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IHG One Rewards is one of the world's biggest hotel loyalty programs. It has nearly a million hotel rooms across 6,300 properties split among 19 brands participating in the rewards program. While IHG One Rewards members may not enjoy the same level of perks and benefits offered by other programs, IHG points are easy to earn. In fact, the co-branded IHG credit cards issued by Chase are some of the better hotel credit cards on the market. Plus, the number of redemption options provides even more value for your points.
Here, we provide a deep dive into IHG One Rewards. This guide will cover how to earn points, the best ways to redeem points, and a rundown on the pros and cons of the elite program.
Page Contents
How To Join IHG Rewards
IHG One Rewards is free to join. Head to ihg.com and click the “Join for free” button in the upper-right part of the top header bar. This will take you to a page asking for your full name, email, new account password, and full street address. You need to certify that you are 18+ years of age, which is the only requirement. After signing up, jot down your IHG Rewards login information and consider adding it to your AwardWallet account (covered below).
Logging into your IHG account will let you manage your upcoming reservations, edit your account information, and view your member benefits. In addition, you can make bookings with any free night awards you've earned from an IHG One Rewards credit card or other promotions.
How to track IHG One Rewards with AwardWallet
You can easily track your IHG points and other account information by adding your IHG Rewards account to AwardWallet using this link. AwardWallet is the best tool for keeping track of all your account balances, awards, and expiration dates. Having all this info in one place for all your loyalty accounts is immensely helpful. If your free night or points are about to expire, AwardWallet will even alert you so you can take action.
You'll be asked to input your email or member number, last name, and password for your account into AwardWallet. You'll also need to give AwardWallet permission to log into your account to retrieve and routinely update your loyalty info. AwardWallet can track over 700 loyalty programs via a web browser or the AwardWallet app (iOS, Android). Consider taking advantage of all the features offered by AwardWallet Plus, as well.
IHG One Rewards Hotels: Brands and Properties
IHG One Rewards has a total of 19 different brands within its portfolio. This includes luxury brands InterContinental, Regent, and Six Senses properties in exotic locales. IHG's brands also include the ubiquitous, cookie-cutter Holiday Inn Express hotels across the United States and Canada. IHG also includes a pair of extended-stay brands: Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites, the latter being the better of the two in my estimation. Other notable portfolio brands include lifestyle hotels like EVEN and Voco. You'll also find some boutique upscale properties within the Hotel Indigo and Kimpton brands. One thing is certain: IHG One Rewards offers a breadth of options.
Expanding rapidly, the program has over 6,300 IHG One Rewards properties spread across over 100 countries worldwide. Wherever you're traveling, IHG offers good coverage. If your travels are primarily within the United States, know that many of the properties are located within the U.S. and Canada. Plus, there is solid coverage in Europe and Asia (especially China). The sparsest coverage is in Africa.
With a ton of Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express properties, the IHG portfolio is skewed toward these mid-scale hotels. These two brands comprise approximately 70% of the total portfolio. IHG has been making an effort to add to its luxury and upscale portfolio, however.
| Brand | Hotels | Rooms |
|---|---|---|
| Atwell Suites | 3 | 266 |
| avid hotels | 70 | 6,297 |
| Candlewood Suites | 377 | 33,553 |
| Crowne Plaza | 409 | 112,466 |
| EVEN Hotels | 28 | 4,189 |
| Garner | 4 | 297 |
| Holiday Inn | 1,195 | 214,330 |
| Holiday Inn Club Vacations | 29 | 9,396 |
| Holiday Inn Express | 3,172 | 336,106 |
| Hotel Indigo | 154 | 20,319 |
| HUALUXE | 20 | 5,529 |
| Iberostar | 49 | 17,600 |
| InterContinental | 222 | 73,350 |
| Kimpton | 75 | 13,639 |
| Regent | 10 | 3,090 |
| Six Senses | 25 | 1,783 |
| Staybridge Suites | 324 | 35,227 |
| Vignette | 12 | 2,344 |
| voco | 64 | 16,107 |
| Total | 6,368 | 946,382 |
This isn't to say there aren't some great luxury properties. IHG has some wonderful luxury hotels and resorts, and the luxury brands are solid.
