BGR has partnered with The Points Guy for our coverage of credit card products. BGR and The Points Guy may receive a commission from card issuers.Please note: the offers mentioned below are subject to change at any time and some may no longer be available.
I’m a regular guest at InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) properties, for myriad reasons that include everything from the free-to-join loyalty program that lets you easily rack up points to put toward free night stays to, frankly, the breadth of the company’s hotel portfolio. IHG properties include Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, and InterContinental hotels, none of which feature necessarily luxe accommodations but deliver consistent value and an all-around solid stay and experience. I’m a fan especially of the little things, like the gift shops in InterContinental hotels that stock snacks and other essentials so you actually don’t have to leave the property to pick up quick staples.
Meanwhile, IHG has just rolled out a new benefit that will make it harder than ever to pass up a chance to stay at one of the chain’s properties. The company’s IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card, introduced back in April of 2018, is currently touting a limited-time offer of 140,000 bonus points for signing up — the highest offer we’ve ever seen on this card, and one that will easily save you hundreds of dollars to more than justify a spot in your wallet. Why? Let’s take a closer look.
Though this card carries an $89 annual fee, benefits include, as we noted, the all-time high sign-up bonus of 140,000 points. According to the issuer, you could translate those points into any of the following: a 2-night stay at the InterContinental Bali Resort, four nights at the Hotel Indigo Lijiang Ancient Town in China, or a 2-night stay at the Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt in Austin, Texas.
Other benefits include an award night on your anniversary, plus a fourth award night benefit as well as an opportunity to earn 25x total points on IHG purchases and IHG Platinum Elite status. To score the 140,000 bonus points, you merely have to use the card to make $3,000 in purchases in the first three months after opening your account, but check this out:
By combining the card’s fourth-night award perk with IHG’s PointBreaks promotion, you could get as many as 37 award nights at IHG hotels with this one sign up bonus alone.
Some additional points worth knowing about this card and its many benefits:
Starting with your first cardmember anniversary year and continuing for each one after that, you’ll earn an award night certificate good at any IHG property that charges 40,000 points or less for an award night stay. While that benefit isn’t obtainable until you’ve had the card for a year, the $200 at which The Points Guy values those 40,000 IHG points more than makes up for the card’s $89 annual fee, making this one more perk that justifies owning the card. Be aware, though — this card is also subject to Chase’s infamous 5/24 rule. That means if you’ve opened five or more personal credit card accounts across all banks in the last 24 months, Chase is unlikely to approve you for this card.
Other benefits of the card include:
- Earn 25 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
- Earn 2 points per $1 spent on purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Global Entry or TSA Pre✓® Fee Credit of up to $100 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card
Bottom line, IHG’s Rewards Club Premier card offers fantastic value especially if you’re already a fan of the brand or a frequent guest at any of IHG’s multiple properties. The perks are solid, like the award night certificate and fourth award night free, and that 140,000-point bonus is as high as it’s ever been with this card before — and of a size that doesn’t come around with rewards credit cards too often, period. But don’t wait, this is a limited time offer so definitely act now if the offer sounds appealing.
