I've heard you talk about IHG in another video - The receptionist surprised upon seeing the card!! Definitely an experience. I'm waiting on some information in your newsletter. I did sign-up last week:)
Awesome information! I generally stay at hostels, airbnbs, and homestays to keep my costs low. But, getting on a points program seems like a great way to save money as well! This was well explained and it's good to know what programs could end up being more affordable in the long-run for full-time/frequent travelers!
I've always been interested in Hyatt but they simply have terrible coverage in the states. For example my wife is from New Hampshire and there isn't a single Hyatt in the entire state! Because of this we have always gone with marriot. We will never use Hilton again, to many bad experiences as both guests, and as employers. When my wife worked for Hilton they would frequently mistreat workers and allow illegal practices(happened at more than one location) and corporate refused to do anything. Great video as always thanks for the breakdown!
Yes, I take notes too. Spreadsheets actually. All three airline alliances and associated companies. All four hotel alliances and associated brands. List of unaffiliated airlines/hotels. Lists of different point currencies and what they can be exchanged for. I am a newbie but I like to understand!
@@to2000able I started using a spreadsheet almost thirty years ago. The original motivation was to track the tail registrations to see how many times I flew the same plane. Like yourself, it rapidly morphed into tracking miles flown, points earned, fare paid, the fare bucket used, etc. Not only on airlines, but hotels and rental cars. I ultimately focused on anything that tracked status, particularly lifetime status. It meant flying on American, Delta, but mainly United. For hotels, I only stay at Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt. I maxed out at Hilton and Marriott (thank you Starwood), so am now closing out lifetime status with Hyatt. The byproduct of this effort is proficiency with Excel.
Hilton with the best deals to redeem points thus far has been Hilton Narita near the Narita Airport. Cost us 25K pts/night and the rooms were huge (bigger than the ones in the States), free breakfast, 2 free drinks at the bar, free shuttle to Narita Airport and downtown Narita. From downtown Narita or airport you can take the train to Tokyo. Lastly, there was a convenient store in the hotel with food and souvenirs.
Keep on teaching us the path! Thank you! Today, I'm busy accumulating points and status on Amtrak. Some day, maybe I'll be able to do this! Robert in NYC>
Enjoy your content. I'm an Ambassador status with Marriott. While I am usually the highest status at a hotel on any given night, I was always curious why my status seemed to be more recognized internationally than in the US. Your perspective about how uncommon status is outside of the US is something I never thought of.
You can book Hilton reward nights at the Maldives for as low at 40k pts a night. All those water bungolos are where the redemptions are at. You can also use the airline incidental credits with the Aspire to reload your UA travel bank. Adds up over time. Also, IHG Ambassador status for $200 gets you that free weekend night and jumps you to their top status which means, free breakfast.
I’ve been mainly Marriott and Hyatt since I can’t get status with just Hyatt as I don’t stay enough. However, the point redemptions using Chase points is too good to pass up lol and their luxury properties (mainly Mexico and Caribbean) are great getaways. I think I’ll be swapping Marriott for IHG tho with the Premier Business, and just stay with Marriott once or twice a year with the ritz Carlton card. Great video! It was awesome hearing about first hand experience
This was a fantastic review! Hilton ending up at the bottom😅 I 💯 agree! I'm planning to ditch both my Hilton Aspire and Hilton Business asap. I have found Marriott's higher tier status (Platinum and higher) to be much more valuable, and their hotels to have a larger footprint internationally. The quality of service is more personalized with Marriott. I will however look into IHG after seeing this vid. TY😊
Love this breakdown. One thing we love is a decent lounge. It makes the world of difference. Some lounges don't even have water, whist some lounges have an al a carte menu for near the entire day with a fully staffed bar. It's hard to know what you're going to get before you go. Our best experience yet was in an upgraded club room at ritz carlton.
Love your video’s l have been using your strategy with IHG and Marriott, being Canadian we don’t have an IHG credit card option. Please do a video on properties that are good point value. Best times of the year to book in certain areas etc.
Thank y'all so much for this! I'm trying to rack up all the points I can on my Amtrak preferred Mastercard. What do you suggest for those of us who are basically only looking to ride Amtrak, staying at hotels along the way, not needing more than 6-15 hotel room stays a year?
Nice review. Have points with Hilton but like you said they have high point redemption so it is not really worth having. I usually check different hotels for price, and proximity to where I’m going. My wife wants complimentary breakfast and at least a mini fridge in the room. I try to stay with one brand, but it is hard as sometimes there is no hotels where I’m going or the rates are too high, so I go with another brand. I’m liking what I’ve seen with IHG but most places I’ve checked does not have the intercontinental and the rates are pretty high.
Re: Hilton being cheapest rate. If you can find a Hilton budget-friendly "Spark" hotel it can sometimes be the cheapest (like in Denver Metro). There aren't many Sparks around the world--maybe under 150 locations? Compared to other hotels at that budget price point (motel 6, rodeway inn) Spark is the best. But also set expectations appropriately at that price point--their free breakfast will probably be just bagels and muffins.
thank you for this helpful video .... I totally agree about what you said about Hilton. I was able to get rid of all of my Hilton points, and have started working on my Hyatt status. Hopefully, by early next year, I can work on my IHG status.
