In the miles & points world, Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, and World of Hyatt, seem to be the loyalty programs that get the most attention. However, IHG One Rewards is also potentially worth a look, given the group’s large hotel footprint, plus reasonably compelling loyalty program.
In this post, I want to take a closer look at the benefits of IHG One Rewards Platinum status, which is the program’s upper mid-tier status (I’ve separately written a guide about IHG One Rewards Diamond status). How do you earn the status, what are the benefits of being a member, and is it worth it?
How to earn IHG One Rewards Platinum status
There are several ways to earn IHG One Rewards Platinum status — you can earn it based on the number of nights you stay, you can earn it based on how much qualifying spending you have at IHG properties, you can earn it by having a co-branded credit card, or you can even (indirectly) buy it outright.
Earning IHG Platinum status with hotel stays
IHG One Rewards Platinum status can be earned either based on the number of nights you stay or the number of qualifying points you earn, as follows:
- Stay 40 qualifying nights in a calendar year; even award nights count toward that total
- Earn 60,000 qualifying points in a calendar year; you ordinarily earn 10x base points per dollar spent, so you’d earn that after spending $6,000 at most IHG brands
Earning IHG Platinum status with credit cards
IHG and Chase have four co-branded credit cards — two of them offer Platinum status just for being a cardmember, and one offers Platinum status with spending. Specifically:
- The Brand New IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card (learn more) offers IHG Platinum status for as long as you’re a cardmember; you can also earn IHG Diamond for spending $25,000 in a calendar year
- The New IHG One Rewards Business Credit Card (learn more) offers IHG Platinum status for as long as you’re a cardmember; you can also earn IHG Diamond for spending $50,000 in a calendar year
- The New IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (learn more) offers IHG Gold status for as long as you’re a cardmember; you can earn IHG Platinum status for spending $15,000 in a calendar year
On top of that, there are some other Chase cards that offer IHG Platinum status as well:
- The United Club℠ Card (learn more) offers IHG Platinum status for as long as you’re a cardmember
- The Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card (learn more) offers IHG Platinum status for as long as you’re a cardmember; you can also earn IHG Diamond status if you spend $75,000 on the card per calendar year
- The Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (learn more) offers IHG Platinum status for as long as you’re a cardmember; you can also earn IHG Diamond status if you spend $120,000 on the card per calendar year
Buying IHG Platinum status via Ambassador
Separate from the IHG One Rewards program, there’s also the InterContinental Ambassador program, offering perks at InterContinental and Six Senses properties. This is a paid program that costs either $225 or 45,000 points per year, depending on whether you want to pay cash or redeem points.
If you buy Ambassador status, you automatically also get IHG Platinum status, so it’s pretty affordable to just buy the status outright. Still, I’d of course prefer to earn it via a credit card, if possible.
IHG One Rewards Platinum status benefits
With the requirements to earn status out of the way, what are the benefits of IHG One Rewards Platinum status? Below are the benefits and perks, roughly in the order in which I value them (I’m putting Milestone Rewards at the end, because the value is so dependent on how much you stay and how you earn your status).
60% IHG bonus points
IHG Platinum status offers a 60% points bonus on all eligible stays. Since you ordinarily earn 10x IHG points per dollar spent at most IHG brands, you’d earn an extra 6x points per dollar spent, which will make your points add up quickly. This is in addition to any points earned through IHG One Rewards promotions.
Room upgrades (subject to availability)
IHG Platinum members are entitled to room upgrades, subject to availability at check-in:
- Upgrades are offered up to standard suites, though this is at the hotel’s discretion; that’s to say that a hotel doesn’t have to make a suite available for an upgrade, even if it’s empty
- Unfortunately many IHG properties aren’t great about proactive upgrades; however, hotels are coached to confirm upgrades up to 48 hours before arrival, though that doesn’t mean it always happens
Personally I wouldn’t count on a suite upgrade as a Platinum member, though hopefully you receive some sort of an upgrade if there’s availability. No matter what, it can’t hurt to ask at check-in.
Welcome amenity at check-in
IHG Platinum members are entitled to a welcome amenity at check-in. This could include bonus points or a drink or snack, though the exact details will vary by brand, region, etc. Don’t get too excited, this will probably be worth $10 at most.
Reward night discounts
IHG Platinum members get access to award night discount promotions several times per year. There’s no specific timeline with which this happens, though a few times per year we see brief periods where you can get a 15-20% discount on awards. Since IHG has dynamic award pricing, there’s definitely value to redeeming during these promotions.
