Chase's mid-tier IHG One Rewards Premier card has been revamped in step with the launch of a new premium IHG card, and The Points Guy's latest review gives it three and a half stars. The fee has gone up to $150 and automatic elite status has slipped to the lower Gold tier, but a beefed-up anniversary night certificate and a stack of new credits keep it interesting for anyone who regularly sleeps in Holiday Inns, InterContinentals or Kimptons.

The headline perk is the annual free night certificate, now valid on rooms priced up to 50,000 points. That alone can cover the fee, and there's flexibility built in: you can top off the certificate with unlimited points from your own balance, so a 55,000-point room costs you the free night plus 5,000 points. The review's author has used it everywhere from the Kimpton De Witt in Amsterdam to the InterContinental Athenaeum in Athens and the Kimpton Margot in Sydney.

On everyday spending, the card earns 10 points per dollar at IHG hotels, 5 points per dollar at restaurants (including takeout and delivery), grocery stores, gas stations and select travel, and 3 points everywhere else. New applicants can currently land 180,000 bonus points. TPG values IHG points at 0.6 cents each, so the real value comes from redeeming them well rather than hoarding them.

Two perks matter most for longer holidays. First, the fourth night free: book any award stay of four nights or longer and every fourth night costs zero points, which cuts the effective cost of a week-long stay by roughly a quarter. Second, you'll get 15 elite night credits each year to help you climb IHG's status ladder, plus two more per $5,000 spent and five extra after $15,000 in annual spending. Spend $15,000 in a year and you'll also unlock Platinum Elite status for the following year; $40,000 gets you Diamond.

Other extras round things out: up to $100 a year in food and beverage vouchers (issued as $25 quarterly vouchers that expire at the end of each quarter, so use them or lose them), a $100 statement credit after $250 in direct airline bookings (available through the end of 2027), a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit of up to $120 every four years, up to $50 in annual United TravelBank cash, Instacart+ and DashPass memberships with monthly credits, at least 30% off when buying IHG points, and no foreign transaction fees.

The catch: points aren't worth much outside IHG hotels, and Gold Elite is a modest tier, mostly good for a 40% points bonus on stays and Hertz Five Star status. If you only stay at IHG properties once or twice a year and can use the free night and fourth-night-free perks, the maths works in your favour. Frequent travellers chasing lounge access and upgrades might be better served by the new premium card or a broader travel card. For occasional holidaymakers who like a free city-break night each year, it's a sensible pick.