Short answer: in our live check on October 30, 2026, a typical IHG reward night cost 27,000 points. Half of all nights we priced fell between 20,000 and 39,000 points. The cheapest was 6,000 points and the most expensive was 312,000.
There is no fixed price. IHG One Rewards uses dynamic pricing, so the points price moves with the cash price, the date and demand. IHG does not publish a fixed award chart. That is why the useful question is not "how many points" but "how many points for this hotel on this night, and is that a good use of them."
How we got these numbers
We asked the IHG Points Finder live search for one-night stays in all 62 featured cities on three nights: Wednesday November 18, Saturday November 21 and Wednesday December 9, 2026. That returned 2,860 hotel nights where both a cash rate and a points price were available, across 1,081 hotels in 59 cities. Dubai, Doha and Taipei are left out because our snapshot had no comparable points prices for them that morning.
Cash prices are in US dollars as observed by IHG Points Finder and may not include every tax and fee. Points prices are what IHG showed for a standard reward night. Prices change daily, so treat this as a snapshot, not a quote. Check any night on IHG before you book.
How many points a free night costs, at a glance
| Points per night | Share of nights we priced |
|---|---|
| 10,000 or less | 3.4% |
| 15,000 or less | 11.2% |
| 20,000 or less | 25.3% |
| 30,000 or less | 60.4% |
| 40,000 or less | 76.6% |
| 50,000 or less | 84.4% |
| 60,000 or less | 88.8% |
| 100,000 or less | 96.4% |
So 30,000 points covers a little over half of all nights, 50,000 covers about five in six, and a night under 10,000 points is rare (about one in thirty).
The middle value per point was $57.80 per 10,000 points, which is about 0.58 US cents a point. That lines up with published valuations from NerdWallet and The Points Guy (0.6 cents) and Frequent Miler (0.59 cents), which gives us some confidence the sample is representative.
Points per night by IHG brand
Brand matters more than anything else. Garner and Holiday Inn Express nights usually cost a quarter to a third of an InterContinental or Kimpton night. Value per point is fairly even across brands, so a cheap brand is not automatically a better deal. Brands with fewer than six hotels in the sample are not shown.
| Brand | Hotels | Typical night (median points) | Range seen | Median value per 10,000 points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garner Hotel | 31 | 19,000 | 7,000 to 58,000 | $60.6 |
| Holiday Inn - the niu | 17 | 19,000 | 11,000 to 51,000 | $55.7 |
| Candlewood Suites | 26 | 22,000 | 11,900 to 120,000 | $59.6 |
| Holiday Inn & Suites | 26 | 22,000 | 9,000 to 72,000 | $61.2 |
| EVEN Hotel | 12 | 23,000 | 10,000 to 108,000 | $60.3 |
| avid hotels | 6 | 23,000 | 18,000 to 62,000 | $55.6 |
| Holiday Inn Express | 256 | 24,000 | 6,000 to 120,000 | $56.3 |
| Holiday Inn Express & Suites | 118 | 24,000 | 12,000 to 120,000 | $58.5 |
| Holiday Inn | 200 | 25,000 | 7,000 to 120,000 | $57.5 |
| Crowne Plaza | 106 | 29,000 | 12,000 to 120,000 | $56.2 |
| Staybridge Suites | 38 | 29,000 | 16,000 to 108,000 | $57.7 |
| voco | 35 | 34,500 | 10,000 to 120,000 | $58.0 |
| Vignette Collection | 13 | 39,000 | 21,000 to 127,000 | $60.2 |
| Independent (SPHC) | 7 | 40,500 | 17,000 to 102,000 | $61.1 |
| Ruby | 12 | 45,050 | 24,650 to 116,000 | $46.2 |
| Hotel Indigo | 50 | 47,000 | 19,000 to 206,000 | $57.0 |
| InterContinental | 59 | 59,000 | 18,000 to 208,000 | $59.1 |
| Kimpton | 41 | 61,500 | 17,850 to 217,000 | $62.8 |
| Regent | 6 | 136,000 | 28,000 to 312,000 | $57.5 |
What this means for you:
- 20,000 to 25,000 points is a normal night at Garner, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn and Candlewood.
