Updated: March 21, 2024
Updated: March 21, 2024
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IHG points are worth around 0.5 to 0.7 cents each. Therefore, on average, 25,000 IHG points are worth between $125 and $175, and 100,000 IHG points are worth between $500 and $700. These values can be used as a reference to help you gauge whether you are getting a good deal when it comes time to redeem your points.
IHG offers a loyalty program with tiered membership levels.
Your IHG One Rewards points don’t expire as long as you have Elite status.
You can earn IHG One Rewards points in various ways, including on stays and purchases with partner merchants.
IHG Hotels & Resorts has over 6,000 hotels across more than 100 countries. Its membership program, or IHG One Rewards, allows members to earn milestone rewards, earn and redeem IHG One Rewards points, sign up for points promotions and earn miles with partner airline programs.
When you book directly with IHG hotels, you can usually earn 10X points for every $1 spent. You could also earn additional points per dollar by having Elite status or using IHG co-branded credit cards. Members can redeem points and use them for free nights, experiences, subscriptions, airline miles and points donations.
IHG Hotels & Resorts also has membership tiers based on qualified nights or points. The IHG One Rewards tiers are Club Member, Silver Elite, Gold Elite, Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite.
Overall, IHG is a solid hotel loyalty program that provides numerous ways to maximize points. However, if the average valuation of IHG One Rewards points is insufficient for your needs, there may be other options better suited for you.
Cash Price / Equivalent Points needed to book a room = Points Value
Compared to other hotel loyalty programs, IHG One Rewards offers similar value. A couple of loyalty programs — such as Hyatt and Wyndham — offer a higher average value per point. However, consider your unique travel habits and preferences before settling on one program over another.
Hotel | Value of Points to Dollars |
|---|---|
IHG/Intercontinental Hotel Group | 0.5 cents to 0.7 cents per point |
Marriott | 0.7 cents to 0.9 cents per point |
Hyatt | 1.7 cents to 2.8 cents per point |
Hilton | 0.5 cents to 0.6 cents per point |
Best Western | 0.6 cents to 0.8 cents per point |
Radisson | 0.4 cents to 0.5 cents per point |
Wyndham | 1.1 cents per point |
Choice Hotels | 0.6 cents per point |
Members can redeem points for a free Reward Night, with stays starting at 10,000 IHG points. However, the actual number of points needed for your stay varies by property, room type and selected dates, among other factors.
If you haven't accumulated enough points or wish to use only some of them on Reward Nights, you can pay for your stay at any of the IHG Hotels & Resorts properties using a combination of points and cash. It's also worth noting that members can book Reward Nights without worrying about blackout dates, but availability may be limited.
It is relatively straightforward for IHG One Rewards members to earn IHG points. The easiest way is to spend at IHG properties. However, members can earn points in other ways, such as by making purchases with partner merchants and spending via co-branded credit cards.
Make the most of your stays at IHG properties by creating an IHG One Rewards account. New members can start earning points immediately and gain access to several perks as a Club member, including late check-out and complimentary Wi-Fi. Additional perks are available to those who reach one of the Elite status tiers.
IHG Hotels & Resorts has a vast selection of destinations and partner hotels. Its major luxury hotels include InterContinental, Hotel Indigo, Six Senses, Regent, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Vignette Collection and more. Meanwhile, IHG’s premium hotels are Voco, Hualuxe, Crowne Plaza and Even Hotels.
Those on a budget may consider Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Avid — all properties under the IHG umbrella. And if you’re looking for extended-stay options, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites are also part of IHG’s network.
IHG One Rewards members can earn 10X points for every dollar spent at nearly every IHG hotel. You can earn 5X points for every dollar spent at Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. In addition, you can use and earn points with partner accommodations like Mr & Mrs Smith and The Venetian Resort.
Using an IHG co-branded credit card opens up even more opportunities to earn points. Chase Bank offers the IHG Rewards Traveler card, the IHG Rewards Premier card and the IHG Rewards Premier Business card, which are designed to enable those who enjoy staying at IHG properties to make the most of their time there.
IHG Hotels & Resorts offers members the ability to buy additional points, which can be a great option if you need to make up a shortfall to redeem a specific reward. However, since the price per point is often higher than the average value, it’s not typically the best course of action when trying to maximize the value of your points.
There is one exception: IHG occasionally runs various sales and promotions through which you can get bonus points when you purchase points. These sales are a great way to boost your points balance and still get good value for your money. However, we recommend waiting to buy points until you have an award stay planned. Even with extra points from a promotion, it is rarely a good idea to buy points without a redemption in mind.
IHG One Rewards members can earn points when spending with various IHG partners. For example, you can earn 250 points per $25 when dining at any participating IHG restaurant and bar. You may also benefit from 20% off your bill.
Members can also earn points and enjoy discounts through IHG's car rental partners: Avis, Hertz and Budget. For instance, IHG One Rewards members can save up to 35% on car rentals with Hertz (at participating locations), plus earn 1,000 bonus points.
Through IHG's partnership with Grubhub, IHG One Rewards members can receive 500 IHG points on their first Grubhub order. Subsequent orders garner IHG members 250 points.
