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

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.

As I write this guide, I’m sitting on the balcony of a junior suite at the InterContinental Cairo Semiramis in Egypt, overlooking the Nile River. I redeemed an average of 20,500 points per night for a standard room but was upgraded to this suite at check-in as a benefit of top-tier IHG elite status.

IHG elite status won’t always get you upgrades, even at the top-tier Diamond Elite level, and more benefits than I’d like are subject to the discretion of each property. But, especially due to the value I can get when redeeming IHG points and IHG’s extensive worldwide portfolio, I’ve found IHG elite status worthwhile. Here’s what you should know about IHG elite status to decide if it’s worthwhile for you.

What is IHG elite status?

IHG elite status provides perks when staying at IHG hotels and resorts. The IHG portfolio includes brands ranging from Candlewood Suites and Holiday Inn to Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza and InterContinental. So, with IHG elite status, you can enjoy benefits at a wide range of IHG hotels and resorts.

You can earn most tiers of IHG status by accruing set amounts of qualifying nights or elite-qualifying points during a calendar year. Once you earn a specific IHG elite status tier within a calendar year, you’ll keep the status through the end of the following year. However, each Jan. 1, your qualifying nights and points toward elite status reset to zero.

IHG elite status tiers

The IHG One Rewards program offers five membership tiers. The first membership tier — Club member — doesn’t have any requirements. But to earn IHG elite status, you’ll need to meet the following requirements each calendar year:

Silver Elite: 10 qualifying nights
Gold Elite: 20 qualifying nights or 40,000 qualifying points
Platinum Elite: 40 qualifying nights or 60,000 qualifying points
Diamond Elite: 70 qualifying nights or 120,000 qualifying points

In addition to these IHG elite status tiers, you may get invited to Kimpton Inner Circle if you show loyalty to Kimpton by meeting unpublished criteria. You can also purchase an InterContinental Ambassador membership and potentially get an upgrade to Royal Ambassador based on your qualifying activity at InterContinental hotels and resorts.

You’ll also earn rewards through IHG’s Milestone Rewards program as you accrue qualifying nights each calendar year.

How to qualify for IHG elite status

To qualify for IHG elite status, you’ll need to earn specific amounts of qualifying nights or points each calendar year. As discussed above, you’ll need to earn 10 nights for Silver Elite status, 20 nights or 40,000 points for Gold Elite status, 40 nights or 60,000 points for Platinum Elite status and 70 nights or 120,000 points for Diamond Elite status.

Qualifying nights are nights you book with IHG points or at a qualifying rate — which is easiest defined as a rate that earns IHG points. In short, if you book directly with IHG, you’ll likely get qualifying nights.

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

Qualifying points are a bit trickier. IHG offers two types of points: elite-qualifying points and non-elite-qualifying points. The difference between these two types of points is only important for earning elite status. In short, here’s a list of the types of activities that earn elite-qualifying points:

Hotel stays for which you pay a qualifying rate
Spending with select partners, including Hertz car rentals, OpenTable reservations and Viator experiences
Buying IHG One Rewards bonus points packages
Qualified spending through the IHG Business Rewards program
Spending on IHG One Rewards credit cards issued in the United Kingdom or Greater China

And here’s a list of activities that earn points that you can redeem but that aren’t elite-qualifying:

Spending on IHG One Rewards credit cards issued in the U.S.
Transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points to IHG One Rewards
New cardmember bonuses and bonus points promotions on IHG One Rewards credit cards (unless otherwise indicated)
Earning points through IHG One Rewards Dine and Earn
Points or bonus points earned from IHG and select partner promotions
Elite bonus points
Point vouchers, purchases, deposits and transfers (unless otherwise indicated)

If you book expensive stays at qualifying rates, heavily utilize the IHG Business Rewards program or frequently use an IHG One Rewards card issued in the United Kingdom or Greater China, you may find it easy to qualify for IHG elite status based on qualifying points. However, many members find qualifying nights a much easier metric to meet.

IHG elite status benefits

IHG elite status offers some valuable perks to travelers who frequently stay at IHG hotels and resorts. Here’s a look at some of the most useful perks, including how they differ by status tier.

Bonus points

IHG members earn 10 points per dollar on qualifying stays at most IHG properties. However, you’ll only earn 5 points per dollar at Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites properties, 3 points per dollar at IHG Army Hotels, 2,000 points per stay at the Venetian Resort Las Vegas and the Palazzo at the Venetian Resort, and 2.5 points per dollar at IHG-branded residence properties (excluding Voco Residences).

But, IHG elite members get bonus points on qualifying stays. In particular, 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 points aren’t elite-qualifying points, though.

Rollover nights

This perk may be helpful if you usually qualify for IHG status based on qualifying nights. At the end of each calendar year, IHG will calculate the rollover nights for Gold Elite and above members as the qualifying nights they earned above the number required for their status. These nights will roll over and count toward earning elite status in the new calendar year.