Great Video. If you have already achieved your IHG status in Vietnam, and are now working on Hyatt status, I'm wondering if you would consider staying at the Grand Hyatt in BGC (Bonifiacio Global City), Philippines versus the IHG property, in Manila, that you mentioned in a previous video. BGC is basically a suburb of Manila and the Grand Hyatt is just a mile or two from the IHG property you mentioned. BGC is a great part of the city, safe, clean, has all the restaurants and entertainment. Would love to see a review of the BGC Grand Hyatt. Cheers!
@@livingworkingoutsidebox -prices are not bad for restaurants, groceries, entertainment and renting a condo by the month. But I think the high end hotel such as the Hyatt are pretty pricey. It would be interesting to see how this couple does with using points, upgrades and earning points. I am considering the Hyatt for my next stay versus renting a condo.
Great video and very informative! I have the Hilton program and often found that using points is more expensive than with cash. I will switch to IHG or Hyatt soon. Thanks guys!
We really like the IHG card too, it has good benefits. After seeing your video, we ordered the Marriott and next year we'll get the Hyatt so that when we start slow travel we have all the tools we need. :)
Remember to check out the Intercontinental Ambassador status. For a $200 annual fee, you'll be treated like royalty (only if you are planning to stay in Intercontinental). Great service.
Hilton isn't good for budget hotel travelers. IHG, as you guys pointed out, has amazing rates for lower-end brands like Holiday Inn, etc. Hilton SHINES for aspirational trips. Stayed 7 nights at the Waldorf Astoria Maui for 440k points + 2 FNC, and that's just unbeatable. Each night costed upwards of $1200+. That's where Hilton shines. On top of that, Hilton's are better for families. MOST of their hotels allow rollaway beds internationally, whereas a lot of other brands don't. To each their own :) Edit: planning to book the Conrad Osaka as well for 5 nights. Another example of a great use case.
Quick questions about the status and such. BTW, great content. Thanks for that!!! As far as the status, do they reset yearly at the end of the year? Meaning, if you got plat or diamond in one by the number of points or night, but you use them up by the end of the year, do they reset you back to "ground level" in jan 1?? Also, do the status and perks/benefits work the same if you don't have their cards?? Say you don't have the IHG card because you hate Chase and you think they are Santan's child (just made that up), but you have the IHG account, can you make it work the same and buy points and level up the same?
This is the kind of lifestyle I would love to have! I have two cards that offer nothing even close. Unfortunately my credit rating is not so good from pass years. I use my cards for everything including sponsoring less advantage children a day at a pool for their efforts to learn english. It gives them an extra incentive to try harder. Really would love to have this product ! By the way. Tried calling you a few times with no answer. Really appreciate you both opening up this possibility to everyone. One way or another I will be collecting IHG points. Never seen anything like this before especially for Asia where I want to spend most of my travels. Thanks again!!!
I generally agree with you on the hotel programs. Hyatt is my #1 , but I can find some value with Marriott on 4/nights-5th night free awards. Those are key for me.
Great breakdown. 😊 Now I have to see if you set up a playlist that I can save. That covers the tips and hacks for which cards, getting max points/ rewards, and status. 👍💪🤔📺💡🧠💰 Have you developed a game plan for when you travel to South America, Europe, Africa? 🌎 Wait forgot....Where are you two off to after the States?
Can you guys make a video regarding offloading cards. How do you do it? What is the impact on your credit etc...? I have so many credit cards and over 800 credit score but I want to reduce and don't know the best way to do that with minimal credit score impact. I know that this is a concern when accumulating cards for travel perks and points.
I have lifetime Diamond on Hilton, Titanium on Marriott and am about a year away from lifetime Globalist on Hyatt. IHG doesn’t offer lifetime status years ago, so I dismissed that brand years ago. Of course Radisson and Accor don’t offer it either, so I don’t stay there. Once I hit lifetime Globalist, I’ll likely only stay with Hyatt.
Only for Rome with Hilton. It's the only hotel that's right at FCO. You guys are much more diverse in your travels than I am. I tend to go to Italy, so it's good for the night before a flight. Still, I'm thinking of getting rid of it. Thanks, you guys.
Enjoyed your ranking video very much! It’s hard to know where to begin and while I am not an international traveler just yet, it’s a good idea to start accumulating points from our US stays. So when you achieve the top tier status for IHG and Hyatt, is that only good for the current year you earn it, and you have to start over each year?
As a Canadian, we don't have IHG, Hilton or Hyatt credit cards. You spoke about buying points from IHG when they are on sale late in the year. Is that still a better strategy than going with Marriott, our only other option? Thanks. Love all the info,
Probably not, the biggest perk of the IHG Card is the 4th night free with points, which you don't get without the card. So you might be better off with Marriott, but it would depend on where you wanted to go.
Hi, thank you so much for all your information you share! I went and got the IHG one reward card. They just sent me an offer for buying points and getting 80% extra. For 10,000 points It cost $135.00. There’s a limit of 250,000 points you can buy. It looks like if you buy all of them you can’t buy any extra later in the year. I was wondering if you thought this was a good deal? I was thinking in the fall is when they have their big sale. 😮 Thanks Vicky
We LOVE the IHG program. Have you looked into the IHG Ambassador program which can be added to your elite platinum for even more benefits and a free night?
