Complete Guide to IHG One Rewards

InterContinental Hotels Group, better known as IHG, runs some of the world’s most familiar hotel brands. Think budget-friendly brands like Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza, cool boutiques like Kimpton and Hotel Indigo, and more luxurious options like Regent and Six Senses.

With over 6,000 properties worldwide and 20 unique brands under its belt, IHG has something for almost every traveler — and its loyalty program, IHG One Rewards, is very easy to understand.

Let’s dive into how the IHG One Rewards program works, how to earn and redeem points, and how to get the most out of your stays.

What is IHG One Rewards?

IHG One Rewards is IHG’s free loyalty program. You’ll earn points on hotel stays, credit card spending, and more, while unlocking perks and working your way up the elite status tiers.

IHG brands include:

• Atwell Suites

• avid

• Candlewood Suites

• Crowne Plaza

• EVEN

• Holiday Inn

• Holiday Inn - the niu

• Holiday Inn Club Vacations

• Holiday Inn Express

• Holiday Inn Resort

• Hotel Indigo

• HUALUXE

• Iberostar Beachfront Resorts

• InterContinental

• Kimpton

• Regent

• Six Senses

• Staybridge Suites

• Vignette Collection

• voco

My personal bucket list includes doing sunrise yoga and going on a tiger safari at the Six Senses Fort Barwara in Rajasthan, India. One day… 😍

Members earn 10 base points per dollar at most properties (5 points at extended-stay brands like Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites). You can rack up even more through bonus point promotions or by holding one of IHG’s co-branded credit cards:

• IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card

• IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card

• IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

IHG points are generally worth around 0.5 to 0.7 cents each when redeemed for hotel stays. That means 40,000 points could save you around $200 or more, depending on the property. However, the exact value can vary due to factors like the dates of stay and the specific hotel.

IHG One Rewards Elite Status: Tiers and Perks

IHG One Rewards has five membership levels:

• Club Member (just sign up)

• Silver Elite (10 nights/year)

• Gold Elite (20 nights or 40,000 points/year)

• Platinum Elite (40 nights or 60,000 points/year)

• Diamond Elite (70 nights or 120,000 points/year)

IHG also has two additional membership programs: InterContinental Ambassador and Kimpton Inner Circle.

InterContinental Ambassador allows you to purchase elite status that comes with its own perks and benefits at InterContinental Resorts & Hotels. Whereas, the Kimpton Inner Circle is an exclusive, invite-only “status” for hard-core Kimpton guests. If you reach IHG Diamond Elite status and stay frequently at Kimpton properties, your chances of getting in the club are pretty high.

As expected, each tier offers distinct perks and benefits.

IHG One Rewards Club Member (Free to Join)

You’ll become a Club member just by signing up for IHG’s loyalty program. This base level comes with a few benefits:

• Access to member rates and promotions

• Ability to earn reward nights that count toward earning elite status

• Complimentary Wi-Fi

• 2:00 p.m. late checkout, upon request and if available

IHG One Rewards Silver Elite

You’ll need 10 elite qualifying nights to earn Silver status. You could also automatically get this status by holding the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card.

On top of the perks available to Club members, Silver Elites also get:

• 20% bonus points on top of base points earned

• No expiration of points while you hold elite status

IHG One Reward Gold Elite

To reach Gold Elite status, you’ll need 20 elite qualifying nights or 40,000 qualifying points per year. If you hold the IHG Traveler card, you can spend $20,000 in a calendar year to also unlock Gold status.

The main difference between Silver Elite and Gold Elite status is the 40% bonus points earned on top of your base points for IHG purchases.

IHG One Reward Platinum Elite

Now, this is where IHG’s elite status starts to shine. You’ll need 40 elite qualifying nights or 60,000 qualifying points per calendar year to earn it. But if you hold the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card, or join the InterContinental Ambassador program, you’ll get this status complimentary.

In addition to the benefits available to Gold Elite members, Platinum Elite members enjoy:

• 60% bonus points on top of base points

• Early check-in, upon request and if available

• Complimentary room upgrades if available

• Welcome amenity (usually a drink, treat, or additional points)

IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite Member

To qualify for Diamond, you’ll have to spend 70 qualifying nights at IHG properties or fork over 120,000 points.

These are the additional benefits available to Diamond elites:

• 100% bonus points on top of base points

• Welcome amenity: Usually free breakfast (per night, for two guests), additional bonus points, or a drink and a snack at check-in

• Dedicated support phone line

Although there aren’t any credit cards that will automatically gift you this status, there are several cards that give you the ability to earn it after hitting a spending requirement:

• The IHG Premier and the IHG Premier Business: Spend $40,000 or more on your card in a calendar year

• The Sapphire Reserve: Spend $75,000 or more on your card in a calendar year

• The Sapphire Reserve Business: Spend $120,000 or more on your card in a calendar year

Milestone Rewards

Another fun perk associated with the IHG brand is reaching Milestone Rewards. These milestones are based on the number of qualifying nights you stay during each year, starting at just 20 nights.

