16 Best IHG Luxury Hotels to Book With Points for Maximum Value
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The IHG Rewards program is one that travelers new to points and miles may not hear much about. The big 3 hotel programs of Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, and World of Hyatt are likely the first ones that are mentioned to someone who is just starting.
While IHG may not get the same amount of attention as the other 3, that does not mean it should be written off. IHG has a full suite of hotel brand offerings for any traveler. For luxury travelers, IHG has you covered as well.
As with all of the luxury hotel articles that we have covered in this series, the goal is to show the best luxury hotels that you can book with your IHG points.
As of early 2020, we value IHG points at ~0.5 cents per point and have set a floor of 0.8 cents per point for properties to make this list. If you can book hotels for more than our cents per point value, you are in good shape.
This list of hotels required a few assumptions when putting it together, including the following:
- Google Travel destination guides were used to determine peak travel dates for each city
- Weekend cash rates were used to see how much cash you would pay if you did not use points
- A cents-per-point value was determined by averaging the cash and points cost of a hotel over 2 months
When you go to book any of these hotels, it is important to note that the cash cost will fluctuate throughout the year. The points required will be the same so the cents-per-value you receive may not match what we are showing below.
Now that the groundwork has been laid, let’s highlight the luxury IHG hotels that you can book for the best value. First, we’ll cover the best ways to earn IHG points and then which hotels you should consider booking.
Table of contents
- IHG Rewards Credit Cards
- IHG Award Chart
- Points + Cash
- Best Luxury IHG Hotels
- InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort
- Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa (Cayman Islands)
- Kimpton Surfcomber Hotel (Miami, FL)
- InterContinental London Park Lane (England, UK)
- InterContinental Resort Mauritius
- Kimpton De Witt Amsterdam (Netherlands)
- Kimpton Hotel Monaco (Chicago, IL)
- InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam (Netherlands)
- Kimpton EPIC Hotel (Miami, FL)
- Kimpton Angler’s Hotel South Beach (Miami, FL)
- InterContinental Paris – Le Grand (France)
- Kimpton Gray Hotel (Chicago, IL)
- InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile
- InterContinental David Tel Aviv (Israel)
- Other Ways to Earn IHG Points
- Final Thoughts
Table of Contents
- IHG Rewards Credit Cards
- IHG Award Chart
- Points + Cash
- Best Luxury IHG Hotels
- InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort
- Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa (Cayman Islands)
- Kimpton Surfcomber Hotel (Miami, FL)
- InterContinental London Park Lane (England, UK)
- InterContinental Resort Mauritius
- Kimpton De Witt Amsterdam (Netherlands)
- Kimpton Hotel Monaco (Chicago, IL)
- InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam (Netherlands)
- Kimpton EPIC Hotel (Miami, FL)
- Kimpton Angler’s Hotel South Beach (Miami, FL)
- InterContinental Paris – Le Grand (France)
- Kimpton Gray Hotel (Chicago, IL)
- InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile
- InterContinental David Tel Aviv (Israel)
- Other Ways to Earn IHG Points
- Final Thoughts
IHG Rewards Credit Cards
IHG resembles Hyatt concerning its credit card offering. Unlike Hilton and Marriott, both of whom have an array of credit cards to choose from, IHG currently offers 2 credit cards.
IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card
Chase is the issuer of the IHG Premier card, an updated version to the IHG® Rewards Club Select Credit Card (no longer open to new applicants). This credit card is geared towards travelers who value IHG elite status and can receive value from the anniversary award night.
The IHG Premier card is a Chase 5/24 credit card. This is important to take into account as you will not be approved if you have opened 5 or more personal credit cards from any issuer in the past 24 months. Some business cards count as well, so we recommend checking out our Chase 5/24 guide to see if you are eligible for this card.
With that said, the IHG Premier card will rotate a huge sign-up bonus throughout the year.
On the benefits and perks front, this card comes with an anniversary reward night at any IHG property requiring up to 40,000 points per night. Cardmembers also receive complimentary IHG elite status and a fourth night included on an award booking.
IHG® Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card
Chase’s other card offering is the IHG Traveler card allows you high earning when you stay at IHG Hotels and Resorts, along with bonus earning on every day spend at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants.
As a cardmember, one of the biggest benefits is that you will get a reward night when you redeem points for any stay of 4 or more nights – all without an annual fee!
