IHG has rolled out dynamic award pricing to more destinations, so IHG hotels and resorts point amounts now can fluctuate based on the demand and seasonality. For those that have Chase IHG Rewards Club credit cards, every year you receive an IHG anniversary free night that is valid at IHG properties with a point redemption level of 40,000 points or less. So how does this apply to IHG dynamic award pricing model? 

Chase IHG Anniversary Free Night Certificate Now Can Use At 40,000+ Points Properties
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    What Is Chase IHG Anniversary Free Night 

    Both Chase IHG Rewards Club Premier and old discontinued IHG Rewards Club Select credit cards offer an Anniversary Free Night Certificate on your account renewal anniversary date each year. The Annual Free Night certificate will be deposited into your IHG account and can be used for redemption within 12 months from date of issue at worldwide IHG properties with redemption level of 40,000 points or less per night. 

    IHG Now Allows Anniversary Free Night Certificate For 40,000+ Points Properties

    While there are quite several IHG hotels and resorts that can be had for 40,000 points or less per night with the anniversary free night certificate, the 40k points cap has been making it impossible to use the free night for high end hotels and resorts that redemption threshold is higher than 40,000 points. 

    IHG has a dedicated web page that contains properties whose redemption level is more than 40,000 points per night. Due to dynamic award pricing, it appears that IHG has updated the term on its anniversary free night to allow you to use the free night certificate at those 40k+ points hotels as long as those hotels point amount can be redeemed for 40k points or less based on the standard rewards night redemption. Here's the updated IHG term from official IHG website:

    Anniversary Night is valid at IHG® Hotels with a current point redemption level of 40,000 points or less, and must be redeemed, and stay must be completed, within 12 months from date of issue. Below is a list of hotels whose redemption threshold is higher than 40,000 points. Note that hotels on this list could be available as point amounts can now fluctuate based on demand and seasonality.

    Bottom Line

    While I am not a fan of dynamic award pricing for any loyalty programs out there, it is nice to see that IHG took the approach of allowing members to use IHG Anniversary Free Night certificate for high end hotels and resorts that require more than 40,000 points per night due to its variable points pricing model. This is definitely an awesome way to maximize your IHG annual free night certificate. 

    Currently, the dynamic award pricing has made several IHG properties require much lower points than usual that you should take advantage of if you can because once we all can travel again, that may be a different story as dynamic award pricing can get really expensive. 

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