Microsoft Excel

IHG Points vs. Money: How to Save Over 50% on Hotel Rooms Using Excel to Compare

Chris Menard

13 Mar 2026 — 6 min read

If you're an IHG One Rewards member, you might be leaving serious money on the table by paying cash for hotel rooms. Let me walk you through a real example where I saved over 50% — more than $1,900 — on a four-night stay at one of Washington, DC's most iconic hotels by using points instead of cash. I'll also show you how to use Microsoft Excel to compare the numbers side by side.

What Is IHG?

IHG stands for InterContinental Hotels Group. It's one of the largest hotel companies in the world and includes brands across multiple tiers — from luxury options like Six Senses, Regent, and InterContinental to familiar names like Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, and Candlewood Suites.

IHG Included Brands showing Luxury and Lifestyle tier — IHG includes dozens of hotel brands across luxury, premium, essentials, and suites categories.

The Hotel: InterContinental The Willard Washington D.C.

My family has been wanting to visit Washington, DC for years. There's a particular hotel I've always had on my bucket list — the InterContinental The Willard Washington D.C. It's located right on Pennsylvania Avenue, steps from the White House, the Washington Monument, the National Mall, the Capitol, Ford's Theatre, and dozens of museums. The location is so central you don't even need to rent a car.

Google Maps showing The Willard hotel location in Washington DC — The Willard sits in the heart of DC — walking distance to every major attraction.

Step 1: Check the Cash Price

I searched the IHG website for a four-night stay from May 17 through May 21, 2026. I selected the least expensive Classic Room and declined all upgrades. Here's the breakdown:

Four nightly rates ranging from $626 to $895
Daily Amenity Fee: $140
Room Tax: $489.68
Daily Amenity Fee Taxes: $22.32
Total cash price: $3,722.05

DC hotel taxes are notoriously high. After seeing that total, my first thought was: I am not paying that.

IHG booking page showing cash price of $3,722.05 for four nights — The cash price for four nights at The Willard: $3,722.05 including taxes and fees.

Step 2: Check the Points Price

On the same IHG website, I switched from "Money" to "Points" and selected the exact same Classic Room. The nightly points varied from 95,000 to 143,000, with the fourth night free (an IHG One Rewards Credit Cardmember benefit). The total came to 363,000 points.

IHG booking page showing points price of 363,000 for four nights — The same room booked with points: 363,000 IHG points, with the fourth Reward Night free.

Step 3: Compare in Excel

I pulled up Microsoft Excel to compare these side by side. Here's what my spreadsheet looks like:

Hotel: InterContinental The Willard Washington D.C.
Dates: May 17–21 (4 nights)
Cash price: $3,722
Points required: 363,000
Cost per point: $0.005 (half a cent — I'll explain below)
Dollar equivalent of points: $1,815
Savings: $1,907
Price per night using points: $454

At $454 per night, that's a solid rate for a luxury DC hotel where most rooms run $500–$800 per night.

Excel spreadsheet comparing IHG money vs points showing $1,907 savings — Excel makes it easy to compare: $3,722 in cash vs. $1,815 equivalent in points — a $1,907 difference.

How I Get Points at Half Price

The key number in that Excel formula is the cost per point. At the default IHG rate, 100,000 points costs $1,000 — that's one cent per point. Do not buy points at full price.

Excel showing IHG points cost per point calculation at $0.01 — At full price, 100,000 IHG points costs $1,000 — one cent per point. Wait for a better deal.

IHG regularly runs promotions throughout the year:

Buy 100,000 points, get 50,000 bonus (50% extra)
Buy 100,000 points, get 75,000 bonus (75% extra)
Buy 100,000 points, get 100,000 bonus — the 2-for-1 deal

The 2-for-1 deal is the one to wait for. You pay $1,000 and receive 200,000 points, bringing your effective cost down to half a cent per point ($0.005). That's the number I used in the Excel calculation above.

IHG Buy Points page showing bonus point promotions — The IHG Buy Points page during a 100% bonus promotion — buy one, get one on points.

The Bottom Line

Here's the final comparison with the percentage savings calculated in Excel:

Excel showing 51.24% savings using IHG points vs cash — Final result: 51.24% savings by booking with points instead of cash.

Cash price: $3,722
Points equivalent: $1,815
Savings: $1,907 (51.24%)

One important note: not every hotel gives you this kind of deal. Sometimes the points price and the cash price work out to roughly the same value. The trick is to compare the numbers — and Excel makes that comparison straightforward. When you find a hotel where points deliver real savings, that's when it's worth buying points during a promotion.

If you're an IHG member, always wait for the 2-for-1 points promotion, then use Excel to compare your options before booking.

Want to learn more? Visit courses.chrismenardtraining.com for online training courses.