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As I write this information, I am sitting on the balcony of a junior suite on the InterContinental Cairo Semiramis in Egypt, overlooking the Nile River. I redeemed a median of 20,500 factors per evening for the standard room however was upgraded to this suite at check-in as a advantage of top-tier IHG elite standing.

IHG elite standing will not all the time get you upgrades, even on the top-tier Diamond Elite degree, and extra advantages than I might like are topic to the discretion of every property. However, particularly as a result of worth I can get when redeeming IHG factors and IHG’s in depth worldwide portfolio, I’ve discovered IHG elite standing worthwhile. This is what you need to learn about IHG elite standing to determine if it is worthwhile for you.

Associated: Evaluating the perfect lodge elite standing tiers and find out how to earn them

The IHG One Rewards program affords 5 membership tiers. The primary membership tier — Membership member — would not have any necessities. However to earn IHG elite standing, you will want to fulfill the next necessities every calendar yr:

• 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

Along with these IHG elite standing tiers, you might get invited to Kimpton Interior Circle when you present loyalty to Kimpton by assembly unpublished standards. You may also buy an InterContinental Ambassador membership and doubtlessly get an improve to Royal Ambassador based mostly in your qualifying exercise at InterContinental motels and resorts.

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You may additionally earn rewards via IHG’s Milestone Rewards program as you accrue qualifying nights every calendar yr.

Associated: The 19 finest IHG motels on the planet

Qualifying nights are nights you e-book with IHG factors or at a qualifying fee — which is best outlined as a fee that earns IHG factors. In brief, when you e-book straight with IHG, you will seemingly get qualifying nights.

Qualifying factors are a bit trickier. IHG affords two forms of factors: elite-qualifying factors and non-elite-qualifying factors. The distinction between these two forms of factors is just necessary for incomes elite standing. In brief, this is an inventory of the forms of actions that earn elite-qualifying factors:

• Resort stays for which you pay a qualifying fee
• Spending with choose companions, together with Hertz automotive leases, OpenTable reservations and Viator experiences
• Shopping for IHG One Rewards bonus factors packages
• Certified spending via the IHG Enterprise Rewards program
• Spending on IHG One Rewards bank cards issued in the UK or Higher China

And this is an inventory of actions that earn factors that you could redeem however that are not elite-qualifying:

In case you e-book costly stays at qualifying charges, closely make the most of the IHG Enterprise Rewards program or continuously use an IHG One Rewards card issued in the UK or Higher China, you might discover it straightforward to qualify for IHG elite standing based mostly on qualifying factors. Nevertheless, many members discover qualifying nights a a lot simpler metric to fulfill.

Associated: The way to maximize redemptions with the IHG One Rewards program

IHG elite standing affords some beneficial perks to vacationers who continuously keep at IHG motels and resorts. This is a have a look at among the most helpful perks, together with how they differ by standing tier.

Bonus factors

IHG members earn 10 factors per greenback on qualifying stays at most IHG properties. Nevertheless, you will solely earn 5 factors per greenback at Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites properties, 3 factors per greenback at IHG Military Lodges, 2,000 factors per keep on the Venetian Resort Las Vegas and the Palazzo on the Venetian Resort, and a pair of.5 factors per greenback at IHG-branded residence properties (excluding Voco Residences).

However, IHG elite members get bonus factors on qualifying stays. Particularly, Silver Elite members get a 20% bonus, Gold Elite members get a 40% bonus, Platinum Elite members get a 60% bonus and Diamond Elite members get a 100% bonus. These bonus factors aren’t elite-qualifying factors, although.

Associated: How a lot worth does IHG One Rewards standing present once you e-book straight?

Rollover nights

This perk could also be useful when you normally qualify for IHG standing based mostly on qualifying nights. On the finish of every calendar yr, IHG will calculate the rollover nights for Gold Elite and above members because the qualifying nights they earned above the quantity required for his or her standing. These nights will roll over and rely towards incomes elite standing within the new calendar yr.

Nevertheless, rollover nights are solely legitimate for one calendar yr. IHG calculates rollover nights as your whole qualifying nights on the finish of the calendar yr (together with rollover nights from the earlier yr) minus the nights required for the IHG elite standing you earned minus the rollover nights from the earlier yr.

Reward evening reductions

One of many perks launched with the new IHG One Rewards program was reward evening reductions. These reward evening reductions are periodically accessible for IHG One Rewards bank card holders, Platinum Elite members and Diamond Elite members, however IHG One Rewards bank card holders normally get early entry.

Complimentary upgrades

Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite members are eligible for complimentary upgrades topic to availability and on the lodge’s discretion. Nevertheless, complimentary upgrades to club-level rooms or flooring do not embrace club-level advantages or lounge entry. And since upgrades are at every property’s discretion, some motels and resorts are extra beneficiant.

