5 Excellent Hotels in Central & South America With IHG Card’s Free Night

Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money.

Update:   The card offer in this post is no longer available.  Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers. 

With the Chase IHG Rewards Club Select card, you get a free night certificate to use at ANY IHG hotel each year you’re a cardholder.  

That includes top-tier hotels in Central & South America!

5 Excellent Hotels In Central South America With IHG Cards Free Night
The Panama City Skyline and the InterContinental Panama at Night

The $49 annual fee (waived for the first year) is worth it, because you can get Big Travel with this card.  I’ll show you 5 excellent hotels in Central & South America where you can enjoy a free night!

Top Hotels to Book With the Chase IHG Card Annual Free Night

About the Chase IHG Rewards Club Select Card

Link:   Chase IHG Rewards Club Select

When you sign-up for the Chase IHG Rewards Club Select card, you’ll earn 70,000 IHG Rewards points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening your account. (EXPIRED.)

You’ll also get:

  • 5,000 IHG points after your first purchase and adding an authorized user in the first 3 months of opening your account
  • IHG Platinum elite status (free upgrades when available, priority check-in, and elite rollover nights)
  • A free night at any IHG hotel worldwide each year of cardmembership
  • 5X IHG points for every $1 you spend at IHG hotels
  • 2X IHG points per $1 you spend at restaurants, grocery stores, and gas stations
  • 1X IHG point per $1 you spend on everything else
  • 10% rebate on redeemed points (up to 100,000 IHG points a year)
  • NO foreign transaction fees

There’s a $49 annual fee on the card, but it’s waived for the first year.

5 Excellent Hotels in Central & South America Where You Can Stay With Your IHG Free Night Certificate

Link:   IHG Hotels

I’ve written about how to get Big Travel with the Chase IHG Rewards Club Select card.

You can use the free night from the Chase IHG Rewards Club Select card at any IHG hotel, including their top category hotels and resorts!

It’s worth paying the $49 annual fee to enjoy a free night at hotels that usually cost hundreds of dollars each night.

If award nights are available, you can use your IHG free night certificate to book it.  Log into your account and click the link for “Free Night Status.”  This link will appear on your account after you’d had the card for a year.  Simply click through and book your hotel as usual – for free!
5 Excellent Hotels In Central South America With IHG Cards Free Night
You’ll See a“Free Night Status” After You’ve Had the Card for 1 Year

Here are my picks for where to use your free night certificate.  I haven’t stayed at all of these hotels, but they look like excellent deals!  Let me know if you have one to add to the list!

The rates here are based on available rooms in June 2016.  And don’t forget, rates can go up or down, depending on the season.

1.   Crowne Plaza Lima

Link:   Crowne Plaza Lima

If you’re headed to Peru, consider staying at the Crowne Plaza Lima.  Located in the popular Miraflores district, it’s close to restaurants, cafes, and museums.  And it’s just ~1.5 miles to the popular Huaca Pucllana ruins.

5 Excellent Hotels In Central South America With IHG Cards Free Night
The Crowne Plaza Lima at Night

I found standard rooms for ~$172 a night.  And if you wanted to stay a few more days in Lima, you can also book this hotel for 25,000 IHG points per night.

It gets 4 stars on TripAdvisor.  Reviewers like the free breakfast, convenient location, and friendly staff.

5 Excellent Hotels In Central South America With IHG Cards Free Night
Folks Often Fly Into Lima to Visit Machu Picchu Because the Flights Are Cheaper, and the Flight Between Lima and Cusco Is Only ~1.5 Hours

And of course, while visiting Peru, you can’t skip Machu Picchu!  My friend hiked the Salkantay Trail to the ruins.  And said it was an amazing experience!  She recommends climbing Huayna Picchu for the best views!

2.   InterContinental Buenos Aires

Link:   InterContinental Buenos Aires

Located in downtown Buenos Aires, the InterContinental Buenos Aires is walking distance to lots of interesting sites.  Like Avenida de Mayo, where you can enjoy the shopping and cafes.  And the Parroquia de San Ignacio de Loyola, one of the oldest buildings in the city.

5 Excellent Hotels In Central South America With IHG Cards Free Night
The InterContinental Buenos Aires at Dusk

I found rooms here for ~$211 or 30,000 IHG points per night.  So the free night certificate is a great way to save money OR points.  And get Big Travel with Small Money!

5 Excellent Hotels In Central South America With IHG Cards Free Night
Take a Walking Tour of the Colorful La Boca Neighborhood in Buenos Aires

Folks on TripAdvisor give this hotel 4.5 stars for its charming old-world feel and exceptional service!

