IHG One Rewards Credit Card

There are IHG rooms for as low as 5,000 points, but that’s uncommon. Since IHG uses dynamic pricing, award rates vary widely by property, date, and season. Expect to pay more in major cities, at premium brands, or during peak travel periods.

The best value comes from holding an IHG co-branded credit card. Cardholders get the 4th night free on award stays, so booking four nights with points gives you the last night at no cost. You can even stack it—stay eight nights and get two free.

IHG points expire after one year of inactivity. However, points never expire if you hold any IHG elite status. Since all three IHG credit cards provide Silver or Platinum status, your points stay safe as long as you keep at least one card.

You can, but it’s not a good deal. Most transfers are 5:1, so 5,000 IHG points becomes only 1,000 airline miles. These poor ratios make transfers bad value. You’ll get far more from using points for IHG hotel stays.

Yes. You must requalify each calendar year through qualifying nights or points. If you hold an IHG credit card, though, you keep Silver or Platinum Elite automatically every year you keep the card, without needing additional stays.

Starting at 20 qualifying nights per calendar year, IHG awards Milestone Rewards every 10 nights up to 100. Options include bonus points, $20 food & beverage credits, confirmable suite upgrades (up to 5 nights), and annual club lounge membership at 40 and 70 nights. You have 90 days to select each reward or it expires.

Yes. Unlike Hilton and Hyatt, IHG charges resort fees on award stays at properties that have them. This is a notable downside — check for resort fees before redeeming points at resort properties.

Points + Cash lets you combine IHG points with a cash co-pay to book a stay. The cash portion effectively buys points at a set rate. If you cancel, the entire refund comes back as IHG points (not the original cash + points split). During Points + Cash sales, you can sometimes buy points at 0.5 cents each.

A paid elite tier costing $225/year or 45,000 points. Benefits include a free weekend night certificate at InterContinental hotels, guaranteed one-category room upgrade (including suites), 4pm late checkout, $20 food & beverage credit per stay, and complimentary IHG Platinum status. The free night alone often covers the cost.

Yes. The IHG Premier and Premier Business cards grant automatic Platinum Elite status. Spending $40,000 on either card in a calendar year earns Diamond Elite status. The IHG Traveler card grants Gold status after $20,000 in annual spend. The Chase Sapphire Reserve also provides IHG Platinum status upon enrollment.