The best value of IHG Points will come from redeeming them towards free nights at IHG brand hotels. The Point Calculator values these redemptions at 0.7 cents per point.
How to earn IHG points
One of the easiest ways to earn lots of IHG Points is through intro bonuses and everyday spending across IHG credit cards. You can also earn Ultimate Rewards points and transfer those directly to your IHG Rewards Club account.
IHG credit cards
IHG credit cards earn up to 10 points per $1 spent at IHG brand hotels on top of what you would normally earn from being a member. In addition to that, both cards offer solid sign up bonuses which can net you a large amount of points when you meet the initial spend goal.
Complimentary elite status, access to IHG's 4th night free benefit, and an annual free night are just some of the great benefits that are offered across IHG credit cards.
Here are the three credit cards IHG offers:
| Credit Card | Intro Bonus | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|
Best For IHG Points & Benefits
|
Earn 140,000 bonus points + 1 Free Night valued at up to 40,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | $99 |
Best For No Annual Fee
|
Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | $0 |
Best For IHG Business Travelers
|
Earn 140,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | $99 |
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to IHG Rewards at a 1:1 ratio. This means every 1,000 Chase points you transfer to IHG will give you 1,000 IHG points.
This is a great alternative option for topping off your account in a pinch. You can also redeem Ultimate Rewards Points for 1.25 to 1.5 cents in value booking travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards or transfer them to other partners such as United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and World of Hyatt which makes them very flexible.
These are the best credit cards for earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points:
| Credit Card | Intro Bonus | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|
Best For High Value & Travel Benefits
|
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. | $550 |
Best For Flexible Travel Rewards
|
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. | $95 |
Best For Flexible Business Travel Rewards
|
Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. | $95 |
How much are IHG points worth?
The Point Calculator values IHG Rewards Points at 0.7 cents each on average. This is the easiest value you can obtain with with very minimal research before booking your award stay.
IHG points value
| Redemption | Point Value (in cents) |
|---|---|
| Award Nights | 0.7 |
| IHG Rewards Catalog | 0.2 - 0.3 |
| Gift Cards | 0.19 - 0.2 |
How to redeem IHG points
IHG points will have the best value when redeemed for free nights at IHG brand hotels, but they can also be used for gift cards, merchandise, and more.
Redeeming points for free nights
IHG Points can be redeemed for free nights at IHG brand hotels all over the world. This will give your points an average value of 0.7 cents each, though it can be higher or lower depending on the redemption.
The IHG Rewards program does not have an award chart, so you will not know how much your points are worth until you start booking your award stay. You'll then be able to compare the cash price to the award price and calculate the value of the redemption.
For example, here's a random grab of the cost in cash and the cost in IHG Points for hotels in the Tampa, Florida area during the spring.
When you take the cost in cash and divide it by the points needed, you'll see that all of these hotels offer between 0.89 and 1.01 cents in value per point which is significantly higher than the average The Point Calculator pegs these points at.
Calculating the cash value of your points for IHG properties you're willing to stay at is pretty much the route to take when trying get the best value out of your points since there's no award chart.
How many IHG points do you need for a free night?
Free nights at IHG hotels start as low as 10,000 Points. The exact amount of points required at any given hotel will depend on many factors.
Most standard IHG brand hotels seem to stick around 20,000 to 40,000 Points per night, though there are high-end hotels that cost significantly higher.
IHG 4th night free benefit
IHG's 4th night free benefit allows you to book a 4-night consecutive award stay at an IHG hotel for the cost of 3 nights. Not only will this benefit automatically bump up the value of your IHG points, it will also help save you tons of points as you'll be able to enjoy longer vacations at a less cost.
The only way to partake in this marvelous perk is by being a IHG credit cardholder. As a cardholder, the free night will display automatically when booking a stays that has 4 or more consecutive night stays.
With the IHG 4th Night Free benefit, it's not hard to get as much as 1 cent per point or higher when booking standard IHG hotel stays.
Best IHG hotels for high value
There are many fantastic IHG Hotels around the world that can offer you exceptional value and a lot of bang for your point. Listed below are just a handful of IHG's best properties for high point value.
InterContinental Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa (French Polynesia)
The InterContinental Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa is one of IHG's best hotels and offers some of the best over water villas available around the world.
The rate at this hotel hovers around 120,000 IHG Points per night for an Overwater Villa with Beach View with cash prices averaging around $1,200 to $1,500 per night.
