Point Breaks
Q: What are Priority Club Point Breaks?
A: Instead of shelling out 15,000 to 40,000 points to book a reward room you can book rooms for just 5,000 points – this is pretty darn good as you can often get good properties on this deal.
Q: Why do they do this?
A: Either it’s a new hotel and they want to drum up business and then get the all important reviews on Trip Advisor
A: Or it’s the off-season and they have rooms to fill – hopefully your incidental spend will make up for the loss of revenue!
Q: When do they get updated?
A: Every 3/4 months the list is updated with new properties, although as the the period rolls on hotels which have sold out of Point Breaks rooms are removed – so hence the list can look quite scarce towards the end of the quarter.
Q: Help – there is no availability!
A: Not surprisingly the best hotels get snapped up in seconds – for example the Crowne Plaza Hotel -Champs Elysées was on the last list, with a normal rate of €300 per night rooms there were going like hotcakes!
Q: So where are they are at:
Q: Anything else…
A: Two more things – you can sometimes find a points break hotel by accident before it is “formally” published – this is because they use the same rate code – “IVANI” – as normal reward bookings
A: On any reward stay check what room you’ve booked – it’s not always the cheapest room which is a bonus – yet they may try and push you in one when you arrive. Bring a paper copy the booking confirmation!
Do you have any inside info on if pointbreaks is going away?
The current list expires here in 10 days and they have not posted a new one. Someone claims to have been told by a rep that the list is done. Any truth to this ?
good properties???? Not really – PC is usually throwing out the properties where noone is willing to stay at that time of the year anyway. Eg. Dresden, Germany – no tourists, not many business tourists in springtime. Yet, try to book it in July/August – impossible!
Ijmuiden Netherlands: until April of course, because too far away from Amsterdam (40km), directly at the (cold) North Sea, again: nobody is going to stay there in these months! Now come on, re-write this blog and be honest!
@PriorityClub Insider!
Well you used to get good properties! Agreed – the latest list is pretty poor..PS get a new handle
It pays to book early and immediatly after the publishing of the list. I had the chance to get 3 nightq at the Intercontinental of Kiev. This is an amazing place with only very expensive rooms and I have rewarded with a free minibar in a somptuous room…
All this for 15.000 points: what a deal!!
Do they give you a room upgrade for Platinum status if you book the crown plaza or holiday inn using pointbreaks ? Do they give you room upgrade for ambassador status if you book Intercontinental using pointbreaks?
How do i find other hotels at the 5000 point rate that are not published on the point breakers list? I read online that people are doing that but i do not know how? Also I want to take a vacation in September, is there any of finding out where hotels will be available at 5000 points during that time? Also i was wondering the same question as bruinkid, if you can upgrade with your platinum or ambassador status (at IC) if you used your pointbreaks to book it?
the InterContinental Stockholm 5,000 points stays are gone now. now only those holiday in are left. i has been one month since they updated the list in June 7 or 8. I think they should put new hotels at least once a month.
Barstow! In August!!! Ha ha ha!!!!
There are no point break hotels showing anywhere, link just says none available at this time.
Has this program been axed?
I have been Platinum for years….up until recently, (last year), Platinum used to mean something regardless of how you booked your room. Lately when using points, I am told that Plat benefits do not apply. When I PAY for a room, I am on my companies dime and alone, so suites and late check outs aren’t needed. It would be great to get recognized for my loyalty when I need it most….
I hear that PCR will eventually eliminate “Point Breaks” and replace it with a program that allows certain hotels in the IHG system to be redeemed at 50% of the hotel brand’s normal redemption price. Not sure if the new list will be updated quarterly or monthly… but look for the change (or official announcement of the change) to be posted on priorityclub.com later on in 2011).
Word has it that the “new” list of PB hotels will be broader in terms of number of hotels; but of course, the cost of redemption per hotel stay will increase.
Stay Tuned…
Nothing in the Oceania Region this March/April that is disappointing
I love Priority Club (the best rewards program), I have several others as well. As a Platinum member a recent stay in Bowling Green KY @ a Govt rate of $77 usually gets me a suite upgrade, this time because the hotel had 2 weddings and was just a ccouple rooms shy of being booked completely, got me a plaza suite upgrade much to the delight of wife and kids. I always stay in an IHG property when I can. I applaud the staff of each hotel I have had the pleasure of staying in.
There are a new set of Points Breaks updated and valid until September 30th 2011.
@simon w
Thank you – now added to front page
I want to book sompleace for Christmas vacation, when will the newest points breaks list come out?
Is there a cancellation penalty for points breaks reservations?
New points break list published – stays available through Nov 30.
@alohastephen
No penalty – they go back into your account just like a normal points reservation.
For some reason, this page suddenly opened while I was sending an e-mail. I would like to know if it applies to Mexican accounts too, since I live in Mexico, and if so, please tell me how to subscribe.
Looks like PointBreaks has been taken down?
@Steve
Looks like the whole site is down?
pcr point break published today but still not working. if you try to book it gives you for example 25000 instead of 5000 points
@alexa
The site is fixed. I tried this morning and it was broken as alexa said. Just tried this afternoon, up and running. Couple of IC’s and several CP’s on the list. Even an Indigo.
All I find is the points plus an additional dollar amount that is charged for the room.
Is this the way the program works? For example, the room is 5000 points if you pay an additional $40-70 depending on where it is located.
I spent 1/2 hour today chasing customer service about the newest Point Breaks listing. It said that it was good through July 31, 2012. They changed it back to May 31, 2012 within one hour of my complaints. Spoke to Pam Kovash, Senior Customer Retention Care. They will not admit to errors or let you talk to someone who can try to make you happy. I was told by Pam to look at the disclaimer. I am one p/o’d Platinum.
Is there any reasoin why the points break releases have been coming so late for the last two periods. We are now at 30 Jul 12 and still no sign!!
Pointbreaks! is now updated and valid for booking through October 15, 2012. Good Luck!
Tried to book some Pointsbreak hotels online and they all showed up as unavailable for any date I plugged in. BUT called the Priority Line and they booked them for me. Mostly HIE and Staybridge this time, but 5k is mighty cheap.
Newcastle UK Hotel Indigo – 5000pts, excellent quality IHG brand, I’ll have some of that
I’m looking for a Pointsbreak hotel for mid-January. Any idea when the list will be updated for stays past Dec 10th?
@Rosemary The Point Break list was updated today
@Jake
Any idea when the next list will be published, it is currebtkly up to 30th June
@Grant
Grant they only show the current quarter. So the next one will not be published until July and that will cover 3Q which is July, August, and September.