Loyalty programs · By Points Frog Editorial ·
An IHG anniversary free night can have different terms depending on the card and the award issued. Chase's current Premier benefits page says members can add points from their IHG One Rewards account. That should not be turned into a promise that every historical or current IHG certificate has identical rules.
Open the award before searching
Check the issued certificate's point limit, expiry and top-up instructions. Then search an eligible standard-room reward for the chosen night. The extra points must bridge the difference between the certificate's value and the room's actual reward price under that award's terms.
A hotel name alone is not enough to establish eligibility. The rate on a particular date can matter, and a room offered for cash may not be offered as the eligible reward. Check mandatory fees and guest limits separately.
Compare a top-up with keeping the points
Suppose a hypothetical certificate covers 40,000 points and an eligible night costs 52,000. If the issued award permits the supplement, the booking would need another 12,000 points. Compare that with a night requiring no supplement and with another realistic use of those points.
If a cheaper eligible hotel meets the trip's needs, using extra points for a more expensive property is a choice to buy a different experience. It is not automatically a larger saving. If the higher-priced property avoids a long commute, include the transport and time benefit in the decision.
Keep the certificate's expiration date with the reservation. Before changing travel dates, ask what happens to the award and extra points under the cancellation terms. A useful certificate booking should fit the journey and remain understandable if the plans change.
If several awards appear in the account, check each issued certificate separately rather than assuming all have the same supplement rule. Cards and earlier benefits can produce different terms. Keep a screenshot or record of the specific award selected at booking. A general hotel-program description does not replace the conditions attached to that particular night.
A practical way to decide
Treat a certificate as a separate asset with its own deadline. List the nights on which you could actually use it, then compare those dates with your travel plans. A high cash rate can make a redemption look good, but an extra trip has its own cost. Include transport and any additional paid nights before calling the reward a saving.
Keep the certificate's terms beside the hotel's checkout page. The room type, point ceiling, valid dates and rules for extra points all matter. A card's marketing page may describe the reward in broad terms. Your issued award and the program's current rules decide whether the exact night can be booked.
Keep planning
Read our related guide, IHG Confirmable Suite Upgrades: work with the 14-day booking window, for the next part of the decision. For a different angle, see Using Chase points from another airport: add the positioning trip. You can also explore Points Frog’s other rewards guides.
Sources and date checked
Rules checked October 13, 2026. Examples in this guide are hypothetical, not live offers. The current booking quote and the issued award’s terms govern your trip. IHG card benefits. IHG terms.