Related: The Best IHG Hotels Redemptions for Luxury Stays
Best Ways To Earn IHG One Rewards Points
The most straightforward way to earn IHG points is by staying at an IHG property and adding your IHG One Rewards number to the reservation. You earn 10 IHG Rewards points per dollar spent (before taxes) at most brands. The exceptions are IHG's extended stay brands, Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites. At these hotels, travelers are only offered 5 IHG Rewards points per dollar (before taxes) on paid nights.
If you have elite status with IHG, you will receive a bonus on the number of points earned. Top-tier Diamond Elite members earn a 100% bonus on the base earning rate. Even Platinum Elite members enjoy a healthy 60% bonus on the base earning rate. The best part? Platinum status is easily obtainable by simply holding an IHG co-branded credit card.
You also can book meetings with IHG and earn points as an IHG Business Rewards member. IHG Business Rewards members can earn three points per $1 spent.
Beyond hotel stays, you can earn points in additional ways with IHG One Rewards. This guide is meant to be an overview, so I won't delve deep into each. However, we'll go through each of the options briefly.
Related: How Many IHG Rewards Points Can I Earn on Hotel Stays?
Use an IHG One Rewards credit card
One of the fastest and easiest ways to accumulate IHG Rewards points is to use an IHG credit card for your everyday purchases. IHG has four co-branded credit cards issued by Chase:
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
- IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card
- IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
- IHG® Rewards Select Credit Card (no longer available to new applicants)
Related: Which IHG One Rewards Credit Card Is Right for You?
IHG One Rewards Premier Card
- Our Best Offer of 2025! Earn 5 Free Nights
- Enjoy an Anniversary Free Night at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Plus, enjoy a fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG® hotel stay.
- Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts
- Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Automatic Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Premier cardmember
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $120 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card
- IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Kimpton®, EVEN® Hotels, Indigo® Hotels & Holiday Inn®
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
- 5X points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants
- 3X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
The earning for spending at IHG hotels breaks down as follows:
- Earn 10X points for being a IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card member
- Earn 6X points from IHG® with Platinum Elite Status, a benefit of having this card
- Earn 10X points from IHG® for being an IHG® One Rewards member (Being a cardholder is not required to earn this bonus for participating in the IHG® loyalty program)
The benefits of the IHG One Rewards Premier Card include:
- 10x points for every $1 spent at IHG properties.
- 5x points on gas, restaurants, and travel.
- “Fourth night free” benefit on award stays.
- Automatic Platinum Elite status.
- Anniversary free night (good for award nights valued at up to 40,000 points).
- $50 United Travel Bank cash per year when you link with your United MileagePlus account ($25 every 6 months).
- 10,000 bonus points and a $100 statement credit after making $20,000 in purchases (and then making one additional purchase) each calendar year.
- $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- $99 annual fee.
Related: IHG One Rewards Premier Card review
IHG One Rewards Traveler Card
- Our Highest Points Offer of 2025! Earn 120,000 Bonus Points
- No Annual Fee
- Earn up to 17 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts
- Earn 3 points per $1 spent on purchases on monthly bills, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Redeem 3 Nights, Get the 4th Night Free
- IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Kimpton®, EVEN® Hotels, Indigo® Hotels & Holiday Inn®
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 17X points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
- 3X points per $1 spent on dining, utilities, select streaming services, and at gas stations
- 2X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
The earning for spending at IHG hotels breaks down as follows:
- Earn 5X points for being a IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Cardmember
- Earn 2X points from IHG® with Silver Elite Status, a benefit of this Card
- Earn 10X points from IHG® for being an IHG® Rewards Club Member (Being a cardholder is not required to earn this bonus for participating in the IHG® loyalty program)
The benefits of the IHG One Rewards Traveler Card include:
- 5x points for every $1 spent at IHG properties.
- 3x points at gas stations and restaurants, and for some typical monthly bills (e.g. cable and phone services).
- Fourth night free on award stays.
- Automatic Silver Elite status.