3.   InterContinental Miramar Panama

Link:   InterContinental Miramar Panama

Watch boats enter the Panama Canal from the InterContinental Miramar Panama!  This hotel has oceanfront views and a central location.  So you can easily visit local attractions, like markets, restaurants, and the historic district of Casco Viejo.

5 Excellent Hotels In Central South America With IHG Cards Free Night
Enjoy the Elaborate Design at the InterContinental Miramar Panama

It gets 4 stars on TripAdvisor.  And costs ~$177 or 30,000 IHG points per night.  

5 Excellent Hotels In Central South America With IHG Cards Free Night
Experience Spanish Architecture and Discover Local Artisans in Picturesque Casco Viejo (Old Quarter)

Panama is a country with a diverse landscape.  So you could spend a few days in the city, then head to explore the coast or rainforest!

4.   InterContinental Sao Paulo

Link:   InterContinental Sao Paulo

Sao Paulo is a wonderful city where you can experience Brazil’s architectural history and culture.  The InterContinental Sao Paulo gets almost all 5-star reviews on TripAdvisor.  Folks love the modern rooms, good location, and helpful staff.

5 Excellent Hotels In Central South America With IHG Cards Free Night
Enjoy the Modern Interior of the InterContinental Sao Paulo in Brazil

Rooms cost ~$233 or 35,000 IHG points per night.  Or ~$400+ during peak times.  So you’re saving lots of money OR points when you use your free night certificate here!

5 Excellent Hotels In Central South America With IHG Cards Free Night
Samba Dancers During Carnival in Sao Paolo, Brazil

Plan a trip in March to celebrate Carnival in this vibrant city!

5.   InterContinental Santiago

Link:   InterContinental Santiago

The modern InterContinental Santiago is located in Santiago’s financial district.  There’s easy access to public transportation to explore the rest of the city.

It gets 4 stars on TripAdvisor because of the helpful staff, clean rooms, and convenient location.

It’s a ~10 minute walk to the Sky Costanera, a popular tourist spot with amazing views of the city.

It’s also just ~4.5 miles from the Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts and ~3.5 miles from the Metropolitan Cathedral.

5 Excellent Hotels In Central South America With IHG Cards Free Night
The Exterior of the InterContinental Santiago Is Covered With Plants!

I found rooms here for ~$241 or 25,000 IHG points per night.  

And if you feel like getting out of the city, head to Valparaiso, just ~1.5 hours away.

5 Excellent Hotels In Central South America With IHG Cards Free Night
Colorful Houses Line the Cliffs of Valparaiso, Chile

You can tour famous Chilean poet Pablo Neruda’s old house, which is now a museum.  And my friend suggests visiting over New Years, because the fireworks shows are unbelievable!

Bonus Pick:   Holiday Inn Express Quito

Link:   Holiday Inn Express Quito

The Holiday Inn Express Quito is centrally located with easy access to many of the city’s popular attractions.  It’s not as fancy as the other picks, but if you care more about the location than the hotel, it could be a good choice.

You can take a trip to the Mitad del Mundo (middle of the world) and literally step on the equator!  Or visit the lush Maquipucuna Cloud Forest Reserve and try to spot exotic birds.

5 Excellent Hotels In Central South America With IHG Cards Free Night
The Modern Holiday Inn Express Located in Quito’s Business District

Rooms here cost ~$179 or 15,000 IHG points per night.  So it wouldn’t take a lot of extra IHG points to extend your stay!

It gets almost all 5-star reviews TripAdvisor.  Folks loved the free breakfast, friendly (English speaking!) staff, and comfortable beds.

Quito is a beautiful city with lots to explore.  And it’s also a great jumping-off point to the Galapagos Islands.

5 Excellent Hotels In Central South America With IHG Cards Free Night
Dive With Sea Lions and Other Amazing Sea Creatures in the Galapagos!

You could spend a few days diving in the Galapagos with the money you saved using your IHG free night certificate and points.  A friend of mine dove with sea lions, tortoises, iguanas, and hammerhead sharks during her visit!

Bottom Line

For the $49 annual fee on the Chase IHG Rewards Club Select card, you can get a free night each year at a hotel that’s worth much more!

Stay at great IHG hotels in Central and South America like the InterContinental Sao Paulo or the Crowne Plaza Lima.  These hotels can cost over $100 per night, so this is a great way get Big Travel with the Chase IHG Rewards Club Select card!

Splurge on a luxury experience with your free night certificate, then mix-and-match award stays and paid stays to get a 2-for-1 experience if you want to stay longer.  Or stay longer by renting an Airbnb.

This card is worth keeping because you can pay a $49 annual fee in exchange for a beautiful hotel room in great locations.  And that’s a fantastic deal!

Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)

Join the Discussion!

Comments are closed.