As the tip of the yr approaches, you might marvel how you may earn your required degree of elite standing with IHG One Rewards. This information will focus on methods for incomes IHG elite standing earlier than the tip of the yr, together with strategies to build up extra qualifying nights or factors.
IHG elite standing overview
Listed here 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’ll be able to see, you’ll be able to earn most IHG elite standing tiers by way of qualifying nights or qualifying factors. IHG makes use of a calendar yr as its qualification interval, so you’ve from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 every year to accrue sufficient nights or factors on your desired elite tier. Then, you may maintain your standing by means of the tip of the next calendar yr.
Moreover, you’ll be able to earn IHG Milestone Rewards based mostly in your qualifying nights every calendar yr. Beginning at simply 20 qualifying nights per calendar yr, you may earn Milestone Rewards for each 10 qualifying nights you keep (as much as 100 qualifying nights per calendar yr).
Associated: IHG elite status: What it is and 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 may earn one elite qualifying night time for each night time of a qualifying keep, together with reward stays.
The IHG terms and conditions explicitly word that you just 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 for the room in full and it is nonrefundable). Subsequently, you may must examine in to the resort and keep on a qualifying paid fee or award keep to earn qualifying nights.
Moreover, should you ebook two rooms for a similar calendar day, just one night time will rely as a qualifying night time. As such, should you want extra qualifying nights than the quantity left within the calendar yr, you will not have the ability to qualify on your desired standing based mostly on nights. Additionally word that elite qualifying nights rely towards the calendar yr by which the checkout day happens, so you will not wish to take a look at in 2026 if you’d like the elite qualifying nights to rely towards 2025.
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Should you want extra qualifying nights, evaluation your plans for the rest of the yr and determine alternatives to remain at an IHG resort. Even when an IHG resort is dearer than your different choices, it could be worthwhile if it helps you earn a better elite tier or a further milestone reward.
If you cannot get the qualifying nights you want on journeys you propose to take, take into account doing a staycation or mattress run close to your own home. Or plan a getaway to a vacation spot with cheap IHG resorts or resorts.
Associated: The best IHG hotels in the world
Methods for incomes extra qualifying factors
Based mostly on IHG’s terms and conditions, solely the next actions earn elite qualifying factors:
- Paying qualifying charges for resort stays
- Spending on Hertz automobile 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 in the UK and Higher China
Incomes by means of IHG companions like Hertz, OpenTable and Viator might assist should you solely must earn a small variety of extra qualifying factors to achieve your required elite standing. And should you occur to be eligible for an IHG card issued within the U.Okay. or Higher China, you might use it to earn extra qualifying factors in your purchases.
However for many U.S.-based IHG loyalists, the easiest way to earn extra qualifying factors is so as to add bonus factors packages to approaching paid stays. For instance, this is a proposal I noticed for a two-night keep on the Staybridge Suites Savannah Historic District:
Should you add 3,000 factors for $21 per night time, you may purchase factors for 0.7 cents every. This buy fee is increased than TPG’s October 2025 valuation of IHG factors (0.5 cents every) however nonetheless decrease than I can usually get when redeeming IHG points.
Associated: How to earn IHG points via stays, credit cards and more
Different methods for incomes IHG elite standing shortly
As you may need observed, there aren’t many shortcuts to incomes extra IHG qualifying nights or factors. However that does not imply there are no shortcuts for incomes IHG elite standing. Listed here are some methods to shortly earn IHG elite standing.
Get an IHG bank card
A number of IHG credit cards present computerized elite standing as a cardholder perk and allow you to spend towards increased elite standing tiers:
It’s also possible to enroll in complimentary IHG Platinum Elite standing with the United Club℠ Card (see rates and fees). And when you’ve got the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) or Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see rates and fees), you’ll be able to enroll in IHG Platinum Elite standing by means of Dec. 31, 2027.
Plus, after spending $75,000 on purchases on the Chase Sapphire Reserve throughout a calendar yr, you’ll be able to activate IHG Diamond Elite standing for the rest of the calendar yr by which you qualify and the next calendar yr. And after spending $125,000 on purchases on the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business throughout a calendar yr, you’ll be able to activate Diamond Elite standing for the rest of the calendar yr by which you qualify and the next calendar yr.
Associated: Why you should get (and keep) the IHG One Rewards Premier card
Pay for InterContinental Ambassador membership
One other method to shortly earn IHG Platinum Elite standing is to buy an InterContinental Ambassador membership. A 12-month Ambassador membership prices $225 or 45,000 factors. Membership offers 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 night
- Eating places and bars credit score of as much as $20 per keep
- Complimentary mineral water
- Complimentary web
- Devoted check-in space
- Single room fee for double occupancy
In order for you IHG Platinum Elite standing and haven’t got a bank card that gives this standing, sustaining an InterContinental Ambassador membership could also be a sensible choice, even should you solely often keep at InterContinental properties.
Associated: How much value does the IHG One Rewards program provide when you book directly?
Make the most of a focused provide
It is also value checking your e-mail and the presents part in your IHG account to see whether or not you’ve any focused presents.
In any case, some IHG members have acquired focused presents to earn Platinum Elite standing after staying 5 qualifying nights by Dec. 31 and Diamond Elite standing after staying 10 qualifying nights by Dec. 31. And different IHG members have acquired focused presents for one bonus elite night time credit score for each night time stayed (as much as 10 nights) by means of Dec. 31, 2025.
Associated: Earn up to triple points through the end of 2025 with IHG’s new promotion
Backside line
You’ll be able to earn IHG elite qualifying factors faster by including bonus factors to approaching paid IHG stays. However except you are focused for a particular provide, there is no shortcut to incomes IHG elite qualifying nights.
Incomes IHG elite standing is not troublesome, although. You’ll be able to get pleasure from Platinum Elite standing as a perk of InterContinental Ambassador membership, and a number of other playing cards provide Platinum Elite standing as a cardmember perk. Plus, you’ll be able to earn top-tier Diamond Elite standing by means of the tip of the next yr by spending massive quantities on choose playing cards inside a calendar yr.