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The IHG One Rewards program is a loyalty program that rewards members for staying at IHG?hotels. With more than 18 brands across 6,000 destinations worldwide, there are many opportunities to earn and redeem IHG One Rewards points at iconic hotel brands like Intercontinental, Kimpton, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and more.
Being a member can pay off nicely in the form of reward points, elite status and Milestone Rewards. Having an IHG credit card in your wallet can pay off nicely every year, even if you only stay with IHG once or twice per year. The program is free to join and knowing the ins and outs can help you earn free nights faster.
Here’s everything you need to know about the IHG One Rewards program.
How much are IHG One Rewards points worth?
The value of IHG points can vary depending on several factors, including how and where you redeem them. You’ll typically get the highest value by redeeming IHG points for high-end hotels. These hotels charge high cash rates, making your points more valuable.
Travel website The Points Guy values these points at least 0.5 cents per IHG point. This is the cost you can typically buy them for when the hotel group is running a buy-points promotion. That said, you should aim well above this number — but never below — to get optimal value from your points.
How to earn IHG One Rewards points
IHG has partnerships with various companies, such as car rental agencies, airlines and credit card issuers. By using IHG’s partners, you can earn IHG points for purchases you’re going to make already.
For example, you can earn IHG points for renting a car from a partner rental company or transferring points from certain credit card loyalty programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards?.
Remember that IHG points expire after 12 months of inactivity. You can keep points from expiring by continuing to earn and redeem them, or by keeping an IHG credit card open and in good standing.
Here are all the ways to earn IHG points.
Staying at IHG hotels
The most straightforward way to earn IHG points is by staying at IHG brand hotels like InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and others. You earn points based on the cost of your stay, typically 10 points per dollar spent (except at Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites, where you’ll earn five points per dollar).
All you have to do is sign up for an IHG One Rewards account and log in before making a reservation. You can also add your rewards number to the account after booking. Every time you stay at an IHG hotel, you’ll earn bonus points based on your membership level.
- Silver elite status: 10% bonus points (11 points per dollar total at most hotels).
- Gold elite status: 40% bonus points (14 points per dollar total at most hotels).
- Platinum elite status: 60% bonus points (16 points per dollar total at most hotels).
- Diamond elite status: 100% bonus points (20 points per dollar total at most hotels).
Credit cards
IHG credit cards are a great way to earn points for free nights at IHG hotels. IHG offers three credit cards for different types of travelers. There’s a no annual fee option, one with more premium perks and another made specifically for small businesses.
It’s worth noting that IHG cards are subject to the Chase 5/24 rule, whereby applicants who’ve had five or more new credit cards (from any bank) in the last 24 months won’t be approved for a new one with Chase.
Here’s a look at the three IHG cards and ways they can help you earn more points.
| Welcome offer | Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases within three months of account opening. |
Earn 140,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. |
Earn 140,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category bonus | 5 points per dollar at IHG hotels and resorts |
10 points per dollar at IHG hotels and resorts |
10 points per dollar at IHG hotels and resorts |
| Notable perks | IHG Silver elite status, plus upgrade to Gold after spending $20,000 per calendar year |
IHG Platinum elite?status |
IHG Platinum elite?status |
| Annual fee | $0 |
$99 |
$99 |
Transfer partners
If you need IHG points quickly, point transfers are an excellent option. IHG is a 1:1 transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards. Ultimate Rewards transfers take about a day, while Bilt transfers usually process the same day.
Many consumers prefer credit cards that earn transferable rewards over co-branded credit cards because they offer more flexibility. You can transfer your points to multiple programs, giving you even more ways to redeem points.
For example, if you open the Chase Sapphire Preferred? Card, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to 14 different loyalty programs. In addition to IHG One Rewards, this also includes Air France-KLM Flying Blue, United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt, among others.
IHG Business Rewards
If you plan meetings, conferences or events, you can earn IHG points by booking them at participating IHG properties. As an IHG Business Rewards member, you can earn three IHG points per dollar spent on meetings, accommodations and events at more than 6,000 hotels.
IHG One Rewards Dine & Earn
Through IHG’s dining rewards program, you can earn bonus points for dining at participating restaurants. Simply join the program, register at least one credit card and earn up to eight points per dollar spent in addition to your credit card rewards.
The exact number of points will vary depending on your membership level.
