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We often see Rakuten promoting deals offering 10% and 12% back on select IHG bookings, and every now and again we see a nice 15% offer as well. Right now, however, there’s an excellent 17% back available on bookings at IHG’s Vignette collection properties and as that can translate to 17 Amex points/dollar, this is a deal worth flagging.
It’s not clear how long this offer will last for so don’t wait too long if you have an IHG stay that you need to book.
The points/cashback on offer
At the time of writing, this is what Rakuten of offering on IHG bookings:
- 17 Amex points/dollar or 17% back on Vignette Collection bookings.
- 10 Amex points/dollar or 10% back on bookings with Atwell Suites, EVEN Hotels, Garner Hotels, Iberostar Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton, Regent, Ruby, Avid Hotels, and Voco Hotels.
- 3 Amex points/dollar or 3% back on bookings with Candlewood Suites, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn (all versions), Hotel Indigo, Six Senses, Staybridge Suites.
Be aware that not all Six Senses or Kimpton properties are participating in this deal, so make sure you check the participating properties list on the Rakuten IHG page list before you go ahead with any bookings.
Link to IHG’s Vignette Collection properties
Rakuten IHG cashback key terms
These are the key terms and conditions per Rakuten:
- Cash Back is not available on bookings with US and Canada IHG Army Hotels.
- For Six Senses & Kimpton, Cash Back is only available at select properties
- Changes made to the reservation at the hotel will void Cash Back.
- Specialty negotiated rates such as IHG friends & Family are not eligible for Cash Back.
- Cash Back is not available on the purchase of reward Club Points or the Ambassador Certificate program.
- Rooms booked and paid for by IHG reward Club Points are not eligible for Cash Back incentives.
- For Iberostar Beachfront Resorts, rewards are earned based on the all-inclusive rate, which is the total room rate with included meal plan; however, no additional costs or charges associated with the stay are eligible for rewards. For all other eligible IHG brands excluding Iberostar Beachfront Resorts, rewards are earned solely based off the room rate. No additional costs or charges associated with the stay are eligible for rewards.
Make sure you read all the terms carefully on the Rakuten page before booking.
Why this is a good deal
Not only will clicking through the Rakuten portal earn you up to 17% cash back on eligible IHG bookings, but you’ll also continue to earn IHG Rewards points and credit towards IHG elite status, and you’ll continue to enjoy any elite status benefits that you may be entitled to (Rakuten’s links take you directly to the IHG website so all stays booked in this way are treated like any other booking made directly with IHG).
Don’t forget!
Earn Membership Rewards Points
If you’d like to earn Membership Rewards points instead of cashback (1 point per 1% cash back) make sure you change your Rakuten account settings appropriately.
Earn Bilt Points
If you hold Bilt Silver, Gold, or Platinum status, $1 in Rakuten cashback can be converted into 100 Bilt Points (effectively a 1:1 value ratio, as Bilt points are generally valued at 1 cent each), and if you’re not a huge Amex fan, this may be worth considering (you will need to link your Rakuten and Bilt accounts).
Tips
There’s no trick to earning the cashback or Membership Rewards points on offer (you just click through to the retailers using the links on Rakuten), but there are two things you should keep in mind:
Firstly, before making any purchases, make sure you check what Amex offers are available in your American Express account and what Chase offers are in your Chase account as both often published targeted seals for select IHG stays.
Make sure that you load your cards with any relevant offers before using those card for any bookings.
Secondly, if you don’t have any relevant Amex or Chase offers to use, make sure you use a credit card that will reward you well. The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card will help you earn up to 26 IHG Rewards Points per dollar on IHG bookings or, for example, you could choose to use the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card which will earn you 4 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent directly with hotels.
Bottom line
For a limited time, Rakuten is offering 17% cash back or 17 Membership Rewards Points per dollar for stays booked at IHG’s Vignette Collection properties and 10% cash back or 10 Membership Rewards Points per dollar for stays booked at ten other IHG brands.
Keep in mind that if you hold Bilt elite status (Silver, Gold or Platinum), you also have the option to convert ever $1 of Rakuten cashback into 100 Bilt points, so that could be another nice way to get value out of this deal.
