IHG has launched its fully revamped loyalty program, which we’ve been expecting for quite some time. This is in addition to the credit card portfolio recently being refreshed.
Continue reading: IHG One Rewards: Breakfast, Suites, & Club Access! (Now Live)
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
I'd be even more impressed of more of the Club lounges were reopened. Seems like these are the last on the list to get up and running despite Intercontinental charging full price. I've used 40K points to get Ambassador status for the BOGO free weekend night and lounge access and there aren't many to choose from.
When are these changes expected to be rolled out? I have a Kimpton stay in early May and wondering if there will be Breakfast as I am a current Spire member.
@ Izz -- Tiers will be upgraded in the coming days, but it's expected that the new perks will be introduced as of June 2022. So unfortunately you probably won't get these new perks.
Wow. Color me impressed. Finally we have a major player scaling UP loyalty benefits! When was the last time that happened? This won’t steal me away from Hyatt (yet) but it’s a viable alternative if Hyatt (continues to) decline. Perhaps some insurance that Hyatt won’t further devalue?
These changes are fantastic. Well done IHG. And look out Marriott. My ranking is now:
Hyatt
IHG
Hilton
Marriott (used to be my #2 prior to the recent devaluation)
I also hope Hyatt sees this as a warning shot. If they continue to devalue, IHG could become my #1.
Overall, I'm pleasantly surprised by the new benefits that will be offered to Platinum and Diamond members and I will likely choose to stay at IHG hotels more often going forward. However, one significant issue with the confirmed suite upgrades is that they cannot be used for award bookings and this is unfortunate. Also, a free night should have been included as one or more milestone awards.
Rollover nights (at least over 55 nights) from 2021 hasn't happened (yet) for Spire Elite like Hilton did for Diamond (all 2021 nights). Any chance it's still coming?
My first thoughts? IHG screwed Chase again.
I believe the last time shortly after chase updated the design of the IHG Premier Credit Card (and maybe also the legacy Select card), IHG started this rebranding, changed their logo and renamed IHG Rewards Club to just IHG Rewards. Now just weeks after Chase finally changed their card designs, IHG revealed this new IHG One Rewards name, which apparently nobody knew. I wonder how long it will take for Chase to add this 1 to their card lol. Lack of coordination all over.
Perhaps I am missing it, but I do not see how IHG can promote this idea of unity and to emphasize that we all share one world, while continuing to be the lone major hotel awards program that charges you to transfer points to your own spouse. Free household transfers was a slam dunk change and they biff'd it.
@ Frank -- Sorry, I'm not sure I know what you're talking about? Do you mean the IHG Luxury & Lifestyle program available through select travel agents, or something else? There's no change to that program...
@ Brian -- Hah, I imagine there was communication between Chase and IHG throughout this, though I agree, I find the way the rebranding is happening to be a bit odd. Over a short period we're going from IHG Rewards Club, to IHG Rewards, to IHG One Rewards.
@ Jason -- Rollover nights should still be happening for this year for eligible members, as far as I know.
The fact that breakfast or lounge access has to be chosen as a benefit is stupid. The lounge access benefit is pretty worthless since pretty much only Intercontinental properties have a lounge.
It's taken them way too long to bring about these changes. They should have done it at the time of the SPG/Marriott merger to get the SPG folks to jump. That said, a slap in the face for Hilton and Marriott and their constantly devaluing of benefits for their Elites, and some (though likely limited) competition for Hyatt.
IHG has pretty consistently been my fallback program this year (one of the preferred brands at work) and I'm pleased with the consistency of their brands/offerings vs. other large chains. I don't know how, but I've been Platinum for several years now, and the earnings bonus is nice. The free weekend night as Ambassador is a good value, too. Ideally I finish out the requirements for Marriott LT Plat this year, then they become my fallback and perhaps I end up putting more focus on IHG. I don't have the momentum or 5/24 availability to pursue the Hyatt status right now.
It really seems like the breakfast for 2 should be platinum level and above since Diamond seems kind of unreachable ($40K spend) or 60 nights, I think?
Ambassador status doesn't have lounge access as a benefit. Royal Ambassador does, but that's not the same as the $200/40K Ambassador program.
