Want hotel elite status? IHG’s promotion could be the answer

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IHG has overhauled what was previously a mostly useless loyalty program (IHG Rewards) and turned it into a program that’s better and more interesting (IHG One Rewards). As part of the big refresh and with a view to getting more people interested in what its loyalty program has to offer, IHG is currently offering a very easy path to mid-tier and top-tier status which is worth looking into.

IHG may be calling its current promotion a “status challenge” but in reality, the promotion is neither a true status challenge (because you’re given automatic elite status without having to do anything) nor is it a true status match (because you don’t have to hold any other type of hotel elite status to participate).

What this promotion does is gift participants mid-tier IHG One Rewards elite status and then offer them the opportunity to extend the validity of that status or to earn top-tier status by staying at IHG properties for considerably fewer nights than would otherwise be needed to earn or retain those statuses.

How the promotion works

• Join IHG One Rewards (if you’re not already a member) – here
• Register by 31 July 2022 – here
• All participants will immediately be gifted Platinum Elite status for a period of 120 days (starting from the day of registration).
• A participant can then extend their IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status though 31 December 2023 by earning 5 elite qualifying night credits in the 120 days following registration.
• A participant can go as far as to earn top-tier IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite status through 31 December 2023 by earning 15 elite qualifying night credits in the 120 days following registration.
• Should a participant not earn at least 5 elite qualifying night credits in the 120 day window, their status with IHG One Rewards will drop down to ‘Club Member’ which is the entry-level tier.

Note: Current holders of IHG’s Platinum Elite status are permitted to participate in this promotion.

Full details of the promotion can be found here

IHG One Rewards elite status benefits

You can find the full list of IHG One Rewards elite status benefits on this page but the key ones that you need to know about are these:

Platinum Elite

• Earn 60% bonus points on all stays
• Qualify for reward night discounts
• Complimentary upgrades subject to availability
• Welcome amenity at check-in (points or a drink/snack)
• Early check-in (subject to availability)
• Late check-out to 2pm (subject to availability)

Diamond Elite

• Earn 100% bonus points on all stays
• Qualify for reward night discounts
• Dedicated support line
• Complimentary upgrades subject to availability
• Welcome amenity at check-in (daily breakfast for two, points, or a drink/snack)
• Early check-in (subject to availability)
• Late check-out to 2pm (subject to availability)

Be aware that IHG One Rewards also offers members Milestone Rewards (see here) but as these can only be earned through earned elite night credits, this IHG promotion does not offer a fast track to earning these rewards.

Quick thoughts

For anyone who doesn’t have access to US-issued credit cards*, this is almost certainly one of the easiest ways to lock in IHG One Rewards elite status, and now that Platinum Elite status actually has some useful benefits – like reward night discounts, a welcome gift, and access to late check-outs – that makes this a promotion worth considering.

*If you have access to US credit cards, you can enjoy IHG Platinum Elite status for as long as you hold the card_name which at just annual_fees/year, offers what is probably the most economical path to IHG’s mid-tier status.

When it comes to the path to Diamond Elite status that this promotion offers, I doubt you’ll ever find an easier route.

No credit card offers this elite status and no credit card offers a shortcut to this status so this really is the quickest and cheapest way to lock in IHG’s top-tier status if that’s what would work for you.

If you consider the fact that IHG One Rewards ordinarily requires a member to earn 40 qualifying nights (or 60,000 qualifying points) for Platinum Elite status and 70 qualifying nights (or 120,000 qualifying points) for Diamond Elite status, it’s hard not to concede that this is an incredibly generous promotion.

Lastly, anyone interested in participating in this promotion should make sure that they take a close look at the detailed terms and conditions (here) as there are a few things that should be kept in mind (e.g. award nights don’t count towards the 5/15 nights needed to earn IHG status through December 2023, and only ‘qualified rates’ of over $30 will earn credits towards this promotion’s goals).

Bottom line

IHG One Rewards is currently offering one of the more generous elite status promotions that we’ve seen for a long time. I’m sure some will point out that despite all the recent improvements, IHG elite status is still not as valuable as some other hotel elite statuses out there, but while that may be true for some, for those who live in or visit regions where IHG properties rule the roost, this is a promotion that probably shouldn’t be missed.