IHG Free Night Certificate Guide and 40,000 Hotel List [2021]

With almost 6,000 properties worldwide, IHG has your back covered for using your IHG free night certificate. The IHG free night certificate, also known as the IHG Chase anniversary free night, is given when you hold two particular IHG credit cards from Chase. The free night is usable at hotels that cost 40,000 IHG points or less.

The properties where you can your your free night vary greatly. Some properties are on the beach in far to reach destinations around the world and some might be an InterContinental located in a major city in Europe or North America.

In this article, I go into detail of how to get an IHG free night certificate, how to use the IHG free night certificate, and the best hotels in the world to use the IHG free night certificate. Then I provide a long list of hotels that cost 40,000 points at the end of the article.

What is the IHG free night certificate?

The IHG free night certificate, also known as the IHG Chase Anniversary Free Night, is a benefit of the IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card and the IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card. On your card membership anniversary, you receive a free night certificate at any IHG property in the world equal to 40,000 IHG points per night.

So, you could use the free night certificate at any IHG property that costs 40,000 points or less. When using the certificate, it uses none of your points, just the certificate itself is used. Down below, I explain how and where you should use your IHG free night certificate.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

How to get the IHG free night certificate

There are two credit cards that give you the IHG free night certificate.

IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card

Issued by Chase, the IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card is a great bang for your buck card in terms of benefits received and decently low annual fee. (Read the detailed review here.)

Some of the benefits from holding this card:

  • Earn 10 points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG hotels
  • Earn 2 points per $1 spent on purchases at gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants
  • Fourth night free when using points
  • Anniversary Free Night Certificate
  • Platinum Elite status at IHG
  • Cell Phone Protection (up to $800?) per claim and $1,000 per year effective November 17, 2019
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Save At Least 20% on Points Purchases
  • Global Entry or TSA Pre Fee Credit
  • Earn 10,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 a year
  • $89 annual fee

There are two benefits on the card that are super valuable. The fourth night free when using points can be a huge points saver. This allows you to save 25% every time you book four consecutive nights in a row. This benefit is unique to the IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card.

The anniversary free night certificate is valued at 40,000 IHG points. Meaning, you cannot use the free night certificate for a property valued over 40,000 points. While this limits the use of the free night, the free night priced at 40,000 points can still come in good use when you don’t want to use points or cash.

Both of these benefits together can save you huge amounts of money and points, especially as the free night certificate comes every year after you renew the card. It basically pays for the annual fee.

IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card

The IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card isn’t open to new applications, but if you hold this card you are grandfathered into the benefits.

  • Earn 5 points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG hotels
  • Anniversary Free Night Certificate
  • Platinum Elite status at IHG
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $49 annual fee

The benefits on this card are lackluster. I wouldn’t use this card every month or even when I am paying for an IHG property. In fact, if I am staying at an IHG property, I would use my Chase Sapphire Reserve as I value Chase Ultimate Rewards much more than IHG Rewards Points.

Nonetheless, this card is still super good. The free night certificate is now the same as the IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card, but with a lower annual fee. As there is a lower annual fee, the free night certificate pays for itself without much effort.

If you are still holding this card, keep holding it. In fact, get the other card too. So you can have two free night certificates, 4th night free, and other unique IHG benefits.

How to use the IHG free night certificate

Using the IHG free night certificate is as easy as logging into your IHG account.

After you log into your IHG Rewards Club account, you will want to go to the account profile page, also known as “my account” or account overview. On your account profile page, you can see all sorts of information about your status, how many nights you stayed, points balance, and free nights.

Notice on my account, there are two free nights available as I hold both the IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card and IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card.

When you click on the free night(s) link, you will see the free night(s) you have available and their expiration date. As I have two available, two are ready for me to use at any time.

Once you’re ready to use your free night certificate, all you have to do is click “book free night”.

If you already know that you have a free night certificate you can use, you can skip the steps above and go straight to searching.

When searching from the homepage, make sure you’re signed in to your IHG account. After you made sure you’re signed in, when searching the location of the property you want to stay and the dates, you will want to select “Chase Anniversary Free Night” from the “rate preference” dropdown.

It’s important to only search one night at a time if you want to use the certificate. If you want to have a multiple night booking, just make two bookings.

Once you made the bookings, just call in and explain to the hotel that you have two bookings and want to join them together. If you don’t want to call in, the property should accommodate you at check-in joining your reservations together. Both have worked for me.

When you search for the property, you will see the word “free” in the place of the price for every property shown. 

Only properties that are eligible for the free night, aka less than 40,000 points, will be shown as free.

Once you selected the property, you will be brought to the rooms available page. You will want to select the “standard” tab. Under the standard tab, you can see the room(s) available for using your free night certificate.

After selecting the room you want, you will be directed to the rates page. You will see rates for using cash, points, and your free night certificate. All you have to do to use your free night certificate is to select the one that says “free”.

Lastly, it will show the total on the next page. Notice it still says free and that’s the only price you will pay for the room.

Next, you complete your booking, you’re all good to go to enjoy your free night.

What is the cancellation policy for the free night?

The free night certificate cancellation policy will differ at every property. Some will allow free cancellations up to a couple of days before check-in and some might allow free cancellations the same day, but if you want to check the cancellation policy of the property, it’s easy.

To check the cancellation policy for an IHG property, you will see it on the page when selecting the rate you want and the payment page before you book the reservation.

Here is another example of the cancellation policy for when you use the IHG free night certificate. 

