Chase IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card: 175K Offer

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Welcome Bonus

The Chase IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card is offering 175,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on qualifying purchases in the first three months from account opening. This is the best points bonus ever offered for the card.

In addition to this exciting offer, Chase IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Cardmembers have even more opportunities to earn towards travel thanks to the enhanced card benefits that launched in 2022.

The card now features increased ways to earn points through purchases, a simplified way to reach the next IHG One Rewards Elite status level, added flexibility on Anniversary Free Night certificates, and more.

IHG One Rewards Program

This card earns IHG One Rewards points, which is the currency of the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) rewards program.

With a family of 16 brands, you can redeem points at luxurious hotels such as InterContinental London Park Lane or more affordable options like Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites. IHG has about 6,000 open hotels in more than 100 countries.

The value of these points varies from one brand to the other, and also from one property to the next. But you can often get about half a cent for each points, and up to 0.7 cents. That would make this bonus worth $1,200.

LEARN HOW TO APPLY

Bonus categories

You’ll earn the following rates:

  • Up to 26X total points at IHG® Hotels & Resorts
  • 5X points on travel, dining, and at gas stations
  • 3X points per $1 spent on all other purchases

Earning at IHG hotels varies based on your status, but this card already gets you Platinum Elite status which is how you end up earning 26X. This is also a decent option for popular purchases such as other travel, dining and even gas purchases if you are trying to build up a big balance of IHG points.

LEARN HOW TO APPLY

Perks

The Chase IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card has a $99 annual fee, but also gets you some extra perk that could make it worth keeping it past the first year.

You get an Anniversary Free Night with a redemption cap of 40,000 points. But you can also use IHG One Rewards points get free nights at hotels above the 40,000 point level.

The card also gives you automatic IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status. Cardmembers have the option to earn IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite status after spending $40,000 on purchases with their card each calendar year.

Another way to get free nights with this card is to book at least 4 nights. When cardmembers redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG hotel stay, they can receive the fourth Reward Night free redeemable at that same hotel during that same stay.

Other travel benefits include Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $100 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to the card. You also get up to $50 United® TravelBank Cash each calendar year.

Advertiser Disclosure: UponArriving has partnered with affiliate partners and may receive a commission from card issuers. UponArriving does not display all credit card offers and affiliate relationships may impact how offers are presented. 

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analysis & recommendations are UponArriving’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

New Summer 2022 IHG Promo — Earn 50X+!?

Advertiser Disclosure: UponArriving has partnered with affiliate partners and may receive a commission from card issuers. UponArriving does not display all credit card offers and affiliate relationships may impact how offers are presented. 

IHG is fresh off of a revamp of its new reward program, IHG® One Rewards, and now it’s offering a new promotion for the summer of 2022 that will allow you to earn up to 50X+!

It also has an added bonus for IHG card holders like those who have the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card.

Let’s take a look at this promotion and see what your earnings could look like!

Offers in this article may no longer be available.

The new IHG promo

  • Earn “2X points” on your 2nd through 5th qualifying nights
  • Earn “3X points” on your 6th through 14th qualifying nights
  • Earn “4X points” on your 15th qualifying night and all subsequent qualifying nights
  • IHG cardholders in US earn 3,000 bonus points after the third night and after the sixth night
  • Total promotional bonus points cap of 100,000 points
  • Members can pre-register May 4, 2022 through May 17, 2022
  • Promotion Period runs May 18, 2022 to August 31, 2022
Miniature golf at Holiday Inn Express Waikiki.

Don’t forget you must register!

Update: People are having issues with the registration link. May need to check back in a couple of days.

Update 2: Try this link

IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card

If you’re wanting to make the most out of this promotion consider applying for the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card which comes with a bonus of 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in first three months. Plus, one free night.

Plus, it has the following features:

  • 10X for spend at IHG
  • 5X on travel and hotels
  • 5X on gas
  • 5X on dining
  • 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
  • Up to $50 United TravelBank Cash each calendar year
  • Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check credit of up to $100 every 4 years
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $99 annual fee

Your earnings

This promo offers a standard multiplying effect on your base points.

For example, if you spend $100 at an IHG Hotel that earns 10 points per dollar, you would earn the following on your 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th qualifying night stay:

  • 1,000 base points (10 points x $100 = 1,000 points)
  • 1,000 promotional bonus points

The promotional bonus would then add on to your base points earnings at a rate of 2X base points on your 6th through 14th qualifying nights and 3X base points on your 15th qualifying night and all subsequent qualifying nights.

For cardmembers in the United States with an IHG Credit Card like the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card, an additional 3,000 bonus points will be awarded after the cardmember’s first three qualifying nights and another 3,000 bonus points after the cardmember’s second three qualifying nights.

No additional bonus points for IHG® credit card use will be awarded past the sixth qualifying night.

Cardmembers qualifying for this offer have an opportunity to earn a maximum of 106,000 promotional bonus points.

Earnings with the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card

So let’s take a look at what the earnings could look like with the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card.

Let’s say you just stayed for the 6th night on a $100 stay.

Your earnings could look like:

  • 1,000 base points
  • 2,000 promotional points
  • 3,000 cardmember points
  • 1,000 IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card points
  • 600 points with Platinum Status (from card)

That’s a total of 7,600 points or 76X! At a conservative valuation of .5 cents per point, that’s like getting 38% back which is fantastic.

Admittedly, the super-high return is limited to the sixth night since you won’t get that 3,000 point card member bonus for other nights, but it just goes to show that this could be a very rewarding promo for cardholders, especially if your third and sixth night is at a cheap hotel.

But even when you’re not receiving that extra 3,000 points for being a card member, the 3X and 4X can also be super lucrative, too.