The first milestone of 20 nights will give you the option to choose either 5,000 bonus points, two food and beverage rewards, or one confirmable suite upgrade.

These milestones increase by ten-night increments, going up to 100 nights. At each milestone, you get to pick one reward (except at 40 and 70 nights, you get to select a second one!).

How to Earn IHG One Rewards Points

We’ve discussed IHG’s points ecosystem, but how do you actually earn IHG points?

💳 Credit Cards

IHG offers three co-branded cards that come with welcome offers featuring thousands of points up for grabs. These cards also accelerate the points you can earn on everyday spending.

^{Earn one Anniversary Free Night on each account anniversary year with current point redemption cap of 40,000 points. **Earn one Anniversary Free Night on each account anniversary year with current point redemption cap of 40,000 points. Earn an additional Free Night after spending $60,000 each calendar year.}

🤝 Transfer Partners

You can also transfer points to IHG from Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards if you have a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Bilt Mastercard. We generally don’t recommend doing so as the value isn’t great, but it works in a pinch if you’re topping off your IHG balance.

🛏️ Hotel Stays

This is the main way most people earn points. General members will earn 10x points on most IHG properties (5x points at extended stay brands like Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites).

And if you hold a higher elite status? Well, you’ll earn that boosted percentage (20%, 40%, 60%, and 100%) of bonus points based on your elite tier. This is on top of the base points you’d already earn.

IHG also frequently runs promotions that allow you to earn even more bonus points on stays — so I’d always be on the lookout for those opportunities. 😏

💸 Buy Points

Every now and then, IHG offers sales where you can buy points at a discount or with a bonus. It’s not usually the best value, but it can be a smart move if you’re close to a specific redemption or want to top off your account for an upcoming stay.

🍽 Dine & Earn

Just as the name suggests, you’ll earn IHG points on participating dining purchases. Simply join the program and enroll at least one credit card that you’ll use to make your purchases.

Earning rates will vary depending on a few things:

• Basic members earn 1x point per $1

• Select members earn 5x points per $1 — to earn Select, you must opt in to receive emails from the program

• VIP members earn 8x points per $1 — to progress from Select to VIP, you must also opt in to receive emails from the program and complete 11 qualified transactions for that year

These earning rates are in addition to any points you would get for dining purchases on a credit card. If you’re using a card that gets 3x points on dining, and you’re a VIP member, you’d actually score 11x IHG points per dollar when ordering through the Dine & Earn portal.

How to Redeem IHG Points

Reward Nights

IHG uses dynamic award pricing, meaning that award prices can vary from night to week to month and beyond.

When you search for a property, be sure to select “Reward Nights" in order to see the point values that you’re dealing with.

Points + Cash Stays

If you want to save some points, you also have the option to split the cost between using points and cash. These portions vary, so ensure you’re still getting good value before you book.

IHG One Rewards Access

IHG One Rewards Access is a platform that allows you to bid on different experiences in exchange for redeeming IHG points. These could range from sports events to cooking classes or exclusive reservations at high-end restaurants.

Free Night Awards

Both the IHG Premier and IHG Premier Business cards offer their cardholders a free night award on each account anniversary.

This free night is valued at 40,000 points for a one-night stay; however, IHG has no limits for topping this off if your dream hotel costs more. 🥳

This means if you’re looking to burn your free night, but the hotel you want to stay at costs 55,000 points per night, you could put your free night award towards that stay, and then throw in 15,000 of your own points to top it off.

4th Night Free Perk

Another type of free night that comes with being an IHG credit cardholder is the “4th Night Free” perk.

To be clear, you must hold one of IHG’s co-branded cards to receive this perk.

If you book an award stay for four or more nights using one of IHG’s cards, you’ll pay zero points for that fourth night — effectively bringing your points cost down to just three nights. 🙌

You can do this for an unlimited number of stays annually, but your bookings must be award stays using points. Cash bookings or “points and cash” bookings won’t apply.

Bottom Line

IHG One Rewards is one of the most popular hotel loyalty programs with a global footprint that includes both budget-friendly options and top-tier luxury properties.

The program is simple, flexible, and surprisingly rewarding — especially when paired with the right credit card. You won’t always find jaw-dropping redemption value, but between elite perks, milestone rewards, and a huge global footprint, it’s one of the easiest programs to use day-to-day.

So whether you're off to Tokyo, Tulum, or Tulsa, chances are there's an IHG hotel (and some points) waiting for you.