Read more about the IHG cancellation policy here.

Can you use the IHG free night certificate for someone else?

Yes, you can use the IHG free night certificate for someone else, even when you aren’t staying at the property.

For redeeming your free night certificate for someone else, you just have to call IHG customer support. They will be able to use their name for the primary on the reservation instead of yours.

You can call IHG at +1-877-859-5095.

Best hotels to use your IHG free night certificate

There are many great places to use your IHG free night certificate, but here are a few of the best IHG hotels in the world to use your free night certificate.

Remember, when using your free night certificate, the property must cost 40,000 points or less.

InterContinental Bali Resort

The InterContinental Bali Resort is generally priced well, but during peak season, it can get pricey making it a perfect time for using your free night certificate. 

Plus, you’re right on the beach for beautiful sunset views over the Indian Ocean with some of the best hospitality in the world being in Indonesia. 

InterContinental Bangkok

The InterContinental Bangkok offers a good club lounge, location, and room in one of the most popular cities in the world. It’s right next to public transport, but still outside of the party locations filled with many people staying up late.

With high nightly prices, this is a great place to use your free night certificate. 

InterContinental Prague

Prague is one of my favorite cities in the world. It’s not too expensive but still a quality city that puts other western Europe cities to shame. The InterContinental Prague is not cheap, so the InterContinental Prague being priced at 40,000 points is a great use for the free night certificate. 

InterContinental Presidente Cancun Resort

Cancun isn’t for everyone, but if you love Cancun, the InterContinental Presidente Cancun Resort should be on your list.

The resort is perfect for both families and couples with activities for all. It’s overlooking the beautiful turquoise waters where it’s always warm and ready for your next adventure. If you’re looking for a prime party location, it’s not the resort for you.

Kimpton Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City

Known as Salt Lake City’s most dynamic hotel, the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City is making its name for one of the best boutique chain hotels in the world. Kimpton properties are known as a trendy boutique hotel chain with unique secret passwords for raid the bar.

If you had to use your free night certificate in the USA, Salt Lake City is a great destination, but also great for value as the free night certificate can get great value out of this property for nightly prices regularly in the high $200s.

InterContinental Jakarta Pondok Indah

The InterContinental Jakarta Pondok Indah is almost a year old making it one of the newest InterContinental properties in the world. It offers direct access to a shopping mall offering premium stores. It is also located in the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta.

Being in Jakarta, you can eat your heart away with many local and international food options of savory and sweet dishes.

InterContinental Berlin

Berlin is filled with lots of history and the InterContinental Berlin accommodates you with close proximity to Brandenburg Gate, but outside of touristy central Berlin. With German hospitality and attentive service, you would enjoy your time at the InterContinental Berlin both on business and tourism. 

InterContinental Budapest

Budapest is one of my favorite eastern European major cities. Located on the Pest side of Budapest, the InterContinental Budapest is right on the river-facing Buda. It’s classic InterContinental in terms of service and design.

From my experience, it’s worth it for using your free night certificate, especially as cash prices are high during all seasons. 

Crowne Plaza Changi Airport

Yes, it’s Crowne Plaza, but hear me out. The Crowne Plaza Changi Airport is great. One, it’s great for the location. Connected right to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) you don’t have to exit the airport to access the hotel. Two, it has great views of the apron and runways where you can see any aircraft type you can imagine.

Rates are normally over $200 for the base room making this a great use for your free night certificate if you have a layover in Singapore.

Hotel Indigo Shanghai On The Bund

Right on the Bund, the Hotel Indigo Shanghai On The Bund overlooks Pudong. The location is great if you want views and a semi central hotel. As an Indigo property, it feels like a boutique property with a unique design influenced by its location.

Cash rates aren’t that high, but still a great place for redeeming your free night certificate at.

InterContinental Lisbon

Currently finishing up its massive room renovations, the InterContinental Lisbon is central in beautiful Lisbon. Cash rates are high during peak travel season (summer) making this a great property to use your free night certificate.

InterContinental Saigon

Ho Chi Minh is a must-visit city in Vietnam if you ever visit. It has great food, clubs, and sights to see. Plus, it’s the hub to the rest of Vietnam and South East Asia making it easy to get anywhere you might wish.

The InterContinental Saigon is usually priced above $200 making it a great property to redeem your free night certificate for both the value and location of the property.

InterContinental Madrid

The InterContinental Madrid is centrally located by multiple metro stations connecting you to the rest of the city and suburbs.

It’s right on the main avenue going through Madrid where there are great walks and parks nearby. You can also find great cafes and restaurants all around. Plus, the hotel is priced over $200 making the free night certificate come into some good use here.

InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa

If you happen to be in Fiji, the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa is the best property to use the free night certificate at. It’s on the beach in beautiful Fiji where the water is always turquoise blue. It’s also great in terms of value as rates are over $300 usually making the free night certificate super valuable at this property. 

I for one will be using my free night certificate here next time in Fiji.

IHG properties that cost 40,000 points

If the best hotels list above doesn’t help you, here is an extensive list of IHG properties worldwide. These should allow you to see what type of properties are around the world giving you ideas of destinations to use our IHG free night certificate.

I didn’t include every hotel and every brand, but I did include premium hotels from premium brands. 

