The Benefits of IHG Rewards Elite Status [Gold, Platinum, and Spire]
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IHG Hotels & Resorts, headquartered in England, is an established hotel brand dating back to the 1700s. The brand has nearly 6,000 hotels across over 100 countries, similar to the footprint you’ll find with the Hilton and Marriott brands.
The highlight of the IHG Rewards loyalty program is its global footprint. What the program lacks in elite benefits it makes up for by having properties across the world. IHG also has 16 brands, ensuring its members have the option to book stays at luxury brands like InterContinental Hotels & Resorts or mainstream brands like Holiday Inn.
In this article, we’ll cover all of the IHG Rewards elite tiers as well as the benefits offered at each tier. The goal is to have an understanding of all of the nuances of the IHG loyalty program. You’ll be armed with the information you need to decide if IHG elite status makes sense for you.
Table of contents
Table of Contents
IHG Rewards Elite Status Levels
| Benefit | Club Member | Gold Elite | Platinum Elite | Spire Elite |
| Extended Check-Out | X | X | X | |
| No Blackout Dates for Reward Nights | X | X | X | X |
| Reward Nights Count Towards Elite Status | X | X | X | X |
| Free Internet | X | X | X | X |
| Elite Members’ Points Don’t Expire | X | X | X | |
| Priority Check-In | X | X | X | |
| Welcome Amenity / “Raid the Bar” at Kimpton hotels | X | X | X | |
| Bonus Earnings on Top of Base Points | 10% | 50% | 100% | |
| Elite Rollover Nights | X | X | ||
| Room Upgrades | X | X | ||
| Guaranteed Room Availability | X | X | ||
| Exclusive Choice Benefit Upon Receiving Status | X | |||
| Exclusive Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Five Star Upgrade Upon Receiving Status | X |
2021 Update: All elite nights earned in 2020 have been rolled over to 2021 and elite requirements for 2021 have been reduced by 25%.
IHG Gold Elite
Gold Elite status is the entry-level elite tier in the IHG Rewards program. This status is earned after staying 7 qualifying nights or earning 7,000 elite-qualifying points in a calendar year. For comparison, the lowest tier elite status in the Hilton Honors program is called Silver, in the Marriott Bonvoy program it’s called Silver Elite, and in the World of Hyatt program it’s called Discoverist.
Members can also qualify for Gold Elite status by holding the IHG® Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card and spending $10,000 in a calendar year.
Late Checkout
Subject to availability and not available in all regions, late checkout is a benefit provided to Gold Elite members.
Hot Tip: The caveats for the late checkout benefit are reminiscent of the 48-hour guarantee for Hilton Honors Diamond members, a near-useless benefit due to the restrictions.
10% Bonus Points
Gold Elite members earn 10% bonus points during their stay. Club (basic) members earn 10 points per dollar spent, resulting in Gold Elite members earning an additional 1 point per dollar spent. Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites stays earn an additional 0.5 points per dollar spent.
Hot Tip: IHG has a new partnership with Mr and Mrs Smith, a curated selection of some of the world’s best hotels, and select properties are now eligible for members to earn and redeem IHG Rewards points.
Points Expiration
Members who earn IHG elite status enjoy the benefit of their points not expiring. However, if the elite member drops down to Club status, the points expire after 12 months if there’s no activity in the account. There are a number of ways to prevent your points from expiring if your elite status drops to Club status, which is good news.
Priority Check-In
An elite check-in line is offered to members who hold Gold Elite status, but this may not be a valuable benefit to IHG elite members who do not access those lines.
Welcome Amenity
The terms and conditions do not define the amenity and only include “Raid the Bar at Kimpton hotels” in the description. Based on data points from other articles, the member will receive bonus points or some type of beverage/snack credit for their stay.
Bottom Line: IHG’s lowest tier elite status leaves much to be desired. While it is nice that points do not expire if you hold elite status, the main benefit of Gold Elite status is 10% bonus points. If you find yourself staying at Kimpton properties on a regular basis, the “Raid the Bar” amenity benefit can also be of value.
IHG Platinum Elite
Platinum Elite status is the middle tier elite status in the IHG Rewards program and will receive unique benefits in addition to those offered to Gold Elites.
