InterContinental Hotels (IHG) was established in the United Kingdom in 1946. Today, it operates over 6,000 hotels in more than 100 countries, making it one of the world's largest international hotel groups.
This guide will provide information on IHG One Rewards, the loyalty program for InterContinental Hotels members. It will cover the various brands under InterContinental Hotels, and explain how members can obtain room reservation discounts, among other benefits.
IHG InterContinental Hotels Brand
Let's briefly review the brands under InterContinental Hotels.
Luxury Hotels:
- Six Senses: A luxury brand focusing on nature, health, and spa themes.
- InterContinental Hotels & Resorts: A business-oriented luxury hotel.
- Regent Hotel: luxury brand.
- Kimpton: The world's largest independent boutique hotel.
High-End Hotels:
- Hotel Indigo: A personalized hotel that emphasizes design, with facilities slightly inferior to five-star hotels.
- Crowne Plaza: A business hotel focusing on business meetings.
- Hualuxe Hotels & Resorts: A luxury hotel brand launched for the Chinese market.
- EVEN Hotels: A stylish hotel with a health-centric approach.
- Voco Hotels.
Mid-Range Hotels:
- Holiday Inn: Mid-priced hotels.
- Holiday Inn Express: An express hotel, at a three-star hotel level.
- Even Hotels.
Among all, Holiday Inn is likely the most common InterContinental brand. Most Holiday Inn hotels are well-situated and cost-effective.
Suite Hotels:
- Atwell Suites
- Staybridge Suites
- Holiday Inn Club Vacations
- Candle
IHG InterContinental Hotels Member Programs
InterContinental Hotels offers three distinct membership programs:
- IHG One Rewards: This program is free to join. The key benefits include points accumulation, room booking discounts, and more. This program is available across all IHG brands.
- IHG Ambassador Program: This is a paid membership plan, costing US$200 per year or redeemable with 40,000 points. The main benefits include accommodation gift certificates and IHG One Rewards Platinum membership. This program is only available at InterContinental hotels. For more information, refer to this dedicated article on the Intercontinental Ambassador Program.
- IHG Business Rewards Program: This program is ideal for individuals planning to host annual meetings, wedding banquets, and business events at InterContinental Hotels. Members earn 3 points for every US$1 spent, effectively offering a rebate.
In the sections below, we will primarily discuss the IHG One Rewards and IHG Ambassador.
IHG One Rewards Status
IHG One Rewards consists of 5 membership levels:
- Club Membership: Anyone can register as a Priority Club Rewards member for free.
- Silver Member: Requires 10 completed nights.
- Gold Membership: Requires 20 completed nights or 40,000 Elite Qualifying Points.
- Platinum Membership: Requires 40 completed nights or 60,000 Elite Qualifying Points.
- Diamond Membership: Requires 70 completed nights or 120,000 Elite Qualifying Points.
IHG One Rewards Benefits
The rights and interests of InterContinental Priority Club members are divided into two parts: one is to obtain corresponding benefits based on the membership level, such as room upgrades, late check-out, etc.; the other is advanced rewards, that is, the number of nights stayed (such as 20 night, 30 nights), there will be additional rewards.
IHG One Rewards membership level benefits
Club Membership: Includes member discounts on bookings and extended checkout until 2pm.
Silver Card Member: Includes all the benefits of Club Membership, plus a 20% bonus on points.
Gold Card Member: Includes all the benefits of Silver Card Membership, plus a 40% bonus on points.
Platinum Membership: Includes all the benefits of Gold Card Membership, plus a 60% bonus on points, a free room upgrade, and welcome benefits, such as snacks or points.
Diamond Membership: Includes all the benefits of Platinum Membership, plus a 100% bonus on points, a free room upgrade, welcome benefits such as snacks or points, free breakfast for two, and exclusive Diamond Card Hotline support service.
Next, we'll discuss the benefits of IHG One Rewards Membership:
We're going to explore the benefits offered at each membership level in detail.
1. Earn bonus points (Silver Card and above): Earn 10 basic points for every $1 spent at InterContinental Hotels. Elite members with a Silver Card and above can earn bonus points based on their membership level. Silver Card holders earn an extra 20%, Gold Card holders an extra 40%, Platinum Card holders an extra 60%, and Diamond Card holders an extra 100%.
2. No blackout dates for Reward Nights (all levels): Reward Nights equal redeeming points for free nights. As long as rooms are available for booking on the hotel's official website on any date, you can use points to redeem free rooms.
3. Points do not expire (Silver card or above): IHG points are valid for 12 months. If there's no activity on the points, they will expire. However, for members with a Silver Card level or above, their points will not expire.
4. Roll over of accumulated room nights (Gold card and above): For Gold Card and above holders, if the accumulated room nights exceed the number required for reclassification, the extra nights can be carried forward to the next year. For example, if Gold members stay for 25 nights in 2024, the extra 5 nights beyond the 20 required to maintain the status can be applied to 2025's membership evaluation.
