Points Panda has partnered with a variety of financial companies including CreditCards.com for our coverage of credit card products. Points Panda and CreditCards.com may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. For more information please read our full Advertiser Disclosure.
With its dynamic award pricing, IHG has increased its award prices to the sky, costing some of the rooms 250,000 points per night. As stated in the dynamic award pricing policy, award prices will be variable; there wasn’t any announcement of the price increment. It’s a huge blow to the IHG loyalist who redeems their points while staying.
But with this devaluation, IHG 4th night free benefit has become much more valuable. When you stay for four continuous nights, you get the 4th night free, and now that 4th night would save you up to 250,000 points. You can stay at expensive hotels and save many more points now. IHG One Rewards points are worth around 0.7 cents, so let’s say you save 250,000 on the 4th night free, which means you are saving around $175 on your free night.
What is IHG 4th Night Free?
IHG offers a 4th-night free benefit to eligible IHG Rewards cardholders when they book award stays of at least four nights. This means that when you book a room for four or more nights, one of the nights will be charged at zero points. You can redeem this benefit for every 4 consecutive nights. Let’s say you stay for 12 nights; you will get the 4th, 8th, and 12th nights for free.
This perk is applicable only to reward-night stays in a standard room booked with points for four or more consecutive nights at the same property. As I said, consecutive 4 nights, so combining separate bookings to get the fourth-night-free reward is not allowed.
Which Properties are Remediable For Higher Award Price?
As IHG follows dynamic award pricing, changes in award prices happen without any announcement. Therefore, there is no defined list of properties that are redeemable for as high as 250K points. Based on the search, high-end hotels and luxury resorts cost that many award points. At the moment, luxury resorts like InterContinental Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa, Six Senses Laamu Resort, etc., are costing 250K points per night.
The prices for award stays can vary depending on the date and availability. For example, at the Maldives Maamunagau Resort, we found that some nights require 250K points per night, while on other nights, it’s possible to book for 141K points. So, it’s not always that high; it depends on when you plan to stay.
You can book on any date and take advantage of IHG 4th night free offer, which allows you to save tons and tons of points.
Who Can Get a 4th Night Free?
This benefit comes with the three IHG credit cards:
- IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card – With this card, you can earn a welcome bonus of 80,000 points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Other notable benefit includes up to $50 IHG® statement credits on purchases at IHG® Hotels and Resorts during the first 12 months from account opening. It has a $0 annual fee, and you will automatically earn silver IHG elite status.
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card – IHG One Rewards Premier comes with a solid sign-up bonus; you can earn 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, also $100 in IHG® statement credits on purchases at IHG® Hotels and Resorts during the first 12 months from account opening.
- IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card – You can take the benefit of 4th night free with this business card. Also, earn a whopping 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. With the 4th night free benefit, you will get a free Award Night for every cardholder anniversary.
Transfer Partners to Top Off Your IHG Account to Book Award
Keep in mind that to book a free nights benefit, like IHG 4th night free booking with IHG, you’ll need to have enough IHG points to cover the cost of a reward stays with points. You have the option to transfer points to your IHG account if you are short on points:
Chase Ultimate Rewards
One great way to get IHG points is by transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points. It’s a straightforward process where you can transfer your Chase points to IHG at a 1:1 ratio in increments of 1,000 points. So, for every 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points you transfer, you’ll receive 1,000 IHG points. Credit Cards to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards Points:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
Bilt Rewards
Another credit card you can use to transfer points is Bilt Rewards Credit Card. With Bilt, you can transfer points to IHG at a ratio of 1:1. Bilt Rewards require a minimum of 2,000-point transfers.
You can also consider buying IHG points to add to your existing balance. The great thing is that the more points you buy, the cheaper they become per point. Keep an eye out throughout the year, as IHG often offers sales on buying points, which can be a fantastic opportunity to boost your points at a better price.
Read More: The Complete Guide To The IHG Staybridge Suites Extended Stay Brand
How to Maximize IHG 4th Night Free Benefit?
Following these tips, you can maximize your IHG 4th night benefit:
Plan Longer Stays
When you use this perk, you get the fourth night free during your stay, and you can repeat this for every set of four consecutive nights.
For example, let’s say you’re planning a 12-night stay at an IHG property using your IHG Rewards points. When you take advantage of the “4th Night Free” benefit, you’ll receive the following savings:
- Nights 1 to 3: You redeem points for these three nights at their regular point cost.
- Night 4: This night is completely free, and you don’t need to redeem any points for it.
- Nights 5 to 7: Again, you redeem points for these three nights at their regular point cost.
- Night 8: The eighth night is free, and you won’t be charged any points for it.
- Nights 9 to 11: You redeem points for these three nights at their regular point cost.
- Night 12: The twelfth night is free, and no points will be deducted for it.
Optimize Redemption
Be strategic about the hotels you choose to redeem your points. Some properties have higher redemption values than others. Look for hotels with reasonable redemption levels and favourable amenities to maximize your points.
Book in Advance
Plan your trips in advance and book your stays early. Availability for the 4th night benefit may vary, so booking in advance gives you a better chance of securing the free 4th night.
Read More: 10 Best IHG Hotels To Use Your Free Night Certificate
Bottom Line
Not too long ago, IHG hotels charged a maximum of 80,000 to 100,000 points per night. However, now they have increased it to 250,000 points per night. This new pricing isn’t widespread yet, but there’s a way to make the most of it. You can still benefit from your accumulated points by using IHG’s 4th-night free offer.
Interest in traveling around the world using credit card points? Check out our site to learn the basics, and follow our blog for more tips on how to make your dream vacation a reality. You can also sign up for our travel concierge and get unlimited credit cards and travel assistance for one full year.
Advertiser Disclosure
PointsPanda Deal of the Week!
Looking for the best flight deals? Each week we'll send you updates with the best deals on flights and hotels both using points and cash.
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.