With over 6,000 hotels worldwide, IHG One Rewards is a loyalty program that offers plenty of ways to earn points for free nights and other rewards. Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or a business trip, knowing how to rack up points efficiently can make a big difference. This guide walks you through the best strategies to earn IHG points, based on years of navigating the program.
1. Earning Points Through Hotel Stays
The most straightforward way to earn IHG points is by staying at participating IHG hotels. However, the number of points you’ll earn depends on several factors, including the hotel brand, your elite status, and any active promotions.
1.1. Base Earning Rates
For most IHG hotels, you’ll earn 10 points per dollar spent on qualifying room rates and additional purchases charged to your room. However, some brands have different earning rates:
- Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites: 5 points per dollar
- IHG-branded Residence properties: 5 points per dollar
- IHG Army Hotels: 3 points per dollar
It’s important to note that you’ll only earn points on qualifying rates booked directly through IHG. Stays booked through third-party sites like Expedia or Booking.com typically don’t qualify.
1.2. Elite Status Bonuses
If you have elite status with IHG One Rewards, you’ll earn bonus points on top of the base earning rate. The higher your status, the more bonus points you’ll receive:
- Silver Elite: 20% bonus
- Gold Elite: 40% bonus
- Platinum Elite: 60% bonus
- Diamond Elite: 100% bonus
For example, let’s say you’re a Platinum Elite member staying at an Intercontinental hotel for three nights at $200 per night. Here’s how many points you’d earn:
- Base points: $200 x 10 points per dollar x 3 nights = 6,000 points
- Elite bonus: 6,000 points x 60% = 3,600 points
- Total points earned: 6,000 + 3,600 = 9,600 points
Based on a valuation of 0.5 cents per point, these points are worth approximately $48.
1.3. Promotions for Extra Points
IHG One Rewards frequently offers promotions that let you earn additional points on your hotel stays over the standard earning rates. These might include double points, bonus points for multiple stays, or targeted offers. However, you usually need to register for IHG bonus points promotions before completing your stay—typically through the IHG website or app.
On IHG promotions that offer multipliers (such as double points), the multiplier typically only applies to the stay’s base earnings. So, if you are an IHG elite member, your elite bonus usually won’t be multiplied. For example, if a promotion offers double points and you’re a Platinum Elite member (60% bonus), you’d earn:
- Base: 10 points per dollar
- Promotion: 10 additional points per dollar (double base)
- Elite bonus: 6 points per dollar (60% of base)
- Total: 26 points per dollar
So, promotions stack with elite bonuses but don’t multiply them. Always check the terms to understand exactly how the bonus is calculated.
Practical Tip: Before finalizing any IHG booking, check the promotions page on their website. Register for any relevant offers to maximize your points. Even if you miss the registration deadline, some promotions might still apply retroactively, but it’s always safer to register in advance.
1.4. Example Calculation
To further illustrate, let’s compare the points earned by a basic Club member and a Diamond Elite member on the same stay:
- Stay details: 3 nights at $200 per night at an Intercontinental hotel
- Club member:
- Base points: $200 x 10 points per dollar x 3 nights = 6,000 points
- No elite bonus
- Total: 6,000 points ($30 value)
- Diamond Elite member:
- Base points: 6,000 points
- Elite bonus: 6,000 points x 100% = 6,000 points
- Total: 12,000 points ($60 value)
As you can see, elite status can significantly boost your points earning potential.
2. IHG Credit Cards
Another excellent way to earn IHG points is by using a co-branded IHG credit card. These cards offer generous welcome bonuses and ongoing earning rates, making it easy to accumulate points quickly.
2.1. Overview of Available Cards
There are three IHG credit cards available to new applicants:
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card ($99 annual fee)
- IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card ($0 annual fee)
- IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card ($99 annual fee)
Each card offers different benefits and earning rates, so you can choose the one that best fits your needs.
2.2. Welcome Bonuses
All three cards come with attractive welcome bonuses for new cardmembers:
- IHG Premier Card: Earn five free nights after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months
- IHG Traveler Card: Earn 120,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first three months
- IHG Premier Business Card: Earn 140,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months
These bonuses can provide a significant boost to your points balance, especially if you’re planning a big trip or have upcoming expenses.