5. Member-only prices and membership promotions (all levels): InterContinental Hotels often launch member-exclusive activities. These are summarized in our IHG’s latest booking discounts: Latest promotions, point rewards, point sales promotions, membership strategies, (updated weekly).
6. Reward accommodation discounts (Platinum and above): This new membership benefit allows Platinum and Diamond card members to enjoy exclusive discounts when using points to book participating hotels. Discounts range from 10% to 30% off.
7. Exclusive support for Diamond Card elite members (Diamond Card): Diamond Card members enjoy exclusive customer service, resulting in a superior member experience.
8. Availability Guarantee (Platinum and above): IHG InterContinental Hotels guarantees a room for Platinum or Diamond members, provided the reservation is made 72 hours before check-in. To enjoy this benefit, members must book through telephone customer service using a credit card guarantee. The room rate cannot be lower than the best flexible rate and this benefit does not apply to points rooms and Six Senses hotels.
9. Room upgrade (Platinum and above): Platinum and Diamond card members are eligible for room upgrades, including rooms booked with points. However, this benefit is subject to availability on the day.
10. Welcome gift at check-in (Platinum and above): Platinum members receive either points (not applicable in Greater China), drinks or snacks as a welcome gift. Diamond Card holders can choose between free breakfast for two, points (not applicable in Greater China), drinks or snacks. The free breakfast for two is applicable to most IHG brands.
IHG Advanced Rewards
Members who stay for 10 nights or more receive additional rewards. The rewards include points, dining vouchers, suite upgrade privileges, and annual executive lounge access. Members can choose amongst these options.
Annual Executive Lounge Access
The first choice should be the annual executive lounge access, applicable across all IHG brands. This benefit can be chosen when you have stayed for 40 or 70 nights. It allows members and one guest access to the hotel's executive lounge, guaranteeing breakfast, afternoon tea, and dinner.
Suite Upgrade Offer
This benefit, valid for 12 months, allows members to upgrade their standard room to a suite, or to a deluxe room if no suites are available. To use the suite upgrade benefits, the following requirements must be met:
- Contact customer service to schedule an appointment 14 days to 24 hours before check-in
- Reserve for up to 5 consecutive nights
- Not applicable to bookings using prepaid rates
- Applicable to points rooms and free room coupons
- The 72-hour availability guarantee does not apply to Platinum and Diamond cards
- Prepaid price (if deposit paid) does not apply
Dining Vouchers
IHG members can use these vouchers to offset dining expenses. Each voucher has a face value of $20 USD and is valid for 12 months.
There is no limit to the number of vouchers that can be used per stay. Each voucher can only be used once, cannot be split, and does not provide change. Points cannot be earned for expenses offset using dining vouchers.
Bonus Points
Bonus points are 5,000 or 10,000 points, with approximate values of $25 USD and $50 USD respectively.
Notes from GTV:
- When accommodation requirements are met, select advanced rewards on the InterContinental Hotel Official Website or App. If no selection is made within the time limit, the reward will be automatically canceled.
- Nights from the previous year do not count towards the advanced reward.
- For stays of 20 or more nights, prioritize suite upgrade benefits; for stays of 40 or 70 nights, opt for annual executive lounge access. Since the selection bonus can be chosen within 90 days, you can use one lounge access in the current year and the other in the next year, enjoying lounge access for both years.
- In my opinion, the Intercontinental’s Platinum Card offers the best value. It only lacks breakfast benefits compared to the Diamond Card, but requires 30 fewer nights for an upgrade. After staying for 40 nights, you can gain lounge access through advanced rewards, including free breakfast.
In summary, IHG Hotels’ membership benefits are not as generous as other major hotel groups like Marriott and Accor, which offer breakfast privileges and lounge access for Platinum tiers. However, InterContinental hotels' executive lounges are usually less crowded than those of Marriott hotels, ensuring a good membership experience.
IHG Ambassador Program
The Intercontinental Ambassador IHG Ambassador is a paid membership program valid for 12 months. It can be purchased for $200 or redeemed with 40,000 points. Applications can be made through the official InterContinental Hotels website or directly at the hotel front desk.
As an Intercontinental Ambassador, you enjoy the following benefits:
- Guaranteed room upgrade
- Guaranteed late check-out until 4pm
- Weekend Stay Certificate
- IHG Platinum Elite Membership and corresponding benefits
- Up to US$20 in restaurant and bar credits per stay (only at hotels in Greater China)
- Double occupancy at a single rate
- Complimentary breakfast for one person per night of stay (only in Greater China)
- Welcome fruit platter for Platinum elite members and above (only in Greater China)
Among the paid membership programs of major international hotels, only Accor Plus’s membership is comparable to the InterContinental Ambassador Program.
