IHG’s pick‑your‑points summer deal

IHG just brought back one of its simpler hotel promos — and simple is the whole appeal here. If you have paid IHG stays coming up this summer, you can register once, pick one bonus-points track, and then let your nights add up. The gap is that hotel promos are often full of exclusions, weird stay patterns, or tiny upside. This one is more straightforward, but the catch is that you have to choose the right lane before the earning window starts. ### What is IHG actually offering? IHG One Rewards is running a Summer 2026 promotion called “Pick your points.” Members can pre-register from May 6 through May 19, 2026, then earn bonuses on qualifying stays from May 20 through August 31, 2026. You get two choices: 2,000 bonus points every two nights, or 8,000 bonus points every four nights. You can only register for one option, and once you choose, you’re locked in. (ihg.com) ### Who can use it? This is not a China-wide global free-for-all. The official terms say members need an active IHG One Rewards account and must live in eligible regions including North America, much of Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, with China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan excluded. For a U.S. reader, the important part is that this does appear broadly open. ### Which option is better? (ihg.com) For most people, the four-night option is the obvious winner. The math is clean: 2,000 points over two nights works out to 1,000 bonus points per night, while 8,000 over four nights works out to 2,000 bonus points per night. Basically, if you think you’ll reach four qualifying nights total during the promo, the second path gives you twice the bonus rate. ### Is there any reason to pick the two-night path? (ihg.com) Yes — if your summer travel is light or fragmented. If you only expect two or three qualifying nights, the four-night track could leave you with nothing, while the two-night track pays out sooner. Think of it like choosing between a smaller bonus that triggers faster and a better bonus that needs a longer runway. If your plans are uncertain, the lower threshold can be the safer bet. ### Do award stays count? Probably not. The strongest secondary coverage says reward stays do not count, while paid stays do, including bookings you may have already made. The official IHG promo page visible in search results refers to “qualifying stays,” which is usually loyalty-program code for eligible paid rates rather than award nights. That last part is an inference from standard program language, but it lines up with the deal writeups. (ihg.com) ### Can you earn as much as you want? That seems to be the attractive part. Multiple deal analyses say there is no cap on the total bonus points you can earn during the promotion. The official page excerpt surfaced in search does not show a cap either. So if you have a long run of work trips or a bunch of summer hotel nights, this can scale better than the usual one-and-done promo. (ihg.com) ### So what should a normal traveler do? Register before May 19, then count your likely paid nights between May 20 and August 31. If you’ll hit four nights, pick the 8,000-point option. If you may only hit two, take the smaller threshold. The main mistake here is waiting, forgetting to register, or choosing the richer-looking option without enough nights to unlock it. ### Bottom line This is not a life-changing travel loophole. (princeoftravel.com) But it is a clean, useful summer promo from IHG — especially because the better track is materially better, not just cosmetically different. If you already have paid IHG stays on the calendar, this is the kind of low-effort registration that can turn ordinary travel into a decent pile of extra points. (ihg.com)