IHG elite status: What it is and how to earn it

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Editor’s observe: This is a recurring publish, usually up to date with new data.

As I write this information, I’m sitting on the balcony of a junior suite on the InterContinental Cairo Semiramis in Egypt, overlooking the Nile River. I redeemed a mean of 20,500 factors per night time for the standard room however was upgraded to this suite at check-in as a good thing about top-tier IHG elite standing.

IHG elite standing will not at all times get you upgrades, even on the top-tier Diamond Elite degree, and extra advantages than I’d like are topic to the discretion of every property. But, particularly due to the worth I can get when redeeming IHG factors and IHG’s intensive worldwide portfolio, I’ve discovered IHG elite standing worthwhile. Here’s what you need to learn about IHG elite standing to resolve if it’s worthwhile for you.

What is IHG elite standing?

IHG elite standing gives perks when staying at IHG accommodations and resorts. The IHG portfolio contains manufacturers starting from Candlewood Suites and Holiday Inn to Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza and InterContinental. So, with IHG elite standing, you possibly can take pleasure in advantages at a variety of IHG accommodations and resorts.

You can earn most tiers of IHG standing by accruing set quantities of qualifying nights or elite-qualifying factors throughout a calendar yr. Once you earn a selected IHG elite standing tier inside a calendar yr, you will hold the standing by means of the tip of the next yr. However, every Jan. 1, your qualifying nights and factors towards elite standing reset to zero.

Related: Comparing the perfect resort elite standing tiers and how to earn them

IHG elite standing tiers

The IHG One Rewards program presents 5 membership tiers. The first membership tier — Club member — does not have any necessities. But to earn IHG elite standing, you will want to meet the next necessities every calendar yr:

  • 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

In addition to these IHG elite standing tiers, chances are you’ll get invited to Kimpton Inner Circle in the event you present loyalty to Kimpton by assembly unpublished standards. You can even buy an InterContinental Ambassador membership and doubtlessly get an improve to Royal Ambassador based mostly in your qualifying exercise at InterContinental accommodations and resorts.

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You’ll additionally earn rewards by means of IHG’s Milestone Rewards program as you accrue qualifying nights every calendar yr.

Related: The 19 greatest IHG accommodations on the earth

How to qualify for IHG elite standing

To qualify for IHG elite standing, you will want to earn particular quantities of qualifying nights or factors every calendar yr. As mentioned above, you will want to 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 guide with IHG factors or at a qualifying charge — which is best outlined as a charge that earns IHG factors. In quick, in the event you guide straight with IHG, you will doubtless get qualifying nights.

Holiday Inn Johannesburg Airport in South Africa. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

Qualifying factors are a bit trickier. IHG presents two varieties of factors: elite-qualifying factors and non-elite-qualifying factors. The distinction between these two varieties of factors is solely vital for incomes elite standing. In quick, here is an inventory of the varieties of actions that earn elite-qualifying factors:

  • Hotel stays for which you pay a qualifying charge
  • Spending with choose companions, together with Hertz automotive leases, OpenTable reservations and Viator experiences
  • Buying IHG One Rewards bonus factors packages
  • Qualified spending by means of the IHG Business Rewards program
  • Spending on IHG One Rewards bank cards issued within the United Kingdom or Greater China

And here is an inventory of actions that earn factors you could redeem however that are not elite-qualifying:

If you guide costly stays at qualifying charges, closely make the most of the IHG Business Rewards program or incessantly use an IHG One Rewards card issued within the United Kingdom or Greater China, chances are you’ll discover it straightforward to qualify for IHG elite standing based mostly on qualifying factors. However, many members discover qualifying nights a a lot simpler metric to meet.

Related: How to maximize redemptions with the IHG One Rewards program

IHG elite standing advantages

IHG elite standing presents some useful perks to vacationers who incessantly keep at IHG accommodations and resorts. Here’s a take a look at a few 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. However, 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 2.5 factors per greenback at IHG-branded residence properties (excluding Voco Residences).

But, IHG elite members get bonus factors on qualifying stays. In specific, 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.

Related: How a lot worth does IHG One Rewards standing present once you guide straight?

