If you like nicer hotels, then IHG is not a great option. ICs are mostly mediocre and inconsistent. The other lower brands are average to below average. If you are just looking for a place to sleep, it is always useful to have a back up---though reaching Diamond is a stretch now and Platinum and below gives you next to nothing, so IHG status may not be worth much. It would probably make sense to just go for independent hotels or continental European based chains if you are really just staying in Europe and need hotels outside of big cities.