Carrying a co-branded hotel credit card comes down to more than just points: Many give you free hotel night certificates each year, packing a punch and easily justifying the card's annual fee. And few of these certificates are more valuable than the IHG free anniversary night you get from the IHG One Rewards Club Premier Credit Card.
In the past, you could use this free night certificate at any IHG property. That made it easy to get five or even 10 times the value of the card's $49 to $89 annual fee, depending on which version of the card you have. But then Chase and IHG decided that benefit was too good, leading them to cap free night certificates for properties that cost 40,000 IHG Rewards points or less.
That stung, but you can still get plenty of value out of your IHG free anniversary night – if you use it right. So let's highlight some of the best properties that offer the most bang for your buck.
- IHG Free Anniversary Night Certificate Extensions
- InterContinental Bangkok
- InterContinental Minneapolis – St. Paul Airport
- InterContinental Bali Resort
- Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong
- Holiday Inn Orlando – Disney Springs Area
- InterContinental Presidente Cancun Resort
- InterContinental Prague
- Crowne Plaza London – Kings Cross
- Kimpton Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City
- InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa
- How to Earn an IHG Free Anniversary Night
IHG Free Anniversary Night Certificate Extensions
You might have more time to use your IHG free night thanks to the pandemic.
In late December 2020, Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) confirmed they would extend dates for free night award certificates issued from the IHG co-branded credit cards into 2021.
In April 2020, certificates expiring after March 1, 2020, were extended through Dec. 31, 2020, while also giving any certificates issued in 2020 a longer, 18-month redemption window. These certificates have now been extended through Aug. 31, 2021.
However, that means you must travel by Aug. 31, 2021. You won't be able to book something now for travel after that date. It's not clear yet if IHG will extend these certificates past the current August expiration date.
Let's take a look at some of the best properties to use your IHG free anniversary night certificate.
InterContinental Bangkok
Generally speaking, InterContinental hotels are the nicest in IHG's portfolio. So no matter where you are, if you can find one for 40,000 points or less, it will be a good use of your IHG free night certificate.
The InterContinental Bangkok is no exception as a paid night at the property starts typically around $200 USD. The hotel is located in central Bangkok and is one of the largest hotels in the city. It's near the Skytrain station, making travel around the region quick and convenient.
I myself will be using my IHG free anniversary night certificate here later this year.
InterContinental Minneapolis – St. Paul Airport
One of the newest InterContinental Hotels in the IHG portfolio and another great option for your free night certificate is the InterContinental Minneapolis – St. Paul Airport. The hotel officially opened in late 2018, making it the only airport connected to the terminal at the Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) airport.
It also has a dedicated TSA checkpoint for passengers traveling through Terminal 1 (which is currently shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Most importantly, it's an aviation geek's paradise with fantastic views of the airport's runways.
Read our full review of the InterContinental Minneapolis – St. Paul Airport!
InterContinental Bali Resort
The InterContinental Bali Resort is another amazing use of your free night certificate. If you play your cards right, you can even find nights for under 30,000 points a night to extend your stay.
The 430-room property is secluded within exclusive Jimbaran Bay on the island’s southern coast. It's a great spot to spend some of your time on your next trip to Bali.
Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong
Hotel Indigo is one of my favorite brands within the IHG portfolio. But finding them for 40,000 points or less per night can be a tall task.
That makes the Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong another phenomenal way to use your IHG free anniversary night. The hotel is housed on the site of the former Joo Chiat Police Station, with a beautiful rooftop infinity pool overlooking the city.
While Southeast Asia is cheap, Singapore certainly isn't. Finding some relief with a free hotel night should be welcome news. InterContinental Singapore is also worth a look as it can be booked for under 40,000 points each night.
Holiday Inn Orlando – Disney Springs Area
Let's face it: Bringing a family to Walt Disney World in Orlando can be an expensive trip. So being able to use your IHG free night certificate at the Holiday Inn Orlando-Disney Springs is a great way to keep your costs in check.
The property is an official Walt Disney World hotel and as an added benefit, kids ages 18 and under stay for free when sharing their parents’ room. Also, up to four kids ages 11 and under eat free any time of the day in any Holiday Inn on-site restaurant.
InterContinental Presidente Cancun Resort
What's better than a beach vacation? A beach vacation that doesn't cost you an arm and a leg.
The InterContinental Presidente Cancun Resort is another great value for your IHG free night certificate. Paying cash at the property can easily run between $200 and $300 a night during the peak season.
InterContinental Prague
InterContinental Prague is another great option for your IHG free night certificate. Located in Prague's Old Town, the hotel has direct access to the art nouveau buildings and boutiques of Pařížská Street.
If you are paying cash for a night at the hotel, rates can run up to $400 a night. If a trip to the Czech Republic is on your radar, this is one of the absolute best plays for your IHG free anniversary night.
Crowne Plaza London – Kings Cross
“London” and “cheap” don't go well together. That makes the Crowne Plaza London – Kings Cross another fabulous use of the IHG free anniversary night.
The property is also a 15-minute walk to the King's Cross St. Pancras train station, which provides connectivity to Europe's mainland via Eurostar.
Kimpton Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City
The Kimpton Hotels brand came to IHG by way of an acquisition back in 2014. The brand has many high-end properties, but only a handful of them are bookable for 40,000 points per night or less.
Our favorite of the bunch is the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City. A night at the property can easily run $200 to north of $300 if you are paying cash. The hotel is just a half block from the city’s ski shuttles and around the corner from the Salt Palace Convention Center.
InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa
Golfers rejoice! If you find yourself looking for lodging in Fiji, don't look past the amazing InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa. The property is located beachside looking out to the beautiful turquoise blue waters.
And rates at the property can easily run over $300 a night, so you can get a ton of value out of your free night certificate here.
How to Earn an IHG Free Anniversary Night
Just for holding the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card, you will receive an annual free night certificate each year after paying the $89 annual fee. In our opinion, the free anniversary night alone is reason enough to hold onto the card. But there are other benefits worth noting. And it starts with a big bonus.
The card is currently offering the ability to bonus_miles_full
You will also get automatic Platinum Elite status with IHG, which gets you complimentary room upgrades when available and a 50% more points on paid reservations. It also gets you guaranteed room availability, priority check-in, and free late checkout. As a bonus, your points will never expire as long as you have IHG Platinum Elite status.
Finally, the card offers a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck when you pay your application fee with the card. Considering a Global Entry membership costs $100, this easily offsets the card’s annual fee. You'll get this benefit once every four years and membership in either program is good for five years.
Click Here to learn more about the IHG Reward Premier Credit Card.
Bottom Line
There are literally thousands of hotels across the globe that are eligible for the IHG free anniversary night, but this list highlights just a few of our favorites. While the 40,000-point cap for using the certificate is certainly a drag, there is still plenty of value to be had if you have a certificate to burn.
Lead Photo credit of IHG Hotels
Intercontinental Prague is a joke. Substandard decor and poor service. Not worth redeeming points in my opinion.
The Kimpton Grand Cayman should be on the list! Going there next week and using my IHG free night
This is because you were awarded the free night prior to May 2019. The Kimpton Grand Cayman exceeds the new 40,000 point threshold.
Holiday Inn Vacation Club Resort Cape Canaveral Beach is a great choice for your reward night. Great place to stay the night before or after returning from a cruise
Have you had any issues booking back to back Anniversary Nights at a Kimpton hotel? We have two anniversary nights but it will only let us book one anniversary night at the Kimpton in Grand Cayman….
Hi Jessica. I haven’t run into this before. Is the second night more than 40K points? If not, I would call IHG and see if they can sort it out for you.