As with each sort of resort elite standing, you may discover positives and negatives when evaluating IHG elite standing to different packages. That stated, I’ve gotten nice worth from IHG elite standing and the IHG One Rewards program over the past 9 years.
IHG elite standing will not all the time 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 because of the worth I can get when redeeming IHG factors and IHG’s in depth worldwide portfolio, I’ve discovered IHG elite standing worthwhile.
This is what you need to find out about incomes IHG elite standing and utilizing its advantages.
What’s IHG elite standing?
IHG elite standing supplies perks when staying at IHG lodges and resorts. The IHG portfolio consists of manufacturers starting from Candlewood Suites and Vacation Inn to Lodge Indigo, Crowne Plaza and InterContinental. With IHG elite standing, you may get pleasure from advantages at a variety of properties.
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 selected IHG elite standing tier inside a calendar 12 months, you may hold the standing by the top of the next 12 months. Nevertheless, every Jan. 1, your qualifying nights and factors towards elite standing reset to zero.
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IHG elite standing tiers
The IHG One Rewards program presents 5 membership tiers. The primary membership tier — Membership member — would not have any necessities. To earn IHG elite standing, you may want to satisfy 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 Inside Circle when you have Diamond Elite standing and ceaselessly keep at Kimpton properties. You too can buy an InterContinental Ambassador membership and doubtlessly get an improve to Royal Ambassador primarily based in your qualifying exercise at InterContinental lodges and resorts.
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You will earn rewards by IHG’s Milestone Rewards program as you accrue qualifying nights every calendar 12 months as properly.
Associated: How a lot worth does IHG One Rewards standing present once you ebook instantly?
The way to earn IHG elite standing
To earn IHG elite standing, you may must accrue particular quantities of qualifying nights or factors every calendar 12 months. As mentioned above, you may must accrue 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 factors. In brief, for those who ebook instantly with IHG, you may probably get qualifying nights.
Qualifying factors are a bit trickier. IHG presents two forms of factors: elite qualifying factors and nonelite qualifying factors. The distinction between these two forms of factors is barely vital for incomes elite standing. In brief, this is an inventory of the forms of actions that earn elite qualifying factors:
- Lodge 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 the IHG Enterprise Rewards program
- Spending on IHG One Rewards bank cards issued within the U.Okay. or Higher China
And this is an inventory of actions that earn factors that you would be able to redeem however aren’t elite qualifying:
For those who ebook costly stays at qualifying charges, closely make the most of the IHG Enterprise Rewards program or ceaselessly use an IHG One Rewards card issued within the U.Okay. or Higher China, you might discover it simple to qualify for IHG elite standing primarily based on qualifying factors. Nevertheless, most members discover qualifying nights a better metric to satisfy.
Associated: The way to maximize award redemptions with the IHG One Rewards program
IHG elite standing advantages
IHG elite standing presents some priceless perks to vacationers who ceaselessly keep at IHG lodges and resorts. This is a take 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 spent on qualifying stays at most IHG properties. Nevertheless, you may solely earn 5 factors per greenback spent at Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites and residences (serviced residences and prolonged keep models) properties; 3 factors per greenback spent at IHG Military Accommodations; and a couple of,000 factors per keep at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas and The Palazzo at The Venetian Resort (for stays earlier than March 31, 2025, booked by Dec. 31, 2024).
IHG elite members get bonus factors on qualifying stays. 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. However keep in mind, these bonus factors aren’t elite qualifying factors.
Rollover nights
This perk could also be useful for those who often qualify for IHG standing primarily based 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 depend 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 evening reductions
One of many perks launched with the new IHG One Rewards program was reward evening reductions.
These reward evening reductions are periodically obtainable for IHG One Rewards bank card holders, Platinum Elite members and Diamond Elite members, however members with IHG One Rewards bank cards often get early entry.
Complimentary upgrades
Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite members are eligible for complimentary upgrades topic to availability and on the resort’s discretion. Nevertheless, complimentary upgrades to club-level rooms or flooring do not embrace club-level advantages or lounge entry. And since upgrades are at every property’s discretion, I’ve discovered some lodges and resorts are far more beneficiant than others.
Welcome amenity
Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite members can get pleasure from a welcome amenity when checking in to IHG lodges or resorts. Silver Elite and Gold Elite members additionally get pleasure from a welcome amenity for stays in Higher China.