Marriott boundless card made it only possible to use 50k points (35k free night plus you can add up to 15j) but, in the us to get a nice hotel- it’s minimum 52k points a night ! So now you have to get the brilliant card (which has high annual fee, but has elite status) their free night yearly is up to 85k points- so a nice Ritz or st Regis or W in south beach is possible- I’ll be excited to see if they card is worth it and will be making videos once the sign up bonus points come in 🎉 would you say you could do what you’re doing with a dog 🐕 in tow? L❤VE and appreciate your fun and inspiring videos 👍🏽🙏🏽💕
Thank you for the information. I tried to find those C1 3500 hotels, but most of time is 5000. Only a couple days a month I see 3500. What am I doing wrong?
It seems like you focus on more inexpensive properties where IHG dominates. On the upper end I find that you will get better deals at Hilton properties like the Conrad or Hilton resorts during off peak times. It’s also easier to earn points through spend with Hilton.
There are a number of videos where they look at the true dollar value of hotel points when all parts of the program are considered. In those it seems Hilton is top or second at worst. What I do is stay in the lower tier Hilton properties using my Surpase CC, earn points and status, then vacation on the points, stay at top tier properties. We went to Australia a few years ago and the hotels were all covered....
Hilton doesn’t always upgrade diamond. They tend to the most in Conrad. Grand Wailea in Maui is the worst. The absolute worst! They will often try to charge you for an upgrade via email before your arrival. Don’t fall for it. When you arrive they often just upgrade you one category. In Mexico this is what you can expect. IHG- I find hard to book rooms in places I like and in hotels I would enjoy often. Sometimes I will search outside of the app and get better results on any of them…as if their cookies know where you’d like to be and they don’t make points available there. The Conrad Tokyo was great. They did charge us however for the upgrade in spite of being diamond…but it was minimal. The park Hyatt Tokyo was WOW but only suite upgrades w points. No basic rooms available
ok.. I just got the IHG card a month or so ago and now today I got an email inviting me to the InterContinental Ambassador level for either $200 or 40,000 points. Do you feel this offer is worth the money or the points?
American Express Platinum card subject to new spend rules gives you Delta lounge, Citibank Titanium AAdvantage card for AA and Chase United Club card gets you UA lounge access. Also Amex Platinum gets you Priority Pass lounges around the world. Some are nicer than others.
Also Amex Platinum gets you into Centurion Lounges in major airports around the country, not so much out of the USA. Capital One is opening lounges for its Venture X card holders.
Fantastic video! How do you manage to get a credit card from the US if you don't really "live" in the US anymore? Can you get these cards without being a resident?
What about Wyndham and Choice hotels? I have been Wyndham rewards member since 2019 with Platinum status. Just joined Choice last month. I only travel 3-4 weeks a year.
Looking for your link to the IHG Business Card - it's a great deal right now and I'd like to apply and see you two get the referral bonus. Can you supply a link please?
I’m 3-4 years away from traveling with a daughter in HS. Should I start getting your preferred credit cards now? I have Amex for delta miles but probably need more hotel points. We are going to Europe for 17 days with delta miles. Will sign up points expire on your preferred cards?
Quick Question: Would you suggest paying for the 40 nights in Vietnam with points (purchasing or accruing) or an IHG credit card to gain IHG status? Thanks in advance!
I have not been able to find the bargains you mentioned. How do I spot them? The best have been 75C per dollar if I look to book with points when I make the comparison. Nothing below 16,000 points. Please explain. I signed up for your emails.
I guess I am not knowing how to do the search on the website. I understand the point redemption part, what is not easy is to find hotels where I can book for less than 10K points a night. Thanks for answering.
The problem as I see it is one needs to play this status game every year (or at least every other year) for every chain. It's so complicated and the rules change so you have to stay up on it. I want retirement to be very simple. Living full time in an rv seems ways simpler and more relaxing as well as cheaper. I am solo and retired for almost 8 years now. My annual budget is $42k and I can cruise upwards of 10 times per year on that amount. If I am missing something please let me know.
?? Pay Tax with Credit Card w/2.3% cc fee. We followed your advice and got the IHG Premier card today. Having sold our home, we owe the great state of CA a big tax bill. If it were you, would you pay the tax + cc fee with the IHG card to get the 3x points? It would be an additional fee of $292.10 to score 38,100 points. Being so new to the game, we are not sure how to evaluate this opportunity?
So I did pay the taxes with our new IHG Premier card. Got the 165k bonus (pending) and will get the additional points. I re-watched the "We purchased 500k IHG points" video. That is what we need next, to buy points on sale. Then we will start working on our 40 nights, we have 36 nights left to go. Now we need to know how to tell which hotels have the lounge.
I'm also thinking now that we have acheived the bonus on IHG Premier, it is time to find another card that gives us best points per spend - Chase Sapphire Premier. Then we purchase our IHG points when they are onsale and use the IHG card for IHG purchases. I'm starting to see how this system works.
