It depends what you are looking for. Let's get the bad out of the way, even though you will still hear it a million times. With IHG, don't expect as many perks. Lounge access, breakfast, upgrades can be hit or miss, normally going to be better with Marriott. You may still get them, but like I said, don't expect it. Room upgrades I get more often than not though. Breakfast depends on the brand.
With that said, if you find HIE a sufficient brand, that's half the battle right there. HIE has a large footprint, breakfast is included, and I agree, the new ones are quite nice. The comparable Marriotts across the street from them generally don't offer that much more other than a higher price tag.
IHG Rewards is a points play. If you're going to do it, I would highly recommend the IHG credit card. Between Spire, credit card points, welcome amenity, and accelerate, you can average about 20% back in rewards. That is assuming the valuation is .5 cents. I have gotten 1 cent or more quite often. There are still ways to earn more points/make them go further like 4th night free, which in the some scenarios, is a huge savings.
My favorite parts of IHG are HIE, Staybridge, and Intercontinental. The first two often offer a fantastic cash rate with similar perks that you'll get at comparable properties. Even intercontinental has some cheap cash rates. Then you save up the points for the expensive rooms. This segment is their biggest opportunity, but is steadily increasing. IC, Kimpton, and CP do offer some great stays. You have to be most careful of the CPs though. At the end of the day, I traded off some cheap breakfasts and cocktails and got more money's worth on rooms.