2.3. Ongoing Earning Rates
In addition to the welcome bonuses, IHG credit cards offer generous earning rates on everyday spending:
- IHG Premier Card:
- 10 points per dollar at IHG hotels
- 5 points per dollar on travel, gas stations, and dining
- 3 points per dollar on all other purchases
- IHG Traveler Card:
- 5 points per dollar at IHG hotels
- 3 points per dollar on utilities, streaming services, dining, gas stations, and internet/cable/phone services
- 2 points per dollar on all other purchases
- IHG Premier Business Card:
- 10 points per dollar at IHG hotels
- 5 points per dollar on travel, dining, gas stations, office supply stores, and social media/search engine advertising
- 3 points per dollar on all other purchases
By using your IHG credit card for everyday expenses, you can steadily accumulate points over time.
2.4. Fourth-Night-Free Perk
One of the most valuable benefits of IHG credit cards is the fourth-night-free perk. When you redeem points for a stay of four nights or more, the fourth night is free. This effectively reduces the cost of your award stay by 25%, making your points go further.
For example, if you’re booking a four-night stay that costs 20,000 points per night, you’d normally need 80,000 points. But with the fourth-night-free perk, you’d only need 60,000 points, saving you 20,000 points.
This perk is available to cardholders of all three IHG credit cards, making it a compelling reason to hold one of these cards.
3. Elite Status and Points Earning
As mentioned earlier, elite status with IHG One Rewards can significantly boost your points earning potential. There are four elite tiers: Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond.
3.1. Tiers and Bonus Percentages
Each tier offers a different bonus percentage on top of the base earning rate:
- Silver Elite: 20% bonus
- Gold Elite: 40% bonus
- Platinum Elite: 60% bonus
- Diamond Elite: 100% bonus
To achieve elite status, you need to meet certain requirements based on nights stayed or points earned in a calendar year. However, there’s an easier way to gain status: through IHG credit cards.
3.2. Achieving Status Through Credit Cards
The IHG Traveler Card comes with automatic Silver Elite status, while the IHG Premier Card and IHG Premier Business Card offer Platinum Elite status. This means you can enjoy elite benefits and bonus points without having to meet the usual qualification criteria.
Additionally, if you already have elite status, holding an IHG credit card can help you maintain it, as your points won’t expire as long as you have the card.
4. Intercontinental Ambassador Program
For an annual fee of $225, you can join the Intercontinental Ambassador program, which provides automatic Platinum Elite status with IHG One Rewards. This means you’ll earn 60% bonus points on stays, plus enjoy benefits like guaranteed room upgrades and late checkout at Intercontinental hotels.
If you frequently stay at Intercontinental properties, this program can be a great way to enhance your experience and earn more points.
5. Milestone Rewards
IHG One Rewards offers Milestone Rewards as an additional incentive for loyal members. Starting at 20 nights stayed in a calendar year, you can choose from a selection of rewards for every 10 nights you stay, up to 100 nights.
5.1. Points as a Reward Option
One of the reward options is bonus points. Here’s how many points you can earn at each milestone:
- 20 and 30 nights: 5,000 points
- 50, 60, 80, 90, and 100 nights: 10,000 points
- 40 and 70 nights: 20,000 points (if you choose points for both reward choices at these tiers)
While points are tempting, other rewards—like suite upgrades or food and beverage credits—often provide better value. For example, at the 20-night milestone, two $20 dining credits (totaling $40) can match or exceed the value of 5,000 points (about $25 at 0.5 cents per point). Unless dining credits or upgrades are useless to you (say, you prefer local restaurants or don’t need a bigger room), skip the points and choose the higher-value option.
6. Transferring Points to IHG
If you have points from other loyalty programs, you might be able to transfer them to IHG One Rewards. However, this isn’t always the best option, so it’s important to understand the implications.
6.1. Chase Ultimate Rewards
IHG is a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards, allowing you to transfer points at a 1:1 ratio. This means for every 1,000 Chase points you transfer, you’ll receive 1,000 IHG points.
However, Chase points are generally more valuable when used for other purposes, such as transferring to airline partners or redeeming through the Chase travel portal. Since IHG points are valued at 0.5 cents each, while Chase points can be worth 1.25 to 2 cents each when redeemed for travel, transferring to IHG usually results in a loss of value.
6.2. Bilt Rewards
Similarly, Bilt Rewards points can be transferred to IHG at a 1:1 ratio. Again, Bilt points are typically more valuable when used for other redemptions, so transferring to IHG should be done sparingly.
