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Last fall, my husband and I received our first free night anniversary certificates from our Chase IHG credit cards. We immediately used them to reserve two nights in Boston for the now-cancelled tennis Laver Cup.
Since the pandemic, we’ve been struggling with how and where to use these free nights because we are traveling less until we get a vaccine. While IHG extended the deadline of the certs through December 2020, that doesn’t really help us much.
Earlier this summer, I used one of the free nights for a staycation pool getaway. This wasn’t a great value for the certificate, but we basically broke even after factoring the credit card’s annual fee of $89. We have similar plans for our second free night certificate.
Local-ish Overnight for Cert #2
My son has a tennis tournament coming up that is located about an hour away. It’ a 2-day tournament, with early start times on Sunday.
My husband pondered out loud if they should get a hotel on Saturday night to forgo a very early wake-up and drive on Sunday morning. I said, “Of course! We have free night certificates!”
Sure enough, we found 3 IHG hotels located close to the tournament site. We booked a Holiday Inn Express and Suites with our certificate.
Again, this is not a great value for our free night nor an inspirational property. It’s an ordinary road-side hotel, just a place to spend the night. But, I hate to see a free night go unused. This is a very practical use of that certificate.
Time to Cancel?
I’m strongly considering canceling this card. We had an awesome IHG redemption in Australia, so I’m very glad we got this card. But, I’m not sure the ongoing benefits are worth it for my family.
Outside of the free nights, we rarely stay in IHG hotels. I prefer Hyatt, and we love the Hyatt Place brand for its practicality. I figured that in 2021-2022 we would use our free nights for college visits. But, in the college towns we plan to visit, the cash prices are fairly low.
We still have a few months to decide if we want to cancel. Regardless, I’m glad we found a use for our second free night certificate.
How are you using your hotel credit card free night certificates this year?
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Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
Have the $49 card. Used it at a staybridge suites in my town. Will be canceling the Aspire and Hyatt is gone too since I plan to apply for the new Hyatt. Just picked up the Bonvoy boundless and will cancel upon renewal.
@Nat I’m glad you were able to find a use for your IHG cert. 🙂
I had the $49 version and cancelled it because I’ve found that rewards nights are only available at the hotels I want to stay at some of the time. I’m just staying at Holiday Inn Express hotels but if you are trying to use these certificates during normal vacation times it is difficult to find availability.
@Kelly That is definitely the case at some properties! Even the $49 card isn’t worth it if you can’t use it for where and when you need.
For me, keeping the card is a no brainer since I have the old version ($49 annual fee). Living in Florida, I have my pick among an Intercontinental, several Kimptons, and a few Holiday Inn Club Vacations. Even after the devaluation, I can still use my certificate at those nice hotels, as long as I book my stay during low season. I am using this year’s certificate for an upcoming weekend getaway with my husband at a beachfront Kimpton that is retailing for almost $300 on the Saturday we’ll stay there. Score!
@Angie If I lived in Florida, there is no question that I would keep the card. Especially the old version. I’m jealous of all the IHG choices you have.
I have had the same thoughts. I have multiple Marriott cards, Hyatt, and IHG because it is typically worth the annual fee for the free night. But now that hotel prices are so low to draw people in, it really isn’t much of a deal anymore. I think I will stay with them for another year to see how this all plays out.
@Tom That’s a good plan to wait a year. My family is moving more towards house rentals now that my kids are getting older, so I’m going to think hard on this before my card anniversary hits.