Booking Tips

• As with all aspirational hotels, finding availability can be a challenge. I recommend a hotel points search service like Max My Point to help you find availability and nights where the points price is less costly. Additionally, you can set an alert with these services to see if your points price decreases and rebook your stay for fewer points. 
• If you have the card_name or card_name, your fourth night on points is free if booked on points. The entire stay must be booked on points for this to apply (and free-night certificates don’t count). For an expensive hotel, it makes sense to have one of these cards and save yourself a lot of points! 
• If you find a reasonable cash cost at an InterContinental property and are staying over a weekend, consider signing up for the InterContinental Ambassador status. This status costs $225 and comes with a free weekend night if you pay for the night before in cash. The free night and other perks the status comes with can exceed the cost of the purchase. Use this link to see if your property has availability for InterContinental Ambassador free weekend nights before buying the status. 

Redeem three nights, get the fourth night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG® hotel stay. You can receive a fourth reward night free, redeemable at that same hotel during that same stay.

 

Bottom Line

These aspirational IHG properties you can book on points could all be amazing stays! Aspirational hotels aren’t just for the rich and famous; they’re for the points-savvy, too! Where are you booking your next luxury stay on points? Leave a comment if you’ve stayed at any of these great hotels and resorts!

 

Related Posts

15 Aspirational Marriott Properties to Book on Points

How We Use Our IHG Points

Sometimes, It IS All About Luxury!