For elite tier , what considers as qualified points ? does my transfer from UR counts?
That was my first reaction as well. It seems a complementary breakfast is available for a very small segment of members
Any perk enhancement is welcomed but let's not get too excited. What IHG has done here, by adding F&B/Lounge and milestones benefits, is what was already offered by the other three big hotel chains. IHG is basically trying to catch up to the competition, but even so fell short, due to enhanced benefits not being available at award stays and only triggered at the top tier status, unlike Hilton and Marriott. IHG is better now but still behind WOH, HHonors and Bonvoy.
Half the time I still type "priorityclub.com" when I'm trying to get to my account. (It still works.)
I like IHG in general. I wish there were more Indigos though. I wonder what dort of qualifying rate is required for these suite upgrades
I never upgraded my chase chard when they came out with the news ones. What status will I get ?
Holiday inn express has most value and already has breakfast. This is a nothing burger
I believe that since IHG Select Chase CC has offered Platinum, it should still be the same with this new program.
They should offer it on award stays as I was a little shocked that they did not.
Are you an Ambassador member, so if that is the case, then that is the reason why you are also Platinum.
Do any of the elite benefits (breakfast, suite upgrades at check-in) apply for award stays? That's one of the big negatives for the current program. "Oh you want to use your points that were earned from previous stays to stay at somewhere for vacation? Sorry, you can't use any of your elite perks." Lame.
It would be up to you if you are willing to try to transfer Chase UR points. According to their T and Cs, points transfer don’t count. Elite qualifying points would be spend on activities such as their co-branded credit cards, stays at their hotels, spending at their restaurants/bars, or BPP.
And if you’re royal ambassador you’re also most likely Spire Inner Circle for your stays at kimpton, which is kimpton’s invite only level
Oh, spend on their co-branded cards will no longer count as elite qualifying with this new program, but I do wonder if it is effectively immediately or will it be in effect in June 2022.
These changes are fantastic. Well done IHG. And look out Marriott. My ranking is now:
Hyatt
IHG
Hilton
Marriott (used to be my #2 prior to the recent devaluation)
LOL. IHG remakes itself in Hilton Honors' image by a wholesale imitation of the latter program (but still comes up short), and it suddenly leaps to the second place, behind WoH, itself a weak program that does not offer its members the 4th or 5th award night free, which is unquestionably the single most valuable perk in hotel loyalty? I would say that there's something 'fishy' with that ranking...
Anyway, as they say, imitation is the most sincere (sincerest) form of flattery.
G'day.
Katie from TPG stated that an IHG rep confirmed that these benefits will apply to paid and award stays.
Would the annual lounge membership apply to the member and a guest staying with you? So, it is not just for you. It is for two.
So I don't get it. I am a Platinum Elite member (paid) and get 4PM checkout which is nice. Does this continue?
Right, I'm also over 55 nights but not over 70 and haven't seen it, fine print suggests you need to be over the 70 (or 75) for last year and not just over the reduced requirement of 55 they put in place during the pandemic. I'm a little disappointed, as the prior year EVERY night rolled over, not just those over the threshold. Maybe they got too many Spire Elites as a result and need to winnow it back. But I'd much rather be pleasantly surprised with something rolled over rather than mildly disappointed with no roll over nights credited at all which seems to be the case.
Lounge access based on status is sure to kill the experience of Club Intercontinental stays. I guess it is time to enjoy them while possible, and then just watch as the lounges are being devalued to nothing special.
Wondering about that too. Between me and my husbands, we stay about 80+ nights a year at IHG properties for work. Two Gold or One Diamond? If lounge membership applies to a member only, I inclined to choose two gold status (40 night each). If it applies to a member and a guest staying with a member, I would go for one diamond (with hot breakfast). Any information?
Are point stays award stays? or not? I thought points stays are award stays. Correct me if I am wrong.
After checking the new IHG One benefit chart again, it seems that the lounge membership milestone should apply to two people. Just my guess on on it.