The card also offers a way to earn Gold Elite status through card spend, which allows you a faster path to status without the stay requirement.
CREDIT CARD | CARD INFO |
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IHG® Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card![]() Apply Now (at Chase's secure site) |
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IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card![]() Apply Now (at Chase's secure site) |
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IHG Award Chart
IHG does not have an award chart because it uses dynamic pricing, similar to Hilton Honors. The number of points required to book a room will vary depending on several factors, including the cash rate, the date range, seasonality, and availability.
Points + Cash
For those travelers who may be low on points, IHG offers a way to book hotels with a cash co-pay. Not all properties offer this option, so you will need to run an award search to see if this option is available at the hotel that you want to book.
Best Luxury IHG Hotels
InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort

The Maldives is a destination that you hear and read about all the time. While it’s a long way from the U.S., it can be a great place to visit if you find yourself in that part of the world.
Located on the Raa Atoll, the InterContinental Maldives offers guests everything they could need on a vacation. From the overwater spa to the fitness center to the executive rooms and suites to the UNESCO marine conservation site, there are plenty of things to do.
This hotel isn’t cheap at nearly $1,700 per night. The great news for those with IHG points is that you can receive nearly 1.7 cents per night value with points. The hotel requires 100,000 points per night, but if you have the points to spend you will not be disappointed with the value you receive.
Hot Tip: The InterContinental Maldives requires you to book a 20-minute flight to Dharavandhoo Domestic Airport followed by a 35-minute boat ride to the resort. The round trip transfer cost is $600 for adults and $300 for children (2-11 years old).
Points Required: 100,000 points per night
December – April Rate: ~$1,686 per night
Points Value: 1.69 cents per point
Bottom Line: If you have the IHG points to book this hotel, this redemption can provide excellent value. The value of IHG points is ~0.5 cents per point, meaning this hotel can offer more than 3 times the value of average IHG points.
Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa (Cayman Islands)

What U.S. traveler does not want to visit the Caribbean in the wintertime? For most of you in the U.S., the Caribbean is an easy getaway from the cold temps. All of the major U.S. airlines offer nonstop flights from several cities to the Caymans. JetBlue and Southwest also have nonstop flights throughout the year, and a flight to the Caribbean can be booked on points.
If you decide to book a trip to the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, you will be pleasantly surprised by the amenities offered. There’s a spa, a 1,770-square-foot fitness center, 3 restaurants, kayaks, paddleboards, water tricycles, and a sailboat.
The peak season for the Caymans is December to April where you will need 70,000 points per night to book a room. Cash rates hover around ~$1,161 during this period, giving you a return of nearly 1.7 cents per point in value.
Hot Tip: There is a $75 daily guest amenities fee charged to your hotel bill. The cents per point value does not include this fee in the calculation.
Points Required: 70,000 points per night
December – April Rate: ~$1,161 per night
Points Value: 1.66 cents per night
There are several ways to earn IHG points. The 3 primary ways to earn points are by:
- Staying at IHG hotels (including Mr and Mrs Smith properties)
- Spending on an IHG credit card
- Spending on Chase credit cards (IHG is a travel partner to Chase).
Members with IHG elite status will be able to rack up points quickly by focusing their stays at IHG properties. The higher your elite status, the more IHG points that you will earn. The IHG Premier card sign-up bonus is a quick way to earn IHG points.
Chase credit cards are another way to earn IHG points. While transferring Chase points to IHG might sound like a reasonable idea, we do not recommend it. Unless you are short on IHG points, we recommend redeeming Chase points with Chase’s other more valuable partners like Hyatt.
Bottom Line: Staying at IHG properties and putting your spending on an IHG credit card are the 2 best ways to earn IHG points. A combination of these 2 will ensure that you have enough points for any of the hotels in this article.
Final Thoughts
What was surprising to us is the value you can receive when booking IHG luxury hotels. The IHG point value is ~0.5 cents per point, however, we were able to find several properties where you can receive 2-3 times that value. With that said, IHG still comes in fourth in our rankings. Hyatt is number 1 followed by Marriott in second place and Hilton in third place.
While IHG elite status does not offer many of the benefits and perks that you will find at Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott, the brand does have a luxury property portfolio where you can receive outsized value with your IHG points.