Is IHG One Rewards free?

Yes, it’s free to join IHG One Rewards. After joining, you can work to earn Silver Elite, Gold Elite, Platinum Elite, or Diamond Elite status. Or you can purchase InterContinental Ambassador status.

What is Diamond Elite?

Diamond Elite (formerly Spire Elite) is the top-level status at IHG One Rewards that you can earn (not including the invitation-only Kimpton Inner Circle). You’ll become a Diamond Elite when you earn 70 qualified nights or 120,000 qualifying points in a year.

Do IHG One Rewards points expire?

IHG One Rewards points will expire after 12 months without any activity on the account. However, if you are an IHG One Rewards elite (Silver Elite, Gold Elite, Platinum Elite, or Diamond Elite) your points won’t expire for as long as you hold status.

How do I get IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status?

You’ll get IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status after earning 40 qualified nights or 60,000 qualifying points in a calendar year. You can also get Platinum Elite status by purchasing InterContinental Ambassador status for $200 or by having the IHG Premier card, the IHG Premier Business card, or the United Club Infinite card.

Does IHG One Rewards have lifetime status?

No, unlike other hotel chains, IHG One Rewards doesn’t offer lifetime status. You’ll have to requalify every year.

How long does IHG One Rewards status last?

IHG One Rewards status runs on a calendar year and you’ll keep your status for the entire calendar year after you earn it. For example, if you earn status in October of 2022, it will be valid through December 2023.

Do points earned on an IHG credit card count toward elite status?

No, as of March 24, 2022, any points earned from an IHG co-branded credit card DO NOT count toward earning elite status.

How To Earn IHG One Rewards Elite Status (And Is It Worth It?)

Having elite status can really help enhance a hotel stay. From upgrades and bonus points to late checkouts and exclusive gifts, hotel elite status is something we all strive for. Each hotel chain has a different program with different requirements that you’ll need to understand.

In this post, we’re going to focus on IHG One Rewards. We’ll discuss exactly how to get IHG One Rewards elite status, the benefits of each status level, and if it’s even worth it or not.

Table of contents

IHG One Rewards Elite Status
How To Get IHG One Rewards Elite Status
IHG One Rewards Elite Status Levels
Milestone Rewards
Is IHG One Rewards Elite Status Worth It?
- Is Diamond Elite Status Worth It?
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

IHG One Rewards Elite Status
How To Get IHG One Rewards Elite Status
IHG One Rewards Elite Status Levels
Milestone Rewards
Is IHG One Rewards Elite Status Worth It?
- Is Diamond Elite Status Worth It?
Final Thoughts

IHG One Rewards Elite Status

Before we can talk about how to earn IHG One Rewards elite status, there are a few terms you’ll need to know.

Qualifying nights are nights that you book through IHG or a travel agent and pay a qualifying rate for, which according to IHG, includes “most business and leisure rates.” Award nights are considered qualifying nights.

Qualifying points are earned based on how much you spend at IHG Hotels & Resorts properties. Points aren’t awarded on stays booked through an online travel agency.

Elite rollover nights are the number of nights earned the previous year in excess of each tier’s requirements. These will be rolled over to count toward the next year’s qualification. For example, a Platinum Elite member who earns 45 elite nights, will get 5 rollover nights for the following year’s qualification.

How To Get IHG One Rewards Elite Status

When you join IHG One Rewards, you’ll be a Club level member. To earn a higher-level elite status you’ll need to earn a minimum number of qualified nights or qualifying points.

IHG One Rewards Elite Status Level	Qualified Nights	Qualifying Points
Silver Elite	10	N/A
Gold Elite	20	40,000
Platinum Elite	40	60,000
Diamond Elite	70	120,000

After earning status, it will be valid through the end of the following calendar year. For example, if you earn IHG One Rewards elite status on August 9, 2023, your status would be valid through December 31, 2024.

Bottom Line: IHG revamped its rewards program in April 2022 giving it a new name, IHG One Rewards, and changing the elite tier structure. Spire Elite is now called Diamond Elite and a new tier, Silver Elite, was added.

Get IHG One Rewards Elite Status With Your Credit Card

The good news is that there are a couple of options for getting IHG One Rewards elite status with your credit card.

IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card

With the IHG Traveler card, you’ll get automatic Silver Elite status and can earn Gold Elite status when you spend $20,000 in a calendar year. This no annual fee card comes with limited benefits but has some nice points earning categories.

Up to 17x points per dollar at IHG Hotels and Resorts
Earn 3x points per dollar on dining, utilities, cable, internet, phone, select streaming services, and gas
Earn 2x points per $1 on all other purchases
Fourth reward night free

IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card

The IHG Premier card comes with some nice benefits that will appeal to IHG loyalists, including Platinum Elite status:

Earn up to 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants.
Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
Fourth-night free benefit
Yearly anniversary night that can be used at locations costing up to 40,000 points; you can now “top off” the free night certificates with more points for use at more expensive properties
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS application fee credit (up to $100 value)

If you spend $40,000 on this card in a year, you’ll earn top-tier Diamond Elite status.