Let’s say you just stayed for the 15th night on a $100 stay. Your earnings could look like:

  • 1,000 base points
  • 3,000 promotional points
  • 1,000 IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card points
  • 600 points with Platinum Status (from card)

That’s 5,600 points or 56X, which is still pretty incredible. It’s pretty rare to be able to quadruple earnings on a hotel promo.

The only drawback is the cap at 100,000 points, which might be easy to hit with 4X earnings.

Final word

This is a pretty lucrative promotion for card holders since you can net some pretty big earnings by staying six nights. This can also become a pretty rewarding promo for those staying more nights but it requires more work to achieve that 4X rate.

Advertiser Disclosure: UponArriving has partnered with affiliate partners and may receive a commission from card issuers. UponArriving does not display all credit card offers and affiliate relationships may impact how offers are presented. 

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analysis & recommendations are UponArriving’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. 

IHG Diamond Elite Benefits Guide [2022]

IHG just revamped its rewards program and it’s now known as “IHG One Rewards.”

The program now offers many new perks like milestone rewards which include things like lounge access and confirmed suite upgrades. They also added new benefits like free breakfast and are committed to improving their upgrades.

With the introduction of the new top elite level, IHG Diamond Elite, you will probably be curious about what type of benefits this level will include.

So in this article, I’ll break down all of the IHG Diamond Elite benefits.

What is IHG Diamond Elite status?

IHG Diamond Elite is the new top-tier elite status for IHG.

There are now four main reward levels to the IHG One Rewards program and you can achieve them by staying a certain number of nights or earning a select number of points.

Here are the different elite levels and their requirements:

LevelNightsPoints
Member0N/A
Silver10N/A
Gold2040,000
Platinum4060,000
Diamond70120,000

While there is no direct shortcut to Diamond status via credit cards, you can earn Diamond status each calendar year you make purchases totaling $40,000 or more with the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card.

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

  • 10X for spend at IHG
  • 5X on travel and hotels
  • 5X on gas
  • 5X on dining
  • 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
  • Up to $50 United TravelBank Cash each calendar year
  • Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check credit of up to $100 every 4 years
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $99 annual fee

The IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card in my opinion is one of the best all-around hotel credit cards. The problem has always been that the IHG rewards program was pretty weak and so it discouraged use of this card.

Sure, you could earn a lot of points but who wants to dedicate themselves to a program where elite benefits are limited?

But now that the program is being revamped and is offering a lot more value comparable to other major programs, I think this card just got a nice boost in its stock.

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

Miniature golf at Holiday Inn Express Waikiki.

IHG Milestone rewards

Before jumping into the benefits specific to IHG Diamond Elite status, it’s worth taking a look at the new milestone rewards. That’s because these benefits tend to complement the Diamond Elite benefits.

Just like other programs like Hyatt and Marriott, you can now earn choice awards by hitting certain milestones as you add on more IHG stays. The milestones rewards begin at 20 nights and will be available in increments of 10 nights.

For each milestone, you can choose one reward but at the 40 night and 70 night milestone you can choose TWO rewards.

The type of milestone rewards you’ll be eligible to earn include:

  • IHG Bonus points (5,000 or 10,000)
  • Food and beverage credits
  • Confirmable suite upgrades
  • Annual lounge membership

We’ll probably do a detailed review of each milestone reward and how to maximize them but here are the key things to know right now:

Points

Getting 5,000 points or 10,000 points is a decent little offering but the value really depends on how you utilize your points.

People have different valuations for IHG points but some place value around .5 cents per point which means that you’re basically getting the option of $25 in value or $50.

However, if you’re a little bit more strategic with your redemptions you might be getting closer to .7 cents per point or more.

Food and beverage credits

The food and beverage credits are good for up to $20 off during a stay. To get the full value you’ll need to put these against a $20 or higher charge. Credits expire after 12 months.

Having a clear idea of how much you value IHG points will help you choose smartly between the points or the food and beverage credits.

Suite upgrades

You can choose the confirmable suite upgrades for stays up to 5 nights each and these can be confirmed up to 14 days prior to check-in. Upgrades expire after 12 months.

The 14 day window is big because that gives you plenty of opportunity to cancel bookings if you fail to receive an upgrade.

The biggest knock on these confirmable suite upgrades is that you can only use them on select paid rates. They will not be available on advance purchase rates, third-party bookings, or even awards stays.

Also, something that is a little annoying about these is that you have to redeem them over the phone.

Annual lounge membership

The annual lounge membership will get you and one guest access for the remainder of the year selected and the entirety of the following year. These visits will be available on award stays.

The key with choosing this benefit will be having confidence that you will actually use it.

It’s easy to get excited about lounge access at hotels but it’s not always easy to find hotels that have lounges when it comes time to book your trips. Suite upgrades can be much more practical.

With all of that out of the way, here are the milestone rewards broken down:

20 Nights

You can choose one of the following:

  • 5,000 Bonus Points
  • 2 Food & Beverage Rewards
  • 1 Confirmable Suite Upgrade

30 Nights

You can choose one of the following:

  • 5,000 Bonus Points
  • 2 Food & Beverage Rewards

40 Nights [two rewards]

You can choose TWO of the following:

  • 10,000 Bonus Points
  • 5 Food & Beverage Rewards
  • 1 Confirmable Suite Upgrade (limit 1)
  • Annual Lounge Membership (limit 1)

50 Nights

You can choose one of the following:

  • 10,000 Bonus Points
  • 5 Food & Beverage Rewards

60 Nights

You can choose one of the following:

  • 10,000 Bonus Points
  • 5 Food & Beverage Rewards

70 Nights [two rewards]

You can choose TWO of the following:

  • 10,000 Bonus Points
  • 5 Food & Beverage Rewards
  • 2 Confirmable Suite Upgrades (limit 1)
  • Annual Lounge Membership (limit 1)

80 Nights

You can choose one of the following:

  • 10,000 Bonus Points
  • 5 Food & Beverage Rewards

90 Nights

You can choose one of the following:

  • 10,000 Bonus Points
  • 5 Food & Beverage Rewards

100 Nights

You can choose one of the following:

  • 10,000 Bonus Points
  • 5 Food & Beverage Rewards
Intercontinental Times Square.