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

Asia

ANA Crowne Plaza Sapporo

Crowne Plaza Macau

Holiday Inn Macao Cotai Central

Holiday Inn Macau

Holiday Inn Osaka Namba

InterContinental Grand Seoul Parnas

InterContinental OneThousand Island Lake Resort

Caribbean

Holiday Inn Resort Aruba-Beach Resort & Casino

Europe

Crowne Plaza Amsterdam – South

Crowne Plaza Barcelona – Fira Center

Crowne Plaza Chester

Crowne Plaza Dublin – Blanchardstown

Crowne Plaza Geneva

Crowne Plaza London – Battersea

Crowne Plaza London – Kings Cross

Crowne Plaza Lyon – Cite Internationale

Crowne Plaza Maastricht

Crowne Plaza Manchester City Centre

Crowne Plaza Milan City

Holiday Inn Cardiff City Centre

Holiday Inn Edinburgh

Holiday Inn Frankfurt – Alte Oper

Holiday Inn London – Kensington High St.

Holiday Inn London – Oxford Circus

Holiday Inn Nice – Saint Laurent du Var

Holiday Inn Paris – Elysées

Holiday Inn Paris – Gare de l’Est

Holiday Inn Paris – Gare de Lyon Bastille

Hotel Indigo Liverpool

Hotel Indigo London – Kensington

Hotel Indigo Madrid – Gran Via

InterContinental Ljubljana

Principal Oxford Spires

QO Amsterdam

voco Oxford Thames

voco St. David’s Cardiff

Wotton House

Middle East

InterContinental Fujairah Resort

InterContinental Mzaar (Mountain Resort & Spa)

voco Dubai

North America

Crowne Plaza Chicago West Loop

Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts Asheville

Crowne Plaza JFK Airport New York City

EVEN Hotels Brooklyn

Holiday Inn & Suites Anaheim (1 Blk/Disneyland®)

Holiday Inn & Suites Asheville Downtown

Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Downtown

Holiday Inn & Suites Duluth-Downtown

Holiday Inn & Suites Nashville Dtwn – Conv Ctr

Holiday Inn & Suites Oakland – Airport

Holiday Inn & Suites Orlando SW – Celebration Area

Holiday Inn & Suites Vancouver Downtown

Holiday Inn Asheville – Biltmore West

Holiday Inn Brooklyn Downtown

Holiday Inn Cancun Arenas

Holiday Inn Chicago-Mart Plaza River North

Holiday Inn Ft. Lauderdale-Airport

Holiday Inn Grand Rapids Downtown

Holiday Inn L.I. City-Manhattan View

Holiday Inn LaGuardia Airport

Holiday Inn Louisville Airport – Fair/Expo

Holiday Inn New Orleans-Downtown Superdome

Holiday Inn New York City – Wall Street

Holiday Inn New York JFK Airport Area

Holiday Inn Niagara Falls-Scenic Downtown

Holiday Inn NYC – Lower East Side

Holiday Inn Oceanfront @ Surfside Beach

Holiday Inn Oceanside Camp Pendleton Area

Holiday Inn Orlando-Disney Springs® Area

Holiday Inn Portland-By The Bay

Holiday Inn Resort Daytona Beach Oceanfront

Holiday Inn Resort Los Cabos All Inclusive

Holiday Inn Rosslyn @ Key Bridge

Holiday Inn San Francisco Airport

Holiday Inn Sarasota-Airport

Holiday Inn Seattle Downtown – Lake Union

Holiday Inn South Kingstown (Newport Area)

Holiday Inn Steamboat Springs

Hotel Indigo Brooklyn

Holiday Inn Windsor – Wine Country

Hotel Indigo Long Island – East End

Hotel Indigo Mount Pleasant

Hotel Indigo Sarasota

InterContinental At Doral Miami

InterContinental Houston – Medical Center

Kimpton Cardinal Hotel

Kimpton Overland Hotel

Kimpton Schofield Hotel

South Pacific

Crowne Plaza Auckland

Holiday Inn Darling Harbour

Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport

Holiday Inn Melbourne on Flinders

Holiday Inn Potts Point-Sydney

Holiday Inn Sydney Airport

InterContinental Adelaide

InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort

Kirkton Park Htl Hunter Valley

Final word

I do hope you found this guide to the IHG free night certificate helpful for picking the best next hotel for your travels. If you did stay at any of these properties. Please let us know what you thought of it in the comments down below.

This article was originally published by Steve Smith.

Last call for two great hotel credit card offers

As you kick off 2021, you still have an opportunity to grab a couple of amazing hotel credit card offers. These offers expire tomorrow so you will need to act quickly if you want to take advantage of these.

IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card

  • 140,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first three months
  • Up to 25X for spend at IHG
  • 2X at gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants
  • Annual free night certificate at an “eligible hotel”
  • Automatic Platinum Elite Status
  • 20% discount on purchases of IHG points
  • 4th night free on award stays
  • Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit of up to $100 every 4 years
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $89 annual fee

140,000 points is a lot of IHG points. I like the IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card for people who want to actively stay at IHG properties because it is such a rewarding card.

The card, together with your elite status, can get you 25 points per dollar spent at IHG properties, which is a ton of value. Using a WalletFlo valuation of .56, that comes out to 14% back which is pretty solid.

And you can turn around and use your points to get the fourth night free on award stays which only increases the value. The annual free night makes this card a keeper for a lot of people because it is not that difficult to get well over $100 in value from it.

This offer expires tomorrow (1/13).

