Should You Renew InterContinental Ambassador for US$200 or 40,000 IHG Rewards Club Points?

A number of changes to the InterContinental Ambassador membership have gone live and it has gotten significantly more expensive (in terms of IHG Rewards Club Points at least) over the years to renew. I am now once again faced with the situation of potentially renewing my membership - the two options that I have on the table are either to pay US$200 or 40,000 IHG Rewards Club Points.

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Photo Credit: InterContinental Davos

The cash option for the InterContinental Ambassador membership has not changed - it is still priced at US$200 for renewal and you will get 15,000 IHG Rewards Club Points as well as a 10% rebate on reward nights. However, you used to be able to renew this membership with only 24,000 IHG Rewards Club Points (and get 5,000 back with your membership!). Now, renewing your InterContinental Ambassador membership will cost you 40,000 IHG Rewards Club Points and you do not get any bonus point vouchers with renewal if you choose this option. The Points Guy values IHG Rewards Club Points at $0.005 each so parting with 40,000 points is akin to spending US$200.

Photo Credit: InterContinental Ljubljana

Following that valuation, the price of renewal is exactly the same - US$200 versus 40,000 IHG Rewards Club Points (worth US$200) - but you do get a few nice perks with the former option. Getting 15,000 IHG Rewards Club Points (worth US$75) with the cash renewal is a nice perk but if you are planning on redeeming your IHG Rewards Club Points this year, the cash renewal is a no-brainer. I am unsure at this point whether I will be renewing my InterContinental Ambassador membership since I am quite committed to both Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors as of now (and there are only so many weekends that I can do staycations in Singapore). However, if you are looking for an answer, paying US$200 for renewal is definitely the way to go.