What are IHG Diamond Elite status benefits?

Okay, now let’s take a look at the specific benefits for IHG Diamond Elite members.

100% Point bonus

As an IHG Diamond Elite member, you will earn a 100% point bonus on your stays. Platinum status offers a 60% bonus so this is a pretty nice step up from the lower elite level.

The IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card will earn 10X at IHG so if you combined that with IHG Diamond Elite status that is a whopping 30X (some properties may earn fewer points).

Breakfast

One of the breakthrough developments with the new IHG program is that they will offer diamond members free breakfast!

The catch is that this is part of the welcome amenity option so you can choose to have free breakfast, points, or a drink/snack.

Also, this benefit excludes partner brands like Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Venetian/Palazzo, and timeshares.

It sounds like the breakfast will go beyond continental breakfast options. So you’ll be able to enjoy a hot breakfast and select a main menu item or partake in the full breakfast buffet. Unlimited non-alcoholic drinks should be available. (Source: VFTW).

Upgrades

Platinum elite members and Diamond members are both eligible for upgrades (subject to availability).

Reportedly, upgrades are set to improve including access to suites for Diamond members.

These will remain at the hotel’s discretion and so suites will not be guaranteed, even if available.

We will just have to see how things play out with the upgrades but with the addition of the confirmed suite upgrades more elites will probably get access to suites that way.

On paper, awards stays did not qualify for elite benefits like upgrades but in practice I almost always received upgrades at IHG properties.

So it will be interesting to see how award redemptions are treated when it comes to upgrades for Diamond members.

Related: Ultimate Hotel Upgrade Guide: 17 Tips

InterContinental Tokyo Bay.

Early check-in

Both Platinum and Diamond members can request early check-in but this will be subject to availability.

Early check-in is virtually impossible to guarantee so having it subject to availability is in line with other programs.

Read: What Time Is Check-In for Hotels?

Late Check-Out

Late check-out is offered until 2 pm for all elite levels and is subject to availability.

This means that IHG will have one of the weakest late check out policies on paper at least.

In my experience, you can still get IHG properties to honor check-out beyond 2 pm but this is something where YMMV.

Reward Night Discounts

Reward Night Discounts are one of the new benefits offered by IHG.

Both Platinum and Diamond members can take advantage of these which will allow you to redeem points for discounted rates. I’ve seen discounted rates at 20% but it seems like these may fluctuate. We’ll have to wait to see how these develop.

Dedicated Diamond Support

As a Diamond member you’ll now have a Dedicated Diamond Support hotline to help you sort out your issues quicker.

Because the suite upgrades have to be booked over the phone, this phone line will come in handy for those trying to redeem those certificates.

Guaranteed Room Availability

Both Platinum members and Diamond members will have 72 hour Guaranteed Room Availability.

Final word

The revamped IHG rewards program looks significantly better than what existed before. It’s now more in line with other programs like Hyatt and Marriott and has a lot more to offer. It will be interesting to see how some of these things develop but I would say they are off to a great start.

Holiday Inn Express Waikiki Review [2022]

Waikiki is filled with hotels that are suitable for all budgets.

One of the hotels that stick out for people looking to not break the bank on a hotel stay is the Holiday Inn Express Waikiki.

After staying there a couple of nights, I was pleasantly surprised by the hotel in a lot of regards but also a little underwhelmed in a couple of areas.

Check out the full review below and I will tell you everything you need to know about this hotel so that you can make the most out of your stay.

Booking

On a recent 10-night trip to Hawaii we decided to start things off with two nights at the Holiday Inn Express Waikiki. We had a free night certificate and also IHG points so that we could cover 100% of the stay.

This was a worthwhile booking because we got some really great value ($300 in value per night) for the free night and the points, especially whenever we factored in the upgrade we got due to IHG Platinum Status.

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

Location overview: North Waikiki

The Holiday Inn Express Waikiki is located on the north side of Waikiki. So it’s about a 15 minute walk to Waikiki Beach.

While it is a bit of walking distance to the heart of Waikiki, it’s nice because you can just step out and walk down Kalakaua Ave to get to the central area.

You’ll be just a block away from Luxury Row where you’ll find many of the luxury shops like Gucci and you’ll also be just a few minutes from quite a few restaurants.

On the other hand, if you need to go to the Hawaii Convention Center it’s a pretty short walk since you are on the north side of Waikiki.

If you need any quick snacks or random items, ABC Store #49 is directly across the street.

So while you don’t have prime beach location at this hotel, it’s still centrally located enough so that many things are still in reasonable walking distance.

Related: Dole Plantation Review (Worth it or Tourist Trap?)

Check-in

We arrived via Uber in the late evening and our check-in experience was great.

The personnel checking us in was very friendly and professional and made sure that our two itineraries were properly linked which is something that tends to be problematic at a lot of hotels.

She notified us about a room upgrade and after we showed verification of our safe travels, we were able to make our way up to our room on the 35th floor.