- Basic members: 1 point per $1 spent if you elect not to receive email communications from IHG One Rewards Dine & Earn.
- Select members: 5 points per $1 spent if you elect to receive email communications.
- VIP members: 8 points per $1 spent if you elect to receive email communications and complete 11 qualified transactions in a calendar year.
New members even receive 1,000 bonus points after spending $30 or more within the first 30 days. IHG One Rewards Dine & Earn is a great way to earn more points without much effort.
Grubhub
Speaking of dining, IHG’s partnership with Grubhub lets you earn 500 bonus points on your first Grubhub order. Simply use IHG’s link to place your first order and you’ll receive 500 bonus points. All subsequent orders earn 250 points.
OpenTable
The next time you’re making dinner plans, consider booking a reservation with OpenTable. The service lets you make reservations at over 55,000 restaurants worldwide. Thanks to its partnership with IHG, you can get up to 500 IHG points per reservation. The exact amount of points you’ll earn depends on the restaurant you book.
Rental cars
Whether you’re hitting the road this summer or booking a rental for a work trip, you could earn thousands of IHG points. Through IHG’s partnership with Hertz, IHG One Rewards members can earn 1,500 on qualifying rentals. Simply book through the designated page, use CDP 22754 and earn 125 points per day as a regular member or 500 if you have IHG elite status.
How to redeem IHG One Rewards points
There are many ways to redeem IHG points, though the best value is for hotels. However, that doesn’t mean you should only use your points for an ultra-luxury vacation in the Maldives.
Instead, redeem points when it saves you money. Whether that’s for a 200-point ebook to keep your points from expiring or a 100,000-point ticket to see your favorite artist. As long as you don’t let your points expire, use them how you see fit.
Free hotel nights
The primary (and often best) way to redeem IHG points is to book hotel stays at participating IHG hotels. You can book reward nights directly through the IHG website or app. Just select “Reward Nights” as your rate preference when searching for a hotel on IHG’s website.
IHG no longer publishes an award chart, but free nights typically range from 10,000 to 100,000 points per night. The number of points required for a stay varies depending on the hotel, location and room type.
IHG also offers a Points & Cash option, allowing you to pay for a hotel stay using a combination of IHG points and cash. This provides flexibility if you don’t have enough points for a full redemption.
Travel and Experiences
IHG offers the opportunity to redeem points for unique travel experiences and activities, including tours, concerts, sporting events and other special events. The rates vary by location and availability and change frequently. For example, at the time of writing, you can redeem 95,600 points for a helicopter tour of Manhattan or 3,196 points for a tour of the USS Arizona.
IHG also lets you bid on exclusive experiences using points. For example, you can bid on tickets for tennis matches, concerts and more. Again, these experiences vary throughout the year.
Intercontinental Ambassador membership
Intercontinental Hotels has its own elite status program that you can purchase outright for $200 per year. You can also redeem 40,000 IHG points for an Ambassador membership.
Benefits include IHG Platinum elite membership, an annual free weekend night, guaranteed room upgrade, premium internet, up to $20 in on-site dining credits per stay, 4 p.m. late checkout and more. These perks are specific to InterContinental properties and cannot be used at other IHG brands.
Digital downloads
IHG offers digital rewards such as music, movies, e-magazines, e-books, games and software. You can redeem as few as 250 IHG points for music downloads or less than 2,000 IHG points for a movie download. We don’t recommend redeeming points this way, but using a small number of points for a digital download can keep a large IHG point balance from expiring.
Airline miles
IHG has partnerships with several frequent flyer programs, allowing you to transfer IHG points to airline miles. While this can be useful if you prefer to use your points for flights rather than hotel stays, transfer ratios are generally unfavorable.
Charitable donations
IHG allows you to donate your points to select charitable organizations. This option allows you to support causes you care about using your accumulated IHG points.
IHG One Rewards elite status
IHG has four elite status tiers, which you can achieve by completing a certain number of nights or earning qualifying points. You can also fast-track your way to Platinum status by getting the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card or IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card.
In addition to elite status, IHG rewards members with Milestone Rewards for every ten qualifying nights (starting at 20). Here’s a look at each elite status tier and the perks you can expect at each level.
Silver Elite status
It takes just 10 qualifying nights to reach IHG Silver elite status. This level includes a few practical perks.