- Earn 10,000 bonus points after spending $10,000 on purchases each calendar year.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- No annual fee.
In my opinion, the IHG One Rewards Premier Card offers the most long-term value of the two personal cards currently available. It has a lucrative earning rate at IHG properties and offers Platinum Elite status. In addition, you receive an anniversary free night that's easily worth more than the annual fee.
However, the IHG One Rewards Traveler Card offers compelling benefits for a no-annual-fee card. You keep some of the best perks, such as the fourth night free on awards and no foreign transaction fees.
Related: IHG One Rewards Traveler Card review
IHG One Rewards Business Card
- Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy an Anniversary Free Night at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Plus, enjoy a fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG® hotel stay.
- Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels and Resorts
- Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, select advertising, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Automatic Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Premier Business cardmember
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $120 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card
- IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at hotels such as InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Kimpton®, EVEN® Hotels, Indigo® Hotels & Holiday Inn®
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 26x total points per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
- 5X points per $1 spent on travel, dining, social media search engine advertising, and at office supply stores and gas stations
- 3X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
The earning for spending at IHG hotels breaks down as follows:
- Earn 10X points for charging your stay to your IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
- Earn 6X bonus points for having IHG®Platinum Elite Status, a benefit of having this card
- Earn 10X base points for being an IHG® One Rewards Member (Being a cardholder is not required to earn this bonus for participating in the IHG® loyalty program)
If you're a small business owner, the IHG One Rewards Business Card is worth a closer look. Benefits include:
- 10x points for every $1 spent at IHG properties.
- Fourth night free benefit on award stays.
- Automatic Platinum Elite status.
- Anniversary free night (good for award nights valued at up to 40,000 points).
- Earn an additional free night certificate (worth up to 40K points) after spending $60,000 on purchases (and then making one additional purchase) each calendar year.
- 10,000 bonus points and a $100 statement credit after making $20,000 in purchases each calendar year.
- $50 United Travel Bank cash per year when you link with your United MileagePlus account ($25 every 6 months).
- $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS fee credit.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- $99 annual fee.
Related: IHG One Rewards Business Card review
Get IHG points by transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards
IHG One Rewards is one of the 14 Chase transfer partners. You can transfer Ultimate Rewards points to IHG at a 1,000:1,000 ratio. However, to do this, you must have an Ultimate Rewards-earning card with an annual fee, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. No-annual-fee cards can't transfer points to travel partners, unfortunately.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Transferring Ultimate Rewards points to IHG Rewards is not a good deal in most cases. There are many more valuable ways to use Chase Ultimate Rewards. That being said, there may be situations where transferring Chase points to IHG makes sense. An example of this would be topping off your account for a specific award when you're just a bit short.
IHG One Rewards promotions
IHG promotions have long been a staple of the loyalty program. In fact, these were arguably the best hotel promotions available. IHG One Rewards has departed from this trend over the past few years, though the promotions aren't without value. Always read the terms to make sure your stays qualify.
Note that you nearly always need to register for IHG promotions. Don't miss out on any points!
Another ongoing promotion is the ability to buy elite-qualifying points while making a reservation. These can range in value, as the cost varies. You'll often see options for bonus points per stay, but there are offers per night as well. The per-stay packages offer up to 5,000 bonus points. The best part of these packages is that the bonus points count toward elite status! Sometimes, these can be well worth the cost.
IHG One Rewards travel and dining partners
If you need a rental car, IHG One Rewards has a partnership with Hertz. When you rent with Hertz through IHG, you can receive up to 35% off your rental and 1,500+ IHG points, plus up to 500 additional points per day. Diamond Elite members also receive complimentary Hertz Five Star status. However, Five Star status isn't what it was a few years ago.
The IHG Rewards dining program lets you earn extra points when dining at participating restaurants. To earn points this way, you need to sign up and register at least one credit card. Then, use that card to pay at a restaurant within the dining program. Basic members earn 1 point per dollar, while Select members earn 5 IHG points per dollar. VIP members earn 8 points per dollar.
To become a Select member, simply opt into marketing emails from IHG One Rewards Dining. To become a VIP member, complete 11 qualified dining transactions in a calendar year; you'll retain the status through the end of the year. Here's our beginner's guide to dining programs, explaining how this works.