- Plan on about 30,000 to 35,000 for Crowne Plaza, Staybridge and voco.
- InterContinental and Kimpton nights usually start near 60,000 points, though we saw both brands under 20,000 in Shanghai on some nights.
- Regent and Six Senses are in another league, from 136,000 points a night at the median.
Ruby stands out for the wrong reason: a median of $46.20 per 10,000 points means Ruby nights were often closer to the "pay cash" line than other brands.
Points per night by city
The same brand costs very different amounts by city. Beijing and Shanghai had the cheapest typical nights in our sample, Tokyo the most expensive. City searches include hotels in the wider metro area, so some of the cheapest nights are at airport or suburban hotels.
| City | Hotel nights priced | Typical night (median points) | Cheapest night seen | Median value per 10,000 points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing | 115 | 13,000 | 8,000 (Holiday Inn Express Beijing Daxing Xihongmen) | $64.7 |
| Shanghai | 254 | 14,000 | 6,000 (Holiday Inn Express Shanghai Jinqiao Central) | $61.9 |
| Kuala Lumpur | 19 | 18,000 | 10,000 (Holiday Inn Express Kuala Lumpur City Centre) | $62.9 |
| Frankfurt | 48 | 19,500 | 11,000 (Holiday Inn - the niu, Air Frankfurt Messe) | $54.6 |
| Orlando | 112 | 20,200 | 10,000 (voco Kissimmee Orlando) | $59.5 |
| Nice | 20 | 20,500 | 17,000 (Holiday Inn Nice) | $55.1 |
| Bangkok | 39 | 21,000 | 9,000 (Holiday Inn Express Bangkok Soi Soonvijai) | $62.5 |
| Munich | 48 | 21,500 | 13,000 (Garner Hotel Munich - Messe) | $50.0 |
| Lisbon | 40 | 22,000 | 13,000 (Holiday Inn Express Lisbon - Oeiras) | $49.7 |
| Osaka | 23 | 22,000 | 7,000 (Garner Hotel Osaka Honmachi Midosuji) | $59.6 |
| Berlin | 74 | 23,000 | 11,900 (Candlewood Suites Berlin Airport) | $60.4 |
| Helsinki | 5 | 23,000 | 21,000 (Holiday Inn Helsinki - Expo) | $59.4 |
| Washington | 170 | 23,000 | 13,000 (Holiday Inn Washington D.C.-Greenbelt MD) | $61.7 |
| Istanbul | 58 | 23,500 | 9,000 (Garner Hotel Istanbul - Airport Arnavutkoy) | $50.2 |
| Toronto | 86 | 23,500 | 15,000 (Holiday Inn & Suites Mississauga West - Meadowvale) | $58.8 |
| Venice | 12 | 24,000 | 14,000 (Crowne Plaza Venice East - Quarto d'Altino) | $51.3 |
| Chicago | 147 | 24,000 | 16,000 (Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chicago West-Roselle) | $61.8 |
| Montreal | 26 | 24,500 | 18,000 (Independent (SPHC) Armon Plaza - Montréal Arpt) | $61.8 |
| Boston | 74 | 25,500 | 18,000 (Candlewood Suites Boston North Shore - Danvers) | $58.4 |
| Copenhagen | 3 | 26,000 | 24,000 (Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers) | $60.2 |
| Honolulu | 1 | 26,000 | 26,000 (Holiday Inn Express Waikiki) | $75.4 |
| Las Vegas | 20 | 26,500 | 19,000 (Holiday Inn Express Las Vegas-Nellis) | $57.8 |
| Mexico City | 48 | 26,500 | 16,000 (Holiday Inn Express Mexico Basilica) | $56.2 |
| Stockholm | 6 | 27,450 | 18,000 (voco Stockholm - Kista) | $47.5 |
| Milan | 20 | 27,500 | 17,000 (Holiday Inn Nord-Zara) | $49.2 |
| Seattle | 64 | 27,500 | 17,000 (Holiday Inn & Suites Bothell) | $57.4 |