I should also mention that because of our IHG Platinum status they offered us late check out all the way until 2 PM! That was a nice surprise and definitely a major plus for this property.

Holiday Inn Express Waikiki lobby

By the check-in area there is a little lobby area that’s perfect for waiting for your tours or Uber rides.

Holiday Inn Express Waikiki lobby

Be aware that there are two separate driveways for this hotel so if you are waiting on a ride you may want to specify which side of the hotel you are on.

Most of the time, the drivers appeared at the driveway below which is the one farthest away from the check-in desk.

Holiday Inn Express Waikiki lobby

The room

The only major negative of this hotel is the room size.

Our king room was one of the smallest hotel rooms we’ve stayed in in a very long time. It reminded me of the rooms we used to get when we would stay in cheaper London hotels.

When you finally sit down your luggage the room gets even tighter. After visiting the tight quarters of the USS Bowfin we joked that we were staying at the USS Holiday Inn Express.

So I feel like this type of hotel room is better for people who plan on being out and about more than people who like to spend more time relaxing in a spacious hotel room.

With that said, I found the bed to be pretty comfortable but with the AC unit so close to the bed, the person on that side of the bed might be freezing throughout the night.

The good news is that they also have a ceiling fan so you can play around with your AC and fan settings to get the temperature just right.

Holiday Inn Express Waikiki bedroom

Each side of the bed will have multiple outlets including USB ports for convenient charging.

Holiday Inn Express Waikiki bedroom

One of the night stands came with a tissue box which I thought was interesting as I have not seen that at many hotels.

The hotel room does not have a working station (desk) and instead just has a standing blue table that you could use to eat or work on. You can move it around the room to wherever you’d like.

It’s not a very big table though so your space will be limited.

Holiday Inn Express Waikiki bedroom

While the room is small, they do have a large TV monitor which is really nice.

You can try stacking your luggage beneath the TV to give yourself a little bit more room.

Holiday Inn Express Waikiki bedroom

The room is well equipped to handle your leftovers and comes with a microwave, coffee maker, and mini fridge.

You’ll also have a little bit of room to hang up your clothes in the closet where you also will find the iron and iron board.

As for the view, we had a really nice view from the 35th floor. I don’t believe there are any balconies on this property so it’s just a window view but I did enjoy looking out to the ocean and all of the green park space below.

Holiday Inn Express Waikiki view

The ocean toward the left tended to be more picturesque.

Holiday Inn Express Waikiki view

Even though the hotel room is small, the bathroom was not that bad.

The sink area is pretty confined with limited counter space but the shower was pretty decent and you didn’t feel too cramped getting between the toilet and shower.

Holiday Inn Express Waikiki bathroom
Holiday Inn Express Waikiki bathroom
Holiday Inn Express Waikiki bathroom

5th floor Terrace (Sky Deck)

One of my favorite features of this hotel was the outdoor terrace sky deck on the 5th floor.

This is something that makes this hotel unique and provides you with a way to leisurely pass time or get some sun while remaining on the hotel premises.

There’s quite a few things you’ll find outside on the terrace like table tennis, a foosball table, and weekday yoga classes.

There’s also one of those giant chess boards.

Holiday Inn Express Waikiki chess

They had some type of other floor game set up but I’m not sure what it was.

Then there is my favorite: the 9-hole miniature golf course.

The par numbers on these little greens don’t really make sense to me as far as how they relate to the difficulty of the hole.

But it’s pretty fun to get out and do a little bit of rooftop putting on a nice Hawaiian afternoon.

Talk to the desk located near the entrance to the terrace and you can check out golf balls and putters for free (although remember you are likely paying a $25 resort fee for these).

Holiday Inn Express Waikiki putt putt golfing

Pool

The pool area here is surprisingly very nice.

There is a deck with several lounge chairs that you can relax on and even a couple of shaded cabanas that I imagine you will need to ask the hotel about if you want to rent.

Holiday Inn Express Waikiki pool

They have one huge hot tub that is almost the size of the pool that you can relax in.

Holiday Inn Express Waikiki pool

Then there is the pool which surprisingly gets down to 6 feet deep. The pool is not that big but for a two/three star hotel, the overall pool set up is actually pretty solid.

Holiday Inn Express Waikiki pool

It’s also really nice to have some views to look out to from the terrace.

Gym

The hotel had a strict policy where you had to reserve time in the gym due to Covid.

We were able to get a quick peek at it though and it looks like a really equipped gym with views looking out to the terrace.

Holiday Inn Express Waikiki gym
Holiday Inn Express Waikiki gym
Holiday Inn Express Waikiki gym

Breakfast

The hotel was serving a grab and go style breakfast during our stay.

Basically you could grab a selection of yogurts, fruits, and hot items like sausage and eggs. We tried it out but this was your standard two-star breakfast experience.

Basically nothing special and unless you’re just trying to save money or just get by with some fruit or cereal, you may want to consider picking up breakfast somewhere else.

Restaurant

Surprisingly, the hotel did have “room service” although it is basically just an Italian restaurant Giovanni Pastrami that is partnered with the hotel from what I could gather.

We did give it a shot the first night we were there and decided that we should try out a pineapple pizza while in Hawaii.

The pizza actually was high-quality and I really enjoyed it, so if you’re in a jam trying to figure out where to eat this could be a solid option.

Final word

Overall, I was a pretty big fan of the Holiday Inn Express Waikiki.

The biggest drawback was definitely the size of the room as it made it really hard to move around in there without having to work around furniture or luggage.

Breakfast was mehh but pretty much what you would expect.

However, we received great service and for a hotel at this tier level, they had some pretty cool amenities to enjoy.

I would have to say that this was actually a great use of the IHG free night certificate and our IHG points.

