Is It Time to Get Rid of the IHG Select Credit Card?

by joeheg

Have you heard of the IHG Rewards Club Select credit card? It’s a bit of a relic—but in the best way possible. Chase discontinued the card in 2018, replacing it with the IHG One Rewards Premier credit card. Yet, I wouldn’t be surprised if you or someone you know still holds onto the Select card. It’s like a time capsule, preserving the perks and benefits of a bygone era.

Perks and Benefits of the IHG Select Card

For starters, the card still has the same $49 annual fee that it did when it was replaced. For that, you receive the following benefits.

  • Automatic Platinum Elite Status
  • 10% rebate on IHG® Rewards Club point redemptions
  • Anniversary Free Night

That’s an amazing set of benefits for just $49. The 10% rebate applies to all redemptions, regardless of how long you stay. Additionally, it can be combined with the 4th-night free benefit from the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card. Although the anniversary-free night is limited to rooms costing 40,000 points or less, this mainly excludes top-tier hotels and popular weekend stays.

Chase has not expressed any intention of discontinuing the Select card, but I’ve been wondering if it’s worthwhile to keep it. That’s because it’s becoming more challenging to use the 40,000-point free night award each year.

Recent Stays: Maximizing the Card’s Value

I’ve always been able to find somewhere to use them, but it hasn’t been easy. Here are some of the places we’ve stayed:

a bedroom with a bed and a television

As I glance over the list, I marvel at how we stayed at so many different hotels using a card that costs only $49. None of the hotels on this list were priced below $150 per night, including taxes, so it’s safe to say that the card is still a pretty good deal.

2024 Reflection: A Changing Travel Landscape

Looking back at our hotel stays in 2024, we didn’t use either of our free nights from the IHG Select card. This was partly because we traveled significantly less this year, and partly because, when we did travel, I couldn’t find a hotel costing less than 40,000 points. While it might seem like I lost out on $50 for each card this year, that’s not entirely the case.

The free night isn’t the only valuable benefit of the card. For our stay at the InterContinental Miami, before a cruise, I used 98,000 points and received 9,800 points back from the 10% rebate. At half a cent each, that’s a $49 value—exactly the same as the card’s annual fee.

Conclusion: Keeping It, But on Probation

In summary, I’m keeping my IHG Select card on probation for now. The thrill of hunting for reasonably priced rooms to use the free night is still appealing, but the card’s long-term value will depend on our future travel patterns. If we find ourselves staying less frequently at locations where hotels fall under the 40,000-point threshold, it may be time to part ways with this card and retire it for good.

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10 comments

isaac December 29, 2024 - 12:29 pm

we have it also and as long as we can get a hotel where we want to be and it costs more then $49 for the night we WIN. We dont have to max out the value so say a HEX is 27K or $139 we win by using the cert, we dont have to use it on a hotel that is 40k or 39k,. Now if in the end it becomes usable on ahotel that will cost < $60 then its time to turn it in= not enough value for the cert

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Thomas December 30, 2024 - 6:06 am

It’s a waste to use the complimentary night at anything less than Intercontinental or Kimpton hotels. I have used mine exclusively in Asia and Europe. Tonight I am staying at the Kimpton Charlottesville, VA. = 27k. One of 10% hotels in Nord America that understands the word hospitality…
Another reasone besides the much appreciated and mentioned 10% back is the credit history. I hardly ever use the card besides staying at IHG hotels but it’s a keeper for me.

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UnitedEF December 29, 2024 - 12:41 pm

I’m keeping mine. Been able to use the 40k FNC at the NY Kimpton Theta Times square 2 years in a row just checked now it’s $310 3/2-3/3 for my upcoming stay heckuva deal.

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Dev December 29, 2024 - 1:43 pm

I have been booking my Free Nights during IHG points discount sales to get rooms that are normally over 40,000. They usually run one in January.

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ACinCLT December 29, 2024 - 2:20 pm

I used my annual IHG free night certificate for a night at the Crown Plaza Changi Airport as our last night in Singapore before catching a noon business class flight to JFK. Great use of it and IMHO all the $100 or lower AF hotels that include a free night are worth keeping

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joeheg December 29, 2024 - 2:32 pm

We also used a free night at the CP Changi Airport.

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SharonG December 29, 2024 - 2:44 pm

If you need a lovely room in Berlin (Germany), the FNC is very often able to be used at the Intercontinental, great location right in the center of W. Berlin. And, right around the corner is the Crowne Plaza, another good choice that’s usually under 40k.

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Larry December 29, 2024 - 3:09 pm

This card used to give elite status qualifying points earned from purchases. A couple years ago they ended that and I use it a lot less now.

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Tennen December 29, 2024 - 3:26 pm

@Joe, IMHO, it’s worth it to keep. Even if you miss out on using the free night every other year, you’ll still be ahead, since most IHG properties are $100+. The free night is great for road trips or airport stays. And, as you pointed out, the 10% reward rebate pays for the card with most multi-night (or even one-night stay!) redemptions.

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ColoradoTraveller December 30, 2024 - 3:33 am

I remember IHG making a big deal saying that “95% of rooms” were covered by the 40k limit when they went dynamic and my question was, “but what happens when prices & redemptions go up?”

So now it’s easily greater than half of rooms are out of bounds for this 40k redemption and they need to adjust the limit if they don’t want to make it worthless.

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