Whether you're traveling for business or pleasure, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) One Rewards is a go-to program for many. They've got something for every traveler with a wide range of properties from boutique Kimpton's to your run-of-the-mill Holiday Inn Express, and everything in between.
Although award rates can be quite high at some locations, IHG points are incredibly easy to earn. With several big welcome bonus offers on co-branded Chase credit cards, you'll be well on your way to booking free stays in no time.
You can even transfer points from credit cards like the *chase sapphire preferred* or the *bilt rewards card* straight to IHG to book an award night – though in many cases, this won't be your best option. So even if you've never stayed with IHG, you may already have the points needed to book a free night at one of these properties and not even know it.
From booking those free nights to earning elite status, and more, here's everything you need to know about IHG One Rewards.
IHG's Award Rates
Like many other hotel programs, IHG doesn't publish an award chart – the cheat sheet used to determine how much a given night will cost. Therefore, the points price of IHG hotels can vary wildly depending on the type of property you're looking to stay at.
In order to get a sense of what things cost, it's important to understand the range of hotel brands that fall under the IHG One Rewards umbrella.
You've probably heard of Holiday Inn Express – but if not, it's one of IHG's most affordable hotel brands. With almost 3,200 locations worldwide there's a good chance that wherever you're traveling, there's a Holiday Inn Express nearby. This is great because using points to book a stay at many of these properties is often a bargain, like this Holiday Inn Express in Jakarta Matraman for as low as 5,000 IHG points per night.
Alternatively, you could also look at the more upscale side of IHG properties with brands like Six Senses, Kimpton, and, of course, InterContinental. We recently stayed at the InterContinental Rome Ambasciatori Palace and found it fitting of its title as an “ambassador's palace.” Not surprisingly, a luxury property in an expensive city like Rome often clocks in at 120,000 points per night! Ouch.
Thankfully, there are some tricks to finding cheaper rates for nights that are bookable with IHG points. Since IHG's reward program uses dynamic pricing, how many points you need to book a stay will vary depending on when you're looking to stay – this is largely tied to the cash cost of the hotel. Fortunately, you can pull up a handy calendar view to see how much a given night will cost.
It's a little quirky, but you have to first find a property that is not available to be booked with points, like this Hotel Indigo Rome – St. George property. Since this hotel is not available to book with points (only cash) for the night I searched, I'm given the option to “View available dates” which pulls up a calendar with all the nights that are available.
It's counterintuitive to have to search for an unavailable property to find available nights, but this way, you'll be able to pull up the calendar to scroll through each month and find the cheapest rates possible when using points. If you have a flexible schedule, sometimes shifting your stay by a day or two can save you thousands of points.
You could also use the Bilt Rewards hotel award search tool, rooms.aero, or MaxMyPoint, to find the cheapest rates and dates for IHG hotels and other hotel chains like Hyatt, Hilton, and Marriott properties.
Free Night Certificates
All of the major hotel chains like Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton offer free night certificates that can easily be earned with a co-branded credit card. IHG is no different.
If you've got the *ihg rewards club premier* or the *IHG Business*, you get a new free night certificate each year when your card annual fee renews – starting in year two. These free night certificates are capped at properties costing 40,000 points per night or less – but if you've got your heart set on a more expensive property, you can always kick in some extra points to top off your certificate.
Unlike Marriott's free night award certificates, which limit you to adding a maximum of 15,000 points, there's no limit with IHG. If you wanted to stay at the InterContinental Rome Ambasciatori Palace highlighted above, you could use your free night certificate and 80,000 points instead of the full 120,000-point nightly cost.
Do note, if you've got the no-longer-offered IHG Select Card with a $49 annual fee, you're unable to top off your free night certificate with points.
Fortunately, you can still get plenty of value out of your IHG free anniversary night even by sticking to properties costing 40,000 points or less. There are plenty of properties you could book with this free night certificate. Generally speaking, InterContinental hotels are the most luxurious in IHG's portfolio. So, no matter where you are, if you can find one for 40,000 points or less, it will be a good use of your IHG free night certificate.
Take InterContinental Bangkok, for example. A paid night at the property typically starts at $200 or more. Using a free night certificate from a credit card with a $99 annual fee seems like a pretty smart move.