However, rollover nights are only valid for one calendar year. IHG calculates rollover nights as your total qualifying nights at the end of the calendar year (including rollover nights from the previous year) minus the nights required for the IHG elite status you earned minus the rollover nights from the previous year.

Reward night discounts

One of the perks introduced with the new IHG One Rewards program was reward night discounts. These reward night discounts are periodically available for IHG One Rewards credit card holders, Platinum Elite members and Diamond Elite members, but IHG One Rewards credit card holders usually get early access.

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

Complimentary upgrades

Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite members are eligible for complimentary upgrades subject to availability and at the hotel’s discretion. However, complimentary upgrades to club-level rooms or floors don’t include club-level benefits or lounge access. And since upgrades are at each property’s discretion, some hotels and resorts are more generous.

Welcome amenity

Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite members can enjoy a welcome amenity when checking in to IHG hotels or resorts. Silver Elite and Gold Elite also enjoy a welcome amenity for stays in Greater China.

The options vary by brand and region but usually include a snack, a food and beverage credit or points. But, top-tier Diamond Elite members also get daily breakfast for the member and a guest staying in the same room as a welcome amenity choice at full-service and select-service brands. IHG defines breakfast as unlimited nonalcoholic beverages and one main menu item or full buffet, although some menu items and specialty drinks may be excluded.

You might only get points as a welcome amenity if you use digital check-in. So, if you don’t want points as your welcome amenity, it’s best to avoid digital check-in.

Early check-in and late checkout

Only Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite members can request early check-in, which is subject to availability and provided as early or late as the hotel chooses. But, late checkout is available to all IHG members — including non-elite members — upon request, subject to availability and up to 2 p.m.

Can a credit card help earn IHG elite status?

woman with credit card — DRAGANA991/GETTY IMAGES

Credit cards can help you earn IHG elite status. If you have an IHG One Rewards credit card issued in the United Kingdom or Greater China, you can earn elite-qualifying points toward status with your spending. However, IHG One Rewards credit cards issued in the U.S. offer complimentary IHG elite status and opportunities to spend to earn higher tiers of status.

For example, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card and IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card offer automatic Platinum Elite status as a cardmember benefit. You can also earn Diamond Elite status through the end of the next calendar year after making purchases totaling $40,000 or more on your IHG Premier or IHG Premier Business card.

Meanwhile, the no-annual-fee IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card offers automatic Silver Elite status as a cardmember benefit. You can earn Gold Elite status through the end of the next calendar year after you make purchases totaling $20,000 or more on your IHG Traveler card.

All three of these IHG credit cards issued in the U.S. offer the valuable fourth-night-free reward perk. This perk drops the cost of every fourth night on stays of four nights or more that you book with IHG points to zero points. This perk can indirectly help you earn IHG elite status since it means you can stretch your points for more nights if you frequently stay in increments of four nights.

Likewise, if you are a primary cardmember of the United Club Infinite Card, you can enroll in complimentary Platinum Elite status as a perk of your card.

Is IHG elite status worth it?

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

IHG elite status is certainly worth it for some travelers; the question is whether it is worth it for you. The benefits at the Silver Elite and Gold Elite tiers usually won’t be worth striving for — although if you earn these statuses organically, you’ll benefit from bonus points and may earn some IHG Milestone Rewards.

Platinum Elite status offers some valuable perks that make it worth striving for over Gold Elite or Silver Elite status. So if you stay with IHG at least a few times a year, it may be worth getting the IHG Premier Credit Card, IHG Premier Business Credit Card, United Club Infinite Card or an InterContinental Ambassador membership — all of which offer complimentary Platinum Elite status as well as other perks that can help you justify paying an annual fee. I like the IHG Premier Credit Card since I get significantly more value than the card’s $99 annual fee each year by using the fourth-night-reward perk and the anniversary free night.

However, you’ll need top-tier Diamond Elite status if you want to choose daily breakfast as a welcome amenity when staying at full-service and select-service brands. This status requires 70 qualifying nights or 120,000 qualifying points each calendar year, which is frankly a lot compared to other hotel loyalty programs. Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status at 50 nights or World of Hyatt Globalist status at 60 nights (or 100,000 base points) are comparable statuses that also offer ways to earn elite-qualifying nights through credit card spending.

Bottom line

The lower tiers of IHG status don’t offer many perks. Meanwhile, top-tier Diamond Elite status requires a lot of nights, elite-qualifying points or spending on the IHG Premier Credit Card or IHG Premier Business Credit Card. So, for most travelers, Platinum Elite status is the sweet spot among the IHG elite statuses.

After all, you can get Platinum Elite status 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 can enjoy IHG elite status even if you don’t stay with IHG all that frequently.