The Amex Marriott Brilliant

  • 6X Bonvoy points on Marriott
  • 3X at U.S. restaurants
  • 3X on flights booked directly with airlines
  • 2X Bonvoy points on all other purchases
  • Marriott Gold status
  • Free night award
  • $300 credit
  • $100 property credit
  • $450 annual fee

The premium Amex Marriott Brilliant is offering up to 125,000 points. You can earn 100,000 points after you spend $5,000 in the first three months and an additional 25,000 points after your first anniversary. What makes this offer truly special is that you can get free Platinum elite status for 2021.

Platinum elite status will get you some valuable benefits with Marriott like free breakfast and even lounge access. You will also be able to get better upgrades at a lot of properties.

If you’ve never experienced one of the upper elite status levels this is a perfect opportunity to give it a shot. Keep in mind that you would normally have to spend $75,000 on this card to get this perk.

While this credit card has a high annual fee, the $300 hotel credit is extremely easy to use because you can even use it on room rates. This knocks down the annual fee to an effective $150 which can further be offset by the free night award, which can be used for properties that cost up to 50,000 points per night.

If you were ever interested in applying for this card, this would be the time. This offer expires tomorrow (1/13).

IHG Platinum Elite Benefits Review (Upgrades, Breakfast, Etc.) [2021]

IHG Platinum Elite is an easy to obtain elite status that comes with several benefits like 50% extra bonus points and potential for upgrades, among other benefits. But how valuable are these perks and do you get things like breakfast and lounge access? This article will show you the value that you can get from this program and what you might expect as a Platinum Elite member. 

Update: Some offers are no longer available — click here for the latest deals!

What is IHG Platinum Elite status?

IHG Platinum Elite is a mid-tier elite status for IHG.

There are three main reward levels to the IHG program:

  • Gold
    • 10 nights
    • 10,000 qualifying points
  • Platinum
    • 40 nights
    • 40,000 qualifying points
  • Spire
    • 75 nights
    • 75,000 qualifying points

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

How to qualify for IHG Platinum Elite

In order to qualify for IHG Platinum Elite you need to meet the following requirements.

Qualify with stays

  • 40 Qualified Nights
  • 40,000 Elite Qualifying Points

Status challenges

I’m not aware of any status challenges to get IHG Platinum that are currently being offered. If you come across any challenges, let us know in the comments!

Qualify with a credit card

You can also earn automatic Platinum Elite status with the IHG co-branded credit card.

IHG credit card offer

The IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card (full review here) comes with the following features:

  • Annual free night certificate at an “eligible hotel”
  • 10X for spend at IHG
  • 2X at gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants
  • Automatic Platinum Elite Status
  • 20% discount on purchases of IHG points
  • 4th night free on award stays
  • Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check credit of up to $100 every 4 years
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $89 annual fee

Getting Platinum status with this credit card is a nice perk but I think the real value is with the free 4th night award stays and also the 20% discount on purchased points and 10X on spend at IHG properties.

Now that the free night is limited to certain hotels, it’s not quite as valuable, but for someone who regularly stays at IHG properties, this card is still a heavy hitter. See where it compares to the top hotel credit cards!

Coronavirus update

IHG is extending all members’ status through January 2022. So whatever status you earned during 2019, it is being extended through January 2022.

For Spire Elite members this includes the Choice benefit of 25,000 bonus points or gifting of Platinum Elite status to someone each year.

IHG also reduced the criteria required for elite status by 25% for 2020.

IHG Platinum Elite Benefits

  • 50% bonus earnings
  • Complimentary Room Upgrades
  • Extended Check-Out
  • Priority Check-In
  • Welcome Amenity
  • Elite Rollover Nights
  • Guaranteed Room Availability
  • Hertz Car Rental: Save and Earn 1,500+ Points
  • $30 In-Room Spa Credit
  • Earn on IHG Rewards Club Dining, OpenTable & Grubhub

50% bonus earning

You can get a 50% bonus earning on your base points as a Platinum Elite member.

You will earn a standard rate of 10 IHG Rewards Club base points per eligible $1 USD spent at all:

  • Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts
  • Hotel Indigo
  • Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts
  • Holiday Inn Express hotels
  • InterContinental Hotels & Resorts

5 IHG Rewards Club base points per eligible $1 USD spent at all:

  • Staybridge Suites
  • Candlewood Suites

You’ll also earn 2,000 points, 1,300 points or 600 points per qualifying stay at ANA partner hotels

This means that you’ll earn 15 IHG points per dollar spent on your hotel stay as a Platinum member.

How good is that?

Well, if you value IHG points at .7 cent per point, that’s 10.5% back. That is very good compared to other major hotel loyalty programs and makes IHG one of the most rewarding hotel programs available. When you factor in the additional 10X the points you’d earn with the IHG credit card, you can earn 25 points per dollar spent, which amounts to 17.5% back on your IHG stays which is very solid.

Tip: Don’t forget, you can earn extra points with the IHG Dining Rewards Program! 

IHG Platinum upgrades

With Platinum status, you’ll be eligible for upgrades.

One of the biggest knocks against IHG elite status is that you are technically excluded from upgrades when using points to book your stay. However, that’s really up to the discretion of the hotel and I’ve been upgraded on an award stay on two occasions (at InterContinental properties).

I personally would not go around expecting to receive a substantial upgrade and would expect to get something like a better view or slightly larger room instead of getting bumped up to a suite.

Upgraded to a corner room at the InterContinental in Times Square.

IHG Platinum late check-out

Late check out is offered up to 2pm but but it’s subject to availability and not available in all regions.