A few loyalty programs allow you to transfer the points you accrue with them to IHG's loyalty program. Chase Ultimate Rewards, for example, is an IHG transfer partner, which means Chase cardholders can transfer points to IHG One Rewards at a 1:1 ratio. Members of Bilt Rewards and the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club frequent flyer program may also transfer points to IHG One Rewards at a 1:1 ratio. Most partners require that you transfer in increments of 1,000 points, with a minimum transfer of 1,000 points.
There are multiple ways to maximize your IHG One Rewards points, especially when you’re ready to redeem rewards. You can use points for free nights, experiences, subscriptions and points donations. Another common redemption method is to use the points for airline miles. IHG’s partner airlines include Delta, Emirates, Thai Airways, Korean Air and British Airways, among many others.
Those who opt to fully pay for IHG Reward Nights with points can get the fourth night free if they have one of the hotel's credit cards. If you link your credit card to your IHG One Rewards account, this benefit will automatically apply when booking stays of four nights or longer with your points.
IHG members have the opportunity to shop online on the Global Catalogue site. You can redeem your points for various items, including electronics, jewelry, sports goods, gift cards and homeware. Popular brands include Apple, Samsung, Whirlpool and Ray-Ban, among many others.
IHG is partnered with 42 airlines, giving members several opportunities to fly with their carrier of choice. For the most part, members can redeem IHG points for airline miles at a 10:2 ratio. Therefore, 10,000 IHG Rewards points will convert to 2,000 miles with the partner loyalty program. Exceptions include transfers to Malaysia Air Enrich, El Al Matmid Frequent Flyer Club and Air New Zealand Airpoints, where 10,000 points will get you 1,500 Enrich Miles, 40 Matmid Points and 25 Airpoints, respectively.
The fourth-night-free benefit for IHG cardholders when booking award reservations is the best in the hotel industry. Pairing the fourth-night-free benefit with IHG's dynamic award chart provides huge savings if you're willing to travel during off-peak periods. — Lee Huffman, contributing expert for MoneyGeek
All IHG One Rewards members can redeem points for Reward Nights without worrying about blackout dates. However, award availability may be limited on the nights you want to travel, so you won't be able to use your points at every property. Members also receive benefits such as member rates, points promotions and free internet throughout their stay. Meanwhile, those who earn IHG One Rewards Elite status receive all Club Member benefits plus the opportunity to earn bonus points, points with no expiration and other tier-specific perks. These are some of the key differences between membership tiers:
Club Member
Silver
Gold
Platinum
Diamond
MoneyGeek experts have closely examined how the value of IHG Rewards points changes based on different redemption methods. They have also carried out in-depth market research to determine the worth of your points.
Review answers to other questions about how much IHG One Rewards points are worth based on how you redeem them, and then determine the best way forward.
You can become an IHG One Rewards Member for free by creating an account at IHG.com. There are no qualifying nights or points needed for the first membership tier.
IHG points only expire for those with Club Member status and only if your account has been inactive for twelve consecutive months. Points don’t expire for IHG members in the Elite categories. You can maintain your balance by redeeming a free night, donating points, booking a stay at an IHG Hotels & Resorts property, purchasing points and more. All IHG credit cards include some form of Elite status, which is enough to retain your points, even if you don't earn any IHG points that year.
With as little as 5,000 points, you can use a combination of points and cash to book a stay. Doing so means you don't need to wait as long to redeem your points for Reward Nights. When booking a room, opt for the Points & Cash combo. Note that rates vary based on where you stay.
IHG's transfer partners include Chase Ultimate Rewards, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Bilt Rewards. Members of these rewards programs can transfer points to IHG One Rewards at a 1:1 ratio. For instance, 5,000 Virgin Points convert to 5,000 IHG Reward Points.
Yes, you can transfer points to family members and friends who are also IHG One Rewards members. Points transfers must be done in 1,000-point increments, and you incur a $5 fee for every 1,000 points you transfer.
It’s possible. IHG has more than 40 partner airlines where you can convert points to miles, some of which include Air New Zealand, Korean Air, United Airlines and Air France.
Yes, you can. Points redemption isn’t exclusive to IHG hotel stays. IHG points can be redeemed for gift cards and items on the Global Catalogue, sports events, tours, magazine subscriptions, airline miles, donations and more.
No, IHG doesn’t provide this option. However, you can redeem your points in other ways, like purchasing appliances, clothing, electronics and more on the Global Catalogue website. You can also use points for airline miles and experiences.
Holiday Inn is an IHG Hotels & Resorts brand. Members can earn Holiday Inn rewards by booking rooms at an IHG property and redeeming rewards through IHG One Rewards.
Yes, you can transfer points to American Airlines, an airline partner of IHG, at a 10:2 ratio. That means that for every 10,000 IHG Rewards points, you can get 2,000 AAdvantage miles. You must contact an IHG One Rewards Service Center to transfer your points.
About Grace Pilling
Grace Pilling was the Senior Content Manager for Credit Cards at MoneyGeek. She previously led personal finance teams at Bankrate, CreditCards.com and MoneyUnder30.
Pilling has a bachelor's degree in English from Western Sydney University and a diploma in book editing, proofreading and publishing. She is focused on empowering readers to make informed financial choices that support their best lives, not a company’s bottom line.