But that's just one example. It's not uncommon to find really nice Hotel Indigo or Kimpton properties charging $300 or more per night, all while the point price is 40,000 or less.
Here's another option: While it's far from the most luxurious of properties, the Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives gets great reviews. Considering many resorts in this tiny island nation go for upwards of $1,000 per night, this could be a great way to use your annual free night certificate. While it's just over the 40,000-point threshold, you'd only need to kick in an extra 2,000 points per night to book a stay.
Or with the current offer on the *ihg rewards club premier*, you could turn those five free night awards (up to 60,000 points per night) that you get as part of the welcome bonus offer into a pretty lavish vacation without much work.
Earning & Using IHG Elite Status
IHG has four different levels of elite status: Silver, Gold, Platinum, and top-tier Diamond.
Every IHG member starts at the same basic club member level, working their way up the status ladder by accumulating elite nights at IHG properties … or taking a shortcut.
If you hold the *ihg rewards club premier*, you'll get complimentary Platinum status as a card benefit instead of having to stay the typical 40 nights required to reach the elite status tier. Unfortunately, there's no easy way to earn IHG's top-tier Diamond elite status, where all the best benefits kick in. For that, you'll need to stay with the hotel chain for a whopping 70 nights out of the year.
At the lower status levels, there really isn't much to get excited about besides the late 2 pm checkout and bonus point-earning. Aside from that, having Silver and Gold status doesn't feel particularly elite.
But at the Platinum and Diamond level, things change – in a big way. With Platinum and Diamond status, you get perks like early check-in, a welcome gift, and space-available room upgrades.
Platinum elites can choose between additional bonus points as a welcome amenity or a complimentary drink and snack. Diamond elites can choose between bonus points and free breakfast at select full-service properties. Breakfast should be the easy choice for most, and it'll save you both time and money while traveling!
All told, there are some decent perks at the higher levels of IHG elite status, but they're not nearly as valuable as those offered by other programs like Hyatt.
Read more: How to Get Instant Hotel Status From a Single Credit Card
How to Create an IHG One Rewards Account
While you won't need to have an existing IHG One Rewards account to search for free nights using points, you will need one once it comes time to book. Thankfully, creating an account with IHG is a quick and pain-free process.
You can start by going to IHG's website on either a desktop or even on IHG's app. On a desktop or a mobile browser, you'll see the option to “Join for free” in the top right corner. On your phone, the button to “Join for free” appears on the home screen when you open the app.
From here, you'll be prompted to enter a few pieces of personal information, including your name, e-mail address, state or province of residence, and a password. Additionally, you can enroll in person at any IHG hotel or over the phone.
After completing your registration, you'll be able to log in to your new IHG account, where you can find your new member number and additional account information.
How to Search for Award Nights on IHG's Website
After creating your IHG One Rewards account – or logging in if you already have one – you can start searching for available hotels at your destination.
You can do this by simply typing the city name in the search box, selecting your check-in and out dates, and number of guests. Make sure to have “Reward Nights” selected under “Rate Preference” as well.
If you want to toggle between “points” and “money” search results, you can do this by selecting either option in the main menu after initially running a search.
Once you've filled all that information in, you'll see the search results. Hotels within your desired city are sorted in list-view including the lowest amount of points required to book each property.
If you've got one of the IHG co-branded credit cards, one of the best perks is the fourth-night free benefit you get on award stays. This means if you're searching for a hotel stay of four nights or more, you may see the points price crossed out with a lower price below. The lower price displayed is already factoring in that perk. Do note, you'll need to be logged into your account in order for IHG to know you're a cardholder and display the lower price.
You will then click “Select Hotel” or “Book on Hotel Site” to proceed with your booking.
Here, you'll see what room types are available to book with points. At the top of each room type will be the cost if you book completely with points. In descending order thereafter will be rates using a combination of points and cash, which is incredibly useful if you're short on points!
It's also worth noting that when you use IHG points to book a room, you're getting a refundable rate. Cancellation policies will vary across all properties, but if you're looking at the lowest cash rate and unsure whether to use points or not, the low cash price is almost certainly going to be for a non-refundable room. Unless your travel plans are set in stone, having the added flexibility of a refundable rate is a nice perk.