The easiest way to tell if a hotel has a lounge is to search without points in the app for a date in the distance, then scroll through the room types and it'll list King Bed Club Lounge Access if they have a lounge. If you don't see that they don't have one. They won't show up if you are searching with points though, only with cash.
I respectfully disagree. After watching your videos, I decided to switch to Hyatt from Hilton. Huge difference in points! My Hyatt stay netted me less than 600 points, and on a comparable spend with Hilton, I got almost 4,000 points. I get that you can find Hyatt redemption stays for a fraction of the points, but I feel like that’s relative. Where Hyatt kicks Hiltons butt IMO is in rewards, free nights and bonus points.
This is confusing. do you have a video on which cc to use when booking hotels. Do you use the IHG card or the Am Ex. How do you know when to use which card?
Hyatt has been the best for my family traveling in the U.S. and Caribbean. Considering the CPP value with Hyatt and that you don’t pay resort fees on award stays it has provided the highest value by far. (I know Hilton has no resort fees on award stays as well, but the points needed for stays is just too high even when booking four nights on points to get the 5th free).
You get it for that year and all of the next year, to keep it you would need to re earn it the 2nd year. Unless you are getting it from a card, then all you need to do is keep the card.
I would really appreciate if you would include chapters in your videos, so we can go directly to the part that we are most interested in, or want to go back to easily. I know it's an extra step in the process, but I find it very helpful in these type of videos. My personal rule of thumb is that if the video is longer than 15 minutes long, I include chapters or section titles to assist my viewers in finding the information they need more easily. In this video, for example, I would really have liked to skip right to the sections on Hyatt, Hilton, and Marriott Bonvoy because those are the brands I prefer.
I have had my best rewards redemption stays with Hilton at the most beautiful properties. I think it is really important to see which program makes the most sense based on WHERE you travel the most. For example, my son lives in the northeast, and in that part of the country, my best options are usually Marriott properties. We are mostly traveling in the U.S. and so Hilton is very valuable to us. We live in the upper midwest, and for budget travelers around here, Wyndam is a valuable option with more properties in smaller towns and rural areas. I have never liked IHG properties, so it's hard for me to even consider pursuing status with IHG or putting IHG ahead of other brands. Are they better internationally? Because almost every IHG property I've stayed at in the U.S. has been a huge disappointment (and usually dirty).
Thank you for sharing all your great travel cards Hilton is my favorite chain of hotel unfortunately lol. We will use them in the US. We will go after IHG next and maybe just. We have had really bad luck with Marriott in LA, so not our favorite. Sounds like they are better over seas.
These loyalty programs and high end luxury hotel videos do not port well to the back story of this channel. Clearly, ya'll are not budget travelers anymore seeking incredible values ....like $30/night condos in Da Nang, Vietnam. Holding and managing credit cards with exorbitant interest rates is never recommended by most financial planners. Also, it is well known that the point to dollar rates are arbitrary...often require too much outright spending in order to obtain and can change without the consumer knowing.
1:15 IHG
8:28 Hyatt
12:40 Marriott
16:07 Hilton
🙏 thanks
I've heard you talk about IHG in another video - The receptionist surprised upon seeing the card!! Definitely an experience. I'm waiting on some information in your newsletter. I did sign-up last week:)
Awesome information! I generally stay at hostels, airbnbs, and homestays to keep my costs low. But, getting on a points program seems like a great way to save money as well! This was well explained and it's good to know what programs could end up being more affordable in the long-run for full-time/frequent travelers!
I've always been interested in Hyatt but they simply have terrible coverage in the states. For example my wife is from New Hampshire and there isn't a single Hyatt in the entire state! Because of this we have always gone with marriot. We will never use Hilton again, to many bad experiences as both guests, and as employers. When my wife worked for Hilton they would frequently mistreat workers and allow illegal practices(happened at more than one location) and corporate refused to do anything. Great video as always thanks for the breakdown!
Anyone else take notes while watching these videos? I am just starting out. I am working on IHG points.
Dump IHG. Lifetime status is what you should go for.
Yes, I take notes too. Spreadsheets actually. All three airline alliances and associated companies. All four hotel alliances and associated brands. List of unaffiliated airlines/hotels. Lists of different point currencies and what they can be exchanged for. I am a newbie but I like to understand!
@@to2000able I started using a spreadsheet almost thirty years ago. The original motivation was to track the tail registrations to see how many times I flew the same plane. Like yourself, it rapidly morphed into tracking miles flown, points earned, fare paid, the fare bucket used, etc. Not only on airlines, but hotels and rental cars. I ultimately focused on anything that tracked status, particularly lifetime status. It meant flying on American, Delta, but mainly United. For hotels, I only stay at Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt. I maxed out at Hilton and Marriott (thank you Starwood), so am now closing out lifetime status with Hyatt. The byproduct of this effort is proficiency with Excel.
@@hughofIrelandlifetime status with what hotel if not IHG
Why do I only see IHG points per night around 20000 a night. Rarely see 3k-6k a night. What am I doing wrong
Hilton with the best deals to redeem points thus far has been Hilton Narita near the Narita Airport. Cost us 25K pts/night and the rooms were huge (bigger than the ones in the States), free breakfast, 2 free drinks at the bar, free shuttle to Narita Airport and downtown Narita. From downtown Narita or airport you can take the train to Tokyo. Lastly, there was a convenient store in the hotel with food and souvenirs.