Do note that award space for this resort can be very hard to find. I recommend searching based on the hotels award availability and then planning your trip around those available dates.
InterContinental Bali Resort (Indonesia)
The InterContinental Bali Resort is a great place to stay if you're looking to visit Indonesia and don't want to break the bank.
You can book a standard room at this hotel for as low as 14,000 IHG Points which is fantastic consider the excellent rooms, customer service, and views that overlook the sea.
InterContinental Singapore (Singapore)
If you're looking for top notch luxury within Singapore, check out InterContinental Singapore.
This hotel will run you around 30,000 IHG Points per night for a standard room. The cash prices for this hotel start at around $250 per night which gives your points a little more value than the average.
Pick up an IHG credit card and use IHG's 4th Night Free Benefit to easily score over 1 cent per point at this highly rated hotel.
InterContinental Sydney
One of the best hotels in downtown Sydney is the InterContinental Sydney. This top-rated hotel is close to Sydney Harbour which hosts the one of the best New Years firework displays in the world.
The per night cost of this hotel will run you around 33,000 to 40,000 IHG Points which is a steal due to its prime location.
Transferring IHG points to airline partners
IHG Points can be transferred to over 30 airlines. The transfer ratios vary depending on the program, but most transfers are 10,000 IHG Points for 2,000 airline miles which comes out to 1 airline mile for every 5 IHG Points.
Transferring IHG points to partners isn't the best use of points, but it can be useful if you're a few miles short of a redemption and need to top off one of your frequent flyer accounts.
List of IHG transfer partners
IHG Rewards catalog
IHG Points can be redeemed on the IHG Rewards Catalog for merchandise. This will give your IHG Points a value of around 0.2 to 0.3 cents per point, but there's are instances in which you can get lower or higher depending on the item.
There's lots of things to choose from ranging from Electronics and Garden to Fashion and Kids. I only recommend going this route if you're trying to clear out your IHG Points since the value is more than half the average value when used for free nights.
If you're big on merchandise, I recommend taking a look at cash back rewards cards.
Using IHG points for gift cards
IHG Points can be redeemed in the IHG Rewards Catalog for gift cards for 0.19 to 0.2 cents in value depending on the denomination of the gift card.
There's over 70 different gift cards that you can redeem your points for and redemptions start at 13,000 points for a $25 gift card. Listed below are the standard redemption options for most of the available gift cards based on denominations.
| Gift Card Amount | Points Needed |
|---|---|
| $25 Gift Card | 13,000 IHG Points |
| $50 Gift Card | 25,000 IHG Points |
| $100 Gift Card | 49,000 IHG Points |
Convert IHG points to dollars
Use the IHG Points Value Calculator to determine the average cash value of IHG points when used for free nights, gift cards, and more. This will give you an idea of how much your points are worth.
| Redemption | Average Dollar Value |
|---|---|
| Award nights using 4th night free | $0 - $0 |
| Award nights | $0 |
| IHG Rewards catalog | $0 - $0 |
| Gift Cards | $0 - $0 |
Pay points or cash calculator
Use the Pay Points or Cash Calculator to determine if a redemption is worth it based on the cost in cash and the cost in IHG points. Try to aim for redemptions that give you 0.7 cents or more per point.
FAQ
How much are IHG Points worth?
IHG Points are worth around 0.7 cents each on average. You can typically get higher values of 1 cent or more with the 4th Night Free Perk.
How many IHG Points do you need for a free night?
The amount will vary, but redemptions for free nights start as low as 10,000 IHG Points.
How do you use the IHG 4th night free benefit?
If you have an IHG credit card tied to your IHG Rewards account, this perk is triggered automatically when you book a 4-night or longer stay.
Can I redeem IHG Points for gift cards?
Yes. IHG Points can be redeemed for gift cards starting at 5,500 points for a $10 gift card.
Can I buy merchandise with IHG Points?
Yes. You can use the IHG Rewards Catalog to use your points towards electronics, fashion, health, garden, and much more.
Can you transfer IHG Points to other IHG members?
Yes. You can transfer points to another member at a fee of 0.5 cents per point. So transferring 1,000 IHG Points would cost you $5.
Can you transfer IHG Points to other rewards programs?
Yes. You can transfer IHG Points to over 35 different airline partners.
Are the IHG credit cards worth it?
If you want to earn the most IHG Points on IHG spend and get the best value with the 4th Night Free Perk, yes the cards are worth it.
