InterContinental Hotels Group is one of the world’s largest hotel groups, managing over 6,000 hotels worldwide. As a member of the IHG One Rewards, particularly those at the Platinum level and above, you can enjoy numerous benefits like point rewards, complimentary room upgrades and more.
To upgrade to Platinum membership through accommodation, you need to stay at least 40 nights a year. Today, we will share some strategies to quickly upgrade to IHG Platinum membership, enabling you to become an InterContinental Platinum Member immediately with a minimum of 0 nights.
IHG InterContinental Rewards Platinum Member Benefits
Before delving into the quick upgrade strategy, let’s first examine the perks of being a Platinum member:
Club Member: Member booking discount; extended checkout until 2 p.m.
Silver Card Member: All the benefits of Club members; 20% point rewards.
Gold Member: All the benefits of Silver Card members; 40% point rewards.
Platinum Member: All the benefits of Gold Card members; 60% point bonus; complimentary room upgrade; welcome benefits, such as small snacks or points.
Diamond Member: All the benefits of Platinum members; 100% point rewards; free room upgrade; welcome benefits, such as free snacks or points; complimentary breakfast for two; exclusive Diamond Card hotline support services.
For more IHG One Rewards member benefits, check out this guide.
IHG Bonus Points Package: 12 Nights to Platinum
When booking with InterContinental Hotel, after selecting the room type, you can add the purchase of bonus points or directly choose a points package (Bonus Points Package), which allows you to earn up to 5,000 bonus points per stay. These points can be utilized to attain and maintain IHG Priority Club Elite status.
In other words, if you earn 5,000 points for each stay, you can accumulate 60,000 points in at least 12 nights and be upgraded to an IHG InterContinental Platinum member.
To book the InterContinental Reward Points package, select the time and room type when booking an IHG InterContinental hotel. You will then see prices for accommodation only, accommodation plus breakfast, and accommodation with an addition of 1,000 to 5,000 points.
Why use the InterContinental Rewards Points package?
You might be wondering, what’s the point? Points are not free – they also cost money. Here are some reasons for considering this option:
- For business travelers, the cost of purchasing points can be included in the room rate. The company then reimburses accommodation expenses, and the points earned can be used for maintaining levels and upgrades, as well as for exchanging free rooms.
- You need to earn 10 points for every US$1 spent on accommodation. Purchasing an additional points package when booking a room is much cheaper. Moreover, this bonus points package is cheaper than buying points individually. The bonus points package is worth using when you urgently need to upgrade or maintain your membership.
- If you’re booking a room at your own expense, consider purchasing a points package if the price is less than $5 USD per thousand points.
IHG Ambassador Rapid Upgrade: 0 Night Upgrade
Intercontinental Ambassador is a paid membership program exclusively available through purchase. By paying $200 USD or 40,000 Priority Club points, you can secure a one-year InterContinental Ambassador membership. This membership offers the following benefits at InterContinental Hotels:
- Guaranteed room upgrade
- Guaranteed late check-out until 4 pm
- Weekend stay gift certificate
- IHG One Rewards Platinum membership and corresponding benefits
- Up to 20 in restaurant and bar credits per stay
- Complimentary mineral water
- High-speed Internet connection
- Dedicated check-in area
- Double occupancy at a single rate
- In Greater China only: One breakfast per night of stay
- In Greater China only: Welcome fruit platter (exclusively for Platinum and Diamond elite members)
Is Intercontinental Ambassador worth purchasing?
If you plan to stay at an InterContinental Hotel for more than 2 nights on weekends during the year, it is worth buying as you will also receive a platinum membership. Detailed instructions are provided in our Intercontinental Ambassador Guide.
IHG Rapid Upgrade Event: Upgrade in 5 Nights
Intercontinental conducts rapid upgrade activities regularly, where you can become a platinum member by staying only 5 nights.
To earn elite status faster, register, book, and stay before December 31, 2023:
- Stay 5 nights and earn Platinum Elite status, valid until December 2024
- Stay 2 nights to upgrade to Gold Elite status, valid until December 2024
To participate in the IHG rapid upgrade event, register or log in as a member on the event page and click on the event link.
IHG Quick Upgrade Platinum Member Link
This event is held annually. If you miss it this year, keep an eye on the travel tabloid. We will update IHG’s latest promotions.
Now, let’s discuss some tips for upgrading or relegation of your membership.
Tips for upgrading your IHG One Rewards membership: Upgrade early in the year
If members meet the upgrade requirements within a calendar year, they upgrade to the next level. The membership remains valid for the rest of the current year and the entire following calendar year.
This means, if you upgrade early in the year, your membership can be valid for up to 2 years. Furthermore, IHG usually provides an additional 2 months of membership validity.
For example, if you upgrade to a platinum card in May 2024, the validity period of this platinum card includes June-December 2024, the whole year of 2025, and January-February 2026.
GTV Summary
In conclusion, the method to quickly upgrade to IHG InterContinental Platinum Membership depends on your accommodation needs.
Stay for about 5 nights a year, participate in the rapid upgrade event during your stay and upgrade to platinum in just 5 nights.
If you stay for about 10 nights a year, including at luxury hotels, consider purchasing Intercontinental Ambassador directly. You can earn 40,000 points from various activities, and these points can be used to redeem the ambassador. In addition to a complimentary weekend night voucher, you will also receive a free breakfast in Greater China.
Stay for more than 20 nights a year, reserve your points for a package stay to maintain your Platinum or Diamond status. Diamond membership guarantees breakfast and lounge benefits.
For any questions about IHG rapid upgrade, please leave a message.