Earning IHG Points
There are lots of ways to earn the IHG points needed for a free night. From earning points on paid stays to co-branded credit cards and bank transfer partners, here's how it's done.
Staying With IHG
Yes, of course, you earn points when you stay with IHG. Call it the old-fashioned way.
You'll get 10 base points for every dollar spent at most IHG properties. If you've got elite status, you can earn up to a 100% bonus on your paid stays, helping rack up the points a bit faster.
There are some exceptions, though. At Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites properties, you'll only earn five base points for every dollar spent.
Paying for your stay with a co-branded IHG credit card will earn you up to 26x points per dollar, depending on which version of the card you carry.
Swiping a Co-Branded Credit Card
You can also earn more of them by using an IHG credit card for your day-to-day spending. There are several versions to choose from, each with its own unique set of benefits for every kind of traveler.
With valuable perks like IHG Platinum Elite status, an annual free night award (for hotels costing up to 40,000 points each night), up to $50 a year in United TravelBank credit, and a fourth-night free benefit on award stays, there's a lot to like about these cards.
Read on for everything you need to know about Chase's IHG credit cards.
Full Benefits of the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
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- Earn 5x points per dollar spent on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants
- Earn 3x points per dollar spent on all other purchases
- Free night award certificate starting in your second year of card membership
- Link your United MileagePlus account and get up to $50 of United TravelBank cash each calendar year.
- Receive 10,000 IHG bonus points and a $100 statement credit after spending $20,000 in purchases in a calendar year
- Automatic IHG Platinum Elite status
- IHG Diamond Elite status after spending $40,000 and making one additional purchase each calendar year
- Up to a $120 Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
- Get your fourth night free when booking with points
- Cell Phone Protection Coverage
- $99 Annual Fee
Learn more about the *ihg rewards club premier*.
Full Benefits of the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card
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- Earn 3x points per dollar spent on utilities, internet, cable, phone, and select streaming services purchases
- 3x points per dollar spent at gas stations & restaurants
- 2x points per dollar spent on all other purchases
- Automatic IHG Silver Elite status
- Receive 10,000 IHG bonus points after spending $10,000 in purchases in a calendar year
- Get your fourth night free when booking with points
- Cell Phone Protection Coverage
- No Annual Fee
Learn more about the *ihg traveler*.
Full Benefits of the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
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- Earn 10x IHG points on all IHG Hotels & Resorts purchases
- Earn 5x IHG points on other travel, gas, dining, and select business services (including social media and search engine advertising and office supply stores) purchases
- Earn 3x IHG points on all other purchases
- Automatic IHG Platinum Elite status
- 4th Night Free Benefit: Redeem points for four consecutive nights and only pay for three nights
- Free night award certificate starting your second year with the card, capped at properties that cost up to 40,000 points per night (though you can add your own points to book more expensive hotels)
- Get up to a $120 Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
- $50 of United TravelBank cash each calendar year when you link your United and IHG accounts
- $99 Annual Fee
Learn more about the *IHG Business*.
Transfer from Chase Ultimate Rewards
With several great Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning credit cards on the market, like *chase sapphire preferred*, *chase sapphire reserve* or even the *chase ink preferred*, you may very well have a way to get a bunch of IHG points and not even realize it.
IHG is a Chase transfer partner and points transfer at a 1:1 ratio to IHG One. Just be warned: Transferring to IHG is not always going to be the best use of your Chase points, as you can often get far greater value transferring them to airlines to book flights or to stay at World of Hyatt properties. At first glance, it might seem like a good deal, however, we recommend you shop around and compare the cash value between properties first before you transfer.
To move your Chase points to IHG, you’ll need to log in to your Chase account and click on “Rewards” to navigate to the Ultimate Rewards homepage. Once you’ve done that, click “Travel” and choose the option to “Transfer points to partners.”
From here, you can select IHG from the list of eligible partners. If this is your first time transferring Chase points to IHG, you'll need to enter your IHG One member number to link your accounts.
Next, you'll need to enter how many points you’d like to transfer over, and finally, you'll review the transfer details before hitting “Submit.”