You’ll generally need to check with your hotel close to 24 hours prior to your stay to get it and usually won’t know for sure until the morning of your check-out. See my guide for late check-out for tips on how to get it. 

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

IHG Platinum welcome amenity

Welcome amenities will vary based on the property that you’re staying at but generally you can expect to receive points (around 500 or so) or a drink voucher.

Guaranteed Room Availability

Requires 72 hours advance notice. Platinum Elite and Spire Elite members are guaranteed one guest room for personal use for reservations made at least 72 hours prior to the date of arrival, except during special events that result in extraordinary demand, as determined solely by the hotel. Guaranteed room availability is not valid for Reward Nights.

These reservations can only be made through the IHG® Rewards Club Service Center.

Related: IHG Cancellation Policy Guide

$30 spa credit

As a Platinum member, you’ll be able to receive a $30 Spa Credit that can be applied toward any 50-80 minute service on the menu but only at Kimpton properties. You’ll probably be paying around $150 for a 60 minute massage so that’s a pretty decent discount on spa services. You can click here to review different Kimpton spas.

 

IHG Platinum Elite Breakfast and lounge access?

Unfortunately, IHG Platinum elite status does not provide you with free breakfast nor does it provide you with lounge access. However, some properties will be gracious enough to offer you a breakfast and/or lounge access even as a Platinum member. Some parts of the world, such as Asia, are known for being a bit more generous with these perks.

IHG Platinum Elite FAQ

How many nights are needed for IHG Platinum Elite?

You can earn IHG Platinum Elite with 40 qualified nights.

Can you earn IHG Platinum Elite with a credit card?

You can get automatic IHG Platinum Elite with the IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card.

What are the IHG Platinum Elite benefits?

50% bonus earnings
Complimentary Room Upgrades
Extended Check-Out
Priority Check-In
Welcome Amenity
Elite Rollover Nights
Guaranteed Room Availability
Hertz Car Rental: Save and Earn 1,500+ Points
$30 In-Room Spa Credit
Earn on IHG Rewards Club Dining, OpenTable & Grubhub

How many points per dollar do you earn with IHG Platinum?

You will earn 15 points per dollar spent on your hotel stays. If you value IHG points at .7 cent per point, that’s 10.5% back.

What time is late check out for IHG Platinum?

Late checkout is offered up to 2 PM but it is subject to availability.

What kind of welcome gift do I get?

The welcome gift will vary based on the property but often you can expect to receive 500 points or a drink voucher.

How do I get guaranteed a room?

You can get guaranteed a room by making your booking 72 hours in advance.

Do you get free breakfast with IHG Platinum status?

You are not provided with a free breakfast but some properties will offer you a free breakfast with IHG Platinum status.

Do you get lounge access with IHG Platinum status?

You are not provided with lounge access but some properties will offer you with lounge access via IHG Platinum status.

Final word

IHG Platinum is an easy to obtain mid-tier status but it doesn’t provide some of the key benefits that the average traveler looks forward to, such as a free breakfast. With that said, it still is one of the most rewarding elite levels in terms of value earned on money spent and can allow you to score some upgrades.

IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card Review [2020]

In early 2018, Chase made big changes to its main IHG product when it rolled out the IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card. The free night benefit underwent a major devaluation, the annual fee went up, but new perks were introduced like the 4th night free and a 20% discount on points purchases. With those changes in mind, here’s a look at the IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card and a review of whether or not it’s worth it. 

IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card intro

IHG credit card offer

The IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card comes with the following features:

  • Welcome bonus can range from 80,000 to 140,000 points after meeting the minimum spend
  • 10,000 points after you spend $20,000 and make one additional purchase each cardmember year
  • 25X for spend at IHG
  • 2X at gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants
  • Annual free night certificate at an “eligible hotel”
  • Automatic Platinum Elite Status
  • 20% discount on purchases of IHG points
  • 4th night free on award stays
  • Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit of up to $100 every 4 years
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $89 annual fee

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Welcome bonus

This is definitely one of those credit cards that you want to try to time for one of the better bonuses.

For this card, we’ve seen bonuses offering 80,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months and then much higher bonuses offering 140,000 IHG points after you spend $3,000 within the first 3 months.

IHG award redemptions range from 10,000 points per night all the way up to 70,000 points per night. So if you were able to catch this bonus at a higher offer of 140,000 points, you could score 2 nights at a high end property where the value could be in the thousands.

If you want to put your rewards on steroids, you can book something like the Crowne Plaza in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. That would be a 60,000 points redemption per night and the cost for NYE is over $3,000!

One interesting thing about this card is that you can also get an additional bonus of 10,000 points after you spend $20,000 and make one additional purchase each cardmember year.

10,000 points for $20,000 worth of spend and one additional purchase is not something I would be super excited about. This bonus is very similar to other hotel credit cards that offer free nights for hitting spend around $15,000. But 10,000 points will only take you so far with IHG so the extra bonus does not excite me very much.

One thing to be aware of with IHG is that you can take advantage of PointBreaks. These will offer you savings and allow you to stretch your points even further.

So if I were applying for this card, I would try to score a bonus of at least 100,000 points.

InterContinental Times Square.

Eligibility

The IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card is subject to the Chase credit card application rules including the Chase 5/24 rule and the 24-month rule, not to mention the 2/30 rule.

One thing that I like about this card is that if you had the old IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card, you are not disqualified from eligibility for this card.

The terms only state:

This product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of this credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of this credit card who received a new cardmember bonus for this credit card within the last 24 months.

