IHG Status Guide: Status Levels, Benefits, How To Earn and Requirements
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Written by
Meghan Hunter
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Edited by
Jasmin Baron, CCC™
IHG wasn’t always on my radar as a loyalty program worth taking seriously. With so many properties clustered around highway exits and airports, it was easy to write off as a program built for convenience stops.
That changed after a stay at the InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong. Once I started looking at the higher end of the IHG portfolio and digging into what the status levels actually offer, I realized I’d been underestimating the program.
Below, we’ll break down each status tier and help you decide whether any of them are truly worth pursuing.
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What Is IHG One Rewards?
IHG One Rewards is the hotel loyalty program for InterContinental Hotels Group. If you’ve stayed at places like InterContinental, Kimpton, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, voco, Staybridge Suites or Candlewood Suites, you’ve already seen the range it covers. The portfolio ranges from upscale city hotels to spots made for quick overnight stops off the highway.
With IHG One Rewards, you earn points on paid stays and redeem them for free nights. That’s simple enough, but the more interesting layer is elite status, which unlocks bonus points, room upgrades, and, at the top tier, free breakfast at full-service properties.
How Does IHG One Rewards Work?
You earn points on qualifying hotel stays, with most IHG brands offering 10 points per dollar spent. However, a few brands earn fewer points: Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites offer 5 points per dollar, while IHG Army Hotels provide only 3 points per dollar.
All IHG One Rewards members start at the Club level, which is free to join and earns base points on paid stays. From there, elite status is earned through qualifying nights, points or credit card activity. The tier you reach remains valid until the end of the following year.
One feature that distinguishes IHG from many competitors is that qualifying nights for members with Gold Elite status and above roll over. If you finish the year with more nights than required for your current tier, the extra nights carry over into January and count toward your status for the next year.
IHG One Rewards Status Levels and Tiers
There are four elite tiers above the free Club membership, plus a separate paid program called InterContinental Ambassador. Each builds on the one before it.
Club Member
Requirements: Free to join, no nights required
Key benefits:
- 10 base points per dollar at most IHG brands (5 at Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites, 3 at IHG Army Hotels)
- Access to member-only rates
- Late checkout (subject to availability)
- Free internet
- No blackout dates for reward stays
- Points expire after 12 months of inactivity
Silver Elite
Requirements: 10 qualifying nights per year (or automatic with the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card)
Key benefits:
- 20% bonus points on eligible stays
- Points don’t expire as long as you maintain Silver status or above
- 2 p.m. late checkout (based on availability)
There is not much here beyond the fact that Silver status will protect your points from expiring.
Gold Elite
Requirements: 20 qualifying nights or 40,000 elite qualifying points per year
Key benefits:
- 40% bonus points on eligible stays
- Rollover nights toward next year’s status
- Milestone Rewards starting at 20 nights, earned every 10 nights up to 100 (choose from bonus points, suite upgrade awards, food and beverage vouchers, or an annual lounge membership)
- Complimentary Hertz Five Star status
Gold status is the level at which the benefits become more noticeable. The Milestone Rewards system is genuinely helpful because you can choose a perk every 10 nights, which can accumulate significantly over a busy travel year. Additionally, the option to roll over nights is both useful and practical.
Platinum Elite
Requirements: 40 qualifying nights or 60,000 elite qualifying points per year (or automatic with the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card or IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card)
Key benefits:
- 60% bonus points on eligible stays
- Complimentary room upgrades at check-in (based on availability, at the hotel’s discretion)
- Guaranteed room availability when booked at least 72 hours in advance
- Welcome amenity at check-in (choice of bonus points or a food and beverage offer)
- Reward night discounts at participating properties
- Early check-in request (based on availability)
- Complimentary Hertz Five Star status
- All Gold Elite Milestone Rewards benefits
Platinum is a solid tier, and what’s especially nice is that you can earn it with the IHG Premier Credit Card without logging 40 nights. The room guarantee is definitely a standout perk.
Diamond Elite
Requirements: 70 qualifying nights or 120,000 elite qualifying points per year (or by spending $40,000 on the IHG Premier or IHG Premier Business Card in a calendar year)
Key benefits:
- 100% bonus points on eligible stays
- Free daily breakfast for the member and one guest as a welcome amenity choice (at full-service and select brands)
- Dedicated Diamond Elite support line
- Complimentary room upgrades (based on availability, at the hotel’s discretion)
- Complimentary Hertz President Circle status
- Guaranteed room availability booked at least 72 hours in advance
- All Platinum Elite and Milestone Rewards benefits
Diamond is IHG’s top tier, and free breakfast for two might be the most valuable perk of the program. At a full-service InterContinental or Crowne Plaza, that adds up to real savings over a multi-night stay. The 70-night threshold is a serious commitment, but the credit card spending path makes Diamond more achievable for big spenders.
InterContinental Ambassador
Ambassador is a separate, paid membership just for InterContinental hotels. It runs $225 a year or 45,000 IHG points, and it’s technically outside the normal IHG One Rewards status ladder, though it does come with Platinum Elite status.