If your stays are primarily in the Asia-Pacific region, then the Accor Plus membership may be more cost-effective. If you require accommodation in various countries worldwide, consider purchasing an Intercontinental Ambassador membership.
Intercontinental Royal Ambassador
Based on members' spending at InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, a select group of IHG Ambassadors may be upgraded to the Royal Ambassador level. The upgrade criteria are not specified, and membership can only be obtained through an invitation from the hotel.
How to Use IHG Points?
1. Redeem a Free Night
One of the most valuable uses of points is redeeming them for free nights with no blackout dates. However, each hotel maintains a limited inventory of these free nights, so there may be occasions when you're unable to utilize this benefit.
The approximate value of IHG points is 1,000 points = 5 US dollars. You can use this value as a guide to evaluate whether it's worth using your points for redemption.
2. Use Intercontinental Points for Online Shopping
Points can also be used on the Intercontinental official website for purchasing items such as jewelry, electronic products, or gift cards. The items that Priority Club members redeem most often are displayed below.
3. Exchange IHG points for airline miles
If you frequently stay at InterContinental hotels for business trips, you can redeem the accumulated points for airline miles. These miles can then be used for future family vacations.
4. Use IHG points to purchase IHG Ambassador Membership
As previously mentioned, InterContinental Ambassador Membership can be obtained with 40,000 IHG Points Redemption.
5. Points Bidding
Similar to Hilton, InterContinental also offers a points bidding platform. Points can be used to bid in auctions, redeem housing packages, concerts, local experience activities, and more.
How to earn Intercontinental Points?
IHG points are valid for 12 months. For regular members, if there's no activity in their account for 12 months, all points will expire. However, any change in the point balance (increase or decrease) will automatically extend their validity for another 12 months.
For members with a Silver Card or higher, points never expire.
1. Earn points for every InterContinental stay
Most hotel brands give 10 points (base points) per $1 spent during your stay. Elite members with a Silver Card or above can receive additional rewards. To maximize points, charge all expenses to your room.
2. Bonus Points Campaign
IHG often runs bonus point events, which are a great way to accumulate points quickly. For instance, you can earn double points by staying at a hotel during these events.
When you book with Bonus Points, you can earn up to 5,000 Bonus Points at participating hotels. Stay updated with the latest InterContinental booking discounts and point activities here.
3. Purchase points
You can purchase IHG points directly from the InterContinental official website at approximately $10 USD/1,000 points. Members can buy up to 150,000 additional points to redeem for all or part of a stay.
Consider purchasing points when IHG offers a sale, as prices can go as low as $5 per 1,000 points. Keep up with our promotional updates through our blogs.
4. Bonus Points Package Price
IHG Reward Points package is a special booking rate that lets you earn additional points, ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 points. These points can be used to upgrade or maintain levels.
InterContinental Ambassadors can enjoy 5,000 bonus points for all-inclusive bookings at select InterContinental hotels.
Book here: https://www.ihg.com.cn/content/gb/en/deals/packages/bpp-elite
5. Book points + cash before cancelling
If you book using the “points + cash” method and cancel the booking, all points will be returned to the original account. This is a clever way to purchase points with cash.
6. Others
Members receive 1,000 points every year on their birthday. Renewing your InterContinental Ambassador membership grants a 15,000 point rebate when you pay $200 USD, plus a 10% point rebate on points earned within one year.
IHG Member Quick Upgrade Guide
IHG Bonus Points Package: 12 Nights to Platinum
When booking an InterContinental hotel, select a room type, then add a bonus points package (Bonus Points Packages), to earn up to 5,000 bonus points per stay. These points can be used to achieve and maintain elite status.
In other words, earning 5,000 points per stay will allow you to accumulate 60,000 points in at least 12 nights, upgrading you to IHG InterContinental Platinum membership.
Intercontinental Ambassador Rapid Upgrade: 0 Night Upgrade
The IHG Ambassador is a paid membership program available only through purchase. Pay $200 USD or 40,000 Priority Club Rewards points to obtain a one-year InterContinental Ambassador membership.
Gold and Platinum Challenge: 2 Nights – 5 Nights
IHG regularly launches Platinum Status Challenges.
Generally, you're required to stay for two nights within 90 days to earn a Gold Card, and stay for five nights to earn a Platinum Card.
Summary of GTV
If you stay no more than 5 nights a year, consider participating in the Platinum Card Challenge of InterContinental Hotels. For event details, please check here for the latest Intercontinental booking discounts and points activities.
For about 10 nights a year, consider purchasing an Ambassador membership directly. Coupled with points from activities, you can usually accumulate 40,000 points to redeem the Ambassador. This includes a free one-night weekend stay voucher, an additional breakfast.
If you stay more than 20 nights a year, consider booking a points-based package to maintain your membership. Presently, your dimand membership can generally ensure breakfast and lounge benefits.
Travel tips you may need
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Check out InterContinental Hotel’s latest TOP room booking offers, points activities, etc.