It's a scam. I was one night & 500 points away from the old Club going to Gold, so I booked a 6 night stay from 7 May. Now I'll barely make Silver. Why not downgrade your rewards system as you've done at the end of a year, not part way through.
i've been quite happy with IHG - the property I stay at in Abu Dhabi *always* upgrade me 🙂
Checked into Holiday Inn City Centre in Munich 2 days ago and was explicitly told I booked the no breakfast award reservation regardless of my Diamond/former spire status. I did receive a suite upgrade but was told I would have to purchase breakfast.
I have diamond status because I was a spire in the old program. My account is sitting on around 700,000 points and 12 nights stayed in 2022.
For context, I also have ambassador and globalist statuses with Marriott and Hyatt (the two highest tiers in those respective programs).
I’ve been playing around with IHG since the new benefits were announced.
I honestly can’t see myself spending 70 nights a year with IHG, especially when I get the second-tier platinum status by virtue of holding the credit card. There just aren’t enough Intercontinental or Kimpton properties domestically in the United States to make it worth it. As for Crowne Plaza, I can’t remember the last time I saw a Crowne Plaza that was an option.
If I’m staying with IHG it’s because the only chain option in a given market is a Holiday Inn Express. And unlike Holiday Inn, breakfast is free for all guests at Holiday Inn Express. So that new IHG breakfast benefit for diamonds is pretty worthless. I’m simply not going to spend 70 nights a year a Holiday Inn.
In practice, the Holiday Inn properties that have offered diamonds breakfast since the new IHG program was launched have had horrendous breakfasts; like the food at Starbucks and McDonald’s would be better at breakfast. I stayed at one property over the weekend that didn’t have oatmeal, didn’t have yogurt, and the only eggs were from egg mix. They couldn’t fry an egg because they didn’t have real eggs.
While IHG is promising a lot with its new program, the reality is the portfolio is very weak in the United States as it’s predominately geared toward low-end brands. Even the prospects of staying at IHG’s nicest-ever Holiday Inn property won’t be enough to lure me away from a Marriott, Westin, Renaissance, JW Marriott, or Hyatt Regency.
Maybe if I was traveling to big cities in Asia or going to an Intercontinental-branded resort in the South Pacific. But 70 nights at Holiday Inn in North America? No thank you.
The biggest problem with IHG domestically is it lacks good, full-service brands.
Nobody in their right mind is going to book the average Holiday Inn over the average JW Marriott, Westin, or Hyatt Regency. Intercontinental and Kimpton aren't in enough markets. Crowne Plaza is few and far between. Even then a Crowne Plaza domestically is more like a Sheraton or Delta.
I have diamond status now but get platinum status automatically for having an IHG-branded credit card. Even if I wanted to do, I could never do 70 nights at Intercontinental and Kimpton because there aren't enough of them in the places I visit for work. I could easily do 70 nights at Holiday Inn -- they're everywhere! -- but there's no way I would do that that. IHG will be an alternative option for me when a given destination only has a Holiday Inn Express or Holiday Inn. And in those situations, I'll probably book the Holiday Inn Express since breakfast is free for all guests.
The problem is everyone is a platinum because of the credit card. They likely couldn't reduce the giveaway status because of credit card contracts. But it would have been nice to offer breakfast to everyone at 50 or 55 nights and then differentiate that with lounge access and breakfast at 70 nights. You shouldn't have to choose lounge access. If there's a lounge and you're a diamond, you should get it. After all, it's not like any Holiday Inn domestic properties have a lounge. The only properties in North America with a lounge are limited to some but not all Intercontinental and Crowne Plaza properties.
It sucks. Consider at Platinum Marriott you get lounge access or breakfast depending on the brand or some sort of F&B credit. Platinum is Marriott's level four - Basic, Silver, Gold and then Platinum. Diamond appears to be the fifth level and there is no discussion of Club access. Further IHG has some decent hotels but no luxury ones.
The same happened to me (paid 3 night stay) at the other HI in Munich (Leuchtenbergring) - they refused free breakfast. I had to actually pull up the IHG Rewards page stating this before they reluctantly accepted - won't stay there again obviously.
I booked a 3 night reward stay.
I was offered breakfast for just one morning.
If I had booked three individual nights I would have been given 3 breakfasts.
Should we as loyal members miss out on our diamond elite rewards like this.
We stayed in Boston Intercontinental with our Chase credit card. We still can not enjoy the breakfast and lounge for free.