6.3. When to Transfer
I only recommend transferring points to IHG if you need to top off your account for a specific, high-value redemption. For example, if you’re just a few thousand points short of booking a dream stay at an Intercontinental resort, transferring points might make sense. Otherwise, it’s usually better to save your transferable points for other uses.
7. Buying IHG Points
If you need more points for a redemption, you can purchase them directly from IHG through Points.com. The standard price is 1 cent per point when buying at least 26,000 points, but IHG frequently offers promotions with bonuses of up to 100%.
During a 100% bonus promotion, you can effectively buy points for 0.5 cents each. Since I value IHG points at 0.5 cents each, this can be a good deal if you have a specific redemption in mind where you can get more than 0.5 cents per point in value.
For instance, if you’re planning to book a stay that would cost $200 per night but only requires 30,000 points, you’re getting about 0.67 cents per point in value ($200 / 30,000 points). In this case, buying points during a promotion could save you money compared to paying cash for the stay.
However, be mindful of the annual purchase limit, which is typically 200,000 points per calendar year.
7.1. Points & Cash Trick
Another way to purchase points at a discount is through the Points & Cash Trick. When you book a Points & Cash award, you’re essentially buying points at a reduced rate. If you later cancel the reservation, IHG refunds the points and converts the cash portion into points, which are deposited into your account.
This can be a strategic way to acquire points at a lower cost, especially if you don’t need the reservation. However, be sure to understand the terms and conditions, as policies may change.
7.2. Bonus Points Packages
Another way to buy points—and boost your elite status—is through Bonus Points Packages. Available when booking a flexible rate on IHG.com, these packages let you purchase 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, or 5,000 points per night. Unlike standard purchased points, these are elite-qualifying, helping you reach Silver, Gold, Platinum, or Diamond status.
To buy them, select a flexible rate, go to the “Add Extras” section, and choose a package. Pricing varies by hotel, but a good deal is below 0.5 cents per point (e.g., $16 for 5,000 points = 0.32 cents each). However, not all hotels offer this, and flexible rates may cost more than non-refundable ones, so compare the total expense.
8. Other Ways to Earn Points
In addition to hotel stays and credit cards, there are several other methods to earn IHG points. While these might not be as lucrative, they can still help you accumulate points over time.
8.1. Transfers from Members
IHG allows members to transfer points to each other, but it typically comes with a fee of $5 per 1,000 points. Until recently, this fee made transferring points less appealing. However, IHG has introduced an exciting update: Diamond Elite members and those enrolled in the IHG Business Rewards program can now transfer up to 500,000 points per calendar year to other members without paying any transfer fees.
This change opens up a valuable opportunity to earn points if you have a colleague, family member, or friend with Diamond Elite status or in the IHG Business Rewards program willing to share their points. For instance, if you’re a few points short of a redemption goal, they could transfer the exact amount you need at no cost.
8.2. Dining Programs
IHG One Rewards Dine and Earn allows you to earn points when dining at participating restaurants. By linking your credit or debit card to your IHG account, you can automatically earn up to 8 points per dollar spent, depending on your dining frequency and whether you opt in for email notifications.
Additionally, you can earn points by making restaurant reservations through the IHG Trip Extras portal, which partners with OpenTable. You’ll earn 500 points on your first reservation and 150 points on subsequent ones.
8.3. Rental Cars
When booking rental cars through Hertz, Dollar, or Thrifty via the IHG Trip Extras portal, you can earn IHG points. For example, with Hertz, you’ll earn 1,500 points per rental plus additional points per rental day.
8.4. Tours and Activities
Booking tours, activities, or transportation services through the IHG Trip Extras portal can earn you up to 1,000 IHG points per booking. This is a great way to earn extra points while planning your trip.
8.5. IHG Business Rewards
If you organize meetings or events at IHG properties, you can earn points through the IHG Business Rewards program. You’ll earn 3 points per dollar spent on qualifying expenses, such as guest rooms, meeting space, and food and beverage services.
While this program is geared towards meeting planners, it’s worth considering if you frequently arrange events or conferences.
9. Conclusion
Earning IHG One Rewards points is easier than you might think, thanks to the variety of methods available. By staying at IHG hotels, using co-branded credit cards, leveraging elite status, and taking advantage of promotions and partnerships, you can quickly accumulate points for free nights and other rewards.
Remember to always book directly with IHG to ensure your stays qualify for points and elite benefits. Additionally, consider holding an IHG credit card to enjoy perks like the fourth-night-free reward and automatic elite status.