Instead of trying to keep up with calculating all of these rules yourself, I highly recommend that you sign up for the free app WalletFlo which will automate your eligibility for all of these credit card rules. 

You can also set up notifications so that you are reminded when you are finally eligible along with keeping tabs on your annual fees, upgrade history, etc.

Related: Chase Credit Card Application Status Guide

Bonus spending

  • 25X for spend at IHG
  • 2X at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants
  • 1X on other purchases

25X at IHG

The 25X at IHG is broken down as follows

  • 10X as an IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Cardmember
  • 10X for being an IHG Rewards Club member
  • 5X with Platinum Elite Status, a benefit of this card

Using a WalletFlo valuation of .56, that comes out to 14% back which is pretty solid. If you plan on staying a lot at IHG properties, this card can be very rewarding. 

2X at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants

2X at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants is not very strong. This comes out to just over 1% back based on the valuation above. You can do much better than this with travel cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred which earns much more valuable Ultimate Rewards.

1X on all other purchases

Because of the valuation of .56, this card would be earning just over half a percent on all purchases which is not good at all. You’d be way better off using a card like the Chase Freedom Unlimited which earns 1.5X on all purchases. You could then transfer your points over from the Chase Freedom Unlimited to your IHG account at a 1:1 ratio as well.

Annual free night certificate

The IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card provides you with an annual free night certificate that can be used at properties costing up to 40,000 points per night. 

The annual free night with the old IHG credit card allowed you to book a free night at any IHG property, including top level InterContinentals. For that reason it was one of my top choices for earning a free hotel night stay. 

However, the new IHG card is now more on the level of other cards that have a capped anniversary night like the Marriott and Hyatt cards which both offer free nights in the mid-tier range.

If you want to check out ways to maximize your free night with the IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card be sure to read our full guide here.

IHG Platinum status

Like the card before it, this card offers IHG Platinum status which is a mid-tier status with IHG.

Here’s a rundown of the benefits that you can expect:

  • 50% bonus earnings
  • Complimentary Room Upgrades
  • Extended Check-Out
  • Priority Check-In
  • Welcome Amenity
  • Elite Rollover Nights
  • Guaranteed Room Availability
  • Hertz Car Rental: Save and Earn 1,500+ Points
  • $30 In-Room Spa Credit
  • Earn on IHG Rewards Club Dining, OpenTable & Grubhub

IHG Platinum status is not the most lucrative hotel elite status, but it’s helped us to get upgrades in the past so it’s added at least some value to our travels.

You’ll notice that there is no free breakfast that comes with the status, though. (It is possible to get a free breakfast at some properties though.)

I think the most valuable perk is probably the 50% bonus on earnings since that can really start to add up as you saw above with earning 25X on IHG purchases. If you’re interested in cards that offer more valuable hotel elite status check out the full list here.

20% discount on IHG points

IHG has been offering some great promos on purchased points recently and has even lowered the price of their points.

Combining these point promos with the 20% discount offered by this card has opened up some great opportunities, allowing members to save tons of cash on their stays by simply booking with purchases points instead of paying cash.

If you are a true IHG loyallist, this 20% discount could be very lucrative because you could purchase points whenever a promo takes place (knowing that you will use the points for a hotel stay).

IHG credit card offer 4th night free

This is the biggest new perk offered by this card.

With this card, you’ll be given the 4th night free on award stays. Some other hotel programs offer 5th night free but getting the 4th night free is a major perk because it’s much easier to use.

This perk can also increase the value of point purchases with the 20% discount. If you think about it, you can triple stack discounts if you purchased points at a 20% discount while a promotion was going on and then used the fourth night free.

If you would normally make a 4 night stay at an IHG property with points, then this benefit alone could make it worth getting this credit card.

Global Entry / TSA Pre-Check credit

You’ll get a $100 credit for either Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check every 4 years.

It seems like every card is offering this perk now but it’s always cool to see it offered by a card with an annual fee under $100 because it means that you can come out on top if you’ve never used these programs before.

Global Entry is a program that will grant you expedited entry through customs and immigration and TSA Pre-Check will get you through priority security.

I highly recommend enrolling in Global Entry since it comes with automatic TSA Pre-Check status.

Global Entry Interview
Global Entry will save you tons of time when coming back into the country.

IHG Rewards Club Premier

The IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card has some travel and purchase protections to offer but to be honest they are not very strong. If you want to optimize your travel protections for things like trip cancellation or rental car insurance, you will be much better off with something like the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance

If your trip is canceled or interrupted because of a covered reason like sickness, severe weather, or some other situation you can be reimbursed up to $5,000 per trip for your pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses, including “passenger fares, tours, and hotels.”

Other cards like the Sapphire Preferred offer this protection up to $10,000 per trip so you can easily get your coverage doubled by going with a better card.

Lost Luggage Reimbursement

If you or your immediate family members’ checked or carry-on bags are damaged or lost by the carrier, you’re covered up to $3,000 per passenger.

Baggage Delay Insurance

Baggage delay protection will reimburse you for essential purchases like toiletries and clothing when your baggage is delayed over 6 hours by a passenger carrier. You can be reimbursed for up to $100 a day for 3 days.

This is a pretty decent protection here but it only covers three days while other cards will cover you for up to five days. 

Purchase Protection

The purchase protection will cover your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account. If you go with a premium card instead, you can get purchase protection up to $10,000 per claim so this is definitely on the weaker side.

