IHG Premier Card
If you’re someone who stays at IHG hotels often, then you might want to consider opting for the IHG Premier card instead.
While it does charge an annual fee, it also comes with significantly more benefits. For starters, you’ll earn up to 26x when using the card to pay for your IHG stays.
Not only will you earn more points, but you’ll receive automatic IHG Platinum Elite status, which gets you all the benefits of Gold Elite status plus 50% bonus points on stays, complimentary room upgrades, and guaranteed room availability.
You’ll also still receive your fourth night free on award stays, travel protections, a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS credit, and an annual free night certificate usable at any IHG hotel costing up to 40,000 points per night — a benefit that more than covers the expense of the annual fee.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
For those looking for a more well-rounded travel rewards card, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better option than the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
You’ll earn 5x points per $1 on travel purchased through the Chase travel portal and 2x points per $1 on all other travel purchases. Plus, earn 3x points per $1 on dining, online grocery purchases, and select streaming purchases.
The card also includes a bevy of card protections, a $50 annual hotel credit through the Chase travel portal, a 25% bonus in point value when redeeming your points through the Chase travel portal, and access to the Chase airline and hotel transfer partners.