IHG Credit Card Free Night - Combining
 

Hi, so I have my first free night for having the IHG Credit Card available to me now. I want to book a 3-night stay somewhere. When I log into the IHG website, I'm a bit confused on how to do this so that I have a single reservation for all 3 nights, with one night being free and me paying for the other two nights. How do I do this? I saw somewhere where it mentions making this two separate reservations, but I don't want to check out and then check back in to the hotel. I just want to stay in the same room for all 3 nights.

Any help would be appreciated!

You have to book the ihg free night separately. You’ll have at least two separate reservations, regardless. Just ask the hotel to link them. If you’re booking the same type room, there won’t be an issue.

I have done this often. Even at check in, let them know, you don't have to check in/out.

I have combined separate reservations many times and was only asked to check in and out once (at a Radisson Blu in Mozambique, and even then it was just a "stop by the front desk and let us run your card for the first night" sort of thing).

First, make sure you are booking exactly the same type of room paid as you can get with the certificate. The certificate may work only on one room type at many hotels.

But once you determine that, book the second and third nights (paid) first, then immediately book the first night with the certificate, and in the notes for the first night's reservation explain that you have a second reservation that's paid (and provide that reservation number) and explain that you'd like to keep the same room. (Or, if you find no place to put the notes, call the hotel after you make both reservations and explain it to them, giving both reservation numbers.)

That' should help avoid them upgrading you separately for the two reservations (by someone who doesn't know they should stay as the same type of room) and putting you into different types of rooms, which might be hard to keep the same room if the hotel is booked up solid by the time you get there.

So that's why I suggest you somehow let the hotel know in advance (unless you're sure the hotel will be lightly booked even at check-in time).

Once, I stayed four nights under four different reservations, all of them being credit card free nights. My wife and I both have cards and we used this year's and last year's free nights on the same trip.

How did you combine the credit card free nights from 2 different years?

I have a free night coming up from IHG CC. I want to stay a couple of additional nights using rewards points.As an Inner Circle member and Spire Elite I would hope that an upgrade would be available. But if I read these comments correctly, the free night will only be a standard room? Is there any hope of not having to change rooms after the free night, i.e. getting upgrade room for ALL nights?
Thanks~

The credit card free night is treated the same as a rewards night, you have the same chance of being upgraded as with a points stay. As others have said, inform the hotel that you have separate but sequential reservations, it's not in their interests to make you change rooms, make sure you inform them before you arrive.

I used my free night a few months ago at the IC LeGrand in Paris and received an upgrade.

You can book it beyond its expiration date and it will be honored. You cannot change the booking after the expiration date as it will immediately be lost.

I've booked a free Chase night and one on points - should I contact the hotel ahead of time or wait until checkin to sort that out?

You can call ahead if you like; however, handling it as check-in is usually fine.

--Jon

any way to use the free night cert (1st night) plus points (2nd night) for a 2-night stay when the hotel is enforcing a 2-night minimum?

Call the hotel's reservations dept directly, or have IHG's Platinum member line reservations team call the hotel directly.