Update 12/17/20: Rather than extending the free night certificates, IHG is actually just adding a second certificate that expires on August 31, 2021. Dans Deals has confirmed with IHG that IHG members can use both certificates without any issue. Meaning the free nights have been extended and you basically get an additional free night to use by December 31, 2020. Worth the wait in the end!
Update 12/16/20: People are now reporting that certificates have now been extended until August 31, 2021. Not all certificates have been extended as of yet.
According to JPWRana IHG plans to extend all free night certificates that expiring before December 31, 2020 until August, 2021. This has not been confirmed officially yet, but TPG also posted yesterday that an update was coming regarding these certificates. Previously IHG has extended free night certificates as follows:
- We are extending the expiration date of anniversary and free night certificates that are set to expire in 2020. Certificates expiring from March 1, 2020 can now be used through December 31, 2020.
- Certificates issued in 2020 will have an 18-month redemption time period.
Fingers crossed this is officially confirmed and certificate holders get some additional time to use these up.
I just booked a night and figured out the original anniversary night wasn’t used.
Current status:
Available: 1 of 1 Anniversary Night (Aug 9, 2019 – Dec 31, 2020)
Available: 0 of 1 Anniversary Night (Apr 2, 2020 – Aug 31, 2021)
I lived chat with an agent and got a reply below:
“IHG has announced that IHG Rewards credit cardmembers will now have until 31 August 2021 to use their Anniversary Night certificate that was set to expire in 2020. To accomplish this in the system, we had to issue a new certificate with the redemption period through 31 August 2021, that’s the reason why you’ll see that the anniversary night that will expire on Aug 31, 2021 has been used instead of the other one that would expire on Dec 31, 2020.”
I asked further if these two Anniversary Nights should be the same and got a positive response.
So, in my personal experience, these two anniversary nights seem to be the same, and just don’t bother using the first one before this year.
To add more information:
I booked the night from 12/31/2020 to 1/1/2021 so it’s also possible that Dec 31 is a special date which is not fallen into the period “Aug 9, 2019 – Dec 31, 2020” in IHG’s perspective.
Give some updates.
I booked another night on Dec 23 and confirmed that it used the first anniversary night (Aug 9, 2019 – Dec 31, 2020). So my assumption is correct:
“Dec 31 is a special date which is not fallen into the period “Aug 9, 2019 – Dec 31, 2020” in IHG’s perspective.”
The online agent didn’t really know how the system works and we can truly use both certificates from my experience.
I assume you stayed your first night already. If so, curious if second night reservation is still ok?
gosh color me happy, I just used this years night this month before it went up in flames + @ a Kimpton property. just now see they gave me another night. fantastic. love this site!
Kimpton Canary Hotel reservation
Reservation for: Me!
Check in: Friday, December 4, 2020
Check out: Saturday, December 5, 2020
2 Anniversary Nights
Book Night
Book 1 between
04/02/2020 – 08/31/2021
Book 1 between
07/09/2020 – 01/15/2022
Select IHG Rewards Club Credit Card Anniversary Night
IHG just sent out email 10 min ago. confirming that the “extension” is adding a new cert ending on 8/31/21.
so anyone with ones remaining till 12/31/20 can still use it this year.
How do you know that though? Plus, how do you do it online?
If we want to use the one expiring 31 Dec 2020 for a stay next week, for instance, how do we specify that particular one when there’s only one “Book Night” button but you have others that expire later? There is no way during the booking process to specify a particular certificate, in this case the one that’s expiring soonest. Mine looks like this:
Book 1 between
10/30/2019 – 12/31/2020
Book 1 between
04/02/2020 – 08/31/2021
Book 1 between
10/30/2020 – 05/18/2022
Guess which one I want to apply. I want to see if doubling up will fly. Any suggestions?
Anyone confirmed with IHG about we can use both certificates, other than just believe Dans Deals says? I talked with them and the one over the phone has no clue.
Very nice of them. They didn’t have to do anything. (Do you think AirBnB would do this… Nope?)
I presume the IHG points expiration will also be extended to 8/31? haven’t seen any announcement and can’t see the expiration from account
If I remember correctly, IHG points do not expire if you have IHG credit card since it comes with Platinum Elite Status. Is that correct?
Also, can I redeem the free night certificate expiring 12/31/2020 for any stay beyond that?
that’s a good point – somehow I thought the help from IHG CC on points expiration was you can easily generate activity/eg. earn pts by any small CC spending…. but I could be wrong …
Many Uncapped cert has NOT been extended, yet. They probably are in the last batch. Mine is among those unfortunately.
Capped certs are all extended now.
Can we book a stay in 2021, using the free night voucher expiring by the end of the year ? I mean we book now and have our stay in the new year. Thanks.
Just received it this evening: Book 1 between 04/02/2020 – 08/31/2021.