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The InterContinental Ambassador program is offering a free night stay for new member enrollments or renewals made between April 15 and July 31, 2021. If you are considering a stay at an InterContinental, Kimpton, or Regent property before August 31, 2021, this offer is probably one to take a closer look at.
InterContinental Ambassador Program
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has a unique membership system. There is a free-to-join IHG Rewards Program. Once enrolled in the IHG Rewards program, members can purchase a membership in the InterContinental Ambassador program. For $200 per year (or 40,000 points) IHG Rewards members can purchase an InterContinental Ambassador membership for one year.
The Ambassador membership comes with benefits that include guaranteed room upgrades, Platinum Elite status, late checkout, a $20 credit for use at the bar/restaurant, and a free weekend night at one of over 200 InterContinental Hotels & Resorts—among other perks. In addition, Ambassador members can redeem their free weekend night at Kimpton properties for stays completed through the end of 2021.
InterContinental Ambassador Free Night Offer
IHG is sweetening the deal for anyone considering whether to purchase or renew an InterContinental Ambassador membership. New member enrollments and renewals made before July 31, 2021 will receive a free night certificate after one qualifying paid stay.
Guests must complete one qualifying stay at an InterContinental, Kimpton, or Regent property. This stay can be as short as one night! Once the qualifying stay is complete, Ambassador members will receive the award night in their account. Members can redeem this award night anytime before November 30, 2021.
- The award night can only be redeemed at properties that are priced at 40,000 points per night (or less).
- The qualifying stay must be complete by August 31, 2021.
- The free night must be redeemed by November 30, 2021.
- IHG Army Hotels, Mr and Mrs Smith properties, and Six Senses Hotels are excluded from this offer
Our Take
Do you have even an inkling that you might have two stays at qualifying IHG properties before November 2021? If so, I would certainly take a close look at the math on this offer.
IHG points are generally valued at least 0.5 cents per point. If you have 40,000 IHG points lying around (or $200) and can find a qualifying redemption that is worth at least $200 then this offer ends up break even. This doesn't take into account the other benefits that IHG Ambassador membership offers.
This offer isn't for everyone. However, those who can travel—or anticipate being free to travel soon—can find some real value in this offer.
Is this offer strong enough to tip the scales in favor of purchasing an IHG Ambassador membership?
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Are this Rewards Nights limited? Or for every stay at InterContinetal I recieve 1 free night to use (up to 40,000 points)?
You only earn a free night certificate on the first night. Otherwise, I’d be hopping between ICs!
This offer can be sweetened by using the IHG credit card (if you have it) and enrolling the card in the American Airlines simplymiles program!
Excellent offer if you plan having 2 separate stays at an Intercon this year but the 40k rewards night does limit some options.
That is an easy way to earn!
I guess I should have held off renewing my Amb membership this year.
At least I can make use of this with the wife’s account. Does any one know if the Met Hotel in Leeds is still counted as a Regent? I previously did stays here to trigger free nights as you get you mid-week rates for around £40.
Good deal, but some should wait until July to do this.
This is a very tempting offer, but unfortunately travel is so uncertain at the moment that I couldn’t be sure that I could stay within the required dates to take advantage. I do wish though IHG would have a unified scheme rather than a separate IHG Rewards and Intercontinental Ambassador scheme.
Took advantage of this offer last time around however was unable to make use of the free night. The timing is be better now touch wood
Looks like it fits for me this time. I’ll go or it. I love Intercontinental.
The options are very restrictive in this offer. Lucky for those who will be able to benefit. Thanks for the tip.
This is a good deal for those that have stays scheduled at intercontinental hotels. Just home we will be able to travel sometime later this year.
Have to consider the pros and cons knowing that IHG just tried to throw a massive devaluation to their program. Granted it was rescinded but buyer beware!
Would only use this if I was planning a stay worth more than $200 a night otherwise its a pass for me!
Hard pass. It is no longer possible to know where you can spend a 40k certificate, and IHG won’t extend them.
If the free night had a longer lifetime then I might consider it, since I have a use in mind, but won’t be able to travel there this year. Bummer.
Loved my stays at the Intercontinentals in Bangkok and Paris with free nights on the Chase IHG credit card back before they were limited to 40k or less hotels. If the IHG Credit Card free nights weren’t limited and I could still travel, I’d be all over this offer….now it is less compelling but still worth considering if you can find the right IC property.
I also used one last year at the IC Paris. Very lovely hotel.
But then I paid us$ 115 for breakfast for two and i realized , as usual, how bad their elite program is.
I moved to a Marriott next day and really appreciated there the FREE bkfst for 2 as eliote.
I joined the Intercontinental ambassador program last year using the 40,000 points option. I had to stay planned at the Kimpton anyway (I used an AMEX offer to make that stay cheaper). Since that time I have used the free night I earned at another Kimpton. The problem is the benefits are truly for Intercontinental hotels, and there aren’t a whole lot of those. I probably won’t be able to use the free weekend night.
As another poster pointed out, the lack of free breakfast makes IHG a real loser among the major hotel chains. I don’t think I will be renewing this year.
