IHG Rewards Club offers credit card in select markets that tend to come with yearly free night cert valid for 12 months after issuance.
Free night certificates were first usable at all IHG hotels but, due to yearly category creep and new brands introduced to the program, were recently capped at 40,000 points. IHG has now released or updated its website that shows all the hotels at which members cannot use their yearly benefit.
You can access the list on IHG’s website here.
READ MORE: IHG Rewards Club Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions
Note that I am not 100% sure if this list is complete. IHG, however, did update it in the past week, and I have not come across it previously.
Here are the hotels (per IHG) requiring more than 40,000 points per night:
Conclusion
These hotel affiliated credit cards with a yearly fee usually come with a free night that is capped at a specific category or points level, not the case with only IHG.
When they are not valid at all hotels, it inevitably means that there will be an ever-increasing number of properties where they cannot be applied (unless they are upped).
Readers have criticized IHG for limited them at 40,000 points, but this same applies to Hyatt and Marriott too.
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Can confirm the list is incomplete as the Holiday Inn Golden Mile Hong Kong is 45000 points and therefore not included. I know as I am booked there next week on a free night only because my free night was from before the number of points was capped.
I agree with you. List not complete.
On my account with the UK credit card, it still says as of today that the free night voucher is valid at “any IHG property”. I used the last one at the London Intercontinental Park Lane 🙂
The “certificate” system seems dumb at this point — Why not just give 40,000 IHG points as the anniversary award, and let the member use them however they want? Then the member could combine the anniversary award with their existing points and make bookings at the properties on the list, if desired.
Agreed – they also (for IC Ambassador nights) used to let you redeem within 12 months but have your stay be later, which let you put more free nights together.
For folks like me, who usually stay in New York / LA / SF / London / etc in prime vacation time, it’s tremendously difficult to use these free nights well.
Would be great if people could advocate for one or more of:
– 18 or 24 months before expiry;
– The 40k point deposit Chad mentions; or, at least the ability to “top it off” – e.g. cert + 30k points to use a 70k point night somewhere.
– Allowing people to combine 2 certs (2*40k = 80k)
– Increasing the 40k limit along with the general point inflation we’ve seen the last several years.
40,000 points doesn’t get you too far with the ever continuing devaluing of the program. Figure within the next 18-24 months the best it will get you is a night in Bumpkinville at a Candlewood or at a Super 8….