OK, was gonna pass on this as we rarely stay in InterCon but I recall that Mark Hopkins is in this group and we plan a week in San Francisco next summer. Prefer the Fairmont but if some was free, the Mark is certainly at least acceptable. Shabby chic as I recall from a visit in 2008
My wife and I each have an IHG card. Have for a long time, although I canceled mine awhile back and scored a new one, for the bonus, back when that was easier than it is today.
It IS worth the annual fee as at $49 you get a free night. However, I've been questioning the value of these certs over time. Holiday Inn is easy ... we used to pick them when we paid (and still often do) and they are everywhere. It's a no-brainer for a basic overnight, and quite often they have surprised us.
However, paying $49 for a $100-110 score isn't all they exceptional. I'll keep doing it, because to stop now would shock the system. I had to spreadsheet re-evaluate my Club Carlson scheme recently (spending $10k a year on 3 cards to get 3 certs). The value of one of these certs for us has been in the same range - low level hotels usually. The MS work for this is not too much, but a number of trips to WM and floating GCs? Well, the spreadsheet shows that each cert PLUS the 50k points ($10k x 5) are worth the cost. Again, we're not killing it with these, but this is another couple of free basic nights.
The Hyatt certs seem harder to use. I have managed to use my last one (I killed my own card) on this SUNDAY actually, 2 days before it expires. Was left over from a previous trip mishap where I missed using it and for whatever reason, they credited it back. I need to take a look at my wife's card to see if we should keep going with this scheme. I know I have had a Hyatt cert or 2 expire in the past. Can't have that happening when we're paying a fee!
All small potatoes, but it adds up when you multiply 100+ (as a bare minimum for a hotel room) times a number of certs.