Chase points generally transfer instantly to IHG, but in some cases, there can be delays … especially if you're setting up a new account or it's your first transfer. In most cases, logging out and back into your IHG account should solve the problem and show the points reflected in your balance.
Read next: Points Stuck in Limbo? Here’s Why (& What You Can Do About It)
Transfer from Bilt Rewards
While initially targeted toward renters, the *bilt rewards card* is an extremely well-rounded travel rewards credit card that can also help you earn IHG points. And if you've got a stash of points from any of Bilt's Rent Day promotions, Lyft rides, or Neighborhood Dining program, you can also transfer them to IHG – even if you don't have a Bilt Mastercard.
Bilt Rewards members can now transfer their Bilt points to IHG One … but only at a (relatively poor) 1:1 ratio: 10,000 Bilt points get you 10,000 IHG points.
Unlike most transferable points programs, you won't be able to move Bilt points to a partner on your desktop. With Bilt, you'll need to have the mobile app to get it done – not shocking from a company whose customer base skews younger.
After logging into the Bilt app, you'll need to ensure that the partner you're planning to move points to is linked to your Bilt account. If you haven't already done so, you'll need to link your IHG account to Bilt Rewards – and as an added bonus, you'll even get an extra 100 Bilt points for doing so.
If you skipped step one and don't yet have an IHG account, you can even create one right from the Bilt app, and it will automatically be linked.
After you find IHG in the travel tab you'll be asked how many points you want to transfer. Everyday Blue members have to transfer at least 2,000 points – only those who have earned Silver status or higher can move 1,000 points at a time over to IHG or another Bilt transfer partner.
The last step in the process is to simply review and confirm the accuracy of your point transfer request. If everything looks as it should, you'll need to agree to the terms and conditions and hit “confirm transfer.”
Just beware: Once your transfer goes through, you can’t pull those points back into your Bilt account. That makes it critical to complete the steps above and confirm award availability first.
Once you hit confirm transfer, points will usually be available in your IHG account within seconds. Just like transferring Chase points, if you don't see them show up right away, try logging out and back in.
Buying IHG Points
Buying points won't always make sense, but it can be a good deal – especially if you're just a few thousand points short of the perfect redemption.
IHG will often put points on sale with a 100% bonus, which effectively makes them 50% off – costing you just a half cent each. You can typically count on seeing one of these promotions from IHG every couple of months. So unless you have an immediate need for more IHG points, you should try to hold off until they're on sale.
Considering you can cash out Chase Ultimate Rewards for 1 cent each, buying points at a half cent each will almost always make more sense than transferring directly from Chase. It's the same value as if Chase were to run a 100% transfer bonus, albeit with a couple extra steps.
IHG typically allows members to buy up to 150,000 points each calendar year, not counting any bonus points. If you're able to get in on one of these 100% bonuses, you'd end up with up to 300,000 IHG points in total.
Read more: When Does It Make Sense to Buy Hotel Points?
How to Book a Free Night With Points
Now that you've got the necessary IHG points in your account, it's time to book your free night with points. If you had to log out and back in for the points to show up, you may need to recreate your search using the steps above.
Once you've decided what room type will work best for you, you could pay completely in points or opt for the option to redeem a combination of points and cash. IHG gives you a sliding scale of how many points are required to book the room in addition to the cash amount required. If you want a completely free reward night, you're going to choose the top option. While it's not always a great value, this can be a really good option if you're short on points.
Be sure to click the “Reward Nights” icon in the upper right hand corner to view the cancellation policy just in case you need to cancel.
From there, just review your stay details and confirm your booking. If you don't yet have a credit card on file with IHG, you'll also need to enter this for incidentals and confirm your stay. But don't worry: You won't be charged anything (other than points), unless you opted for the “Points + Cash” booking option. Unfortunately, unlike several other major hotel chains like Hilton and Hyatt, IHG may tack on pesky resort fees for award stays.
To make sure you're able to see any hidden fees, click “Show taxes and fees” in the upper right-hand corner to display any fees when applicable.
You'll need an IHG One Rewards account to be able to book and of course, points to redeem.
Bottom Line
Whether you've already got a stash of IHG points (or free night certificates) from nights on the road or you're sitting on a pile of transferable credit card points, using the IHG One program to book a free night can be a great way to save big on your next trip.