IHG also partners with Open Table. You can earn 500 bonus IHG points using their service.
Buying and transferring IHG points
It's possible to buy IHG points. The rate starts at $13.50 per 1,000 points, but the rate drops to $10 per 1,000 points on purchases over 25,000 points. IHG Rewards often runs buy points promotions offering up to 100% bonus points. Check out the linked post to see the historical promotion frequency.
A quick note on the “back door” method
In addition to buying points directly, there is a “back door” method to buying points through making a Points & Cash booking. If you make a Points & Cash booking and subsequently cancel, you'll receive the full amount of points back into your IHG account. Typical rates using this method are $30–$35 per 5,000 points. This can be better than the standard rate, but gauge it against any promotions to see if this is the best option at present.
You also can buy points during a once-a-year sale called Daily Getaways, which typically runs in the first half of each year. In Daily Getaways 2024, you could buy points for half a cent apiece.
You can transfer IHG points to other members; however, there is a cost of $5 per 1,000 transferred points. Typically, this isn't worth the trouble, as you can buy points at close to this rate during a promotion. Since you can book IHG stays for others using your points, it's rarely necessary. The only reason to transfer points would be combining points for a particular award night.
Earn IHG One Rewards points with paid stays
While credit cards are an easy way to earn IHG points, hotel stays combined with promotions are how I've earned a significant number of points. One of the best parts of holding the IHG One Rewards Premier Card is the “stacking” on the earning rate. A few years ago, I spent one night at the Holiday Inn Express in Brentwood, California for work. The rate was $129.45 before taxes. The points earning broke down as follows:
- 10x base points per $1 as an IHG Rewards member*
- 5x bonus points as a Platinum Elite member (50% base points) (The Platinum Elite bonus was increased to 60% base points in March, 2022)
- Double base points from an IHG promotion
- 10x points from using my IHG One Rewards Premier Card for the full $142.40 after taxes
- 500 Welcome Amenity bonus points
Total earnings from the one-night stay: 5,160 points. It's not a bad haul considering award nights start at just 10,000 points each.
*Note that extended-stay properties like Staybridge and Candlewood Suites earn only 5x base points.
Best Ways To Redeem IHG Points
While IHG One Rewards redemption values have devalued in recent years, there's still great potential in the program. Award redemptions start at 10,000 points per night at the lowest-tier properties. While 100,000 points is common for higher-end redemptions, some luxury properties can charge a jaw-dropping 250,000 points per night. That's not common, fortunately.
The value you can get per IHG point depends on the going rate of the property compared to the award cost. In general, I try not to use IHG points for less than 0.6 cents each. This is around the cost at which you can easily purchase points if needed. Preferably, I aim for at least 1 cent per point on award stays, but you'll typically see values in the 0.4 to 0.6 cent range. AwardWallet users typically redeem their IHG points at 0.68¢ apiece, for reference.
Redeeming points for hotel stays
Redeeming IHG points directly for hotel stays is the best way to use them — no doubt about it. There are other redemption options, but you'll get the best value for hotel stays. This is true even if it's not amazing in terms of “cents per point.”
As an example, the Kimpton Grand Roatan Resort and Spa is a property I'd love to visit. With dynamic award pricing — as we will discuss below — award nights average ~60,000 points per night but dip as low as 50,000 or so. On most nights, it's an average deal at about 0.6 cents per point. Also, you could use your free night certificate at this property to cover most of one night, but you'd have to top it off using additional points.
Maximizing free night certificates with IHG One Rewards
The annual IHG free night certificate that comes with the IHG One Rewards Premier Card, IHG One Rewards Business Card, and the legacy IHG Select Card is one of the best perks of holding a co-branded IHG credit card. These free nights are usable at any IHG hotel costing up to 40,000 points per night. It's best to burn your certificate where the value is highest.
Related: How To Earn and Use IHG Award Night Certificates
With the certificate from the IHG One Rewards Premier Card and IHG One Rewards Business Card, you can add additional points to book a property that costs more than 40,000 points. With the legacy IHG Select Card certificate, your selection is capped at 40,000 points.