The choices differ by model and area however usually embrace a snack, a food-and-beverage credit score or factors. Prime-tier Diamond Elite members additionally get every 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 principal menu merchandise or full buffet, though some menu objects and specialty drinks could also be excluded.
Observe that utilizing digital check-in might mechanically provide you with factors as a welcome amenity. For those who’d somewhat have one thing else, it is best to test in to your room in individual.
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 resort chooses.
In the meantime, late checkout is obtainable to all IHG members — together with nonelite members — upon request, topic to availability and till 2 p.m. on the newest. It is a nice perk for members with out standing, nevertheless it’s irritating to be denied late checkout as a top-tier Diamond Elite or solely given an extra hour or two over the usual checkout time. Plus, many IHG properties will not verify a late checkout request till the checkout day, which makes it troublesome to depend on this profit.
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Can a bank card assist earn IHG elite standing?
Bank cards will help you earn IHG elite standing. When you’ve got an IHG One Rewards bank card issued within the U.Okay. or Higher China, you may earn elite qualifying factors towards standing along with your spending. Nevertheless, IHG One Rewards bank cards issued within the U.S. provide complimentary IHG elite standing and alternatives to spend to earn increased tiers of standing.
For instance, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit score Card and the IHG One Rewards Premier Enterprise Credit score Card provide automated Platinum Elite standing as a cardmember profit. You too can earn Diamond Elite standing by the top of the subsequent calendar 12 months after spending $40,000 or extra in your IHG Premier or IHG Premier Enterprise card in a given calendar 12 months.
In the meantime, the no-annual-fee IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit score Card presents automated Silver Elite standing as a cardmember profit. You possibly can earn Gold Elite standing by the top of the next calendar 12 months after you make purchases totaling $20,000 or extra in your IHG Traveler card in a single calendar 12 months.
All three IHG bank cards issued within the U.S. provide a priceless fourth-night-free reward perk. This perk drops the price of each fourth evening on stays of 4 nights or extra that you simply ebook with IHG factors to zero factors. This could not directly make it easier to earn IHG elite standing since you may stretch your factors throughout extra nights for those who ceaselessly keep in increments of 4 nights.
Likewise, if you’re a major United Membership℠ Infinite Card member, you may enroll in complimentary Platinum Elite standing as a perk of your card.
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Is IHG elite standing value it?
IHG elite standing is undoubtedly value it for some vacationers; the query is whether or not or not it is value it for you. The advantages on the Silver Elite and Gold Elite tiers often will not be value striving for — though for those who earn these statuses organically, you may profit from bonus factors and should earn some IHG Milestone Rewards.
Platinum Elite standing presents some priceless perks value striving for over Gold Elite or Silver Elite standing. So, for those who stick with IHG at the least a number of occasions a 12 months, it could be value getting the IHG Premier Credit score Card, the IHG Premier Enterprise Credit score Card, the United Membership Infinite Card or an InterContinental Ambassador membership — all of which provide complimentary Platinum Elite standing in addition to different perks that may make it easier to justify paying an annual charge. I just like the IHG Premier Credit score Card since I get considerably extra worth than the cardboard’s $99 annual charge annually utilizing the fourth-night reward perk and the anniversary free evening certificates.
Nevertheless, you may want top-tier Diamond Elite standing to decide on every 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, rather a lot in comparison with different resort loyalty packages. Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite standing at 50 nights or World of Hyatt Globalist standing at 60 nights (or 100,000 base factors) are comparable statuses that each provide methods to earn elite qualifying nights by bank card spending.
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Backside line
The decrease tiers of IHG standing do not provide many perks. In the meantime, top-tier Diamond Elite standing requires a variety of nights, elite qualifying factors or spending on the IHG Premier Credit score Card or the IHG Premier Enterprise Credit score Card. So, for many vacationers, IHG Platinum Elite standing is the candy spot.
In any case, you will get Platinum Elite standing as a perk of the IHG Premier Credit score Card, the IHG Premier Enterprise Credit score Card, the United Membership Infinite Card or an InterContinental Ambassador membership. This fashion, you may get pleasure from IHG elite standing even for those who do not stick with IHG all that ceaselessly.