Annual fee

The annual fee is $89. If you utilize your annual free night, you should be able to offset this annual fee each year pretty easily. And if you take advantage of any of the perks like the free fourth night or 20% discount on points, it should be even easier to come out way on top with this hotel card.

IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card FAQ

Does the IHG Rewards Club Premier have foreign transaction fees?

No, the IHG Rewards Club Premier does not have foreign transaction fees.

Does the IHG Rewards Club Premier offer hotel elite status?

Yes, you will get automatic IHG Platinum elite status. See the IHG Platinum elite status section above for more details.

What properties can you use the free night at?

You can use the free anniversary night at IHG properties that cost up to 40,000 points per night. See the full guide above for more details.

Does the IHG Rewards Club Premier offer lounge access?

No, you do not get lounge access to airports or to hotels with this card.

Is the IHG Rewards Club Premier subject to 5/24?

Yes, the card is subject to the 5/24 rule along with other application rules.

What credit score is needed for the IHG Rewards Club Premier?

I would recommend only applying for this card if you have a good credit score, such as a score close to 720. However, it’s possible to get approved for this card even if your credit score is in the (upper) 600s. 

Can I get a credit limit increase for the IHG Rewards Club Premier?

Yes, just like with other Chase cards, you can apply for a credit limit increase for this card. Read more about how to do that here.

Final word

The IHG Rewards Club Premier doesn’t offer as much value to everyone as it used to but it actually offers a lot more value to IHG customers and loyalists. If you are interested in staying at IHG properties, you can come out way ahead with a great welcome bonus, strong bonus earning, the fourth night free on awards stays, and a hefty discount on point purchases.

New IHG promo, easy to obtain free night for new members

IHG Rewards Club is one of the most popular hotel loyalty programs. And if you have not signed up for an IHG membership yet, you have an amazing opportunity to pretty easily get a valuable free night.

There is a new promotion that will give new members a free night after they complete only two stays by January 31, 2021.

After completing your stays, you will receive a reward night that can be used on properties worth up to 40,000 points per night. You will be required to use the free night by April 30, 2021.

There are actually a lot of great properties that you can stay at for 40,000 points per night.

If you would like to see some examples of hotels you can stay at, be sure to check out our article of IHG properties going for 40,000 per night.

In some cases, you might even be able to find a super cheap property to stay at in order to trigger your free night.

Just note: “A Qualifying Stay is defined as a minimum 1-night stay booked under a Qualifying Rate, with total spend exceeding US $30 per night.”

Of course, that could mean unnecessary travel during these times which is something to consider.

The deadline to enroll in this new promotion is September 30, so if you are new to IHG, I would recommend that you just sign up now.

If you are interested in IHG, you might also think about getting the IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card.

The IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card comes with the following features:

  • Welcome bonus can range from 80,000 to 140,000 points after meeting the minimum spend
  • 10,000 points after you spend $20,000 and make one additional purchase each cardmember year
  • 25X for spend at IHG
  • 2X at gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants
  • Annual free night certificate at an “eligible hotel”
  • Automatic Platinum Elite Status
  • 20% discount on purchases of IHG points
  • 4th night free on award stays
  • Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit of up to $100 every 4 years
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $89 annual fee

This promotion also comes at a time when you can transfer your points from Chase to IHG with a special bonus.

World of Hyatt Card vs IHG Rewards Club Premier Card [2020]

The World of Hyatt credit card and the IHG Rewards Club Premier Card are two of the most popular co-branded hotel credit cards. Both of these credit cards are issued by Chase and while do they offer some common perks they also come with some with unique benefits. In this article, I’ll take a detailed look at each of the benefits offered by these cards and give you some insight into which card might be the better fit for your travel plans. 

Welcome bonus

The World of Hyatt Card

We’ve seen recent offers go out allowing you to earn 50,000 to 60,000 points with up to $6,000 worth of spend in the first 6 months from the time of account opening. 60,000 Hyatt points could cover two nights at a top tier Hyatt property like the Park Hyatt and 50,000 points could still cover two nights at a fantastic property as well. So with these bonuses you’re looking at potentially several hundred dollars of value here (or even more).

Here’s a look at the Hyatt award chart.

IHG Rewards Club Premier Card

We’ve seen  IHG Rewards Club Premier Card bonuses ranging around 80,000 to 140,000 IHG points but IHG points are not as valuable as Hyatt points. In fact, with the recent IHG award price changes, those points are not going to take you as far.

For example, it’s going to be impossible to cover two nights at top properties even if you were able to find the 100,000 point offer since the most expensive properties go for 70,000 points per night.

Here are some examples of redemption rates as of 2019:

  • InterContinental Sydney: 65,000
  • InterContinental Tokyo Bay: 55,000
  • InterContinental Tokyo Bay: 65,000

So when it comes to covering award stays at top properties, I’d take the welcome bonus from Hyatt any day over the IHG Card since it’s often possible to get two nights covered at a time.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Bonus categories

Both of these cards are transfer partners of Chase Ultimate Rewards at a 1:1 ratio.

This means that if you have a Chase card that earns bonus points on these same categories, you may want to use your Chase card instead of the co-branded card. For example, you’ll get 3X with the Chase Sapphire Reserve on dining and travel versus the 2X you’d get with both of these cards.

However, when it comes to spending money at these respective brands, you’ll usually want to go with the co-branded cards since you’ll get better value. 