IHG® Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

The new IHG Premier Business card is a great option for business owners who want IHG status since it comes with Platinum Elite status automatically. Some of the card’s other benefits include:

Earn up to 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
Earn 5 points per $1 spent on travel, hotels, dining, gas, office supply stores, and social media and search engine advertising
Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
Fourth-night free benefit
Yearly anniversary night worth 40,000 points (that can be topped off with additional points)
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS application fee credit (up to $100 value)

Bottom Line: All 3 IHG co-branded credit cards come with IHG One Rewards elite status. The IHG Traveler card comes with Silver Elite status while the IHG Premier card and IHG Premier Business card both come with Platinum Elite status. While you can earn higher elite status by hitting a spending threshold on your credit card, points earned from any IHG credit card DO NOT count as elite qualifying.

United Club℠ Infinite Card

The United Club Infinite card is a great option for United Airlines flyers who also like IHG hotels since this card comes with IHG Platinum Elite status. Cardholders will also get a $75 statement credit for purchases at IHG hotels in 2023.

Other benefits of this card include:

First and second checked bags free
Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS credit

Get IHG Status Through a Status Match

IHG offers periodic status match promotions to allow you to use your status from another hotel chain to gain elite status with IHG.

For more information, check out our guide to hotel loyalty program status matches and challenges.

How To Check Your Progress Toward Elite Status

You can easily check your progress toward IHG One Rewards elite status online. After logging into your account, just click My Account>Overview to see how many points and nights you have toward your elite status.

IHG One Rewards elite status tracker — You can easily keep track of your elite status in your IHG One Rewards account. Image Credit: IHG

IHG One Rewards Elite Status Levels

We’ve written about the benefits of IHG One Rewards elite status levels in detail in another post, so we’ll just go over some of the highlights here.

Club

As soon as you join IHG One Rewards, you’ll be a Club member and have access to some basic benefits including the ability to earn IHG One Rewards points and redeem those points for reward nights.

In addition, all IHG One Rewards members, including Club level, will get free internet at IHG properties and 2 p.m. late checkout (NEW and when available).

Silver Elite

Silver Elite members will get a 20% bonus on IHG points earned through stays and will have the benefit of not having an expiration date on any points.

Gold Elite

You’ll become a Gold Elite status member when you earn 20 qualified nights or 40,000 qualifying points. At that time, you’ll gain access to these benefits in addition to the base level Club and Silver Elite benefits:

40% bonus earnings on top of base points (equal to an additional 4 points per dollar earned)
Elite rollover nights

Platinum Elite

After earning 40 qualified nights or 60,000 qualifying points, you’ll become a Platinum Elite member with access to benefits like these:

60% bonus earnings on top of base points (equal to an additional 6 points per dollar earned)
Reward night discounts — NEW
Room upgrades, when available
Guaranteed room availability with at least 72 hours’ notice
Welcome amenity at check-in (points or drink/snack) — NEW
Early check-in (when available)
Raid the Bar credit (at Kimpton locations only)
$30 in-room spa credit (at Kimpton locations only)

Diamond Elite

You’ll become a Diamond Elite when you earn 70 qualified nights or 120,000 qualifying points. As a top-level IHG One Rewards member, you’ll enjoy all of the benefits of Platinum Elite, Gold Elite, and Silver Elite levels plus the following:

100% bonus earnings on top of base points (equal to an additional 10 points per dollar earned)
Dedicated Diamond support — NEW
Welcome amenity at check-in (free hot breakfast for 2, points, or drink/snack) — NEW

InterContinental Ambassador

The IHG Ambassador program isn’t a traditional elite level or even a top-level invitation-only status. It’s a “status” that you can buy for $200 per year that comes with perks at InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, as well as IHG Platinum Elite status:

Guaranteed 1-category room upgrade
Complimentary premium internet
4 p.m. late checkout
Complimentary weekend night (as part of a 2-night stay)
Restaurant and bar credit of up to $20 per stay
Complimentary mineral water

Hot Tip: You can purchase InterContinental Ambassador status for $200 per year. The perks are limited to InterContinental hotel locations, but it comes with IHG Platinum Elite status.

Kimpton Inner Circle

Kimpton Inner Circle is an invitation-only status awarded only to loyal Kimpton guests. There isn’t a published list of requirements for this level of elite status, but IHG states that you’ll be close to receiving an invitation if you reach Diamond Elite status and stay frequently at Kimpton brand hotels.