Keep on teaching us the path! Thank you! Today, I'm busy accumulating points and status on Amtrak. Some day, maybe I'll be able to do this! Robert in NYC>
Same here!
Enjoy your content. I'm an Ambassador status with Marriott. While I am usually the highest status at a hotel on any given night, I was always curious why my status seemed to be more recognized internationally than in the US. Your perspective about how uncommon status is outside of the US is something I never thought of.
That's awesome, would love to hear about what you get internationally!
You can book Hilton reward nights at the Maldives for as low at 40k pts a night. All those water bungolos are where the redemptions are at. You can also use the airline incidental credits with the Aspire to reload your UA travel bank. Adds up over time. Also, IHG Ambassador status for $200 gets you that free weekend night and jumps you to their top status which means, free breakfast.
I’ve been mainly Marriott and Hyatt since I can’t get status with just Hyatt as I don’t stay enough. However, the point redemptions using Chase points is too good to pass up lol and their luxury properties (mainly Mexico and Caribbean) are great getaways. I think I’ll be swapping Marriott for IHG tho with the Premier Business, and just stay with Marriott once or twice a year with the ritz Carlton card. Great video! It was awesome hearing about first hand experience
This was a fantastic review! Hilton ending up at the bottom😅 I 💯 agree! I'm planning to ditch both my Hilton Aspire and Hilton Business asap. I have found Marriott's higher tier status (Platinum and higher) to be much more valuable, and their hotels to have a larger footprint internationally. The quality of service is more personalized with Marriott. I will however look into IHG after seeing this vid. TY😊
Love this breakdown. One thing we love is a decent lounge. It makes the world of difference. Some lounges don't even have water, whist some lounges have an al a carte menu for near the entire day with a fully staffed bar. It's hard to know what you're going to get before you go. Our best experience yet was in an upgraded club room at ritz carlton.
Love your video’s l have been using your strategy with IHG and Marriott, being Canadian we don’t have an IHG credit card option. Please do a video on properties that are good point value. Best times of the year to book in certain areas etc.
Great idea
Thank y'all so much for this! I'm trying to rack up all the points I can on my Amtrak preferred Mastercard.
What do you suggest for those of us who are basically only looking to ride Amtrak, staying at hotels along the way, not needing more than 6-15 hotel room stays a year?
Nice review. Have points with Hilton but like you said they have high point redemption so it is not really worth having. I usually check different hotels for price, and proximity to where I’m going. My wife wants complimentary breakfast and at least a mini fridge in the room. I try to stay with one brand, but it is hard as sometimes there is no hotels where I’m going or the rates are too high, so I go with another brand. I’m liking what I’ve seen with IHG but most places I’ve checked does not have the intercontinental and the rates are pretty high.
Marriott also offers a lifetime status.
That's why I want to keep working on them
Re: Hilton being cheapest rate. If you can find a Hilton budget-friendly "Spark" hotel it can sometimes be the cheapest (like in Denver Metro). There aren't many Sparks around the world--maybe under 150 locations?
Compared to other hotels at that budget price point (motel 6, rodeway inn) Spark is the best. But also set expectations appropriately at that price point--their free breakfast will probably be just bagels and muffins.
thank you for this helpful video .... I totally agree about what you said about Hilton. I was able to get rid of all of my Hilton points, and have started working on my Hyatt status. Hopefully, by early next year, I can work on my IHG status.
I already thought IHG would be the card for us. You both confirmed it for me. Thanks
The video I been needing from YALL yess
Thanks
Great Video. If you have already achieved your IHG status in Vietnam, and are now working on Hyatt status, I'm wondering if you would consider staying at the Grand Hyatt in BGC (Bonifiacio Global City), Philippines versus the IHG property, in Manila, that you mentioned in a previous video. BGC is basically a suburb of Manila and the Grand Hyatt is just a mile or two from the IHG property you mentioned. BGC is a great part of the city, safe, clean, has all the restaurants and entertainment.
Would love to see a review of the BGC Grand Hyatt. Cheers!
I've seen a couple of RUclipsrs talk about BGC. It can across as a very expensive expat area.🤔
Have you been there? What's your thoughts of the area?
@@livingworkingoutsidebox -prices are not bad for restaurants, groceries, entertainment and renting a condo by the month. But I think the high end hotel such as the Hyatt are pretty pricey. It would be interesting to see how this couple does with using points, upgrades and earning points.
I am considering the Hyatt for my next stay versus renting a condo.
IHG is a slam dunk! The room upgrades are gre. Thank you for thr video
Great video and very informative! I have the Hilton program and often found that using points is more expensive than with cash. I will switch to IHG or Hyatt soon. Thanks guys!
Thanks!
We really like the IHG card too, it has good benefits. After seeing your video, we ordered the Marriott and next year we'll get the Hyatt so that when we start slow travel we have all the tools we need. :)
Remember to check out the Intercontinental Ambassador status. For a $200 annual fee, you'll be treated like royalty (only if you are planning to stay in Intercontinental). Great service.
