5 Great Hotels in the US With IHG Card’s Free Night
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Update: The card offer in this post is no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.Did you know you get 1 free night each year you’re a Chase IHG Rewards Club Select cardmember to use at ANY IHG hotel?
That includes luxury hotels anywhere in the world, including terrific hotels right here at home!
You can get Big Travel for an annual fee of only $49 (waived for the 1st year). I’ll show you 5 great hotels in the US where you can enjoy a free night!
Top Hotels to Book With the Chase IHG Card Annual Free Night
- 5 Top Hotels in Europe to Book With IHG Card’s Free Night
- 5 Great Hotels in the US With IHG Card’s Free Night
- 5 Outstanding Hotels in the Caribbean & Mexico With IHG Card’s 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 1st 3 months of opening your account. You’ll also get:
- 5,000 IHG points after your 1st purchase and adding an authorized user in the 1st 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 card membership
- 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 1st year.
5 Awesome Hotels in the US 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 anniversary night from the Chase IHG Rewards Club Select card at any IHG hotel, including their top category hotels and resorts!So it’s worth paying the $49 annual fee to enjoy a free night at a top-tier hotel that normally costs 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 cardmember anniversary. Simply click through and book your hotel as usual – for free!
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 fantastic deals! If you have 1 to add to the list, let me know!
The rates here are based on available rooms in May 2016. And remember rates can go up or down, depending on the season!
1. InterContinental New York Times Square
Link: InterContinental New York Times Square
New York is an expensive city, but there are ways to get Big Travel with Small Money when you visit. This includes a free night at the luxurious InterContinental New York Times Square!
Save even more money when you fly to New York on a low fare! And here are ways to get to New York using your miles and points.
I found a standard room available for ~$504 a night.
This hotel usually costs 50,000 IHG points per night, so the free night certificate is a great way to save money OR points! Get a longer stay in New York when you mix-and-match award stays and paid stays to get a 2-for-1 experience, and explore another part of this incredible city!
I love ethnic food (the spicier the better!) and New York has so many amazing restaurants to explore to satisfy my cravings. Emily enjoys the city’s architecture and shopping.
2. InterContinental The Willard Washington DC
Link: InterContinental The Willard Washington DC
The InterContinental The Willard Washington DC is 1 of the most iconic hotels in our nation’s capitol.
Located on Pennsylvania Avenue, you’ll be 2 blocks from the White House, and walking distance to the National Mall and museums filled with American history.
3. Holiday Inn Resort Waikiki Beachcomber
Link: Holiday Inn Resort Waikiki Beachcomber
According to the hotel, the Holiday Inn Resort Waikiki Beachcomber is located only 300 steps from world-famous Waikiki Beach.
When you visit Honolulu, you can use your IHG award night certificate to stay 1 more (free) night.
Rooms here are usually 35,000 IHG points or ~$215 a night. So if you feel like staying another night, you can save points or money.
Here are my tips on how to get award flights to Hawaii with credit card miles and points. If you plan it right, you can get free flights and accommodations!
While in Honolulu, consider visiting the USS Arizona Memorial to the Pearl Harbor attack. It’s an important part of history and my friend says it’s worth the trip.
4. InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco
Link: InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco
Located in San Francisco’s upscale Nob Hill neighborhood, the InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco is near 3 cable car lines with easy access to all parts of the city, including Union Square and the Mission.
Wind down with a drink at the hotel bar, and make the most of your stay in San Francisco!
5. Crowne Plaza South Beach – Z Ocean Hotel
Link: Crowne Plaza South Beach – Z Ocean Hotel
If you’re thinking of a Florida vacation this winter, consider the Crowne Plaza South Beach – Z Ocean Hotel. It’s located on famous Collins Avenue, across the street from the beaches on the Atlantic Ocean.
Emily and I stayed here 4 years ago for her birthday. We loved the rooftop Jacuzzi! You can see photos of our room and experience here.
Rooms here are usually ~$480 a night!
If you’re like Emily and enjoy dancing, South Beach (and Miami in general) are known for clubs and parties.
The Chase IHG Rewards Club Select card has a $49 annual fee, but you can book a room that’s worth many times more with the annual free night certificate. To me, that makes this card a keeper!
Get Another Free Night If You’re New to IHG!
Folks who register for a new IHG account and stay 2 nights at IHG hotels before December 31, 2015, get a certificate for a free night at ANY IHG hotel!
You can combine this offer with your IHG points to get even more free nights at an IHG hotel!
Find the Perfect Room for You
Here are a few tools to help you decide which hotels will work for your trip:
- Use AwardMapper to search for hotel award nights
- Hotel Hustle shows you if award rooms are available, and if it’s a good deal
- Here’s how to use TripAdvisor to find a hotel room
Bottom Line
For a card with a $49 annual fee, you can get a free night at a hotel that’s worth much more, even hundreds of dollars a night, with the Chase IHG Rewards Club Select card!
Stay at great IHG hotels in the US like the InterContinental The Willard Washington DC. Or where I stayed with Emily, the Crowne Plaza South Beach – Z Ocean Hotel. These hotels normally sell for ~$400 to over $500 a night, so it’s easy to get Big Travel with the Chase IHG Rewards Club Select card.
To stretch your stays, you can mix-and-match award stays and paid stays to get a 2-for-1 experience. You can splurge for a luxury experience with your free night certificate, then use your IHG points to stay at Holiday Inn hotels.
If you’re new to IHG, you can also earn another free night when you sign-up for an account and stay 2 nights before December 31, 2015.
This card is a keeper because you pay a $49 annual fee in exchange for a beautiful hotel room that usually costs ~$400 (or more!) in the best locations!
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