Is possible to apply for this bonus in Argentina?
It seems open to all new InterContinental Ambassador members
A great offer as you are getting back a free night that is worth the same as the cost of the membership.
I already have IHG Platinum Elite status. My travel plans at this time are undecided so I will take a pass on this offer.
This looks like a great offer for some. I do plan on putting most of my loyalty behind Hyatt again this year so I will have to pass on this one.
IHG actually incentivized me NOT to renew. They abolished the 10% rewards rebate in February and I’m grandfathered in until April 2021. The second I renew, I’ll lose that benefit. I guess the guy from Marriott who refuses to give credit for rollover nights advised them on this one. I haven’t used the BOGO benefit for years, the price of the first night makes it worthless. Up to 100,000 rebated points for $200 or 40,000 has been a great deal until now. RIP.
Oh interesting. I wasn’t aware of the 10% rebate that seems to have been offered on renewals in the past. My first term of membership is expiring 12/31/2020 and I’m seeing an offer for 15k bonus points for paying $200 – but I’m not getting a 10% rebate offer either. And I totally understand on the BOGO situation. I got good value from mine at the IC Fiji, but it’s hard to justify paying more for the first night to get the second one free. I really wish IHG would allow the free night cert to work with discounted rates.
I am not sure if I will take advantage of this offer. Free night must be used by April 30, 2021.
IHG is on the ball. They even promised RAs new IC free night certs upon the free extension of status for next year.
Great offer!
Seems pretty challenging being able to meet the requirements in such a tight deadline with coronavirus spread increasing nowadays.
If I renew and then use my weekend certificate from last year does the paid one night of the certificate qualify for the extra free night?
Oooh. I don’t know. But, as I still have a weekending night certificate myself, I hope so! Unfortunately, I can’t find T&C of this promotion to see if that would count as a qualifying night.
If you have marriott , Hilton or Hyatt premier elite status IHG is almost a useless program.
No free breakfast nor lounge access already means an additional cost of $100+ minimum per day (for 2 people) .
As far as I can see you pay $200. to get almost nothing as the free weekend night requires a 1 night paid stay .
after paying $200 and breakfast is a real no go!!!
Good to know, does this work for any of the hotels in the chain?
Only at IC properties priced at 40,000 points per night or less.
Gracias
It’s very hard for me to be renew a InterContinental Ambassador this year. Can’t go to trip outside this year. Hope i can go to travel 2021.
For two stays and the other benefits Ambassador offers, this is not a bad deal at all.
It is basically spending a night at an Intercontinental property and get a 1-year Ambassador membership at the same time. That’s genius.
Don’t forget about the access to the InterContinental Lounge that comes with the membership if it is available at the property you’ve booked at.
Have you ever come across a list of IHG properties that have Club Lounges?
I already have platinum elite status through the IHG premier credit card. I usually stay at IHG Express so I may not get any value from this.
Certainly worth considering if you’re getting ready to stay in a high-end property!
I saw the initial promo for this on a blog and laughed too when they pointed out that IHG put on someone’s promo that they got free Spirit flights. Weird. Anyway I like IHG but you’re right unless you’re planning something not worth it. I can see later maybe it could be worth it if someone doesn’t want their credit card?
IHG is often overlooked I think. They have some good hotels, especially in Europe. I don’t make a huge effort to get their points but I do and always look to see if they have something nice where I am going.
It is not strong enough for me. Not sure when we will be able to travel without restrictions again and if everybody will be doing it at the same time and they won´t be enough time because everybody is trying to get those free nights. Offers without a time frame would be better.
Still struggle to see the worth in the IHG program. Buying the status is a money grab and this deal may be ok for a few loyalists who can take advantage of it. For me it is a hard pass.
Good offer from IHG, however wondering if something around Black Friday even better will come along?
Has the annual fee of this program been recently reduced?
Not that I’m seeing. It still looks like it’s US$200 or 40,000 IHG Rewards points.
Is the IHG Platinum Elite status used to make a status match with an airline?
I haven’t heard of any matches from hotels to airlines – besides Marriott Titanium/Ambassador matching to United Silver. But you may be able to get other elite status levels!
Thanks for the main takeaway and noting that some of us don’t quite feel ready for this level of travel yet. I am mostly a Marriott Bonvoy person so will try to stick to that for my limited travel to rack up the points/benefits for now…
I appreciate you keeping up these travel deals even though many of us can’t travel. I’m personally thinking of signing up to this one since Ambassador is something I couldn’t quite make the math work for but this sweetens it enough.
Allow me a question… By signing up, you get a free weekend night, and with this promotion you get a second free night after one stay?
The InterContinental Ambassador Weekend Night can be thought of as a “buy one, get one” as you’ll need to pay for (at least) one night to get the free night. The free night through this promotion works a bit better as you can pay nothing out of pocket for a 1-night stay.
This does seems like a really nice offer… however, the being grounded puts the brakes on using this to it’s fullest potential.
IHG has this offer just after one night stay? BOGO!! I am going to go canada in a couplet months so i will use this offer. thannks