Hilton isn't good for budget hotel travelers. IHG, as you guys pointed out, has amazing rates for lower-end brands like Holiday Inn, etc. Hilton SHINES for aspirational trips. Stayed 7 nights at the Waldorf Astoria Maui for 440k points + 2 FNC, and that's just unbeatable. Each night costed upwards of $1200+. That's where Hilton shines. On top of that, Hilton's are better for families. MOST of their hotels allow rollaway beds internationally, whereas a lot of other brands don't. To each their own :)
Edit: planning to book the Conrad Osaka as well for 5 nights. Another example of a great use case.
💯💯💯
Love you guys. I just stumbled across your channel and I love your content👍👍😍
Thanks so much
Quick questions about the status and such. BTW, great content. Thanks for that!!! As far as the status, do they reset yearly at the end of the year? Meaning, if you got plat or diamond in one by the number of points or night, but you use them up by the end of the year, do they reset you back to "ground level" in jan 1?? Also, do the status and perks/benefits work the same if you don't have their cards?? Say you don't have the IHG card because you hate Chase and you think they are Santan's child (just made that up), but you have the IHG account, can you make it work the same and buy points and level up the same?
This is the kind of lifestyle I would love to have! I have two cards that offer nothing even close. Unfortunately my credit rating is not so good from pass years. I use my cards for everything including sponsoring less advantage children a day at a pool for their efforts to learn english. It gives them an extra incentive to try harder. Really would love to have this product ! By the way. Tried calling you a few times with no answer. Really appreciate you both opening up this possibility to everyone. One way or another I will be collecting IHG points. Never seen anything like this before especially for Asia where I want to spend most of my travels. Thanks again!!!
Love this channel so much! When will you do your next live Q n A?
Once we get out of the time zone we are in!
I generally agree with you on the hotel programs. Hyatt is my #1 , but I can find some value with Marriott on 4/nights-5th night free awards. Those are key for me.
Only thing I think is missing in this breakdown is what does status do and how does the point systems work for free nights upgrades. Solid overall!
Great breakdown. 😊 Now I have to see if you set up a playlist that I can save. That covers the tips and hacks for which cards, getting max points/ rewards, and status. 👍💪🤔📺💡🧠💰
Have you developed a game plan for when you travel to South America, Europe, Africa? 🌎
Wait forgot....Where are you two off to after the States?
You can make your own playlist on RUclips.
Can you guys make a video regarding offloading cards. How do you do it? What is the impact on your credit etc...? I have so many credit cards and over 800 credit score but I want to reduce and don't know the best way to do that with minimal credit score impact. I know that this is a concern when accumulating cards for travel perks and points.
I have lifetime Diamond on Hilton, Titanium on Marriott and am about a year away from lifetime Globalist on Hyatt. IHG doesn’t offer lifetime status years ago, so I dismissed that brand years ago. Of course Radisson and Accor don’t offer it either, so I don’t stay there. Once I hit lifetime Globalist, I’ll likely only stay with Hyatt.
Only for Rome with Hilton. It's the only hotel that's right at FCO. You guys are much more diverse in your travels than I am. I tend to go to Italy, so it's good for the night before a flight. Still, I'm thinking of getting rid of it. Thanks, you guys.
Enjoyed your ranking video very much! It’s hard to know where to begin and while I am not an international traveler just yet, it’s a good idea to start accumulating points from our US stays. So when you achieve the top tier status for IHG and Hyatt, is that only good for the current year you earn it, and you have to start over each year?
The year you earn it and the entire next year
Sadly, IHG stays in Latin America with points don't seem to be a bargain like SE Asia
You are correct, they are surprisingly high
As a Canadian, we don't have IHG, Hilton or Hyatt credit cards. You spoke about buying points from IHG when they are on sale late in the year. Is that still a better strategy than going with Marriott, our only other option? Thanks. Love all the info,
Probably not, the biggest perk of the IHG Card is the 4th night free with points, which you don't get without the card. So you might be better off with Marriott, but it would depend on where you wanted to go.
Hi, thank you so much for all your information you share! I went and got the IHG one reward card. They just sent me an offer for buying points and getting 80% extra. For 10,000 points It cost $135.00. There’s a limit of 250,000 points you can buy. It looks like if you buy all of them you can’t buy any extra later in the year.
I was wondering if you thought this was a good deal? I was thinking in the fall is when they have their big sale. 😮
Thanks Vicky
We LOVE the IHG program. Have you looked into the IHG Ambassador program which can be added to your elite platinum for even more benefits and a free night?
Marriott boundless card made it only possible to use 50k points (35k free night plus you can add up to 15j) but, in the us to get a nice hotel- it’s minimum 52k points a night ! So now you have to get the brilliant card (which has high annual fee, but has elite status) their free night yearly is up to 85k points- so a nice Ritz or st Regis or W in south beach is possible- I’ll be excited to see if they card is worth it and will be making videos once the sign up bonus
points come in 🎉 would you say you could do what you’re doing with a dog 🐕 in tow?
L❤VE and appreciate your fun and inspiring videos 👍🏽🙏🏽💕
Hi Guys, Love your Grounded Life Finances Channel. Can Australians receive the same benefits as you by getting a IHG credit card. Cheers
Great video! Would be good to add some time stamps in the description for the different loyalty programs
Thank you for the information. I tried to find those C1 3500 hotels, but most of time is 5000. Only a couple days a month I see 3500. What am I doing wrong?
