Editor’s observe: It is a recurring put up, recurrently up to date with new info.
As I write this information, I am sitting on the balcony of a junior suite on the InterContinental Cairo Semiramis in Egypt, overlooking the Nile River. I redeemed a median of 20,500 factors per night time for the standard room however was upgraded to this suite at check-in as a advantage of top-tier IHG elite status.
IHG elite standing will not at all times get you upgrades, even on the top-tier Diamond Elite stage, and extra advantages than I would like are topic to the discretion of every property. However, particularly as a result of worth I can get when redeeming IHG points and IHG’s extensive worldwide portfolio, I’ve discovered IHG elite standing worthwhile. Here is what you need to learn about IHG elite standing to determine if it is worthwhile for you.
What’s IHG elite standing?
IHG elite standing offers perks when staying at IHG lodges and resorts. The IHG portfolio contains manufacturers starting from Candlewood Suites and Vacation Inn to Resort Indigo, Crowne Plaza and InterContinental. So, with IHG elite standing, you may take pleasure in advantages at a variety of IHG lodges and resorts.
You possibly can earn most tiers of IHG standing by accruing set quantities of qualifying nights or elite-qualifying factors throughout a calendar 12 months. When you earn a particular IHG elite standing tier inside a calendar 12 months, you will preserve the standing by means of the top of the next 12 months. Nevertheless, every Jan. 1, your qualifying nights and factors towards elite standing reset to zero.
Associated: Comparing the best hotel elite status tiers and how to earn them
IHG elite standing tiers
The IHG One Rewards program affords 5 membership tiers. The primary membership tier — Membership member — would not have any necessities. However to earn IHG elite standing, you will want to fulfill the next necessities every calendar 12 months:
- Silver Elite: 10 qualifying nights
- Gold Elite: 20 qualifying nights or 40,000 qualifying factors
- Platinum Elite: 40 qualifying nights or 60,000 qualifying factors
- Diamond Elite: 70 qualifying nights or 120,000 qualifying factors
Along with these IHG elite standing tiers, you might get invited to Kimpton Inner Circle should you present loyalty to Kimpton by assembly unpublished standards. You can too buy an InterContinental Ambassador membership and doubtlessly get an improve to Royal Ambassador based mostly in your qualifying exercise at InterContinental lodges and resorts.
Every day Publication
Reward your inbox with the TPG Every day publication
Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s consultants
You will additionally earn rewards by means of IHG’s Milestone Rewards program as you accrue qualifying nights every calendar 12 months.
Associated: The 19 best IHG hotels in the world
Easy methods to qualify for IHG elite standing
To qualify for IHG elite standing, you will must earn particular quantities of qualifying nights or factors every calendar 12 months. As mentioned above, you will must earn 10 nights for Silver Elite standing, 20 nights or 40,000 factors for Gold Elite standing, 40 nights or 60,000 factors for Platinum Elite standing and 70 nights or 120,000 factors for Diamond Elite standing.
Qualifying nights are nights you ebook with IHG factors or at a qualifying charge — which is best outlined as a charge that earns IHG points. Briefly, should you ebook straight with IHG, you will probably get qualifying nights.
Qualifying factors are a bit trickier. IHG affords two sorts of factors: elite-qualifying factors and non-elite-qualifying factors. The distinction between these two sorts of factors is barely essential for incomes elite standing. Briefly, here is an inventory of the sorts of actions that earn elite-qualifying factors:
- Resort stays for which you pay a qualifying charge
- Spending with choose companions, together with Hertz automotive leases, OpenTable reservations and Viator experiences
- Shopping for IHG One Rewards bonus factors packages
- Certified spending by means of the IHG Enterprise Rewards program
- Spending on IHG One Rewards bank cards issued in the UK or Better China
And here is an inventory of actions that earn factors which you could redeem however that are not elite-qualifying:
In the event you ebook costly stays at qualifying charges, closely make the most of the IHG Enterprise Rewards program or incessantly use an IHG One Rewards card issued in the UK or Better China, you might discover it simple to qualify for IHG elite standing based mostly on qualifying factors. Nevertheless, many members discover qualifying nights a a lot simpler metric to fulfill.
Associated: How to maximize redemptions with the IHG One Rewards program
IHG elite standing advantages
IHG elite standing affords some beneficial perks to vacationers who incessantly keep at IHG hotels and resorts. Here is a have a look at a number of the most helpful perks, together with how they differ by standing tier.
Bonus factors
IHG members earn 10 factors per greenback on qualifying stays at most IHG properties. Nevertheless, you will solely earn 5 factors per greenback at Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites properties, 3 factors per greenback at IHG Army Hotels, 2,000 factors per keep on the Venetian Resort Las Vegas and the Palazzo on the Venetian Resort, and a couple of.5 factors per greenback at IHG-branded residence properties (excluding Voco Residences).
However, IHG elite members get bonus factors on qualifying stays. Specifically, Silver Elite members get a 20% bonus, Gold Elite members get a 40% bonus, Platinum Elite members get a 60% bonus and Diamond Elite members get a 100% bonus. These bonus factors aren’t elite-qualifying factors, although.
Associated: How much value does IHG One Rewards status provide when you book directly?
Rollover nights
This perk could also be useful should you often qualify for IHG standing based mostly on qualifying nights. On the finish of every calendar 12 months, IHG will calculate the rollover nights for Gold Elite and above members because the qualifying nights they earned above the quantity required for his or her standing. These nights will roll over and rely towards incomes elite standing within the new calendar 12 months.