Early check-in & late check-out (subject to availability)
IHG Platinum members receive early check-in (no exact cutoff specified) and late check-out (as late as 2PM). The catch is that this is subject to availability, so it isn’t guaranteed as it is with some other hotel groups. Don’t count on this being granted, though it’s something you can definitely ask for.
Guaranteed room availability
IHG Platinum members get guaranteed room night availability when booking at least 72 hours in advance. This could come in handy if you’re trying to book at a sold out hotel, but expect that you’ll pay a very high rate for this privilege.
The main issue is that this benefit doesn’t apply “during special events that result in extraordinary room demand, as determined solely by the hotel.” That would typically be the time when something like this would be most valuable.
Access to Milestone Rewards program
Arguably the most exciting aspect of the new IHG One Rewards program is Milestone Rewards, which is only somewhat tied to elite status. With Milestone Rewards, members can be rewarded for every 10 elite nights they earn in a calendar year, starting at 20 elite nights and all the way up to 100 elite nights. Potential rewards include confirmed suite upgrades, club lounge passes, food & beverage vouchers, and more.
At 20 elite nights, IHG members can choose one of the following:
- 5,000 bonus IHG points
- Two food & beverage rewards worth $20 each
- A confirmable suite upgrade
At 30 elite nights, IHG members can choose one of the following:
- 5,000 bonus IHG points
- Two food & beverage rewards worth $20 each
At 40 elite nights, IHG members can choose two of the following:
- 10,000 bonus IHG points
- Five food & beverage rewards worth $20 each
- A confirmable suite upgrade (limit one)
- An annual lounge membership (limit one)
At both 50 and 60 elite nights, IHG members can choose one of the following:
- 10,000 bonus IHG points
- Five food & beverage rewards worth $20 each
At 60 elite nights, IHG members can choose one of the following:
- 10,000 bonus IHG points
- Five food & beverage rewards worth $20 each
At 70 elite nights, IHG members can choose two of the following:
- 10,000 bonus IHG points
- Five food & beverage rewards worth $20 each
- Two confirmable suite upgrades (limit one)
- An annual lounge membership (limit one)
At 80, 90, and 100 elite nights, IHG members can choose one of the following:
- 10,000 bonus IHG points
- Five food & beverage rewards worth $20 each
These are almost without a doubt the most valuable elite perks offered by IHG One Rewards. Confirmed suite upgrades can each be used for a stay of up to five nights, while an annual lounge membership gets you club lounge access for an entire year.
Let me mention that if you receive IHG Platinum status through a co-branded credit card, you don’t automatically receive the corresponding elite nights. However, IHG’s credit cards do offer elite night credits as a benefit, so that can help you toward unlocking these rewards.
Is IHG One Rewards Platinum status worth it?
As far as mid and upper tier hotel status goes, I think that IHG Platinum status is among the weakest out there, at least if you take out Milestone Rewards. There’s no guaranteed late check-out, no free breakfast, and hotels have a lot of discretion with upgrades.
The value of the program really starts to increase if you earn Milestone Rewards, since you can already earn a confirmed suite upgrade after just 20 elite nights in a year. For example, if you earn 40 elite nights in a year, you’d receive club lounge access for the entire year, plus two confirmed suite upgrade. That’s huge value right there.
If you stay at IHG properties with any frequency, then earning IHG Platinum status with the IHG One Rewards Premier Select Card or IHG One Rewards Business Card makes perfect sense, as these cards are well worth it for the anniversary free night certificates alone.
If you frequently stay at InterContinental and Six Senses properties, there’s separately the InterContinental Ambassador program, as I mentioned above. This is a paid membership program that offers additional perks at these properties, somewhat separate from the IHG One Rewards program.
But I think there are some other compelling options out there — if you’re actually pursuing status through nights, I might consider something like World of Hyatt Globalist. Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status is also worth considering, since you can get that status simply for having the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (learn more). Similarly, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum status can be earned by holding onto the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (learn more).
Bottom line
IHG One Rewards is a pretty compelling program, and Platinum status is probably the most popular status with the program, as it’s offered as a perk of the IHG One Rewards Premier Select Card, IHG One Rewards Business Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, Sapphire Reserve Business Card, etc.
IHG Platinum status is better than nothing, and offers 60% bonus points, room upgrades, and a welcome amenity. Unfortunately it lacks some of the guaranteed perks that you get with some other programs, but those can be unlocked with Milestone Rewards, which potentially offers perks like confirmed suite upgrades, club access, and more.
If you’re an IHG One Rewards Platinum member, what has your experience been with the status?
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