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As one of the world’s largest hotel companies, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) offers a range of employee benefits and perks to its team members. Among the most popular of these is the IHG employee rate, which provides savings of up to 75% on hotel room rates at IHG properties worldwide.
For employees who love to travel or are planning a family vacation, the IHG employee discount can be a great way to save money on your next vacation!
If you are looking for a detailed breakdown of how IHG One Rewards earning rules and rate eligibility work across different booking types, see our in-depth IHG One Rewards program guide.
Who Is Eligible for IHG Employee ?
IHG offers discounted rates tied to employment, with eligibility controlled internally.
IHG Employee Rate
- Available only to current IHG employees
- Intended for the employee’s personal travel
- Access is managed through IHG’s internal employee systems
Can Family Members Use the Employee Rate?
Family members can only participate in this program when traveling with an employee for a limited number of nights. However, they can get a nice discount when not with the employee via the IHG Family and Friends Rate, which is open to anyone, at any time!
IHG Employee Discount: How Much Can You Save?
IHG does not provide employees with a flat rate across their hotel brands. Instead, they have a calculation called IVEDI to determine what rate a hotel will charge employees per night. The employee rate IVEDI is determined using a hotel’s 12-month Average Daily Rate (ADR) from the STAR Report (A benchmark that shows how a hotel is doing against its competitive set).
IHG determines the Employee Rate for the next calendar year based on a hotel’s 12-month rolling Average Daily Rate (“ADR”) as of September 30 of each year. The rate will then remain in effect from January 1st for the next full calendar year.
Brand new hotels will use rates based on the 12-month market class tract average on the Star Report. Once the hotel has a 12-month rolling ADR, the Employee Rate will be adjusted as outlined for existing hotels.
IHG Employee Rate Codes
When booking rooms, employees will have two rate types to choose from. Either an IVEDI rate, with the flow through the room, meaning the hotel will assign the actual room. Or an IVED2 rate that is associated with a specific room type.
IVEDI – The IHG Employee Rate Can Save you up to 75%
The IVEDI rate is the most deeply discounted rate for IHG employees and provides 9 rate tiers. It’s determined by using a hotel’s 12-month Average Daily Rate (ADR), as shown in the table below.
| Rate Tier | ADR Range | Employee Rate | Employee Savings % |
| 1 | $84.99 or less | $39.00 | up to 54% |
| 2 | $85.00 – $99.99 | $49.00 | 42 – 51% |
| 3 | $100.00-$124.99 | $59.00 | 41 – 51% |
| 4 | $125.00-$149.99 | $69.00 | 45 – 54% |
| 5 | $150.00-$199.99 | $79.00 | 47 – 60% |
| 6 | $200.00-$249.99 | $89.00 | 56 – 64% |
| 7 | $250.00-$299.00 | $99.00 | 60 – 67% |
| 8 | $300.00-$399.99 | $119.00 | 60 – 70% |
| 9 | $400.00 and up | $139.00 | 65% + |
IHG will pre-load room inventory for the Standard Employee Room Benefit Program for each night of the next calendar year for each hotel:
- Hotels with 100 rooms or more will have 2% of room inventory pre-loaded;
- Hotels with 99 rooms or less will have 2 rooms per night pre-loaded;
- Hotels may allocate more rooms for the program at their discretion; and
- No more than 50 dates can be blacked out each year in the reservation system.
- Hotels that have 98% occupancy or greater for 100 or more days for the 12 months preceding September 30 each year may apply directly to the IHG Corporate office to reallocate the number of Employee Rate rooms to be pre-loaded.
The landing page will say “No locations match the provided destination”. Click on the change search field and the booking box will pop up. From here enter the destination and dates for your trip, then make sure the “IHG Employee Rate” button is highlighted. Hit the search button and see what hotels are offering the employee rate.
Employee Note: You will need to first link your IHG One Rewards number to your Merlin ID to book these rates. If you are having an issue linking your account, contact Human Resources to get your account activated.
IVED2 – The IHG Employee Flex Rate
The IVED2 rate allows hotels to sell additional room types at a discount ranging from 35 – 50 percent off the Best Flexible Rate, depending on demand fluctuations. The pricing for IVED2 could be more or less than the rate available for IVEDI.
The landing page will say “No locations match the provided destination”. Click on the change search field and the booking box will pop up. From here enter the destination and dates for your trip, then make sure the “IHG Employee Flex Rate” button is highlighted. Hit the search button and see what hotels are offering the employee rate.
Setup for the Employee Rate Benefit Program
There are three things an employee must do before being eligible for the employee rate:
- Sign up for the IHG Rewards Program.
- Have a Merlin ID
- Link the IHG Rewards Club number with their Merlin ID
Linking your IHG Rewards Club number to your Merlin ID is required to access the employee rate. Once complete, you will be able to book Employee Rate online and through the mobile app.
Alternative Discounts
If you do not qualify for employee rates—or if you want a discount that may better align with earning points and elite credit—these guides may help:
- IHG corporate discount codes and booking guide
- IHG friends and family rate savings guide
- IHG Business Edge program review
Frequently Asked Questions
Merlin is IHG’s internal website that connects all IHG employees. It is a single communication platform across all hotels that provides up-to-the-minute information on their business performance.
Because employee rates often do not qualify for points earning, it’s important to understand how IHG defines eligible rates and stays—especially if you are comparing the employee rate against a qualifying paid rate to earn points or hit elite status thresholds. For a full explanation of how points, elite nights, and rate eligibility work together, see our in-depth IHG One Rewards program guide
Tim White is the founder of milepro.com, a luxury travel resource featured in CNBC, Travel & Leisure, and other major media outlets. With over 2 million miles flown and 30+ years of business travel experience, he holds Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, and Hilton Diamond status — and has spent years decoding the world of luxury hotel programs, preferred partner benefits, and miles & points optimization so you don’t have to.
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