IHG Spire Elite Benefits Guide [2021]

IHG is one of the biggest hotel groups in the world and their top tier elite status is called Spire Elite. Being a Spire Elite you will get benefits at IHG properties worldwide like room upgrades, late check-out, early check-in, and bonus points.

In the article, I go over in detail the benefits offered for Spire Elites and the lack of benefits offered for Spire Elites. 

What is IHG Spire Elite status?

IHG Spire Elite status is IHG’s highest status tier for its hotel brands that participate in IHG. The status offers bonus points, room upgrades, free internet, late check-out, and early check-in. However, it lacks certain other mainstream benefits like free breakfast and club lounge access.

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 earn IHG Spire Elite status

IHG Spire Elite status is actually harder to reach than other top tier elite status’ offered by competing hotel groups. The following number of elite nights or qualifying points must be earned at participating locations between January 1 and December 31 of any given year:

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

What are IHG qualifying points?

You may be familiar with elite nights, but qualifying points are somewhat new. Qualifying points are the base points you earn from each stay. So, if you stay at a property, you will earn a certain amount of points based on the brand you stay at.

Here are the rates that you will earn.

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

  • InterContinental Hotels & Resorts
  • Kimpton Hotels
  • HUALUXE Hotels & Resorts
  • Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts
  • Hotel Indigo
  • EVEN Hotels
  • Holiday Inn hotels
  • Holiday Inn Resort
  • Holiday Inn Club Vacations
  • Holiday Inn Express hotels
  • avid hotels

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

  • Staybridge Suites hotels
  • Candlewood Suites hotels

However, any bonus points earned will not count towards your qualifying points.

Here’s how Spire Elite status compares to other statuses with Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton.

Marriott Bonvoy

  • Silver: 10 to 24 nights
  • Gold: 25 to 49 nights 
  • Platinum: 50 to 74 nights 
  • Titanium: 75 to 99 nights
  • Ambassador: 100 nights +  $20,000 U.S. dollars in qualified annual spend

World of Hyatt

  • Discoverist
    • 10 qualifying nights
    • 25,000 Base Points
    • or holding 3 qualifying meetings/events per year.
  • Explorist
    • 30 qualifying nights
    • 50,000 Base Points
    • or holding 10 qualifying meetings/events per year.
  • Globalist
    • 60 qualifying nights
    • 100,000 Base Points
    • or holding 20 qualifying meetings/events per year.

Hilton Honors

  • Silver
    • 4 stays in a calendar year or
    • 10 nights in a calendar year
  • Gold
    • 20 stays in a calendar year, or
    • 40 nights in a calendar year, or
    • 75,000 Hilton Honors Base Points in a calendar year
  • Diamond
    • 30 stays in a calendar year, or
    • 60 nights in a calendar year, or
    • 120,000 Hilton Honors Base Points in a calendar year

Spire Elite might be the same amount of nights as Titanium status from Marriott, but you might be surprised that the benefits are far different, or in other words, lackluster.

IHG Spire Elite status challenge and match 

Status challenges are wonderful if you wish to fast track your way to elite status. IHG offers both a Platinum and Spire Elite status match challenge.

All you need is another elite status that has qualifying requirements comparable to the number of nights needed to achieve IHG Spire status. Some statuses that could match with Spire Elite would be Marriott Platinum, Titanium, and Ambassador; Hilton Diamond; and Hyatt Globalist. 

Once you have matched your competing hotel status to IHG Spire, you will be given Spire Elite status for 90 days. To keep Spire Elite status for longer than 90 days, you have to stay 10 nights during the 90 day period. 

You can register for the status match challenge here.

I personally did the IHG Spire Elite challenge reaching the 10 nights by redeeming points for reward nights. It’s great to redeem reward nights and have them count towards elite nights.

It also helps that reward nights redeemed when you hold the IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card are easier to come by as you can get free nights easier.

IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card

IHG credit card offer

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

  • Annual free night certificate
  • 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 PreCheck credit of up to $100 every 4 years
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $89 annual fee

What makes the IHG Rewards Club Premier credit card unique is the 4th night free on award stays. Whenever you redeem points for four consecutive nights in a row, you can get one night free.

So, if the property costs 40,000 points per night, you would only redeem 120,000 points for four nights instead of 160,000 points if you didn’t have this card. Having the 4th night free really saves you points on longer stays. 

The card also comes with an annual free night. The annual free night can be useful if you wish to receive a free night every year whenever you renew your card. The free night can be used at many different properties worldwide in places like New York City, Paris, Fiji, and Bali. See where it compares to the top hotel credit cards!

What are the benefits of IHG Spire Elite status?

IHG Spire Elite status isn’t the best elite status offered from a hotel chain. It might offer some unique benefits like room upgrades and early check-in, but the way IHG created their program, the benefits are lackluster.

Room upgrades

As an IHG Spire Elite, you are eligible for upgrades based on availability. Upgrades could be premium rooms or suites, but sometimes as minor as a better view.

An example would be booking a base room and being upgraded to a room with a partial ocean view. At another property, you could be upgraded from a base room to a suite. It just all depends on the availability of the nights you are staying.

Upgrades, of course, depend on the property and the upgradeable rooms for Spire Elites. Some properties might even give Spire Elite upgrades to presidential rooms, but that is rarer than a usual occurrence. 

100% bonus earning

Spire Elites are able to earn 100% bonus points on top of base points. That means, whatever you would earn as a non-elite member, you would earn double points.

