IHG One Rewards Premier Review: Free Nights on a Silver Platter
The Bottom Line
5.0
The points on this card aren't worth as much as the points in some other hotel programs — but you can earn a lot of points per dollar. IHG is relatively generous with free nights, too.
Rates, fees and offers
Annual fee
$99
Rewards rate
1x-26x
Bonus offer
Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Intro APR
N/A
Ongoing APR
APR: 20.74%-27.74% Variable APR
Cash Advance APR: 29.49%, Variable
Penalty APR: Up to 29.99%
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
$0
More details from Chase
- Earn 140,000 Bonus Points
- Enjoy an Anniversary Free Night at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Plus, enjoy a fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG® hotel stay.
- Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts
- Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Automatic Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Premier cardmember
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $100 ($120 starting 10/1/24) every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card
- IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Kimpton®, EVEN® Hotels, Indigo® Hotels & Holiday Inn®
- Member FDIC
Pros and Cons
Pros
Anniversary perk
High rewards rate
Automatic elite status
Luxury perks
Cons
Has annual fee
Rewards have limited flexibility
Detailed Review
If it's free nights you want in a hotel card, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card delivers.
With a generous sign-up bonus and rewards rate and a free night after each account anniversary — plus a free reward night when you meet redemption and length-of-stay requirements — you could be counting sheep in an IHG-branded property faster than you can count what you saved on the bill.
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, issued by Chase, also grants you Platinum Elite status, which means premium perks like complimentary room upgrades when available, and bonus points on every booking.
The main question to ask yourself before applying is whether you'll be satisfied with your options within the IHG portfolio, whose brands include Holiday Inn, InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Kimpton, EVEN Hotels and Indigo Hotels. Someone seeking greater flexibility or different hotel options might fare better with either a general-purpose travel credit card or a different co-branded hotel card.
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card: Basics
Card type: Hotel.
Annual fee: $99.
Sign-up bonus: Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Rewards:
26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel. Those points break down like this:
10 points for paying with the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card.
10 points from your free IHG Rewards Club membership — you'll be automatically enrolled when you are approved for the card if you previously were not a member.
6 points from Platinum Elite Status, an automatic benefit of card ownership.
5 points per $1 spent at gas stations, travel and restaurants.
3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
NerdWallet values IHG points at 0.5 cent each. This is drawn from real-world data, but it's not a maximized value. In other words, you should aim for award redemptions that offer 0.5 cent or more in value from your IHG points.
Perks and other benefits:
Get a free night at an IHG property after your account anniversary every year.
Get the fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a stay of four nights or more. Terms apply.
Earn an additional 10,000 bonus points plus a $100 statement credit each account anniversary year during which you spent at least $20,000 and made at least one additional purchase at least one day after you reach the $20,000 threshold.
Automatic Platinum Elite status, which, among other things, gives you 60% bonus earnings on top of the base points you earn through your IHG Rewards Club membership, a guaranteed reservation when booked at least 72 hours in advance, and a room upgrade, based on availability.
A path to Diamond status: Earn IHG Rewards Diamond Elite status after spending $40,000 on purchases and making one additional purchase each calendar year with the card.
Global Entry, TSA Precheck or NEXUS fee credit. (Details below.)
Get up to $50 United® Airlines TravelBank Cash each calendar year; registration required.
Travel and purchase protections, including baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, purchase protection and trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
Interest rate: The ongoing APR is 20.74%-27.74% Variable APR.
Foreign transaction fee: None.
Premier vs. Traveler
IHG offers another credit card — the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card — for an annual fee of $0. But if you're committed to IHG, consider the extra value you'd get from the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card. The free night every year can more than make up for the annual fee all by itself, you'll rack up more points per dollar on hotel stays, and you'll enjoy the additional perks of Platinum Elite status automatically.
Here's a side-by-side comparison of the two cards:
| IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card | IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
Annual fee | $0. | $99. |
Sign-up bonus | Earn 80,000 Bonus Points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. | Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. |
Rewards rate |
|
|
Other perks | Fourth night free when redeeming rewards for four or more nights. Earn Gold status when you spend $20,000 or more on your card in a calendar year. |
|
Foreign transaction fees | None. | None. |
Compare to Other Cards
Benefits and Perks
Valuable sign-up bonus
The card comes with a generous offer: Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That sign-up bonus alone could get you a nice long stretch at a hotel.
Eye-popping rewards rate
You'll earn 10 points per $1 spent just by using your IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card to book a stay at an eligible IHG property, plus an additional 10 points per $1 for being an IHG Rewards Club member (which, if you weren't already a member, enrollment is automatic upon signing up for the card). You'll get yet another 6 points per $1 spent from the Platinum Elite status you're automatically granted with card ownership, swelling your potential earnings with each IHG booking to a sky-high 26 points per $1 spent.
More free nights
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card offers you an "Anniversary Free Night" each account anniversary year at eligible IHG hotels. Note that the free night award is valid only for rooms that cost 40,000 points or less per night and has to be used within 12 months of the date of issue. Beyond that, you'll also be eligible for a free award night when you redeem points for any stay of four or more nights at the same property.
Platinum Elite status
The additional points boost that comes with Platinum Elite status is hard to beat. Earnings aside, Platinum Elite status also means perks like priority check-in, late checkout, complimentary internet access, complimentary room upgrades (when available) and a dedicated customer service phone line.
Application fee credit for Global Entry, TSA Precheck or NEXUS
You'll get up to $100 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card.
Drawbacks and Considerations
Lower point value
A low individual point value isn't necessarily bad if you earn enough points per dollar to make up for their lesser value. But it's still something to keep in mind when comparing hotel loyalty programs. This card can earn you a pile of points, but they may not go as far as the points from other hotel rewards programs or general travel rewards cards.
Limited earning/burning reward options
With any co-branded hotel card, you have to be willing to stay within the hotel group's brand family whenever you travel if you want to maximize your point-earning and -redeeming potential. This could be limiting if there isn't an IHG hotel convenient to your destination, or if the available hotels don't suit your needs. Although IHG does offer airline transfer partners, the value of points in transfers is far less than when you redeem points for hotel stays. You can also use your points for merchandise, gift cards and donations, but the transfer rate is also subpar.
Possible alternatives
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
If you value flexibility over brand loyalty, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card can also get you free nights — or flights — fast. The card earns bonus rewards in a variety of popular spending categories, including dining and travel. It, too, offers a rich sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. With the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, when you redeem for travel booked through Chase, your points have a value of 1.25 cents each. In this case, that makes a Chase Ultimate Rewards® point worth more than twice as much as an average IHG point. The annual fee is $95.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
If you're a frequent traveler but the IHG portfolio simply doesn't work for you, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card might be a better fit. It also offers a free hotel night once a year and automatic elite status. And, thanks to the sheer size of the Marriott Bonvoy umbrella, you'll have no shortage of redemption options. The card's annual fee is $95.
You can visit NerdWallet's roundup of best credit cards to get to see how these options stack up.
How To Decide If It's Right For You
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card can earn you free nights fast, as long as you can stay loyal to hotels within the IHG portfolio and don't mind doing a little work to make sure you're maximizing your point value.
But beyond the upfront incentives, consider whether this card will be a good fit for the long haul. If you want to use your rewards for nights and flights, a general travel credit card will likely be a better option.
If you're concerned about finding IHG hotels in your desired locations to earn or redeem points, consider the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. The Marriott family of hotel chains has more than 7,000 locations, from basic lodging options to ultra luxury brands. IHG, by comparison, has more than 5,000 hotels.
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Methodology
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