It seems like you focus on more inexpensive properties where IHG dominates. On the upper end I find that you will get better deals at Hilton properties like the Conrad or Hilton resorts during off peak times. It’s also easier to earn points through spend with Hilton.
There are a number of videos where they look at the true dollar value of hotel points when all parts of the program are considered. In those it seems Hilton is top or second at worst. What I do is stay in the lower tier Hilton properties using my Surpase CC, earn points and status, then vacation on the points, stay at top tier properties. We went to Australia a few years ago and the hotels were all covered....
Have you ever done any river cruises? If yes, what are the pros and cons? Thank you.
How long does the status last? Do you have to stay 40 nights every year?
It lasts the year you earn it and all of the next year
Did you try the Accor program and if so, how do you rate them? I am currently with Accor but like your reviews of IHG and curious of your thoughts.
We travel as husband and wife. Do each of us have to get the IHG Premier to have access to lounges and other perks? Thanks.
No, only one if you, the access is for 2 people
Hilton doesn’t always upgrade diamond. They tend to the most in Conrad. Grand Wailea in Maui is the worst. The absolute worst! They will often try to charge you for an upgrade via email before your arrival. Don’t fall for it. When you arrive they often just upgrade you one category. In Mexico this is what you can expect. IHG- I find hard to book rooms in places I like and in hotels I would enjoy often. Sometimes I will search outside of the app and get better results on any of them…as if their cookies know where you’d like to be and they don’t make points available there.
The Conrad Tokyo was great. They did charge us however for the upgrade in spite of being diamond…but it was minimal. The park Hyatt Tokyo was WOW but only suite upgrades w points. No basic rooms available
Do any chains give discounts for monthly stays?
ok.. I just got the IHG card a month or so ago and now today I got an email inviting me to the InterContinental Ambassador level for either $200 or 40,000 points. Do you feel this offer is worth the money or the points?
Which cards get you into the airport lounges?
American Express Platinum card subject to new spend rules gives you Delta lounge, Citibank Titanium AAdvantage card for AA and Chase United Club card gets you UA lounge access. Also Amex Platinum gets you Priority Pass lounges around the world. Some are nicer than others.
Also Amex Platinum gets you into Centurion Lounges in major airports around the country, not so much out of the USA. Capital One is opening lounges for its Venture X card holders.
Fantastic video! How do you manage to get a credit card from the US if you don't really "live" in the US anymore? Can you get these cards without being a resident?
Because they are, in fact, US citizens.
@@Iamwithspirit US citizens or not I thought you needed to be a resident too.
San Diego but of course it''s domestic but Hilton fluctuates widely.
What about Wyndham and Choice hotels? I have been Wyndham rewards member since 2019 with Platinum status. Just joined Choice last month. I only travel 3-4 weeks a year.
Looking for your link to the IHG Business Card - it's a great deal right now and I'd like to apply and see you two get the referral bonus. Can you supply a link please?
I’m 3-4 years away from traveling with a daughter in HS. Should I start getting your preferred credit cards now? I have Amex for delta miles but probably need more hotel points. We are going to Europe for 17 days with delta miles. Will sign up points expire on your preferred cards?
If you aren't going to travel much you should start with the hotel cards, then add the cards for lounge access once you are going to travel more.
What about the best western credit card?
Quick Question: Would you suggest paying for the 40 nights in Vietnam with points (purchasing or accruing) or an IHG credit card to gain IHG status? Thanks in advance!
Points is almost always cheaper if you have the IHG card, just compare the 2, but points should be cheaper
Sadly only useful for US travelers as earning status easily is heavily dependent on cc - which folks outside of US can’t get😥
If you are not a USA citizen and therefore cant get the credit card, how many points in your rating system would you then give IHG group overall?
Less because you won't get the 4th night free with the card, we would probably go with Hyatt in that case.
I have not been able to find the bargains you mentioned. How do I spot them? The best have been 75C per dollar if I look to book with points when I make the comparison. Nothing below 16,000 points. Please explain. I signed up for your emails.
4;30 - 5:05 they explain that.
I guess I am not knowing how to do the search on the website. I understand the point redemption part, what is not easy is to find hotels where I can book for less than 10K points a night. Thanks for answering.
@@MarcelaHede Places like Vietnam.
The problem as I see it is one needs to play this status game every year (or at least every other year) for every chain. It's so complicated and the rules change so you have to stay up on it. I want retirement to be very simple. Living full time in an rv seems ways simpler and more relaxing as well as cheaper. I am solo and retired for almost 8 years now. My annual budget is $42k and I can cruise upwards of 10 times per year on that amount.
If I am missing something please let me know.
but what do you do in year 2?
So are you saying for IHG you have to do 40 nights in a row to get the lounge access?
Very Helpful!!!!
Glad it was helpful!
Hilton is more upscale, not budget friendly.
?? Pay Tax with Credit Card w/2.3% cc fee.
We followed your advice and got the IHG Premier card today. Having sold our home, we owe the great state of CA a big tax bill. If it were you, would you pay the tax + cc fee with the IHG card to get the 3x points? It would be an additional fee of $292.10 to score 38,100 points. Being so new to the game, we are not sure how to evaluate this opportunity?
