How the IHG Premier Card Saved Me $1,500 on a Hawaii Trip

For our annual summer vacation, my family and I went to Hawaii. Hawaii is a bucket list destination for many people, myself included, but these aspirational trips usually aren’t cheap.

After spending a week in Hawaii, I can confirm: Hawaii is expensive. I spent over $5,000 for my family of three to vacation in Hawaii for a week — but that total would have been even higher if I didn’t use the sign-up bonus on the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card to cover most of our hotel stay.

Here’s how I saved more than $1,500 on my family’s Hawaii vacation.

Applying for the right credit card at the right time can help you get maximum value from that card. I waited to apply for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card in September 2024 when it was offering a massive sign-up bonus: 5 free nights after spending $4,000 within the first three months of account opening.

The limited-time welcome offer that’s currently available from Sept. 4 to Oct. 22, 2025, isn’t the same, but it’s still valuable. New cardholders who apply for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card during this particular window will earn 165,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first three months from account opening.

The points earned from this sign-up bonus can be leveraged in much the same way that I used mine. For example, at the hotel where my family stayed in Hawaii, one night in a standard room with two queen beds costs 43,000 points. If you were to earn the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card’s 165,000-point bonus, you’d have enough points for three nights in a comparable room. IHG has about 6,000 properties in over 100 countries, so you’ve got plenty of options for your next vacation.

After earning the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card’s sign-up bonus, I made a reservation at an IHG property — the Holiday Inn Express Waikiki — for a seven-night stay. Because I had five free nights thanks to the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, I only had to pay for two, which cost $378. Without those free nights, I would have paid $1,918. That’s a savings of $1,540.

The hotel wasn’t the most luxurious property, but it was family-friendly, which I needed with a 5-year-old in tow. My son enjoyed the hotel pool and mini-golf course, and we all took advantage of the daily buffet breakfast. Plus, the hotel was within walking distance of Waikiki Beach and a few minutes’ drive to the Honolulu Zoo and Waikiki Aquarium.

With that extra money, I was able to splurge on some incredible excursions like a tour through Kualoa Ranch that gave us gorgeous views of the island, and a luau my husband called the highlight of the trip. Three luau tickets cost $537, but I didn’t feel guilty about spending the money because we saved so much on the hotel.

The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card’s sign-up bonus was by far the most valuable perk for my family, but the card has more benefits that others may enjoy. For example, if you have the IHG Premier, you’re automatically elevated to Platinum Elite status within IHG’s loyalty program. Among other benefits, Platinum Elite members can get late checkouts, which my family needed to accommodate our evening departure from the Honolulu airport.

The IHG Premier also offers money-saving perks including a $120 credit every four years for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or Nexus; a free anniversary night; and the fourth night free when you redeem points for a stay of four or more nights.

Credit cards can make a vacation so much more affordable — and that’s a lesson I won’t forget.

As soon as my family started planning our next vacation to Italy, I started researching credit cards to determine which one would save us the most money. This time, my husband and I both applied for the card, and we both scored the sign-up bonus, doubling our savings.

I’ve got a lot of gelato to buy next summer.

(Top photo by Jae Bratton/NerdWallet)