IHG Anniversary Night Certificate: How to Get and How to Use

The IHG Anniversary Night Certificate is a really cool perk from the IHG One Rewards program. If you have one of the eligible credit cards, you get a free night at thousands of IHG hotels around the world. Think of it as a yearly thank you for sticking with your IHG credit card.

There’s a limit of 40,000 points on the room rate. Basically, you can use it for any regular room that costs up to 40,000 points per night. If the room is more expensive, you can use your own points to make up the difference.

If you use it right, this certificate can be worth way more than the card’s $99 annual fee. This guide will tell you who gets the certificate, when it shows up, and how to book it step-by-step (with pictures!). I’ll also give you some tips to avoid problems.

What’s the IHG Anniversary Night Certificate?

Every year, on your IHG card anniversary, IHG gives you an Anniversary Night Certificate. You can use it for one night in a standard room at most IHG hotels. However, only certain IHG cards provide you with this benefit. To receive the benefit, you must have one of the eligible cards and keep it until the anniversary date when you pay the annual fee.

Who Gets the Anniversary Free Night Certificate?

These cards are the ones that qualify:

• IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (personal) – the one with the $99 annual fee
• IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card – the business card with the $99 annual fee

Both of these cards give you one free night certificate each year. (The Premier Business card will give you a second certificate if you spend $60,000 on it in a year.)

Just have the card and keep it open until you pay your annual fee. After the first year that you have the card, the certificate should show up in your IHG One Rewards account automatically after you pay the fee. If you close the card or switch to a different card before your anniversary, you won’t get the certificate for that year.

There was also a card called the Premier Select that used to offer it, but it’s not around anymore. The IHG Traveler card (which has no annual fee) don’t give you a free night.

So, what can you use the certificate for? It covers one night in a standard room, including the room rate. But the certificate is only good for rooms that cost 40,000 points or less (this can change based on IHG’s prices). Here’s what that means:

• You can book any IHG hotel where a standard room is 40,000 points or less. IHG considers most basic rooms to be standard rooms.
• If the room costs more than 40,000 points (like 50,000), you can still use the certificate, but you have to pay the extra points yourself. So, for a 50,000-point room, you’d use your 40,000-point certificate and add 10,000 of your own IHG points.
• You won’t earn IHG points or credit toward elite status for the night you book with the certificate.
• The certificate only covers the room rate and taxes. It doesn’t cover things like the minibar, meals, resort fees, extra people, or multiple rooms. Basically, you’re paying the room rate with points, but you still have to pay any required fees (like a $30 resort fee) in cash.

Theoretical value: Since you are getting a free night worth up to 40,000 points, the actual value depends on how much the room would cost in cash. 40,000 IHG points are worth approximately $200.

But the real value could be even higher.

If you use it for expensive rooms, this certificate can be worth several times more than what you pay for it. For example, one person used it at the InterContinental in New York, where rooms cost $320 per night (or 40,000 points). They used the certificate and paid only $27 in taxes, getting $320 for a $99 fee — a great result! On the other hand, if you use it at a cheap Holiday Inn hotel, where a room usually costs $80 per night, you still get $80, but it’s not as exciting. I’ll show you how to find hotels where cash prices are high and the cost of points is around 40,000 to get the most bang for your buck.

How and When Do You Get the Certificate?

As I pointed out earlier, the anniversary certificate automatically appears in your IHG One Rewards account each year after the card’s anniversary date, provided you still have the card and have paid the $99 fee.

Where to find it

Once you pay your anniversary fee, log in to IHG.com or the IHG app and check your rewards area. Сlick on your name and scroll down to Enjoy your rewards. You’ll see any free night certificates that you have. You can also click Book a Free Night (if you see that option) to see when the certificate expires.

Expiration

The certificate expires after 12 months. You have to book the room and stay there before the certificate expires. So, if you get your free night on June 10, 2025, you have to book the room and stay there by June 9, 2026. There are no exceptions—IHG doesn’t allow you to extend the certificate or get it back after it expires (www.ihg.com). Set a reminder on your calendar a few months before it expires so you don’t forget to use it.

If you don’t see your certificate a day or two after your anniversary, make sure the annual fee has been paid. If it has, and the card is still open, contact IHG One Rewards customer service. In some cases, they can help you find the problem by calling their support line (877-318-5890) or chatting with them online.

How to Book a Room with the Anniversary Night

Step 1: Log in on the IHG website or app. Always start your booking on the IHG One Rewards website or the IHG app.

Step 2: Search for your hotel and dates. Enter where you want to go and the dates you’re traveling (one night, standard room). Make sure the dates are before the certificate expires. The search results will show you options to Select IHG Rewards Credit Card Anniversary Night if they’re available.

Step 3: Pick the Free Night price. If the hotel has standard rooms that cost 40,000 points or less on the dates you want, you should see an option that says Free Night or Free Night Certificate Rate (40,000 points). Click on that to use your certificate. If the price says “FREE per night” on the booking page, that means your certificate covers the whole room. (You might still have to pay a small amount for resort or amenity fees.)

Step 4: Add points if you need to. If the room you want costs more than 40,000 points, the system will ask you to use your certificate and add extra points. For example, if the booking page says you need 50,000 points, it will let you use your 40,000-point certificate and pay an extra 10,000 points from your account. Make sure you have enough points in your account (or transfer some from a partner or buy points) before you finish booking.

Step 5: Finish the reservation. Check the booking summary. Your total points should be 0 (because the certificate covers it) plus any extra points if you needed to add them on. You’ll usually see a small amount for taxes, and maybe resort fees. Finish the checkout. If you did everything right, the confirmation should say that you used the Free Night award.

Each certificate covers one night for one room. You can’t use multiple certificates for a longer stay. To stay multiple nights, make separate bookings for each night (using separate certificates or points).

You won’t earn points or credit toward elite status for a stay booked with the free-night certificate. It’s just a reward-night booking.

Smart Tips: Getting the Most Value

To get the most from your anniversary night, plan ahead:

1. Use the certificate when the prices are high. Rooms in cities on weekends, holidays, or special event nights are often expensive. For example, a hotel in a busy downtown area might charge $300+ a night, but only 40,000 points.
2. IHG’s prices can change, and rooms can sell out. The rooms during popular travel times or big events might not be available. As soon as you get the certificate, start looking for dates – especially if you know when and where you want to go. If you’re flexible with where and when you go, you’re more likely to find a good hotel on points.
3. Sometimes, a hotel you really want is a little over 40,000 points. Think about if it’s worth adding the points. If a room is 50,000 points and usually costs $400+, it might be worth spending 10,000 points to use the certificate and save $400. But if it’s 45,000 and it normally costs $120, it’s better to stick to a hotel that’s 40,000 points or less.
4. IHG won’t remind you when the certificate is about to expire. Put it on your calendar! As soon as you see the certificate in your account, set a reminder for a few weeks before it expires. That way, you won’t forget about it if you get busy — and looking at your calendar at the start of the year should help anyone who forgets.
5. If you have the Premier Business card and you spend $60,000 a year on it, you’ll get a second anniversary night.

Bottom Line

The IHG free night certificate is a powerful advantage if used correctly. Remember the terms of use—a limit of 40,000 points, a 12-month validity period, no extensions, and reservations only through the website/app. Book in advance, choose higher-priced rooms, and keep an eye on the expiration date. With a little planning, the $99 fee can turn into a free night worth hundreds of dollars, making this an exceptional benefit of IHG Premier cards. Happy travels!