Kimpton Inner Circle members will receive the following benefits at Kimpton hotels only:

A unique amenity upon arrival
Chef’s Taste (a small complimentary taste from the chef when dining at a Kimpton restaurant for dinner)
Free hotel night at participating new Kimpton hotels
Complimentary premium internet
VIP customer service line
Guaranteed 1-category room upgrade
Guaranteed early check-in and late checkout
Waived amenity/destination fees (does not include resort fees)

As an IHG elite member staying at a Kimpton Hotel, you’ll be eligible for some other unique perks like Raid the Bar and an in-room spa credit!

Bottom Line: IHG One Rewards has 4 main levels of elite status — Silver Elite, Gold Elite, Platinum Elite, and Diamond Elite. In addition, you can buy Ambassador Status for perks at InterContinental Hotels. There’s also an invitation-only status for loyal Kimpton guests called Kimpton Inner Circle.

Milestone Rewards

Milestone Rewards is a new feature of the IHG One Rewards program. This program, which seems to be modeled after Hyatt’s Milestone Rewards, offers benefits starting at 20 elite nights:

Number of Elite Nights	Milestone Reward
20 Nights — Choose 1 Reward	5,000 Bonus Points
	2 Food and Beverage Rewards
	1 Confirmable Suite Upgrade
30 Nights — Choose 1 Reward	5,000 Bonus Points
30 Nights — Choose 1 Reward	2 Food and Beverage Rewards
40 Nights — Choose 2 Rewards	10,000 Bonus Points
	5 Food and Beverage Rewards
	1 Confirmable Suite Upgrade (limit 1)
	Annual Lounge Membership (limit 1)
50 Nights — Choose 1 Reward	10,000 Bonus Points
50 Nights — Choose 1 Reward	5 Food and Beverage Rewards
60 Nights — Choose 1 Reward	10,000 Bonus Points
60 Nights — Choose 1 Reward	5 Food and Beverage Rewards
70 Nights — Choose 2 Rewards	10,000 Bonus Points
	5 Food and Beverage Rewards
	2 Confirmable Suite Upgrades (limit 1)
	Annual Lounge Membership (limit 1)
80 Nights — Choose 1 Reward	10,000 Bonus Points
80 Nights — Choose 1 Reward	5 Food and Beverage Rewards
90 Nights — Choose 1 Reward	10,000 Bonus Points
90 Nights — Choose 1 Reward	5 Food and Beverage Rewards
100 Nights — Choose 1 Reward	10,000 Bonus Points
100 Nights — Choose 1 Reward	5 Food and Beverage Rewards

Hot Tip: Milestone Rewards is a way for IHG One Rewards members to earn perks like confirmable suite upgrades and bonus points based on the member’s number of elite nights.

Is IHG One Rewards Elite Status Worth It?

Historically, the IHG One Rewards program (formerly just “IHG Rewards”) was underwhelming when it came to elite status benefits. However, with the recent overhaul of the program, it has become much more appealing.

One of the biggest changes to the program is the addition of free breakfast as a perk of top-tier Diamond Elite status. This is a welcome change to the program that adds to its overall value.

Another great addition is Milestone Rewards. This program is reminiscent of Hyatt’s Milestone Rewards program and offers benefits including food and beverage credits, confirmable suite upgrades, and bonus points.

Is Diamond Elite Status Worth It?

Since Platinum Elite status comes automatically with 2 separate IHG credit cards and the United Club Infinite card, the question of “is it worth it?” really only applies to Diamond Elite status since that’s the only level that requires some effort to achieve.

Let’s take a quick look at some of the ways you can achieve Diamond Elite status to see if it’s worth it for someone who also holds the IHG Premier card:

Spend $40,000 on the IHG Premier Card — If you spend $40,000 in a year you’ll earn Diamond Elite status.
Earn 120,000 Points — These points can be earned by staying at IHG properties.
Stay 70 nights — This is a lot of nights to achieve without any promos, so it may be hard for most people, with the exception of road warriors and business travelers, to earn status by elite nights.

That’s a lot of spending to put on an IHG credit card. While there are some IHG loyalists out there where earning Diamond Elite status through spending will be totally worth it, for many of us, it won’t be worth the effort.

If you have a lot of IHG stays coming up, it might be worth booking another 1 or 2 to get top-level status. You would need to spend $12,000 at IHG properties to earn Diamond status.

Hot Tip: Keep in mind that when you earn status by holding a credit card or hitting a spending threshold on a credit card, you won’t earn the Milestone Rewards, which can be one of the most valuable parts of the program.

Final Thoughts

Hotel elite status is a great thing to have, but getting that elite status can sometimes be tricky. IHG One Rewards offers 4 levels of elite status that you can earn based on qualifying nights or qualifying points. Thankfully, you can earn Silver Elite or Platinum Elite status just by having an IHG co-branded credit card.

The IHG One Rewards program got a facelift including a new name and new elite status tiers in 2022 that made it much more appealing and competitive with programs like Marriott Bonvoy.