You Can Earn Diamond Elite Status With IHG One Rewards’ New Challenge

- UPDATED: May 19, 2022

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IHG One Rewards has been working hard to overhaul its loyalty program this year, and thus far the changes are looking pretty positive.

Along with the introduction of complimentary breakfast for select members, there’s also the ability to earn milestone awards for staying a certain number of nights.

Now, to help celebrate this new program, IHG One Rewards is offering the opportunity to register for a status challenge — and it’s pretty generous.

Let’s take a look.

Promotion Details

Depending on how many nights you’re willing to stay, you can earn either Platinum Elite or Diamond Elite status by taking advantage of this promotion.

Here are the details to be aware of:

You must register by July 31, 2022.
You’ll be granted free Platinum status for 120 days.
You can maintain Platinum status by staying 5 paid nights within the next 120 days.
You can earn Diamond status by staying 15 paid nights within the next 120 days.
The 120-day window begins when you complete your registration.

If you manage to complete the challenge, you’ll hold your elite status until December 31, 2023.

Note that although IHG One Rewards’ promotion page states that you must be a member of another loyalty program in order to register, they don’t actually ask for any confirmation of status.

Is It Worth It?

IHG milestone rewards — Image Credit: IHG

Although many members will likely already have complimentary elite status thanks to one of IHG One Rewads’ co-branded credit cards, the ability to earn Diamond status in the new IHG One Rewards program (which confers the coveted free breakfast to members) is certainly tempting. The promotion is valid even if you’re already an elite member, making this an excellent opportunity for a wide range of folks.

Of course, you’ll only want to register if you have upcoming travel — 15 nights is a lot of nights to stay if you’re only doing so to satisfy this challenge’s requirements, especially when the most tangible benefit you’ll receive (over Platinum status) is complimentary breakfast.

On the other hand, meeting the requirements to earn Diamond status through this challenge also puts you within spitting distance of IHG One Rewards’ first milestone reward, which kicks in after 20 nights. In this case, you’ll be able to choose a confirmable suite upgrade valid for up to 5 nights.

Depending on how you use it, this could potentially be worth thousands of dollars. After 20 nights, you’ll receive a further milestone benefit every 10 additional nights you stay, including the ability to pick 3 additional suite upgrade awards (and a whole host of other rewards).

Hot Tip: This status challenge also pairs nicely with an ongoing point-earning promotion, allowing you to earn up to 4x your points on stays through August 31, 2022.

Final Thoughts

IHG One Rewards is doing its best to make its loyalty program more competitive with the likes of Hilton Honors, World of Hyatt, and Marriott Bonvoy.

At this point, it stands solidly somewhere in the middle, with good rewards and the ability to earn a suite upgrade after staying just 20 nights.

This latest promotion can be a lucrative option for those who have upcoming travel and can swing the 15 nights for Diamond status. Just be sure to register by July 31, 2022.