A good number of properties previously unavailable for free night certificate usage can now be booked using a certificate, due to dynamic pricing.
Dynamic pricing in IHG One Rewards
The dynamic pricing roll-out was…dynamic. It took a while to apply globally. The move to dynamic pricing was initially positive, but we've seen some devaluations since then. Prices for many properties have slowly but surely gone up.
The typical value you get per point is roughly 0.6 cent in most cases. The upside of dynamic pricing is that award rates for many properties are substantially lower when cash rates are low. But gone are the days of getting amazing value from IHG points for specific properties.
It's become extremely difficult to gett outsized value for your points when cash rates are high. You'll still find cases where award night prices appear to be capped, including the insanely popular New Year's Eve at Times Square in New York City. This shows that most properties have award prices within a fixed range, but that range is fairly broad. You can check out our rundown on IHG's dynamic pricing for further details.
Related: How To Use the IHG Calendar Search To Find the Best Award and Cash Rates
Dynamic pricing also means some nights of your vacation might cost more. When you go to make an award booking, you'll see the nightly breakdown. The cool part is that the fourth-night-free perk of the IHG Rewards co-branded cards is applied to the cost of the fourth night, rather than an average cost per night. If the fourth night is the most expensive, you enjoy the most savings. You may want to plan around this strategically, using your points on the cheapest nights.
For example, here is an example cost breakdown for the Hotel Indigo London — 1 Leicester Square:
IHG Points & Cash bookings
IHG routinely offers points & cash as a booking option, letting you book an award stay for fewer IHG points than the going rate. You'll purchase the remaining points during checkout. The cash price varies by how many points you're buying and by property. Here is the InterContinental: New York Barclay, for which IHG charges just under $30 per 5,000 points off the award rate (starting at a 15,000-point discount). Points & Cash bookings are a good way to stretch your points if you don't mind ponying up a little cash. Note the rather high price. For the date selected, the hotel was charging nearly $550 per night, inclduing taxes and fees.
Cancellation policy
The IHG cancellation policy for award stays varies by hotel, but many properties offer free cancellation on award stays until 24 or 48 hours before scheduled arrival. This offers a high level of flexibility. At popular luxury resorts, more advance notice may be required to receive your points back.
IHG Best Rate Guarantee
The IHG Best Rate Guarantee promises you'll receive the lowest available price booking online with IHG. If you find a lower total price through a third-party booking channel, you can book with IHG directly (at the higher price) and file a best rate guarantee claim within 24 hours. This will be reviewed, and, if eligible, IHG will match the lower rate and provide you with 5x the IHG One Rewards points for the stay, up to 40,000 points. Make sure to review the best rate guarantee terms and conditions.
How To Achieve IHG Elite Status
IHG revamped its elite program in 2022, adding an elite tier and adjusting both the requirements and benefits of all status tiers. The program also added “Milestone Rewards” as you earn elite nights through the year, rewarding members for every 10 nights stayed — starting at 20 nights.
Overall, the changes are an improvement to an elite program that left much to be desired. I'd still rate IHG's elite program as weaker than some of its competitors, but it's at least in the running now.
IHG One Rewards elite tiers
Tiers are reached through qualifying nights or qualifying points (except for Silver Elite, which only counts qualifying nights) in a calendar year. You need one or the other to qualify for status — not both. Status earned in a given calendar year is valid through the end of the following year.
- Silver Elite: 10 qualifying nights
- Gold Elite: 20 qualifying nights or 40,000 qualifying points
- Platinum Elite: 40 qualifying nights or 60,000 qualifying points
- Diamond Elite: 70 qualifying nights or 120,000 qualifying points
Qualifying nights include most cash rates as well as award nights. Qualifying points include base points earned on hotel stays, points from bonus point packages, spending with IHG Business Rewards, and spending on IHG credit cards from the U.K. and greater China. Unfortunately, spending on IHG co-branded cards from the U.S. isn't a status-qualifying activity.