As I explained above, base points might vary between properties. At the following properties you would earn 10 IHG Rewards Club base points per eligible $1 USD spent at:

  • InterContinental Hotels & Resorts
  • Kimpton Hotels
  • HUALUXE Hotels & Resorts
  • Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts
  • Hotel Indigo
  • EVEN Hotels
  • Holiday Inn hotels
  • Holiday Inn Resort
  • Holiday Inn Club Vacations
  • Holiday Inn Express hotels
  • avid hotels

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

  • Staybridge Suites hotels
  • Candlewood Suites hotels

For example, you would earn 20 points at a Kimpton property staying as a Spire Elite accounting for the 100% bonus points. 

How good is that?

Well, if you value IHG points at .7 cents per point, that’s 14% 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 30 points per dollar spent, which amounts to 21% back on your IHG stays which is very solid.

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

Late check-out

The time that Spire Elites can have a late check-out is exactly the same as the Platinum Elite check-out, which is 2pm. 

While the standard late check-out time is 2pm, depending on the property, you might be able to push back the check-out time to 4pm.

It’s subject to availability, unlike other program’s elite status late check-out policies that guarantee late check-out. 

Early check-in

As a Spire Elite, you can check-in as early as 10am, subject to availability.

Early check-in can be great if your flight arrives early in the morning and you want to relax in the room instead of waiting for the usual check-in time at 3pm or 4pm. 

I do wish more loyalty programs add early check-in as a benefit for elites. While most properties will allow elites to check-in early, it’s more of a soft rule that the hotel created. Not at every property as some will only offer what the program rules state and nothing more.

Welcome Amenity

Welcome amenities will vary based on the property that you’re staying at, but generally, you can expect to have an option of receiving points (around 500 or so) or a drink voucher at the lobby bar. 

Guaranteed Room Availability

Spire Elite guaranteed room availability require a 72 hours advance notice and for only one guest room for personal use.

To use the guaranteed room availability benefit you will have to call IHG Rewards Club Service Center 72 hours prior to the date of arrival.

As you have to call, it kinda makes the benefit cumbersome to use. You should also note that properties can determine “extraordinary demand” dates, similar to blackout dates. So, you might be declined to use this benefit if the property has “extraordinary demand.”

Related: IHG Cancellation Policy Guide

$30 spa credit

As a Spire Elite, you’ll be able to receive a $30 Spa Credit that can be applied towards the spa menu but only at Kimpton properties.

You’ll probably be paying around $100 to $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.

Three free Amazon Kindle eBooks

As a Spire Elite, you can receive three Amazon Kindle eBooks for free per quarter.

This is a cool perk and you don’t even need a Kindle to take advantage of it. Kindle eBooks are available via the IHG app and can be read on any device.

  1. Download or Update your IHG App
  2. Join IHG® Rewards Club or Sign In
  3. Click on your name in the top right corner to navigate to the Account Management page
  4. Scroll down to Your Extra Benefits: Kindle Singles

Complimentary internet

Probably a super basic benefit that is offered to any elite and non-elite IHG Rewards Club members, but having free internet can still save you $20 a night at some resorts. 

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

Does IHG Spire Elite get free breakfast and club lounge access?

Sadly no, but then again it all depends on the property.

However, some IHG properties will offer free breakfast and club lounge access to Spire Elites. I have encountered a few properties that do go above and beyond for IHG elites, but then again it all depends on the property.

For example, I have stayed at a number of Holiday Inn properties in China that ended up giving me club lounge access and breakfast. While the properties weren’t my favorite, I will always remember how accommodating they were.

Does it mean every property in China will offer free breakfast and club lounge access to Spire Elites?

No, but the great ones that love elites coming back to their property will offer free breakfast and club lounge access.

Even outside of China, some properties will offer free breakfast and/or club lounge access. Free breakfast and club lounge access all depends on the property you are staying.

Holiday Inn Gajah Mada club lounge – evening cocktail hour

IHG Spire Elite status is just okay

I don’t go out of my way to stay in an IHG property. I do enjoy some of their brands like Kimpton, Indigo, Regent, and soon to be Six Sense.

During my time as a Spire Elite, I have been greatly disappointed in the benefits, or lack of benefits.

I truly value breakfast and club lounge access. While sometimes I will pay for breakfast or club lounge access at an IHG property, I’d rather not as I get free breakfast and club lounge access at other brands.

If there is a competing Marriott, Hilton, or Hyatt property in the location I am staying, I would think of IHG last just because I have top tier status with Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt.

Final word

IHG Spire Elite is valuable if you frequent IHG properties because of your work or the destinations you stay. But when you compared Spire Elite status with Marriott, Hilton, or Hyatt, I would rather stay at one of their properties just because of the loyalty benefits. 

IHG Cancellation Policy Guide (Coronavirus changes) [2021]

Cancellation policies have always been extremely important for travelers who don’t want to get caught with hefty fees for canceling or making changes to their hotel stays.

But now with the change in cancellation policies rapidly changing due to the global pandemic, it’s even more important to stay on top of these policies.

In this article, I’ll break down the IHG cancellation policy and tell you everything you need to know about the recent changes.

What is the IHG cancellation policy?

Generally, you will have to cancel 24 to 72 hours prior to arriving to avoid cancellation penalties. However, the cancellation policy depends on the type of booking you make and also can depend on the property you are staying at.

Changes have recently been made to the cancellation policy due to the pandemic and I will break down those changes below.

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

Coronavirus cancellation policy

Like other major hotel chains, IHG implemented a cancellation policy as a response to the pandemic.

IHG allowed all non-refundable/pre-paid bookings made up to and including December 31, 2020 to be cancelled without penalty (up to 24 hours before arrival) up until December 31, 2020.

This effectively treated all bookings as if they were booked with the most flexible rate possible.

