Deciding on a lodge for any journey requires lots of analysis and planning. Even as soon as you’ve got determined the place to remain, you continue to want to find out how one can e-book.
You possibly can e-book the least costly fee, however you normally will not earn factors or get elite advantages for those who do not e-book straight. The advantages and earnings you get once you e-book straight could also be price greater than anticipated, particularly in case you have IHG One Rewards elite standing.
On this information, I am going to focus on the worth IHG elite members can get once they e-book straight with motels collaborating within the IHG One Rewards loyalty program.
What worth does IHG elite standing present?
With the launch of the new IHG One Rewards loyalty program in 2022, IHG added a brand new elite standing tier, refreshed elite incomes charges on stays, added a number of new elite standing perks and launched the flexibility to earn milestone rewards beginning at simply 20 nights per calendar 12 months.
As with most lodge elite standing tiers, IHG elite standing supplies advantages in two major areas: earnings and on-site perks. It isn’t simple to estimate how a lot worth you will get from on-site perks for the reason that worth will likely be completely different for every IHG member, so I like to recommend contemplating the elite standing perks you intend to make use of throughout every keep to find out the worth of these on-site perks for your self.
We estimate IHG One Rewards elite standing is price in regards to the following for those who spend a mean of $150 per night time on eligible purchases:
- Silver Elite standing: $3 per night time
- Gold Elite standing: $6 per night time
- Platinum Elite standing: $27 per night time
- Diamond Elite standing: $46 per night time
At first look, it’s possible you’ll not agree with these valuations, however let’s contemplate the valuation of IHG Diamond Elite standing at about $46 per night time. As a Diamond Elite member, the first advantages you will get are an upgraded room based mostly on availability, 2 p.m. late checkout based mostly on availability, early check-in based mostly on availability, elevated earnings and a welcome amenity (together with the choice to pick free breakfast for 2 when staying at full-service and select-service manufacturers).
These advantages and their worth will differ by property and keep. As a Diamond Elite member, I typically get assigned a room with view on a excessive ground. IHG properties outdoors the U.S. are usually even higher about room upgrades, steadily assigning me a bigger or elevated room kind as a Diamond Elite member.
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I’ve solely sometimes had a property deny my late checkout request. That stated, this can be a perk I hardly ever depend upon throughout stays since I sometimes select different manufacturers once I want late checkout on account of IHG providing the profit based mostly on availability.
The choice for Diamond Elite members to pick breakfast as a welcome amenity supplies important worth at motels that do not present breakfast to all friends.
Know, although, {that a} respectable chunk of the worth we attribute to every elite standing tier per night time relies on the factors you will earn on stays. As an IHG member, you will earn factors at a set fee for qualifying stays booked straight with IHG. Plus, IHG elite members earn bonus factors on prime of those rewards.
Here is a have a look at the incomes charges for stays based mostly on the model and your elite standing.
| Property | Membership member | Silver Elite (20% bonus) | Gold Elite (40% bonus) | Platinum Elite (60% bonus) | Diamond Elite (100% bonus) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most IHG-branded motels | 10 factors per greenback | 12 factors per greenback | 14 factors per greenback | 16 factors per greenback | 20 factors per greenback |
| Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites properties | 5 factors per greenback | 6 factors per greenback | 7 factors per greenback | 8 factors per greenback | 10 factors per greenback |
| IHG Military Motels | 3 factors per greenback | 3.6 factors per greenback | 4.2 factors per greenback | 4.8 factors per greenback | 6 factors per greenback |
| IHG-branded Residence properties (excluding voco Residences) | 2.5 factors per greenback | 3 factors per greenback | 3.5 factors per greenback | 4 factors per greenback | 5 factors per greenback |
| The Venetian Resort Las Vegas and The Palazzo at The Venetian Resort | 2,000 factors per keep | 2,400 factors per keep | 2,800 factors per keep | 3,200 factors per keep | 4,000 factors per keep |
Should you steadily redeem IHG factors in your stays as an alternative of reserving paid charges, it’s possible you’ll discover our estimated values for every standing tier are too excessive. Head over to our IHG One Rewards elite standing information and take away or alter the bonus factors in our calculation for those who normally redeem factors in your stays or spend considerably kind of per night time. Should you take away bonus factors from the calculation completely, our price of Platinum Elite standing drops to $22 per night time, and our price of Diamond Elite standing drops to $38 per night time.
Associated: Tips on how to maximize redemptions with the IHG One Rewards program
Worth of factors earned
It is price contemplating how a lot the factors you will earn will likely be price for those who e-book a qualifying fee straight. Totally different manufacturers earn at completely different charges, as we mentioned above.
For simplicity, let’s assume you are staying on the majority of IHG motels and resorts the place Membership members earn 10 factors per greenback, Silver Elite members earn 12 factors per greenback, Gold Elite members earn 14 factors per greenback, Platinum Elite members earn 16 factors per greenback and Diamond Elite members earn 20 factors per greenback.
Primarily based on TPG’s valuations, IHG factors are price about 0.5 cents every. Because of this on $100 in purchases for a keep, a Platinum Elite member would earn 1,600 factors price $8 and a Diamond Elite member would earn 2,000 factors price $10. So, contemplate the worth of the factors you will earn when deciding how one can e-book your keep, even for those who do not care about different elite standing perks or incomes towards standing.
Associated: What bank card do you have to use for IHG stays?
Which stays qualify?
Like most lodge chains, IHG One Rewards typically will not present elite advantages or earnings on bookings not made straight with IHG or different accepted channels. The IHG One Rewards phrases and situations state the next are eligible reserving strategies for qualifying stays:
IHG Buyer Care, IHG web sites, the IHG One Rewards app, IHG WeChat mini program, Iberostar web site, Iberostar Contact Heart, IberostarPro, licensed journey brokers (excluding on-line journey brokers reminiscent of Expedia.com and reserving.com, and unauthorized brokers on on-line vertical journey portals), or straight on the lodge.
So, do not count on to get elite advantages or bonus factors once you e-book via an on-line journey agent or bank card portal. As such, I nearly all the time e-book straight to make sure entry to elite advantages and earnings.
Associated: The 19 finest IHG motels on this planet
Tips on how to earn IHG elite standing
All IHG members are a minimum of Membership members, however you possibly can earn IHG elite standing via the top of the next calendar 12 months every calendar 12 months you meet the next necessities:
- Silver Elite standing: 10 qualifying nights
- Gold Elite standing: 20 qualifying nights or 40,000 qualifying factors
- Platinum Elite standing: 40 qualifying nights or 60,000 qualifying factors
- Diamond Elite standing: 70 qualifying nights or 120,000 qualifying factors
There are additionally different methods to earn IHG elite standing. For instance, you will be upgraded to Platinum Elite standing if you are going to buy InterContinental Ambassador standing. You may also get IHG elite standing as a advantage of the next IHG bank cards:
I really like having the IHG Premier card, because it additionally gives an anniversary night time certificates that is legitimate for motels costing 40,000 factors or much less and supplies entry to the precious fourth-night-free reward profit. Between these two perks, I feel the IHG Premier’s $99 annual charge is price paying.
Associated: Why you must get (and hold) the IHG One Rewards Premier card
Backside line
This text illustrates the worth it’s possible you’ll miss for those who do not e-book straight with a lodge model, particularly in case you have lodge elite standing. This does not imply you must by no means e-book via an on-line journey company or a bank card journey portal. As an alternative, you will wish to examine the complete image and never simply the value distinction when deciding how one can e-book your subsequent IHG keep.
