Last updated: July 2026. Sign-up bonuses, fees and credits change often — confirm the current offer on the issuer's page before you apply.
IHG runs 6,000+ hotels — Holiday Inn and Candlewood on the mass end, InterContinental, Kimpton, Six Senses and Regent at the top — and the IHG One Rewards Premier Card (issued by Chase) is one of the best-value hotel cards for its ~$99 fee. IHG points are cheap (we peg them at 0.6¢), but this card bundles an anniversary free night, automatic Platinum Elite, and the standout 4th-award-night-free perk that quietly discounts every points stay by 25%.
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At a glance
| Annual fee | ~$99 (verify current offer) |
| Sign-up bonus | ~120,000–175,000 points after minimum spend (verify current offer) |
| Bonus value | $720–$1,050 at our 0.6¢ valuation |
| Best for | IHG guests who want a free night + Platinum status cheaply |
| Points earned | IHG One Rewards |
| Foreign transaction fee | None |
| Card network | Mastercard |
Apply Now → see the current offer
What IHG points are worth
We value IHG One Rewards points at 0.6¢ each. Like Hilton, IHG prices awards dynamically, so there's no chart to exploit — but you earn points in bulk (up to ~26x on IHG stays once card, status and base member earning stack), and one card perk turns every award stay into a deal.
CPP formula: (cash − taxes) ÷ points × 100 = ¢ per point.
Worked example — an InterContinental over-water villa at $1,200/night, 70,000 points: a single night is (1,200 − 0) ÷ 70,000 × 100 = 1.71¢. Now apply the card's 4th-night-free perk to a 4-night stay: you pay 3 × 70,000 = 210,000 points for $4,800 of rooms → 4,800 ÷ 210,000 × 100 = 2.29¢/point — nearly 4x baseline. See our full InterContinental over-water villa write-up.
IHG is fed by Chase Ultimate Rewards (1:1) if you ever need to top off an award — a Chase Sapphire Preferred makes a natural partner.
Read more about your points
The IHG One Rewards Premier earns IHG One Rewards points. See how to get outsized value from them — the 4th-night-free perk stretched across an aspirational stay: → InterContinental over-water villa on points
These are IHG-only points — they don't transfer to airlines. (Chase Ultimate Rewards do transfer into IHG 1:1, so a Chase Sapphire card can feed your balance when you're short for an award.)
Earning rates
| Rate | Category |
|---|---|
| up to 26x | IHG hotels (10x card + up to 10x Platinum bonus + base member earning) |
| 5x | Travel, gas stations & dining |
| 3x | Everything else |
Even at 0.6¢/point, up to 26x at IHG = an effective ~15% back in points on your hotel bill, and the flat 3x on all other spend is strong for a hotel card.
The anniversary free night — where the fee goes
Each account anniversary the card gives you a free night valid at properties pricing up to 40,000 points. Unlike some competitors, IHG lets you top up the certificate with your own points to book a higher-priced night — so the 40,000 cap is a floor, not a ceiling. A Holiday Inn or Crowne Plaza pricing $200/night easily covers the ~$99 fee twice over; use the cert at a nicer property and it's pure profit.
Free nights expire ~12 months after issue and require standard-room award availability.
Platinum status + the 4th-night-free perk
- Automatic Platinum Elite the whole time you hold the card — room upgrades when available, welcome amenity, late checkout, and a points bonus on paid stays.
- 4th reward night free: on any award stay of 4+ nights, IHG rebates the points for every 4th night. It's the reason IHG award value beats its 0.6¢ baseline — it silently knocks 25% off every longer points booking.
- Global Entry / TSA PreCheck credit (up to ~$100 every four years).
- Up to ~$100 United TravelBank cash each year on the Premier (verify current terms — this benefit has changed).
- Bonus points and an anniversary reward on high spend (verify current thresholds).
The no-fee alternative: IHG One Rewards Traveler
Don't want the fee? The IHG One Rewards Traveler Card ($0 annual fee) earns well (elevated points at IHG, plus bonus categories on travel, gas, dining and streaming), gives a lower automatic status and a fourth-night-free perk on award stays — but no anniversary free night. It's a fine keeper once you've held the Premier, or a low-commitment entry point. There's also an IHG One Rewards Premier Business card with its own free night for business spenders.
Best uses (worked examples)
1. Anniversary night as fee offset. The free night at a Crowne Plaza pricing $220/night: that's $220 of hotel for $0, clearing the ~$99 fee with room to spare in year one.
2. Long luxury award, milked with 4th-night-free.
A Six Senses or InterContinental at $1,000/night, 65,000 points. Book 4 nights: pay 3 × 65,000 = 195,000 points for $4,000 of rooms → 4,000 ÷ 195,000 × 100 = 2.05¢/point, and the resort experience is included.
3. Top-up the free night. Your certificate caps at 40,000, but the property prices at 55,000. Add 15,000 of your own points and you've stretched the cert onto a much nicer night — a flexibility Marriott's free nights don't offer.
Fine print worth knowing
- Chase 5/24: this is a Chase card — 5+ new cards across all issuers in 24 months usually means a denial. Check your count first.
- IHG's dynamic pricing means award costs move with demand; there's no chart, so compare cash-vs-points on every booking.
- The anniversary free night and 4th-night-free apply to standard-room awards subject to availability.
- Points expire after ~24 months of no account activity — but holding the card and earning keeps them alive indefinitely.
- No foreign transaction fees — use it abroad freely.
Who should get it
Get the IHG One Rewards Premier if you stay at IHG hotels even a few nights a year, want automatic Platinum status, and would use a free night that pays the fee plus the 4th-night-free discount on longer trips. It's one of the cheapest ways to hold real hotel status.
Consider the no-fee Traveler if you want IHG earning and 4th-night-free without an annual fee, or look at the World of Hyatt card if per-point value matters more than IHG's giant footprint.
Bottom line
The IHG Premier is a quiet overachiever: a low fee, a free night that beats it, automatic Platinum, and a 4th-night-free perk that makes IHG's cheap points redeem for far more than 0.6¢ on any stay of four nights or more. Feed it from Chase Ultimate Rewards and it slots neatly into a broader points strategy.
Apply Now → see the current offer
Related: How much are your points worth? · Transfer partners · InterContinental over-water villa on points · World of Hyatt card · Marriott Bonvoy cards