Note: After December 31, 2020, all non-refundable/pre-paid bookings will be subject to the terms and conditions of the rate booked.

So unless this policy is extended, any IHG booking made in 2021 that is nonrefundable or prepaid will be nonrefundable per the usual terms and conditions. (You can find out more about those terms below.)

IHG specifically states that the these prepaid bookings can be changed without charge. So if you have a nonrefundable stay and you can’t make your booking, you should seriously consider changing the date of your booking so that you don’t lose out on all your value.

Just note that you will be responsible for any difference in pricing.

You can find out more details here.

How to find the IHG cancellation policy

IHG makes it extremely easy to find out what cancellation policy applies to your booking. They also are great about providing the exact time cut off that you need to cancel by.

In order to find your cancellation policy, simply head over to the IHG website and search for the hotel you are interested in. After you click on the hotel and click on the specific room that you are interested in, you will see the different types of rates that you can book.

You can use the navigation tabs at the top to filter rates for refundable or non-refundable stays making the search process extremely easy and user-friendly.

King menu showing different types of cancellation rates.
Breakdown of cancellation policies for IHG shown at time of booking.

Book Early & Save – Advance Purchase

These will be the cheapest type of rates but will come with the least amount of flexibility.

The terms may differ based on the property but typically you will see terms stating something like the following requirements:

  • Non Refundable
  • Deposit Required
  • Must book 7 days in advance

Note that when IHG states that a deposit is required typically what they mean is that a deposit for the entire stay is required.

Some hotels may allow you to make a change to an advance purchase rate but you will be responsible for any difference in the rates. For the best results, try to make your change as early as possible.

The other thing to note about advance purchase rates is that typically you must make these several days in advance. The minimum time varies by hotel but usually you need to make this type of booking at least four days in advance. I’ve also seen some hotels in locations like Hawaii that require you to book at least two to three weeks in advance!

Related: Cancel A Non-Refundable Hotel And Get Your Money Back

Room rate showing requirements for booking and cancellation.
An example showing a requirement to book 3 weeks in advance!

Book Now, Pay Later

Once again, the terms will differ based on the exact property but here are some of the terms you may come across:

  • FREE Cancellation until 6:00 PM local hotel time on [Specific Date]
  • No Deposit Required
  • Must book 3 days in advance

Cancellation time frames may vary when you are paying later. In this case, this example required cancellation to take place three days prior to arrival. Notice that there is also a requirement to book a few days in advance to take advantage of the cheaper rate.

In most cases, a deposit will not be required.

Best Flexible Rate

The best flexible rate is similar to the Book Now, Pay Later but you may have even more flexibility. In the sample booking that I did, it allowed me to cancel up to two days in advance instead of the three.

But note that not every property offers more flexibility with the cancellation deadline when you book the Best Flexible Rate. I’ve seen some cases where the Best Flexible Rate cancellation deadline is the exact same as the Book Now, Pay Later deadline.

The great thing about the best flexible rate is that you usually should not see a requirement to book several days in advance. So if you are somebody who waits until the last minute to book, you might be booking this type of rate.

Reward Nights

If you are booking your stay with points, the cancellation policy for a flexible rate will apply in many cases. For example, for my sample booking it showed that I would need to cancel two days in advance by 6 PM local hotel time in order to get all of my points refunded.

But note that if you make a points plus cash booking, bookings are charged immediately in USD, and cancellations are refunded in points only.

The cancellation policy for reward nights should be the same or very similar to the cancellation policy for using something like a free night certificate.

Breakfast

Some rates may include breakfast. Breakfast can be included in both prepaid and flexible rates so you will always just have to refer to the rate details to make sure you are aware of the cancellation policy.

Related: What Hotels Have Free Breakfast?

Deposits

Some hotels will require you to make a deposit at the time of booking or at some other time before you arrive. Many times, a “deposit” is required if you are booking an advance purchase rate but it’s actually the payment for the entire stay.

You can usually find the details for the deposit by simply clicking on “rate details.” You might see that it says, “A deposit for the entire stay is due at time of booking.”

Cancellation fees

Like other hotels, the cancellation fee will often be a charge equal to the first night stay per room.

So if the room would cost $250 for the first night, you would likely get charged $250 to your credit card If you failed to cancel before the cut off.

As the terms and condition state, taxes may apply.

Elite status cancellation policy

I’m currently not aware of any special cancellation policy for elites such as Spire or Platinum Elites. If you are aware of any special cancellation policies, be sure to drop a comment below!

IHG Cancellation Policy FAQ

What is the IHG cancellation deadline?

The deadline for avoiding a cancellation fee will vary based on the property but many properties are requiring cancellation only 24 hours prior to check in right now.

The cancellation deadline is typically at 6 PM local hotel time on the last day that you are allowed to cancel.

What is the IHG cancellation fee?

The cancellation fee is typically the price of a one night stay. To estimate the fee, simply look at the price of your first night scheduled.

What is the Hyatt cancellation policy for points bookings?

The cancellation for a points booking is typically the same as for a standard rate but it could depend on the property. This means that you will typically have 24 to 48 hours prior to arrival to cancel your booking. If you fail to cancel your booking, you will lose the points required to cover your first night stay.

Is a deposit required for IHG bookings?

A deposit will likely be required for advance purchase rates and this deposit will need to cover the entire stay. If you cancel your booking or fail to show then you will lose the entire deposit.

What is the cancellation policy for Holiday Inn?

The cancellation policy will depend on the type of rate that you booked. If you have booked a flexible stay then you may be able to cancel 24 to 72 hours prior to your arrival.

What is the cancellation policy for the free night certificate?