You also can enjoy Platinum Elite status just by holding the IHG One Rewards Premier Card or IHG One Rewards Business Card. Although it lacks some of the best Diamond perks, getting 60% more points and enjoying both reward night discounts and late checkout is an excellent deal for the annual fee on these cards.
Elite status benefits
Members who join the IHG One Rewards program enjoy some basic benefits at the Club Member level. These include the ability to earn and redeem points, promotions, and free internet access at IHG hotels.
If you qualify for an IHG One Rewards elite tier, you'll enjoy the perks of that status level. These range from bonus IHG points to room upgrades and welcome amenities, which may include free breakfast.
| Benefit | Club Member | Silver Elite | Gold Elite | Platinum Elite | Diamond Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free internet | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bonus points | N/A | 20% | 40% | 60% | 100% |
| Points don't expire | N/A | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rollover nights for next year's status | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Rewards night promotional discounts | Yes | Yes | |||
| Guaranteed room availability | Yes | Yes | |||
| Complimentary upgrades, based on availability at check-in | Yes | Yes | |||
| Welcome amenity at check-in | Yes | Yes | |||
| Early check-in, based on availability | Yes | Yes | |||
| Late checkout, based on availability | 2 p.m. | 2 p.m. | 2 p.m. | 2 p.m. | 2 p.m. |
| Dedicated Diamond support line | Yes | ||||
| Hertz Five Star status match | Yes |
Terms, conditions, and review
Check out the IHG elite status terms and conditions for more details. IHG still offers invitation-only Kimpton Inner Circle membership to frequent Kimpton guests. At Kimpton hotels, IHG One Rewards Platinum and Diamond Elite members can choose “Raid the Bar” as their welcome amenity ($10 credit for Platinum, $20 credit for Diamond).
Overall, I find IHG's elite benefits weaker than competitor programs like World of Hyatt and Hilton Honors. The inclusion of free breakfast as a welcome amenity option for Diamond Elite members was a welcome change in 2022. The Milestone Rewards (see below) now provide a way to earn confirmable suite upgrades and optional lounge membership. Yet even with these changes, I wouldn't choose to work toward top-tier IHG elite status over Hyatt or Hilton.
Platinum Elite status is easily obtainable through the IHG One Rewards Premier Card and IHG One Rewards Business Card, meaning working towards this status by paying for hotels might not be worth it. Holding this card is a quicker (and likely cheaper) method. IHG One Rewards does not offer lifetime status.
Milestone Rewards
A recent addition to the IHG One Rewards program is Milestone Rewards. These are similar to the World of Hyatt Milestone Rewards. Members are rewarded for every 10 qualifying nights they stay, starting at 20 nights and capped at 100 nights. The benefits at each 10-night milestone aren't always the same. Each allows you to select one or two items from a list of three or four options.
Current options for IHG Milestone Rewards are:
| Nights Stayed | Milestone Reward Options |
|---|---|
| 20 | Choose one: |
| 30 | Choose one: |
| 40 | Choose two: |
| 50 | Choose one: |
| 60 | Choose one: |
| 70 | Choose two: |
| 80 | Choose one: |
| 90 | Choose one: |
| 100 | Choose one: |
Food and Beverage rewards are vouchers valid for up to $20 against applicable food and beverage charges at IHG properties. Note that each voucher can only be used once. So, if the total is less than $20, you will forfeit the remainder of the voucher. Food and beverage rewards are valid for one year from the date of issue.
Annual club lounge membership provides access to the hotel lounge at properties that include this feature, typically Crowne Plaza and InterContinental hotels. Access to the lounge space and amenties within the lounge is included. Other amenities or services beyond the physical lounge are not part of this membership.
Information on confirmable suite upgrades
Confirmable Suite Upgrades (CSUs) can be used for one room upgrade to an entry-level suite or premium room where a suite is not available. These CSUs are valid for up to 12 months from the date you earn them. You must redeem them by contacting IHG customer care.
CSUs can be applied within 14 days of arrival, up to 24 hours before check-in. Each CSU is good for a stay of up to five consecutive nights. And as of June 2023, you can even apply these to reward nights. Lastly, CSUs are non-transferable, which means you cannot apply them to stays for friends or family.
