As the top of the 12 months approaches, you could 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 top of the 12 months, 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 nightsGold Elite: 20 qualifying nights or 40,000 qualifying pointsPlatinum Elite: 40 qualifying nights or 60,000 qualifying pointsDiamond 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 through qualifying nights or qualifying factors. IHG makes use of a calendar 12 months as its qualification interval, so you will have from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 every year to accrue sufficient nights or factors in your desired elite tier. Then, you may preserve your standing by way of the top of the next calendar 12 months.
Moreover, you’ll be able to earn IHG Milestone Rewards primarily based in your qualifying nights every calendar 12 months. Beginning at simply 20 qualifying nights per calendar 12 months, you may earn Milestone Rewards for each 10 qualifying nights you keep (as much as 100 qualifying nights per calendar 12 months).
Associated: IHG elite standing: What it’s and earn it
Methods for incomes extra qualifying nights
Sadly, there is not a shortcut to accruing qualifying nights with IHG One Rewards. You will earn one elite qualifying night time for each night time of a qualifying keep, together with reward stays.
The IHG phrases and circumstances explicitly observe that you just will not earn any qualifying nights for a keep when you no-show or cancel after the lodge cancellation time (even when you’ve paid for the room in full and it is nonrefundable). Due to this fact, you may must examine in to the lodge and keep on a qualifying paid charge or award keep to earn qualifying nights.
Moreover, when you guide two rooms for a similar calendar day, just one night time will rely as a qualifying night time. As such, when you want extra qualifying nights than the quantity left within the calendar 12 months, you will not be capable of qualify in your desired standing primarily based on nights. Additionally observe that elite qualifying nights rely towards the calendar 12 months through which the checkout day happens, so you will not wish to try in 2026 if you need the elite qualifying nights to rely towards 2025.
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In the event you want further qualifying nights, evaluate your plans for the rest of the 12 months and determine alternatives to remain at an IHG lodge. Even when an IHG lodge is dearer than your different choices, it might be worthwhile if it helps you earn the next 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 inns or resorts.
Associated: The very best IHG inns on this planet
Methods for incomes extra qualifying factors
Based mostly on IHG’s phrases and circumstances, solely the next actions earn elite qualifying factors:
Paying qualifying charges for lodge staysSpending on Hertz automotive leases, OpenTable reservations and Viator experiencesPurchasing an IHG One Rewards bonus factors packageQualifying spending by way of IHG Enterprise RewardsPurchases on IHG One Rewards bank cards issued in the UK and Larger China
Incomes by way of IHG companions like Hertz, OpenTable and Viator might assist when you solely must earn a small variety of further qualifying factors to succeed in your required elite standing. And when you occur to be eligible for an IHG card issued within the U.Okay. or Larger China, you may use it to earn extra qualifying factors in your purchases.
However for many U.S.-based IHG loyalists, one of the best ways to earn extra qualifying factors is so as to add bonus factors packages to approaching paid stays. For instance, here is a suggestion I noticed for a two-night keep on the Staybridge Suites Savannah Historic District:
In the event you add 3,000 factors for $21 per night time, you may purchase factors for 0.7 cents every. This buy charge is increased than TPG’s October 2025 valuation of IHG factors (0.5 cents every) however nonetheless decrease than I can sometimes get when redeeming IHG factors.
Associated: The way to earn IHG factors through stays, bank cards and extra
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 bank cards present automated elite standing as a cardholder perk and allow you to spend towards increased elite standing tiers:
You may as well enroll in complimentary IHG Platinum Elite standing with the United Membership℠ Card (see charges and costs). And if in case you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and costs) or Chase Sapphire Reserve for Enterprise℠ (see charges and costs), you’ll be able to enroll in IHG Platinum Elite standing by way of Dec. 31, 2027.
Plus, after spending $75,000 on purchases on the Chase Sapphire Reserve throughout a calendar 12 months, you’ll be able to activate IHG Diamond Elite standing for the rest of the calendar 12 months through which you qualify and the next calendar 12 months. And after spending $125,000 on purchases on the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Enterprise throughout a calendar 12 months, you’ll be able to activate Diamond Elite standing for the rest of the calendar 12 months through which you qualify and the next calendar 12 months.
Associated: Why it’s best to get (and preserve) the IHG One Rewards Premier card
Pay for InterContinental Ambassador membership
One other approach 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 supplies Platinum Elite standing within the IHG One Rewards program and the next perks when staying at InterContinental properties:
Assured one-category room upgradeGuaranteed 4 p.m. late checkoutComplimentary weekend nightRestaurants and bars credit score of as much as $20 per stayComplimentary mineral waterComplimentary internetDedicated check-in areaSingle room charge for double occupancy
If you need IHG Platinum Elite standing and haven’t got a bank card that gives this standing, sustaining an InterContinental Ambassador membership could also be a good selection, even when you solely often keep at InterContinental properties.
Associated: How a lot worth does the IHG One Rewards program present once you guide immediately?
Make the most of a focused provide
It is also price checking your e-mail and the provides part in your IHG account to see whether or not you will have any focused provides.
In any case, some IHG members have obtained focused provides 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 obtained focused provides for one bonus elite night time credit score for each night time stayed (as much as 10 nights) by way of Dec. 31, 2025.
Associated: Earn as much as triple factors by way of the top of 2025 with IHG’s new promotion
Backside line
You may earn IHG elite qualifying factors faster by including bonus factors to approaching paid IHG stays. However until 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 may take pleasure in 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 way of the top of the next 12 months by spending massive quantities on choose playing cards inside a calendar 12 months.