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

Final word

IHG has a pretty straightforward cancellation policy that is similar to other large hotel programs. They are very good about explaining the cancellation policy in detailed terms and also providing you with the exact hour that you need to cancel by to avoid a cancellation fee. For that reason, they are one of the most consumer friendly hotel programs when it comes to cancellations.

New IHG Promotion (up to 3X the points)

IHG Rewards just launched a new promo and honestly this looks like it could be a pretty lucrative promotion especially if you have an IHG credit card. Let’s take a look at the details.

The Offer

  • 2X bonus points on your 2nd stay
  • 3X on subsequent stays
  • IHG cardmembers earn 3,000 bonus points on their second stay and 3,000 bonus points on their third stay when using their IHG credit card

Key terms

  • The promotion begins on May 5, 2021 and ends on August 16, 2021 
  • Stay period begins on May 15, 2021 and ends August 16, 2021
  • Qualifying Stays are a minimum 1-night stay booked under a Qualifying Rate, with total spend exceeding US $30 for each night.
  • Note that multiple checkouts for consecutive qualifying nights at the same hotel will count as 1 qualifying stay; non-consecutive qualifying nights at the same hotel may count as separate qualifying stays.
  • The Promotional Period includes 94 nights and the maximum number of bonus points that can be earned is 100,000 bonus points over the entire Promotional Period.
  • Make sure that you register here

Is it worth it?

This is a decent promotion, especially for IHG cardmembers. If you were planning on making two or three stays you could be looking at some pretty lucrative bonus earnings. Let’s look at a sample booking for a second and third stay at $200 for one night to see what your earnings could look like.

I am going to assume that you have the IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card which comes with IHG Platinum status just to highlight how valuable this could be. The booking below will also assume that you earn 10X on your base points.

Stay 2: $200

  • Base Points: 2,000
  • Platinum Bonus: 1,000
  • Promo: 4,000 (2X bonus points)
  • IHG Card Promo: 3,000 bonus points
  • IHG Card Bonus points: 2,000 bonus points (10X)

With the IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card, that would be a total of 12,000 points for $200 in spend. If you value IHG points at .7 cent per point, that’s 42% back! That is very good for a hotel promotion.

Stay 3: $200

  • Base Points: 2,000
  • Platinum Bonus: 1,000
  • Promo: 6,000 (3X bonus points)
  • IHG Card Promo: 3,000 bonus points
  • IHG Card Bonus points: 2,000 bonus points

With the IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card, that would be a total of 14,000 points for $200 in spend. If you value IHG points at .7 cent per point, that’s 49% back! Getting almost 50% back is pretty exceptional!

Obviously you only earn these extra bonus points a couple of times with the IHG cards and these earnings are for one-night stays but this just goes to show you how lucrative this promo can be in the short term for shorter stays.

Final word

This is actually a very lucrative promotion for the short term, especially with the IHG cards. The biggest drawback of this promotion is that you don’t earn points on your first stay so you have to make at least two stays in order to take advantage of this promo.

Do IHG devaluations mean reconsidering your credit card strategy?

For a while now, IHG has remained one of my secondary hotel reward programs (below the big three: Hyatt, Hilton, and Marriott).

I’ve never been a huge IHG fan for a few reasons. The biggest reason is I do not like that they exclude elite benefits on award redemptions (at least on paper).

Some hotels will still provide you with benefits based on your elite status but I think it says a lot about a program when they exclude those benefits from award redemptions in their terms.

IHG has also constantly devalued their currency and made it difficult to plan awards with their dynamic pricing.

We still hold the IHG Premier Card because we can utilize the free night every year pretty easily and come out on top but that might be changing soon.

IHG has been at it again when it comes to devaluations.

This time, people are reporting some pretty absurd prices. As View From The Wing highlighted, we’re seeing Holiday Inns going for 70,000+ points a night. Many on FlyerTalk have reported some pretty ridiculous prices as well, such as properties raising from 40,000 to 70,000 points per night.

This doesn’t mean that the value for the program is over. You can still find deals if you search hard enough and certain regions such as Asia may be better off. Also, there are still reports of prices going down so this was not a universal devaluation across the board.

What’s interesting is that the award price increases don’t seem to be directly tied to increases in cash prices. So some are speculating that IHG’s new price roll out might actually be riddled with glitches right now (which could mean some great deals).

But should this devaluation cause you to reconsider your credit card strategy?

I think if you are still devoted to IHG, the IHG credit card you can still provide you with enough value that it could be worth holding onto. With the fourth night free benefit, you can still probably get some decent cents per point for your redemptions and the 10X on IHG properties is pretty strong.

But if you don’t currently have the card, I would prioritize other hotel cards that are subject to 5/24 over the IHG card such as the World of Hyatt Card. That’s because it may become much more difficult to utilize your points and free nights in the future.

These prices don’t appear to be going anywhere as IHG clarified this is just how the new pricing will work:

We rolled out our Dynamic Pricing models to our hotels around the world last year which enabled the amount of points required for IHG Rewards members to redeem a Reward Night to flex up and down, just like cash rates.

Previously, Reward Night point amounts were static throughout the year. This model allows point amounts to decrease when demand is lower, providing greater value to our members.

Conversely, redemption amounts may also increase based on demand  and other factors and can update as often as daily. Reward Nights are not defined by categories or with minimum and maximum point amounts.

Under our new model, the number of points required for Reward Nights will vary with demand and seasonality.

Final word

IHG appears to be implementing a pretty wide devaluation (without notice) although prices don’t seem to directly correlate to cash prices. You can still find good deals out there but they may become increasingly more difficult to find and for that reason the IHG Premier Card may be less attractive.

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).

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