- 20% bonus points on paid stays
- Points don’t expire
- 2 p.m. late checkout
Gold Elite status
Gold Elite status is obtained after completing 20 qualifying nights or earning 40,000 qualifying points in a calendar year. Gold Elite members receive all the benefits of Silver membership, plus the following perks.
- 40% bonus points on paid stays
- Rollover nights for next year’s status
At this point, members also qualify for a 20-night Milestone Reward. They can choose from 5,000 bonus points, two food and beverage rewards or one confirmable suite upgrade.
Platinum Elite status
Platinum Elite status is achieved after staying at IHG hotels for 40 qualifying nights or earning 60,000 qualifying points in a calendar year. Platinum Elite members enjoy all the benefits of Gold Elite status, along with enhanced benefits like 60% bonus points, complimentary room upgrades, guaranteed room availability and more.
- 60% bonus points on paid stays
- Reward night discounts
- 72-hour guaranteed room availability
- Space-available room upgrades
- Welcome amenity at check-in, consisting of points or drink/snack
- Early check-in (when available)
Members will also earn two additional Milestone Rewards on their way to Platinum status. One at 30 nights (5,000 bonus points or two food and beverage rewards) and two at 40 nights (10,000 bonus points, five food and beverage rewards, one confirmable suite upgrade or one annual lounge membership).
Diamond status
Diamond Elite is the top-tier elite status in the IHG One Rewards program. It’s earned after staying 70 qualifying nights or earning 120,000 qualifying points in a calendar year. Diamond Elite members receive all the benefits of Platinum Elite status, plus additional advantages like 100% bonus points and a dedicated support line, among other benefits.
- 100% bonus points on paid stays
- Dedicated Diamond support line
- Welcome amenity at check-in, consisting of complimentary breakfast, points or drink/snack
- Complimentary Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Five Star status
IHG Diamond Elite members will receive two additional Milestone Rewards for completing 70 nights. The 60-night reward includes a choice between 10,000 bonus points and five food and beverage rewards. The 70-night reward lets you pick two rewards: 10,000 bonus points, five food and beverage rewards, two confirmable suite upgrades or an annual lounge membership.
What are Milestone Rewards?
Milestone Rewards are added perks you get when you meet certain qualifying night thresholds with IHG One Rewards in a single calendar year. These range from bonus points to confirmable suite upgrades and food and beverage credits.
Here’s a look at your Milestone Rewards options. You can choose one of the following options for each Milestone Rewards tier, with the exception of 40 and 70 nights, which give you two choices.
- 20 nights: 5,000 bonus points, two food and beverage rewards or one confirmable suite upgrade
- 30 nights: 5,000 bonus points or two food and beverage rewards
- 40 nights (pick two): 10,000 Bonus Points, five food and beverage rewards, one confirmable suite upgrade (limit one) or an annual lounge membership (limit one)
- 50 nights: 10,000 bonus points or five food and beverage rewards
- 60 nights: 10,000 bonus points or five food and beverage rewards
- 70 nights (pick two): 10,000 Bonus Points, five food and beverage rewards, one confirmable suite upgrade (limit one) or an annual lounge membership (limit one)
- 80 nights: 10,000 bonus points or five food and beverage rewards
- 90 nights: 10,000 bonus points or five food and beverage rewards
- 100 nights: 10,000 bonus points or five food and beverage rewards
Food and beverage rewards are worth up to $20 in credit toward for in-room dining, restaurant or minibar purchases. You can redeem these through the IHG app and the credit will be automatically deducted from your bill at the end of your stay.
Meanwhile, confirmable suite upgrades let you confirm a suite at the time of booking. Unlike Marriott Bonvoy’s Suite Night Awards, these are actually confirmed upgrades, so you’ll know if you have a suite before you check in to your hotel room.
Finally, an annual lounge membership lets you access hotel lounges at IHG properties that have them. In the lounge, you’ll generally find complimentary snacks, drinks and an evening happy hour. The specifics vary by property.
Note that you actually have to stay with IHG to earn Milestone Rewards. This means you will not earn them by getting Platinum Elite status from a credit card or via an Ambassador membership. Instead, you’ll need to actually meet the nightly requirements.
Bottom line
The IHG One Rewards program can be immensely rewarding if you know how to maximize it. Thanks to a wide range of partnerships, IHG makes it easy to earn points faster and redeem them for stays around the world.
Looking for a new travel credit card? Check out CNN Underscored’s list of the?best credit cards?currently available.