| Barcelona | 25 | 28,000 | 15,000 (Holiday Inn Express Barcelona - Montmelo) | $53.1 |
| Vancouver | 24 | 28,000 | 22,000 (Holiday Inn Vancouver Airport- Richmond) | $56.6 |
| Florence | 2 | 29,000 | 28,000 (Hotel Indigo Florence) | $53.9 |
| Los Angeles | 93 | 30,000 | 19,000 (Candlewood Suites LAX Hawthorne) | $58.8 |
| Mumbai | 3 | 31,000 | 31,000 (Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport) | $59.7 |
| Miami | 108 | 31,000 | 14,000 (Holiday Inn Miami West - Airport Area) | $58.4 |
| Madrid | 36 | 31,500 | 16,000 (Holiday Inn Express Madrid - Rivas) | $47.8 |
| Warsaw | 18 | 31,500 | 15,000 (Holiday Inn Resort Warsaw - Jozefow) | $52.2 |
| Manchester | 92 | 32,000 | 16,000 (Crowne Plaza Liverpool John Lennon Airport) | $48.6 |
| San Francisco | 68 | 32,500 | 16,000 (Holiday Inn Express & Suites Napa Valley-American Canyon) | $58.9 |
| Brussels | 39 | 33,000 | 20,000 (Holiday Inn Express Brussels - Airport) | $51.8 |
| Belgrade | 5 | 33,000 | 26,000 (Hotel Indigo Belgrade) | $47 |
| Zurich | 20 | 33,500 | 22,000 (Holiday Inn Express Zürich Airport) | $51.7 |
| Prague | 3 | 34,000 | 23,000 (Holiday Inn Prague) | $60.7 |
| Amsterdam | 44 | 35,000 | 18,000 (Holiday Inn Express Amsterdam - Arena Towers) | $53.0 |
| Delhi | 35 | 35,000 | 9,000 (Holiday Inn Express Gurugram Sector 50) | $59.3 |
| Singapore | 30 | 35,000 | 22,000 (Holiday Inn Express Singapore Katong) | $63.2 |
| Melbourne | 36 | 35,000 | 17,000 (Holiday Inn Dandenong) | $57.0 |
| Vienna | 27 | 36,000 | 19,000 (Holiday Inn - the niu, Franz Vienna) | $54.7 |
| Dublin | 16 | 39,500 | 17,850 (Garner Hotel Dublin Temple Bar) | $44.0 |
| Seoul | 8 | 40,000 | 21,000 (Holiday Inn Incheon Songdo) | $57.7 |
| Sao Paulo | 7 | 40,000 | 19,000 (Holiday Inn Sao Paulo Parque Anhembi) | $58.4 |
| London | 197 | 41,000 | 18,000 (Holiday Inn Express Dunstable) | $51.7 |
| New York | 186 | 42,500 | 18,000 (Crowne Plaza Saddle Brook) | $60.8 |
| Paris | 41 | 43,000 | 16,000 (Holiday Inn Express Paris - Velizy) | $52.2 |
| Edinburgh | 41 | 44,000 | 16,000 (Holiday Inn Express Stirling) | $49.5 |
| Budapest | 14 | 46,500 | 16,000 (Holiday Inn Budapest - Budaörs) | $55.6 |
| Geneva | 12 | 46,800 | 20,000 (Holiday Inn Express Geneva Airport) | $57.2 |
| Buenos Aires | 3 | 49,000 | 37,000 (Holiday Inn Express Puerto Madero) | $60.4 |
| Sydney | 46 | 50,000 | 25,000 (Holiday Inn Warwick Farm) | $49.2 |
| Hong Kong | 24 | 52,500 | 24,000 (Holiday Inn Express Hong Kong Kowloon CBD2) | $55.4 |
| Rome | 14 | 58,000 | 19,000 (Garner Hotel Rome Aurelia) | $57.5 |
| Tokyo | 11 | 89,000 | 25,000 (InterContinental Yokohama Grand) | $54.7 |
A few patterns stand out:
- Germany is cheap for points. Frankfurt (19,500), Munich (21,500) and Berlin (23,000) all came in under the overall median.
- London, Paris, Edinburgh and New York typically cost 41,000 to 44,000 points, well above average.
- Dublin's typical night was 39,500 points with a median value of only $44 per 10,000 points, the weakest of any city in the sample. Dublin is often a pay-cash city.
- Tokyo's typical night was 89,000 points, more than three times the overall median.
