【Updated 5/3】 The 2019 Accelerate promotion is back. You can register and see whether you receive a better offer. Stay a bit and you might earn a large batch of points. Registration is open from May 1, 2019 to June 18, 2019, and the promotion runs from May 1, 2019 to August 31, 2019. Offers may vary, so decide based on the offer you receive. One reminder: be sure to register for the promotion before booking!
Here are the offers I received this time 
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About the Accelerate promotion
To attract new guests and keep existing ones, IHG Hotels & Resorts (see here for an introduction to IHG hotels and points) generally runs 3-4 rounds of the "Accelerate" promotion each year, which lets guests earn a large number of IHG points by taking part in the official promotion. The 2018 Q1 Accelerate promotion is now open for registration. Registration link:
The offers in the Accelerate program vary by person, and it often seems to favor new customers. New IHG customers often get better offers, while frequent guests may end up with frustrating offers like "three nights and three nights." You can try registering a new account and may get a better offer.
This is my 2018 Q1 Accelerate offer 
A careful breakdown shows that staying 1 night in January and paying with the Chase IHG credit card can earn an extra 2000+1500+2000=5500 points, worth 5500*0.07=$38.5. If you can stay 5 nights, you can complete all of the offers and earn 40,000 points, which is still a very good deal, especially for people traveling for business or leisure.
Accelerate promotion in practice
The image below shows my progress completing the Accelerate program last quarter.
In fact, I only stayed twice, and both stays were necessary anyway. I completed 7 tasks in one shot and easily earned 41,500 points, so it was still a very good deal.
IHG Accelerate Program Q&A
1. Promotion registration and status check:
- The 2018 Q1 promotion is here. To check your status, log in to your account through this link and you will be able to see your progress.
2. What counts as an eligible stay and activates an Accelerate task:
- 1. Paid stays; 2. Booked through official channels. Award stays are not eligible, unless a task specifically requires a points-and-cash booking.
3. Which stay types cannot activate Accelerate tasks
- Third-party bookings (Priceline, Booking, Orbitz, Hotels, etc.), free nights, points stays (points + cash), room vouchers, and certain negotiated rates).
4. Can one stay complete multiple tasks at the same time?
- Yes. As long as the stay meets the task requirements, one stay can complete multiple tasks.
5. How long does it take for tasks to update?
- The update cycle is generally 2-4 weeks. If there is no update after more than 4 weeks, you can contact IHG customer service.
6. Can points earned through Accelerate be used to upgrade status?
- No. Bonus points are not elite-qualifying points.
7. After registering for Accelerate, if I change the earning preference, can it trigger the task, and how are the bonus points counted?
- If the stay qualifies, the task can be triggered normally, and the bonus points will still post as points.
8. Can a booking made for someone else trigger my task?
- No. The member must personally stay.
9. Can bookings made before the promotion starts trigger tasks? Do I need to rebook?
- According to the Accelerate program rules, you need to make the booking after the promotion starts and then complete the stay.
10. If the stay dates fall on the first or last two days of the promotion period, does it count?
- Yes, it includes the first and last two days.
Finally, let’s take a look at a rather painful Accelerate task, commonly known as "three nights and three nights."
