If you have ever investigated your IHG One Rewards account and thought, “How much is 1 IHG point worth?” you are not alone. The short answer: on average, a point might be worth half a cent. This would mean that 10,000 IHG points can be worth about $50 in hotel stays. Unlike some other loyalty programs, this is not set in stone: with apt redemptions, you can transition the value into one full cent per point, and unfortunate ones leave you basically with pennies that ought to have been tossed to the side of the cushion of your couch.
So, let’s chat about what really goes into the value of an IHG point, how to calculate it, and why some uses are far better than others.
The Average Worth of an IHG Point
Across most travel sites and experts, the consensus is clear: 1 IHG point is worth about 0.5 cents. Think of that as your baseline, your “don’t accept less than this” kind of value.
- 10,000 points ≈ $50
- 30,000 points ≈ $150
- 100,000 points ≈ $500
But remember, this is just the middle ground. It’s possible to do much better—and far worse—depending on how you use them.
How to Figure Out What Your Points Are Worth
Here’s the quick math trick:
Room price (before taxes/fees) ÷ number of points required = cents per point.
Let’s put it into action:
- A $200 room that costs 20,000 points = 1 cent per point (excellent!).
- A $161 room that costs 27,000 points = 0.59 cents per point (not great, not terrible).
It will take a few seconds to do the math, prior to booking, and this will stop you from making the mistake of taking bad deals.
What Affects the Value of IHG Points
IHG points aren’t a “one size fits all” currency. Here’s what changes their value:
- Hotel type: Luxury stays at InterContinental or Six Senses usually give more bang for your points than a mid-range Holiday Inn.
- Dynamic pricing: IHG doesn’t use a fixed chart. Point costs move with demand, so you’ll see different rates at different times.
- Season and timing: A summer weekend in Paris vs. a Tuesday in Cleveland? Yeah, the math will look different.
- Promos and perks: Benefits like the fourth night free (with IHG credit cards) can stretch your points further.
The Best Ways to Use IHG Points
The smartest way to maximize IHG points is through hotel stays. Luxury resorts that normally cost $800 a night can drop to just 85,000 points, giving you excellent value. Low-category hotels can also deliver surprisingly strong returns. Free night certificates stretch your balance further, and if you hold an IHG credit card, the fourth night free perk boosts your redemption value by 25%.
The Worst Ways to Use IHG Points
Some redemptions dry up value in no time. Point transfers to airlines rank very poorly: you would generally trade 10,000 hotel points for 2,000 airline miles—the latter being worth around $20 and the former a hotel room of $50. Gift cards and merchandise are just as bad, generally worth only 0.2 cents per point. Simply put, book some hotel stays if you want your points to put in work for you.
How IHG Points Compare to Other Programs
To give some perspective, here’s how hotel loyalty programs stack up:
- IHG: ~0.5 cents
- Hilton: ~0.6 cents
- Marriott: ~0.9 cents
- Hyatt: ~2.2 cents
- Wyndham: ~1.2 cents
Sure, Hyatt looks like the superstar here, but IHG makes up for its lower point value with ease of earning and global availability. With over 6,000 hotels, finding a place to use your points is rarely a problem.
Real-Life Examples
Here’s where things get interesting:
- Six Senses La Sagesse (Grenada): $900 cash or 85,000 points. That’s 1.05 cents per point—excellent!
- Holiday Inn Express in Connecticut: $161 cash or 27,000 points. That’s 0.59 cents per point—meh.
The difference? Strategic redemption. One makes you feel like a genius, the other feels like you’ve just cashed out your retirement account for a toaster.
Key Takeaways
So how much is 1 IHG point worth? Half a cent or so is considered the average, although with some planning, one can go up to 1 cent. All it takes is an easy preliminary calculation before booking; always saving your points for redemptions at good hotels while steering clear of any kinds of discounts like transferring miles to airlines or buying gift cards.
Think of points like money—they lose value if you spend them carelessly. Treat them as a flexible currency, aim for redemptions above the 0.5-cent mark, and remember that sometimes waiting for the right trip makes all the difference. And if you’ve got a pile of points you don’t plan to use anytime soon, that’s where we can help.
Turn IHG Points into Real Cash
At CashForMyMiles.com, we’ll help you turn your unused IHG points into real cash—and sell IHG points fast, secure, and often in as little as 15 minutes. Instead of wondering what they’re worth, you can see the value in your bank account today.
