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IHG One Rewards is the loyalty program offered by IHG Hotels & Resorts. It allows frequent travelers to earn points toward free nights and elite status which can provide some very nice benefits when you stay at an IHG hotel. This is especially true when you have IHG Platinum and Diamond status.
The good news is that it’s not that hard to earn IHG top tier elite status (Platinum or Diamond). Here is what you need to know to easily obtain elite status with IHG.
You can join the IHG Rewards Club Program by applying here…
IHG Rewards Club Levels: Elite Status
Upon enrolling in the IHG Rewards program, you will be at the Club level, which is not elite status, but does give you the ability to earn IHG Rewards Points and free wifi.
The following are the IHG Rewards Club elite status requirements:
- Club Member: Just sign up and you’re at the Club Level
- Silver Elite: 10 qualified nights
- Gold Elite: 20 qualified nights or 40,000 qualified points
- Platinum Elite: 40 qualified nights or 60,000 qualified points
- Diamond Elite: 70 qualified nights or 120,000 qualified points
IHG One Rewards Elite Benefits
The table below shows the various benefits you will receive as you progress through each elite status level with IHG One Rewards.
4 ways to earn IHG Elite Status
1. Get IHG Platinum Status with the IHG Rewards Credit Card
As an IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card Holder (including both the personal and business versions), you will be given IHG Platinum Status for as long as you remain a card holder and have an active IHG One Rewards account in good standing. This is the easiest way to get Platinum Status with IHG.
2. Spend your way to Diamond Status
If you have either the Personal or Platinum IHG One Rewards Premier card you can earn Diamond status with your card spend. If you spend at least $40,000 in a calendar year on one of the two cards, you’ll be upgraded to IHG Diamond status through the end of the following year.
3. Become an Intercontinental Ambassador
This is interesting – IHG actually has a separate rewards program for Intercontinental Hotels call Intercontinental Ambassador. This status cannot be earned through stays or points like IHG Rewards, it has to be bought for $200, then a $150 annual renewal fee.
Essentially, IHG’s Ambassador program is a paid membership program that offers guaranteed room upgrades at InterContinental Hotels, a complimentary weekend night certificate following a paid weekend night, 5,000 bonus IHG Rewards Club points, Elite status with IHG Rewards Club and several other smaller perks.
Upon purchase of InterContinental Ambassador, IHG Rewards Club members who are Club or Gold Elite members will receive Gold Ambassador membership status upon enrollment.
All InterContinental Ambassador members can earn Platinum Ambassador or Spire Ambassador or be invited to Royal Ambassador.
Gold Ambassador members will receive Gold Elite benefits; Platinum Ambassador members will receive Platinum Elite benefits; and Spire Ambassador and Royal Ambassador members will receive Spire Elite benefits when staying at the following hotels within the IHG family of brands: Crowne Plaza®, Hotel Indigo®, Holiday Inn®, Holiday Inn Express®, EVEN® Hotels, HUALUXE®, Staybridge Suites®, and Candlewood Suites®.
4. Stay at IHG Properties (a lot!)
Road Warriors can earn IHG One Rewards Elite Status the hard way, by spending a lot of nights at IHG properties:
- Platinum Elite: 40 qualified nights or 60,000 qualified points
- Diamond Elite: 70 qualified nights or 120,000 qualified points
Does IHG Offer a Status Match?
IHG periodically offers promotions where members can receive a status match to earn Platinum or Diamond status. These promotions are only available for a limited time, and you must meet the “challenge” or “match” requirements within a certain number of days.
To find out if IHG has any status match promotions available, visit the IHG member offers page or contact customer service. There is also a website called StatusMatcher.com that provides status match offers for a variety of loyalty programs.
Earn double points starting on your 2nd stay. January 1 – March 31, 2025.
Registration is Required.
What are IHG Qualifying Nights and Points?
IHG Rewards Club Elite Qualifying Nights:
IHG Elite Qualifying nights require that you stay at a property with an elite qualifying rate. As stated in the IHG Terms and Conditions, a Qualifying Rate is as follows:
IHG Qualifying Rate: a non-discounted rate, standard corporate rate, worldwide sales negotiated rate, national/regional/local government rate and specified leisure rates as confirmed by the IHG reservation system.
Qualifying room rates are applied when you book through IHG central reservation offices, IHG Web sites, travel agents or directly at the hotel. Most rates booked through most third party web sites, complimentary hotel stays and any other rates not defined as a Qualifying Room Rate are not eligible for points.
You may get lucky and receive credit for nights booked through an OTA, but if you are trying get earn IHG elite status I would not take a chance – book direct with IHG.
You will receive credit toward elite status when you book free nights using your IHG Rewards Club Points.
Rewards Club Reward Nights consumed by members will be counted as Qualifying Nights towards Elite membership qualifications.
IHG One Rewards Elite Qualifying Points:
IHG One Rewards points are classified as either Qualifying Points or Non-Qualifying Points.
The following are considered Qualified Points and count toward Elite status:
- Points earned from Qualifying Rates paid for hotel stays,
- Spend on IHG Co-Branded Credit Cards,
- Select partner activity (IHG Partner bonuses such as Hertz and Dining Rewards),
- IHG One Rewards Bonus Points Packages, and
- Qualified Spend through IHG Business Rewards (this is for meeting planners booking meetings and events)
All other point earning transactions, including points earned from IHG promotions, Elite status bonuses, activation bonuses or select promotions offered through IHG Rewards Club credit cards, select partner promotions, point vouchers, point purchases, point transfers, and point deposits, will be considered Non-Qualifying Points and will not be counted towards Elite status.
That last paragraph is very important – you used to be able to earn IHG Elite status via point transfers and credit card bonus offers – that loophole has been closed, unfortunately.
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