Rollover nights

This perk could also be useful in the event you normally qualify for IHG standing based mostly on qualifying nights. At the tip of every calendar yr, 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 yr.

However, rollover nights are solely legitimate for one calendar yr. IHG calculates rollover nights as your whole qualifying nights on the finish of the calendar yr (together with rollover nights from the earlier yr) minus the nights required for the IHG elite standing you earned minus the rollover nights from the earlier yr.

Reward night time reductions

One of the perks launched with the brand new IHG One Rewards program was reward night time reductions. These reward night time reductions are periodically obtainable for IHG One Rewards bank card holders, Platinum Elite members and Diamond Elite members, however IHG One Rewards bank card holders normally get early entry.

Beach villa on the Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

Complimentary upgrades

Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite members are eligible for complimentary upgrades topic to availability and on the resort’s discretion. However, 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, some accommodations 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 accommodations or resorts. Silver Elite and Gold Elite additionally take pleasure in a welcome amenity for stays in Greater China.

The choices fluctuate by model and area however normally embrace a snack, a meals and beverage credit score or factors. But, 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 foremost menu merchandise or full buffet, though some menu objects and specialty drinks could also be excluded.

You would possibly solely get factors as a welcome amenity in the event you use digital check-in. So, if you do not need factors as your welcome amenity, it’s greatest to keep away from digital check-in.

Early check-in and late checkout

Only Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite members can request early check-in, which is topic to availability and offered as early or late because the resort chooses. But, late checkout is obtainable to all IHG members — together with non-elite members — upon request, topic to availability and up to 2 p.m.

Related: The greatest IHG all-inclusive resorts, from Jamaica to Mexico

Can a bank card assist earn IHG elite standing?

DRAGANA991/GETTY IMAGES

Credit playing cards will help you earn IHG elite standing. If you will have an IHG One Rewards bank card issued within the United Kingdom or Greater China, you possibly can earn elite-qualifying factors towards standing along with your spending. However, IHG One Rewards bank cards issued within the U.S. supply complimentary IHG elite standing and alternatives to spend to earn increased tiers of standing.

For instance, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card and IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card supply automated Platinum Elite standing as a cardmember profit. You can even earn Diamond Elite standing by means of the tip of the following calendar yr after making purchases totaling $40,000 or extra in your IHG Premier or IHG Premier Business card.

Meanwhile, the no-annual-fee IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card presents automated Silver Elite standing as a cardmember profit. You can earn Gold Elite standing by means of the tip of the following calendar yr 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 just guide with IHG factors to zero factors. This perk can not directly make it easier to earn IHG elite standing since it means you possibly can stretch your factors for extra nights in the event you incessantly keep in increments of 4 nights.

Likewise, if you’re a main cardmember of the United Club Infinite Card, you possibly can enroll in complimentary Platinum Elite standing as a perk of your card.

Related: What bank card must you use for IHG stays?

Is IHG elite standing value it?

Hotel Indigo Miami Brickell in Florida. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

IHG elite standing is definitely value it for some vacationers; the query is whether or not it is value it for you. The advantages on the Silver Elite and Gold Elite tiers normally will not be value striving for — though in the event you earn these statuses organically, you will profit from bonus factors and might earn some IHG Milestone Rewards.

Platinum Elite standing presents some useful perks that make it value striving for over Gold Elite or Silver Elite standing. So in the event you stick with IHG at the least a number of instances a yr, it could also 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 supply 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 Card since I get considerably extra worth than the cardboard’s $99 annual charge annually through the use of the fourth-night-reward perk and the anniversary free night time.

However, you will want top-tier Diamond Elite standing if you’d like 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 yr, which is frankly quite a bit in contrast to different resort loyalty applications. 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 additionally supply methods to earn elite-qualifying nights by means of bank card spending.

Related: Why you need to get (and hold) the IHG One Rewards Premier card

Bottom line

The decrease tiers of IHG standing do not supply many perks. Meanwhile, top-tier Diamond Elite standing requires plenty 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.

After all, 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 possibly can take pleasure in IHG elite standing even in the event you do not stick with IHG all that incessantly.



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