Members can earn Platinum Elite status 2 ways:
- Stay 30 qualifying nights or earn 30,000 elite qualifying points in a calendar year
- Hold the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card or IHG® Rewards Club Select Credit Card (no longer open to new applicants) as Platinum Elite status is an included benefit for cardmembers
| CREDIT CARD | CARD INFO |
|---|---|
IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site) |
|
Room Upgrades
Subject to availability and as determined by the hotel, Platinum Elite members will be offered a complimentary upgrade. Room upgrades include corner rooms, newly renovated rooms, rooms on higher floors, or rooms with preferred views.
Hot Tip: The upgrade only applies to the member’s room and not other rooms booked by the member. Suites and specialty rooms are excluded.
50% Bonus Points
Platinum Elite members earn 50% bonus points on their stays. This equates to an additional 5 points per dollar spent than a Club member would earn. Stays at Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites earn the equivalent of an additional 2.5 points per dollar spent.
Guaranteed Room Availability
Platinum Elite members are guaranteed 1 room on reservations made at least 72 hours in advance. Room availability is determined solely by the property and is not guaranteed during times of extraordinary demand. Reward nights are excluded from this benefit and the member must make a reservation through the IHG Rewards Service Center.
Bottom Line: Additional bonus points and room upgrades are 2 benefits that can be useful for Platinum Elites. As with most hotel loyalty programs, upgrades to suites are typically excluded until you reach the highest elite tier. That’s also the case here as upgrades to suites and specialty rooms are excluded from room upgrades.
IHG Spire Elite
55 qualifying nights or 55,000 elite qualifying points in a calendar year are the required thresholds for a member to earn top tier Spire Elite status. Unfortunately, IHG doesn’t offer Spire Elite status as a credit card benefit like Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card offers Hilton Honors Diamond status.
For comparison, the highest tier elite status in the Hilton Honors program is called Diamond, in the Marriott Bonvoy program it’s called Ambassador, and in the World of Hyatt program it’s called Globalist.
For more information on the best credit cards that come with hotel program elite status, we’ve covered the topic in-depth in our detailed article.
Spire Elite status members enjoy all of the benefits of the preceding elite tiers, plus these additional benefits.
Bonus Points
100% bonus points are what Spire Elite members earn during their stay. This bonus percentage equates to an additional 10 points per dollar spent than a Club member would earn. Stays at Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites earn the equivalent of an additional 5 points per dollar spent.
Welcome Amenity
This is the same benefit covered in the Gold Elite section above. The main difference here is that the food and/or drink portion of the amenity is upgraded for Spire Elite members.
Choice Benefit
Spire Elite members can choose between receiving 25,000 bonus points or the ability to gift Platinum Elite status to a family member or friend.
Hot Tip: Elite members will likely want to select the bonus points as their Choice Benefit. The 25,000 bonus points that a member would earn on an annual basis would help to book an additional award night.
Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Five Star Status
Spire Elite members earn Hertz bonus points and receive a 1-class vehicle upgrade when making a car rental with Hertz. This benefit has value if the Spire Elite member utilizes the Hertz loyalty program frequently.
Bottom Line: Choice Benefit bonus points and elite status with Hertz are the 2 notable benefits that come with Spire Elite status. 25,000 IHG Rewards points can go a long way in terms of booking lower-tier IHG award stays. For travelers who utilize Hertz, elite status can make your rental car experience more rewarding.
Final Thoughts
In terms of footprint, the IHG Rewards program looks and feels similar to the Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy programs. Each of these brands has a ton of properties across the world. The goal is to ensure its members will come to its brand first, knowing one of its hotels is likely located in the city they are traveling to.
After laying out what’s offered in each of the elite tiers and the lacking elite benefits, the IHG Rewards program just doesn’t compare to Hilton Honors or Marriott Bonvoy, not to mention World of Hyatt. We recommend evaluating these competitors before investing your money and time into the IHG program.
For those of you who take on IHG elite status, we recommend holding the IHG Premier card which comes with Platinum Elite status. That puts you at least within striking distance of the nights or points required to earn top tier Spire Elite status.
To learn more about the best credit cards for IHG loyalists, you’ll want to read our informative article.
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