Welcome amenity

Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite members can take pleasure in a welcome amenity when checking in to IHG motels or resorts. Silver Elite and Gold Elite additionally take pleasure in a welcome amenity for stays in Higher China.

The choices differ by model and area however normally embrace a snack, a meals and beverage credit score or factors. However, top-tier Diamond Elite members additionally get every day breakfast for the member and a visitor staying in the identical room as a welcome amenity alternative at full-service and select-service manufacturers. IHG defines breakfast as limitless nonalcoholic drinks and one important menu merchandise or full buffet, though some menu gadgets and specialty drinks could also be excluded.

You would possibly solely get factors as a welcome amenity when you use digital check-in. So, if you don’t need factors as your welcome amenity, it is best to keep away from digital check-in.

Early check-in and late checkout

Solely Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite members can request early check-in, which is topic to availability and supplied as early or late because the lodge chooses. However, late checkout is accessible to all IHG members — together with non-elite members — upon request, topic to availability and as much as 2 p.m.

Associated: One of the best IHG all-inclusive resorts, from Jamaica to Mexico

Can a bank card assist earn IHG elite standing?

Bank cards will help you earn IHG elite standing. When you have an IHG One Rewards bank card issued in the UK or Higher China, you possibly can earn elite-qualifying factors towards standing together with your spending. Nevertheless, IHG One Rewards bank cards issued within the U.S. provide complimentary IHG elite standing and alternatives to spend to earn larger tiers of standing.

For instance, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit score Card and IHG One Rewards Premier Enterprise Credit score Card provide computerized Platinum Elite standing as a cardmember profit. You may also earn Diamond Elite standing via the tip of the subsequent calendar yr after making purchases totaling $40,000 or extra in your IHG Premier or IHG Premier Enterprise card.

In the meantime, the no-annual-fee IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit score Card affords computerized Silver Elite standing as a cardmember profit. You possibly can earn Gold Elite standing via the tip of the subsequent calendar yr after you make purchases totaling $20,000 or extra in your IHG Traveler card.

All three of those IHG bank cards issued within the U.S. provide the precious fourth-night-free reward perk. This perk drops the price of each fourth evening on stays of 4 nights or extra that you just e-book with IHG factors to zero factors. This perk can not directly assist you earn IHG elite standing because it means you possibly can stretch your factors for extra nights when you continuously keep in increments of 4 nights.

Likewise, in case you are a major cardmember of the United Membership Infinite Card, you possibly can enroll in complimentary Platinum Elite standing as a perk of your card.

Associated: What bank card must you use for IHG stays?

Is IHG elite standing price it?

IHG elite standing is definitely price it for some vacationers; the query is whether or not it’s price it for you. The advantages on the Silver Elite and Gold Elite tiers normally will not be price striving for — though when you earn these statuses organically, you will profit from bonus factors and should earn some IHG Milestone Rewards.

Platinum Elite standing affords some beneficial perks that make it price striving for over Gold Elite or Silver Elite standing. So when you stick with IHG not less than a couple of occasions a yr, it might be price getting the IHG Premier Credit score Card, IHG Premier Enterprise Credit score Card, United Membership Infinite Card or an InterContinental Ambassador membership — all of which supply complimentary Platinum Elite standing in addition to different perks that may assist you justify paying an annual charge. I just like the IHG Premier Credit score Card since I get considerably extra worth than the cardboard’s $99 annual charge every year through the use of the fourth-night-reward perk and the anniversary free evening.

Nevertheless, you will want top-tier Diamond Elite standing if you wish to select every day breakfast as a welcome amenity when staying at full-service and select-service manufacturers. This standing requires 70 qualifying nights or 120,000 qualifying factors every calendar yr, which is frankly lots in comparison with different lodge loyalty applications. Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite standing at 50 nights or World of Hyatt Globalist standing at 60 nights (or 100,000 base factors) are comparable statuses that additionally provide methods to earn elite-qualifying nights via bank card spending.

Associated: Why you need to get (and preserve) the IHG One Rewards Premier card

The decrease tiers of IHG standing do not provide many perks. In the meantime, top-tier Diamond Elite standing requires a whole lot of nights, elite-qualifying factors or spending on the IHG Premier Credit score Card or IHG Premier Enterprise Credit score Card. So, for many vacationers, Platinum Elite standing is the candy spot among the many IHG elite statuses.

In spite of everything, you may get Platinum Elite standing as a perk of the IHG Premier Credit score Card, IHG Premier Enterprise Credit score Card, United Membership Infinite Card or an InterContinental Ambassador membership. So you possibly can take pleasure in IHG elite standing even when you do not stick with IHG all that continuously.