As the top of the 12 months approaches, you might marvel how you will earn your required stage of elite standing with IHG One Rewards this 12 months. This information will focus on methods for incomes IHG elite standing earlier than the top of the 12 months, together with methods to earn extra qualifying nights or qualifying factors.
IHG elite standing overview
IHG overhauled its loyalty program in 2022, including extra advantages and a brand new elite tier. Listed below are the present IHG One Rewards elite tiers and the necessities for every:
- Silver Elite: 10 qualifying nights
- Gold Elite: 20 qualifying nights or 40,000 qualifying factors
- Platinum Elite: 40 qualifying nights or 60,000 qualifying factors
- Diamond Elite: 70 qualifying nights or 120,000 qualifying factors
As you may see, you may earn most IHG elite standing tiers by way of qualifying nights or qualifying factors. IHG makes use of a calendar 12 months as its qualification interval, so you might have from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 annually to accrue sufficient nights or factors in your desired elite tier. Then, you will preserve your standing by means of the top of the next calendar 12 months.
Moreover, you may earn IHG milestone rewards primarily based in your qualifying nights every calendar 12 months. Beginning at simply 20 qualifying nights per calendar 12 months, you will earn milestone rewards for each 10 qualifying nights you keep (as much as 100 qualifying nights per calendar 12 months).
Associated: IHG elite standing: What it’s and tips on how to earn it
Methods for incomes extra qualifying nights
Sadly, there is not a shortcut to accruing qualifying nights with IHG One Rewards. You will earn one elite-qualifying evening for each evening of a qualifying keep, together with reward stays.
The IHG phrases and circumstances explicitly observe that you simply will not earn any qualifying nights for a keep should you no-show or cancel after the resort cancellation time (even should you’ve paid the room in full and it is nonrefundable). So, you will want to point out as much as the resort and keep on a qualifying paid charge or award keep to earn qualifying nights.
Moreover, should you e book two rooms for a similar calendar day, just one evening will depend as a qualifying evening. As such, should you want extra qualifying nights than the quantity left within the calendar 12 months, you will not be capable to qualify in your desired standing primarily based on nights.
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If you happen to want extra qualifying nights, take a look at your plans for the remainder of the 12 months and see when you possibly can keep at an IHG resort. Even when an IHG resort is dearer than your different choices, it could be worthwhile if it should allow you to earn the next elite tier or an extra milestone reward.
If you cannot get the qualifying nights you want on journeys you intend to take, take into account doing a staycation or mattress run close to your home. Or plan a getaway to a vacation spot with cheap IHG motels or resorts.
Associated: Earn elite nights on award stays with these resort loyalty packages
Methods for incomes extra qualifying factors
Based mostly on IHG’s phrases and circumstances, solely the next actions earn elite-qualifying factors:
- Paying qualifying charges for resort stays
- Spending on Hertz automotive leases, OpenTable reservations and Viator experiences
- Buying an IHG One Rewards bonus factors package deal
- Qualifying spending by means of IHG Enterprise Rewards
- Purchases on IHG One Rewards bank cards issued within the U.Ok. and Better China
Incomes by means of IHG associate actions like Hertz automotive leases, OpenTable reservations and Viator experiences could assist should you solely have to earn a small quantity of further qualifying factors to succeed in your required elite standing. And should you occur to be eligible for an IHG card issued within the U.Ok. or Better China, you possibly can use it to earn extra qualifying factors in your purchases.
However for many U.S.-based IHG loyalists, one of the best ways to earn extra qualifying factors is so as to add bonus factors packages to imminent paid stays. For instance, here is a suggestion I noticed on a keep on the Vacation Inn Ocean Metropolis in Maryland:
If you happen to add 5,000 factors for $32 per evening, you will purchase factors for 0.64 cents every. This buy charge is greater than TPG’s October 2024 valuation of IHG factors (0.5 cents every) however nonetheless decrease than I can usually get when redeeming IHG factors. Plus, the factors you’d buy along with your keep are elite-qualifying.
Associated: earn IHG factors by way of stays, bank cards and extra
Different methods for incomes IHG elite standing rapidly
As you might need seen, there aren’t many shortcuts to incomes extra qualifying nights or factors. However that does not imply there are no shortcuts for incomes IHG elite standing. Listed below are some methods you may earn IHG elite standing rapidly.
Get an IHG bank card
A number of IHG bank cards present automated elite standing as a cardholder perk and allow you to spend towards greater elite standing tiers:
- IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit score Card: Get pleasure from automated Silver Elite standing so long as you stay an IHG Traveler cardmember, plus earn Gold Elite standing by means of the top of the next 12 months every calendar 12 months you make purchases totaling $20,000 or extra along with your card.
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit score Card and IHG One Rewards Premier Enterprise Credit score Card: Get pleasure from automated Platinum Elite standing so long as you stay an IHG Premier cardmember, plus earn Diamond Elite standing by means of the top of the next 12 months every calendar 12 months you make purchases totaling $40,000 or extra along with your card.
It’s also possible to enroll in complimentary IHG Platinum Elite standing with the United Membership℠ Infinite Card.
Associated: Why it is best to get (and preserve) the IHG One Rewards Premier card
Pay for InterContinental Ambassador membership
One other method to rapidly earn Platinum Elite standing is to buy an InterContinental Ambassador membership. A 12-month Ambassador membership prices $225 or 45,000 factors. However, membership gives Platinum Elite standing within the IHG One Rewards program and the next perks when staying at InterContinental properties:
- Assured one-category room improve
- Assured 4 p.m. late checkout
- Complimentary weekend evening
- Eating places and bars credit score of as much as $20 per keep
- Complimentary mineral water
- Complimentary web
- Devoted check-in space
- Single room charge for double occupancy
If you’d like Platinum Elite standing and do not have a bank card that gives this standing, sustaining an InterContinental Ambassador membership could also be a sensible choice, even should you solely sometimes keep at InterContinental properties.
Associated: How a lot worth does IHG One Rewards standing present whenever you e book immediately?
Make the most of a focused provide
It is also price checking your e-mail and the presents part in your IHG account to see whether or not you might have any focused presents. In any case, some IHG members have reported getting a focused Diamond Elite fast-track provide. By this provide, focused members can earn Diamond Elite standing by means of the top of 2025 after enrolling after which staying 10 promotion-qualifying nights between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31.
Associated: What to do when a resort would not need to honor your elite advantages
Backside line
You may earn IHG elite-qualifying factors by including bonus factors to imminent paid IHG stays, however there isn’t any shortcut to incomes IHG elite-qualifying nights.
Incomes IHG elite standing is not troublesome, although. You may get pleasure from Platinum Elite standing as a perk of InterContinental Ambassador membership, and a number of other playing cards provide automated Platinum Elite standing for so long as you are a cardholder. Plus, you may earn top-tier Diamond elite standing by means of the top of the next 12 months by spending $40,000 or extra on the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit score Card or the IHG One Rewards Premier Enterprise Credit score Card in a calendar 12 months.