Is Saturday more expensive than a weekday?
Not in this sample. We compared the same 787 hotels on Wednesday November 18 and Saturday November 21. Saturday cost more points at 349 hotels, fewer at 383 and the same at 55. The median change was zero. Business-city hotels often get cheaper at the weekend while leisure hotels get dearer, so check your own dates rather than assuming. Our weekday vs weekend guide compares Tuesdays and Saturdays city by city.
Discounted reward nights
45 hotels in the sample showed a 15% points discount on at least one night. Garner Hotel Dublin Temple Bar, for example, showed 17,850 points instead of 21,000 on December 9. The reduced price showed in the normal search results, so it is worth scanning for it when you compare hotels.
Free night certificates: what the caps cover
Some IHG credit cards give an annual free night certificate that is capped at a points value. The cap depends on the card, so check your card's terms. Here is how much of our sample each common cap level would cover:
| Certificate cap | Share of nights we priced that it would cover |
|---|---|
| 40,000 points | 76.6% |
| 50,000 points | 84.4% |
| 60,000 points | 88.8% |
The cap matters most in London, Paris, New York and Tokyo, where the typical night sits close to or above 40,000 points.
The fourth night free
If you hold an IHG One Rewards credit card that includes this benefit, a stay of four or more reward nights at the same hotel prices every fourth night at zero points. On a four-night stay at the 27,000-point median, that is 81,000 points instead of 108,000. Your value per point goes up by a third, which can turn an average redemption into a good one. See what the IHG fourth night free is really worth for the savings across 313 real stays.
How to work out if a free night is worth it
Divide the cash price by the points price and multiply by 10,000. That gives the cash value you get for every 10,000 points.
Example: $150 cash for a 25,000-point night is 150 / 25,000 x 10,000 = $60 per 10,000 points.
IHG Points Finder uses these bands, in US dollars per 10,000 points:
| Value per 10,000 points | What to do |
|---|---|
| Under $44.50 | Pay cash |
| $44.50 to $55.70 | Either, it is close |
| $55.70 to $66.80 | Use points |
| $66.80 and up | Strong use of points |
In our snapshot 5.1% of priced nights fell in the pay-cash band and 60.6% were at $55.70 or more. A low points price does not guarantee a good deal: Holiday Inn Express Istanbul Atakoy Metro cost only 15,000 points on December 9, but the cash rate was $56.10, so the points returned just $37.40 per 10,000.
You can run this check for your own city and dates on the IHG Points Finder Compare view at ihgpointsfinder.com, which shows cash and points side by side.
Quick answers
How many IHG points do you need for a free night?
In our October 30, 2026 snapshot the median was 27,000 points, and half of nights cost 20,000 to 39,000. The cheapest we found was 6,000.
How many points for a free night at Holiday Inn Express?
The median Holiday Inn Express night was 24,000 points across 256 hotels, with a range of 6,000 to 120,000.
How many points for a free night at an InterContinental?
The median was 59,000 points across 59 InterContinental hotels. The cheapest we saw was 18,000 at InterContinental Shanghai Expo on December 9.
Is 10,000 IHG points enough for a free night?
Rarely. Only 3.4% of the nights we priced cost 10,000 points or less, and 84 of those 97 nights were in Shanghai or Beijing.
Do IHG reward nights cost more on weekends?
Not on average in our sample. Of 787 hotels priced on both a Wednesday and a Saturday, slightly more were cheaper on the Saturday.
Can I buy points for a free night?
Yes. IHG sells points, and runs bonus sales several times a year. Buying only makes sense when the night's cash price is clearly above what the points cost you. See our guide: should you buy IHG points?
Related guides
- What are 10,000 IHG points worth?
- Cheapest IHG reward nights right now
- Best time to book IHG with points
- InterContinental and Kimpton vs Holiday Inn: which brands give the best value
- London IHG points guide
- IHG dynamic pricing: how much prices swing
- IHG fourth night free: what it is really worth
- IHG points on weekdays vs weekends
Data note: figures come from IHG Points Finder's live search on Friday October 30, 2026, 12:29 to 12:32 Dublin time. IHG Points Finder is independent and not affiliated with IHG. Points prices and availability change daily; always confirm on IHG before booking.