Nevertheless, rollover nights are solely legitimate for one calendar 12 months. IHG calculates rollover nights as your complete qualifying nights on the finish of the calendar 12 months (together with rollover nights from the earlier 12 months) minus the nights required for the IHG elite standing you earned minus the rollover nights from the earlier 12 months.
Reward night time reductions
One of many perks launched with the new IHG One Rewards program was reward night discounts. These reward night time reductions are periodically out there for IHG One Rewards credit card holders, Platinum Elite members and Diamond Elite members, however IHG One Rewards bank card holders often get early entry.
Complimentary upgrades
Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite members are eligible for complimentary upgrades topic to availability and on the lodge’s discretion. Nevertheless, complimentary upgrades to club-level rooms or floors do not embody club-level advantages or lounge entry. And since upgrades are at every property’s discretion, some lodges and resorts are extra beneficiant.
Welcome amenity
Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite members can take pleasure in a welcome amenity when checking in to IHG lodges or resorts. Silver Elite and Gold Elite additionally take pleasure in a welcome amenity for stays in Better China.
The choices differ by model and area however often embody a snack, a meals and beverage credit score or factors. However, top-tier Diamond Elite members additionally get day by day breakfast for the member and a visitor staying in the identical room as a welcome amenity selection at full-service and select-service manufacturers. IHG defines breakfast as limitless nonalcoholic drinks and one major menu merchandise or full buffet, though some menu objects and specialty drinks could also be excluded.
You may solely get factors as a welcome amenity should you use digital check-in. So, if you don’t need factors as your welcome amenity, it is best to keep away from digital check-in.
Early check-in and late checkout
Solely Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite members can request early check-in, which is topic to availability and supplied as early or late because the lodge chooses. However, late checkout is obtainable to all IHG members — together with non-elite members — upon request, topic to availability and as much as 2 p.m.
Associated: The best IHG all-inclusive resorts, from Jamaica to Mexico
Can a bank card assist earn IHG elite standing?
Bank cards might help you earn IHG elite standing. When you have an IHG One Rewards bank card issued in the UK or Better China, you may earn elite-qualifying factors towards standing along with your spending. Nevertheless, IHG One Rewards credit cards issued within the U.S. supply complimentary IHG elite standing and alternatives to spend to earn larger tiers of standing.
For instance, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card and IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card supply computerized Platinum Elite standing as a cardmember profit. You can too earn Diamond Elite standing by means of the top of the following calendar 12 months after making purchases totaling $40,000 or extra in your IHG Premier or IHG Premier Enterprise card.
In the meantime, the no-annual-fee IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card affords computerized Silver Elite standing as a cardmember profit. You possibly can earn Gold Elite standing by means of the top of the following calendar 12 months after you make purchases totaling $20,000 or extra in your IHG Traveler card.
All three of those IHG bank cards issued within the U.S. supply the dear fourth-night-free reward perk. This perk drops the price of each fourth night time on stays of 4 nights or extra that you simply ebook with IHG factors to zero factors. This perk can not directly show you how to earn IHG elite standing because it means you may stretch your factors for extra nights should you incessantly keep in increments of 4 nights.
Likewise, if you’re a major cardmember of the United Club Infinite Card, you may enroll in complimentary Platinum Elite standing as a perk of your card.
Associated: What credit card should you use for IHG stays?
Is IHG elite standing value it?
IHG elite standing is definitely value it for some vacationers; the query is whether or not it’s value it for you. The advantages on the Silver Elite and Gold Elite tiers often will not be value striving for — though should you earn these statuses organically, you will profit from bonus factors and will earn some IHG Milestone Rewards.
Platinum Elite standing affords some beneficial perks that make it value striving for over Gold Elite or Silver Elite standing. So should you stick with IHG no less than a number of occasions a 12 months, it could be value getting the IHG Premier Credit Card, IHG Premier Business Credit Card, United Club Infinite Card or an InterContinental Ambassador membership — all of which provide complimentary Platinum Elite standing in addition to different perks that may show you how to justify paying an annual payment. I just like the IHG Premier Credit Card since I get considerably extra worth than the cardboard’s $99 annual payment annually by utilizing the fourth-night-reward perk and the anniversary free night.
Nevertheless, you will want top-tier Diamond Elite standing if you wish to select day by day breakfast as a welcome amenity when staying at full-service and select-service manufacturers. This standing requires 70 qualifying nights or 120,000 qualifying factors every calendar 12 months, which is frankly so much in comparison with different lodge loyalty packages. Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status at 50 nights or World of Hyatt Globalist status at 60 nights (or 100,000 base factors) are comparable statuses that additionally supply methods to earn elite-qualifying nights by means of bank card spending.
Associated: Why you should get (and keep) the IHG One Rewards Premier card
Backside line
The decrease tiers of IHG standing do not supply many perks. In the meantime, top-tier Diamond Elite standing requires a number of nights, elite-qualifying factors or spending on the IHG Premier Credit Card or IHG Premier Business Credit Card. So, for many vacationers, Platinum Elite standing is the candy spot among the many IHG elite statuses.
In spite of everything, you may get Platinum Elite standing as a perk of the IHG Premier Credit Card, IHG Premier Business Credit Card, United Club Infinite Card or an InterContinental Ambassador membership. So you may take pleasure in IHG elite standing even should you do not stick with IHG all that incessantly.
Trending Merchandise