InterContinental Ambassador Program
Oddly, IHG has two different elite programs (of sorts). The primary IHG One Rewards elite program is discussed above. In addition to these elite levels, IHG offers the InterContinental Ambassador program. Rather than providing perks at all IHG properties, IHG InterContinental Ambassadors receive benefits only at luxury InterContinental locations. This is rather specific, but it could be well worth it, depending on your travel plans.
To become an IHG InterContinental Ambassador, simply sign up and pay the membership fee. The annual fee is either $200 or 40,000 IHG Rewards points.
The perks of IHG InterContinental Ambassador include:
- Guaranteed one category room upgrade, based on room type purchased
- A guaranteed late checkout time of 4 p.m.
- Complimentary Ambassador Weekend Night
- Free bottled water
- Dedicated check-in area
- Complimentary internet (including premium access, where available)
- Single room rate for double occupancy
- A restaurant and bar credit of up to $20, per stay, valid in select hotel restaurants, bars, and minibar (excluding in-room dining)
- Platinum elite status in IHG One Rewards and corresponding benefits (IHG InterContinental Ambassador is a way to simply purchase IHG One elite status)
- Complimentary breakfast in mainland China only: One complimentary full breakfast per day for the member, valid only in the main restaurant. Not applicable to in-room dining.
Summary
The weekend night perk alone may make IHG InterContinental Ambassador well worth it. Of course, this depends on where you use it. You do need to book a minimum two-night weekend stay to receive the free night. The catch is that the rate for the first night isn't always the cheapest available. However, just a few stays using this benefit, plus the other perks, can make the membership worth the cost. You also might get bonus points for renewing your membership, based on past offers we've seen.
Also, IHG offers higher-tier InterContinental Royal Ambassador membership. This is an invitation-only status for existing IHG InterContinental Ambassadors, providing even more benefits.
IHG status match opportunities
IHG rarely offers a status match from other programs, but there's no standing status match opportunity. Previous status match offers allowed you to match up to IHG's top tier. This would require comparable top-tier status in another program. Bookmark our resource on hotel status match opportunities to know about future offers.
Bottom Line
Ultimately, IHG One Rewards is a strong program when it comes to earning and redeeming points. Plus, it offers an excellent array of co-branded credit cards. While the elite status levels (and their corresponding perks) aren't as strong as some competitor programs, you still can get worthwhile benefits from the Platinum Elite status received with the IHG One Rewards Premier Card and IHG One Rewards Business Card. Some of the program intricacies, such as the InterContinental Ambassador program, warrant further investigation. Lastly, check out some of the linked posts in the above sections for more details about particular features of the IHG One Rewards program.
IHG One Rewards FAQ
Do IHG Rewards points expire?
Yes, for non-elite members, IHG points expire. Full details are in our post about IHG point expiration.
Can you book IHG stays for friends and family?
Yes, you can use your IHG points and free nights for friends, family, and others. You will need to call IHG at (888) 695-4678 to make the reservation in their name.
Do you still receive elite benefits when booking through a third party?
No, you typically do not receive any elite benefits when booking a stay at an IHG property through a third party. This includes booking sites like Orbitz, Hotels.com, or Expedia.
How do I find my IHG One Rewards membership number?
Your membership number will be provided in the welcome email when you sign up. Also, you can find your membership number by logging into your IHG account and heading to the account management page. Finally, you can view your IHG One Rewards membership number by logging into your account through the mobile app.
What is the IHG One Rewards phone number?
Here's the IHG One Rewards phone number for each region:
United States and Canada: 1-888-211-9874
Mexico: 001 800-272-9273
Central and South America: +1 801-975-3063 (English) +1 801-975-3013 (Spanish)
Universal International Freephone Number: +800 2222 7172
Middle East: +973 6 500 9 296
All other Europe, Middle East and Africa countries/regions: +44 1950 499004
Hong Kong: 800 965 222
Macau: 0800 728
Taiwan: 0801 863 366
All other Asia Pacific Countries/Regions: +632 8857 8788
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (Rates & Fees), IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card (Rates & Fees), IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees)
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