Update: The list is now bookable, but Florida properties are gone.
Well, it’s back! I’m always super excited about new IHG PointBreaks list, and this one is no exception. Get ready to book on Monday, for travel through January 31st. It should go live before noon. Some properties are loaded at the discounted rate before the list goes live, so check and see. Since the period encompasses several major holidays, many hotels may sell out fast during those times.
As usual, whether you find the list a stud or a dud will depend on your plans. The cost is 5,000 points per night; 4,500 points if you have a co-branded Chase IHG Mastercard (read about it in this post). Here is the full hotel list Drew at Travelisfree has also put together a map of participating properties.
As always, you have a few options to get the points if you don’t already have them in your IHG account:
1) Transfer the points from Chase Ultimate Rewards to IHG 1:1 if you have Chase Sapphire Preferred or Ink Plus cards. Per reports, the points don’t always transfer instantly.
2) Buy them directly from IHG at a cost of 13.50 per one thousand points. LINK
3) You can also buy them via “cash+points” trick, where you make a reservation at a random IHG hotel, then cancel it and get the points refunded. That way, they end up costing 0.7 cents each. You have to have 5,000 points to begin with. I don’t endorse this method and IHG may suspend your account if you do it too many times, but it’s there if you are willing to risk it.
Now on to the title. There are two hotels in Florida that stand out IMO:
Holiday Inn Orlando East – UCF Area
It’s possible to put together a nice Thanksgiving or Christmas break vacation in Florida by utilizing those two hotels. The first one is located about 40 minutes driving distance from Fort Lauderdale airport (served by Southwest airlines) and only 2 miles away from a beach. There is also Palm Beach Zoo located nearby. Since it’s a Holiday Inn Express, breakfast is included. The hotel is brand new (rooms fit four) and has a heated pool. Check this TripAdvisor page for photos and reviews.
I don’t expect that it will stick around on PointBreaks list for more than a few days. I could be wrong, of course, but I would reserve it as soon as it becomes available, especially if you plan on going during holidays. I’m hoping to book a weekend getaway in January. My cousin-in-law Jen, what say you? Care to join us?
Holiday Inn Orlando East is located about 47 minutes away from Magic Kingdom. Obviously, it’s not ideal for first-item visitors or those with small kids. But if you have been to Disney quite a few times and just want to have a base to visit Cape Canaveral, Daytona beach as well as Magic Kingdom, this hotel could do the trick.
The third hotel in Florida could also be a good fit for some:
Holiday Inn Express Brooksville
Look at the map:
The arrow points to the hotel (I just love playing with screenshots!) Anyway, if you are planning to visit Busch Gardens in Tampa, Disney, as well as Crystal River (to see manatees), it could just be the perfect location if you don’t want to switch hotels.
Bottom line
IHG PointBreaks list will be out shortly. I wanted to write this post a few days ahead so you would have time to look it over and figure out if anything might be a good fit.
Readers, are you planning to take advantage of this promotion?
Click here to view various credit cards and available sign-up bonuses
Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
That is a really nice area down there. We went to Delray Beach last year and it was beautiful. I will have to think about it. We have lots going on in November and December already.
Anonymous, thank you for your input! We have never been to that part of Florida, so I’m anxious to check it out. I can relate to having too many trips scheduled as it is. Have you considered MLK weekend in January? Of course, the trip would only last three nights, but could be worth it.