Originally Posted by sdsearch

If you think about it as "I make money if I book a hotel that costs more than $49 for the night" with this card, can't you find a night where you make money using the free night certificate? Yes, you may not get as much value out of it as you thought you might, but if next time you need a hotel and there's an IHG hotel available, if the hotel you would paid cash for cost more than $49 including all taxes, you're ahead!

So I don't understand how these certificates can be "useless" for someone who does significant personal paid travel, unless you're only traveling to places where no IHG hotels exist (but in that case, why would you have gotten the card)?