The World of Hyatt Card

  • 4X spent with your card at Hyatt hotels, including participating restaurants and spas
  • 2X on local transit and commuting, including taxis, mass transit, tolls and ride-share services
  • 2X at restaurants, cafes and coffee shops
  • 2X on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline
  • 2X spent on fitness club and gym memberships

If you value Hyatt points at 1.5 cents per point, 4X is like getting 6% back on Hyatt purchases, which is great.

IHG Rewards Club Premier Card

  • 10X for spend at IHG
  • 2X at gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants

The bonus spending rate for the IHG card is also strong with 10X at IHG properties. If you value IHG points at .7 cent per point, that’s like getting 7% back which is great.

So both of these cards offer strong earning opportunities with their respective brands. However, since the IHG card comes with more rewarding elite status, the spend on IHG properties is even better (as shown below). 

Free nights

The World of Hyatt Card

The World of Hyatt Card offers you the chance for multiple free nights.

  • Receive one free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort every year after your cardmember anniversary
  • Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort if you spend $15,000 during your cardmember anniversary year

You can find a breakdown of category 4 Hyatt properties here.

It’s relatively easy to use your free night certificate at a Hyatt hotel that offers more value than what the annual fee costs so it is not too difficult to offset the annual fee of the Hyatt card with this perk alone.

However, Hyatt does have one of the smallest footprints so it will not be that easy for everybody to use.

IHG Rewards Club Premier Card

The annual free night with the old IHG credit card allowed you to book a free night at any IHG property, including top level InterContinentals. For that reason it was one of my top choices for earning a free hotel night stay. However, the new free night is capped at point redemption level of 40,000 points or less.

This was a huge loss to the IHG card. While it was a major loss, it really just put the IHG card on the same level as other co-branded hotel credit cards like the Marriott and Hyatt card which both offer free nights in the mid-tier range.

The IHG card doesn’t give you a free night for annual spend but it does offer 10,000 points after you spend $20,000 and make one additional purchase each cardmember year. I would take the Hyatt free night for $15K worth of spend over that offer, though.

Elite status

The World of Hyatt Card

The World of Hyatt Card comes with Hyatt Discoverist status.

That is the bottom tier status that doesn’t offer you a whole lot but it can get you a ten percent point bonus on the base points, upgrades, premium in-room internet access, late check-out, and discounts on purchases.

The bonus earning comes out to 5.5 points which on top of the 4X with the Hyatt card adds up tp 9.5 Hyatt points per dollar. At a valuation of 1.5 cents per point, that’s 14.25% back which isn’t bad but not on par with the IHG card.

The real elite perks of this card come in two forms:

  • Receive 5 qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every year
  • Earn 2 additional qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card

So with the Hyatt card you can more easily qualify for elite status with five qualifying night credits. Explorist requires 30 qualifying nights while Globalist requires 60 qualifying nights.

And what’s even sweeter is that you can continue to climb the elite status ladder with your spend. For every $5,000 you spend, you’ll get two elite credits which is fantastic for big-spenders. If you’re a high spender and Hyatt loyalist then the new Hyatt card is very tempting.

The ability to climb the elite status ladder with this card is a major unique perk. If you truly value Hyatt elite status and you think that you will be a loyal Hyatt member then you might want to seriously consider the potential value that you can get from this card over the Sapphire Preferred.

IHG Rewards Club Premier Card

The IHG card comes with IHG Platinum status which is a mid-tier status and here are some of the key benefits.

  • 50% bonus earnings
  • Complimentary Room Upgrades
  • Extended Check-Out
  • Priority Check-In
  • Guaranteed Room Availability
  • $30 In-Room Spa Credit

With the 50% bonus you’ll earn 15 IHG points per dollar spent on your hotel stay as a Platinum member. So if you value IHG points at .7 cent per point, that’s 10.5% back. That is very good compared to other major hotel loyalty programs and makes IHG one of the most rewarding hotel programs available. 

When you factor in the additional 10X the points you’d earn with the IHG credit card, you can earn 25 points per dollar spent, which amounts to 17.5% back on your IHG stays which is very solid.

Special IHG Card perks:

20% discount on IHG points

IHG has been offering some great promos on purchased points recently and has even lowered the price of their points. Combining these point promos with the 20% discount offered by this card has opened up some great opportunities, allowing members to save tons of cash on their stays by simply booking with purchases points instead of paying cash.

4th night free

With this card, you’ll be given the 4th night free on award stays. Some other hotel programs offer 5th night free but getting the 4th night free is a major perk because it’s much easier to use.

This perk can also increase the value of point purchases with the 20% discount. If you think you would normally make a 4 night stay at an IHG property with points, then this perk alone could make it worth getting this credit card.

Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit

Global Entry is a program that will grant you expedited entry through customs and immigration and TSA Pre-Check will get you through priority security.I highly recommend enrolling in Global Entry since it comes with automatic TSA Pre-Check status.

Annual fee

The IHG card comes with an $89 annual fee while the Hyatt card comes with a slightly higher $95 annual fee.

Final word

Both of these cards to a great job of offering unique perks to those who are loyal to their programs. I think that the average traveler will get more from the World of Hyatt card due to the higher sign-up bonus and because you won’t lose as much value when you transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards to Hyatt.

And while the Hyatt card offers an exciting way to earn elite status quicker, it’s hard to deny the value of the stronger earning potential with the IHG card and the ability to get the 4th night free on award stays. Overall, I’d probably go with the World of Hyatt card but it’s very hard to pick one over the other and I think they are both extremely valuable cards for their respective loyalists.