The perks include a guaranteed one-category room upgrade on every stay, a guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout, a complimentary weekend-night certificate each year, and a small restaurant/bar credit (usually up to $20 per stay). If you stay at InterContinental hotels even semi-regularly, it’s worth doing the math. That weekend night certificate alone can make a serious dent in the annual fee.
Above Ambassador is Royal Ambassador, which is invite-only. It’s extended to a small group of Ambassador members who stay frequently at InterContinental properties
How To Earn Points With IHG One Rewards
Book Direct
You’ll earn IHG points by booking your stay directly through IHG.com, the IHG app or by calling the hotel directly. If you book through a third-party site, you’ll forfeit your points and qualifying nights entirely, which isn’t ideal if you are tracking status.
Get a Co-Branded IHG Credit Card
The most efficient shortcut to elite status is holding an IHG credit card. The no-annual-fee IHG Traveler Credit Card includes automatic Silver Elite status, while the IHG Premier Credit Card ($99 annual fee) grants Platinum Elite status outright. Both cards also earn elevated points at IHG properties, and the IHG Premier, one of the best hotel credit cards, includes an annual free night certificate.
Earn Through IHG Partners
You can earn IHG points through eligible partners, including Hertz, OpenTable, Viator, and select retail and dining partners. This isn’t necessarily a primary earning strategy, but it can offer a little boost to your points balance.
Register for Promotions
IHG often runs bonus-point and accelerated-status offers, and some have offered double qualifying nights for registered members. You need to opt in before your stay counts, so check the promotions page before any trip.
How To Redeem IHG One Rewards Points
IHG One Rewards points are worth roughly 0.6 cents each on average. What’s somewhat unique about the program is its flexibility: Award nights have no blackout dates, and Platinum and Diamond members get access to reward-night discounts that can meaningfully reduce the points required for a stay.
Points transfer to more than 35 airline programs, though the ratios are not strong enough to make it a go-to strategy. Plus, cash-and-points combinations are available at many properties and work well when you want to stretch a balance without emptying it. Using your points for stays at higher-end properties will generally get you the most value.
My Personal Experience With IHG One Rewards Status
I’ve held both Platinum and Diamond at different points, earning status through a mix of actual nights and the IHG Premier Card’s spending path, depending on the year. Platinum was what I had during one of my most memorable hotel stays at the InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong.
We were upgraded to a room with a view of Victoria Harbour, which was a pleasant surprise given my Platinum status. My daughter and I ordered dessert through room service and enjoyed watching the dragon boats go by from our window. Reflecting on that trip, I realized that at certain destinations, the hotel can be crucial to enhancing the overall experience.
Diamond has since added free breakfast to the mix, which, at a property like that one in one of Asia’s most expensive cities, is meaningful in a way that’s easy to quantify. But the upgrade in Hong Kong is what first showed me what this tier of hotel could actually be.
Is IHG One Rewards Status Worth It?
For most travelers, the Platinum status offered through the IHG Premier Card is a solid choice. It offers valuable perks without requiring an extra night. If you’re close to reaching 70 nights stayed, or if you’re spending enough on the card to hit the $40,000 mark, then aiming for Diamond status might be worth it. However, if neither of these situations applies to you, Platinum is the most reasonable option.
Our guide to the best hotel loyalty programs is a good place to compare, and a travel credit card that earns flexible points is worth considering if you want to keep your options open. For example, IHG is a Chase transfer partner, so you can move Ultimate Rewards® points from cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card to IHG at a 1:1 ratio. Just note that transferred points won’t help you earn elite status.
The information related to the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card, IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® was collected by CardCritics™ and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardCritics™ does not receive a commission for this product.
Frequently Asked Questions About IHG Elite Status
How many nights do you need for IHG elite status?
To earn IHG Silver status, 10 nights are required; Gold, 20; Platinum, 40; and Diamond, 70. Alternatively, you can qualify through elite qualifying points: 40,000 points for Gold, 60,000 points for Platinum, and 120,000 points for Diamond status. Additionally, having co-branded IHG cards provides a shortcut to achieving status without meeting the stay requirements.
How long does IHG elite status last?
IHG Elite status earned in a calendar year is valid until the end of the following year. Achieve Platinum status in 2026, and it remains effective through December 2027.
Can I get IHG elite status with a credit card?
Yes, the IHG Traveler Card automatically provides Silver Elite status, while the IHG Premier Card, with a $99 annual fee, grants automatic Platinum Elite status. Additionally, spending $40,000 on either the Premier or Premier Business Card within a year unlocks Diamond Elite status.
What is the best IHG One Rewards status level?
For most people, Platinum status is the most accessible higher tier, especially since the IHG Premier Credit Card lets you achieve it without completing 40 hotel nights. The benefits, such as room guarantees, eligibility for upgrades, and discounts on reward nights, make it worthwhile to hold onto this status.
Do IHG points expire?
IHG One Rewards points do not expire if you hold Silver Elite status or higher. If your account drops to Club level, points will expire after 12 months of inactivity. Any qualifying earnings or redemptions will reset the expiration clock.