So I did pay the taxes with our new IHG Premier card. Got the 165k bonus (pending) and will get the additional points. I re-watched the "We purchased 500k IHG points" video. That is what we need next, to buy points on sale. Then we will start working on our 40 nights, we have 36 nights left to go. Now we need to know how to tell which hotels have the lounge.
I'm also thinking now that we have acheived the bonus on IHG Premier, it is time to find another card that gives us best points per spend - Chase Sapphire Premier. Then we purchase our IHG points when they are onsale and use the IHG card for IHG purchases. I'm starting to see how this system works.
The easiest way to tell if a hotel has a lounge is to search without points in the app for a date in the distance, then scroll through the room types and it'll list King Bed Club Lounge Access if they have a lounge. If you don't see that they don't have one. They won't show up if you are searching with points though, only with cash.
@@GroundedLifeRetirementTravel Thanks. I did the search and found the clubs with Crown Plaza and InterContinentals. Much appreciated.
All chains have pros and cons and they depend on location so I look at all of them…
I love Hyatt so much. Globalists is the best! 😁
Indeed, on our way to joining you soon!
I respectfully disagree. After watching your videos, I decided to switch to Hyatt from Hilton. Huge difference in points! My Hyatt stay netted me less than 600 points, and on a comparable spend with Hilton, I got almost 4,000 points. I get that you can find Hyatt redemption stays for a fraction of the points, but I feel like that’s relative. Where Hyatt kicks Hiltons butt IMO is in rewards, free nights and bonus points.
Can you share your referral codes for all these cards so that we both get points when i sign up?
They are in the description! Thanks!
This is confusing. do you have a video on which cc to use when booking hotels. Do you use the IHG card or the Am Ex. How do you know when to use which card?
You use the card of whichever hotel you stay at, so IHG at IHG and Hyatt at Hyatt
These premium Credit Cards are indeed USA-specific. In my country a retired person on pension would not get such a card , what I know
Medellin for about 5000 points per night
Hyatt has been the best for my family traveling in the U.S. and Caribbean. Considering the CPP value with Hyatt and that you don’t pay resort fees on award stays it has provided the highest value by far. (I know Hilton has no resort fees on award stays as well, but the points needed for stays is just too high even when booking four nights on points to get the 5th free).
But Hilton points are less than other programs. You can earn them at about .33 cents a point.
Are the accumulated points has expiration date.
What property is that at the 4:23 mark?
So do you have to renew your status every year
Yes until you gain lifetime status
Once you gain top-tier status, what is required to keep it?
You get it for that year and all of the next year, to keep it you would need to re earn it the 2nd year. Unless you are getting it from a card, then all you need to do is keep the card.
Is the 40 days for IHG per year
Yes
Is there a card that pairs with IHG like Chase pairs with Hyatt cc?
IHG premier and business. Nothing pairs well tbh, but points go on sale from time to time for half a cent per point
I would really appreciate if you would include chapters in your videos, so we can go directly to the part that we are most interested in, or want to go back to easily. I know it's an extra step in the process, but I find it very helpful in these type of videos. My personal rule of thumb is that if the video is longer than 15 minutes long, I include chapters or section titles to assist my viewers in finding the information they need more easily. In this video, for example, I would really have liked to skip right to the sections on Hyatt, Hilton, and Marriott Bonvoy because those are the brands I prefer.
How can a Canadian get Hyatt points without a US credit card please
You can get points by staying at a Hyatt
That credit card is only available to US citizens.
I have had my best rewards redemption stays with Hilton at the most beautiful properties. I think it is really important to see which program makes the most sense based on WHERE you travel the most. For example, my son lives in the northeast, and in that part of the country, my best options are usually Marriott properties. We are mostly traveling in the U.S. and so Hilton is very valuable to us. We live in the upper midwest, and for budget travelers around here, Wyndam is a valuable option with more properties in smaller towns and rural areas. I have never liked IHG properties, so it's hard for me to even consider pursuing status with IHG or putting IHG ahead of other brands. Are they better internationally? Because almost every IHG property I've stayed at in the U.S. has been a huge disappointment (and usually dirty).
Hilton internationally is for Luxury properties not value properties
No IHG credit card for Canadians! Darn!
Thank you for sharing all your great travel cards Hilton is my favorite chain of hotel unfortunately lol. We will use them in the US. We will go after IHG next and maybe just. We have had really bad luck with Marriott in LA, so not our favorite. Sounds like they are better over seas.
These loyalty programs and high end luxury hotel videos do not port well to the back story of this channel. Clearly, ya'll are not budget travelers anymore seeking incredible values ....like $30/night condos in Da Nang, Vietnam. Holding and managing credit cards with exorbitant interest rates is never recommended by most financial planners. Also, it is well known that the point to dollar rates are arbitrary...often require too much outright spending in order to obtain and can change without the consumer knowing.
You only pay interest if you carry a balance. The #1 rule of having a credit card (responsibly) is never carry a balance!
Don’t carry a balance; use the card responsibly.
What an odd take. They're not in a high end hotel and free is cheaper than $30/night.