Crowne Plaza launched their digital loyalty program IHG Rewards in July 2013. Anyone can join for free and earn and earn 10 points per dollar for a qualified stay at participating IHG hotel brands. The earned points can be exchanged for free night stay, airline tickets, events, and experience.
To enroll as a member, you need to create an account and provide your valid details by visiting the front desk of the hotel or through the website ihg.com.
You will receive a confirmation email with a member number after the enrollment. The existing member can log into their account with their username.
After signing up, you will be rewarded a bonus of 500 points instantly. Then, you can start earning points with a base rate of 10 points per dollar on staying at participating IHG hotel brands.
The earned points can be redeemed for a free stay, purchasing gift cards, airline tickets, events, online shopping, and so on.
IHG Rewards Benefits
IHG Rewards program allows members to earn points right after enrollment and benefit from eligible rewards and unlimited bonuses at participating hotels including hotel stays, airline tickets, tours and activities, flight and resort booking, and credit card purchases. The points can be cashed and transferred as well.
- Free to join.
- Ability to earn and use points.
- Exclusive member rates.
- Free internet.
- 10 points per dollar spent.
- Bonus points for SIgn-up.
- Tier level membership.
- Cash and transfer your points
- Free stay.
- Priority Check-in.
- Points for rental car booking.
- Points for tours, activities, and events.
There are 4 membership tier levels in IHG Rewards Program: Club, Gold Elite, Platinum Elite, and Spire Elite. Each level offers different benefits to members and top elite-level members earn exclusive benefits.
| MEMBER STATUS LEVEL | EARNING | STATUS BENEFIT |
| Club | Entry-level | Free Internet, Member exclusive rate, Personalized stay preferences |
| Gold Elite | 10,000 points10% bonus points | Welcome amenity, Priority Check-in, Extended check-out, Spa benefit, Free amenities, Member discounts |
| Platinum Elite | 40,000 points50% bonus points | Welcome amenity, Elite rollover nights, Spa benefit, Complimentary room upgrades, Priority check-in/check-out, Free amenities, Member discounts |
| Spire Elite | 75,000 points100% bonus points | Welcome amenity, Complimentary room upgrades, Spa benefit, Priority check-in/check-out, Free amenities, Member discounts |
In addition to these status tier levels, IHG Rewards has an extension of the elite tier where you can pay to hold the status. It is InterContinental Ambassador which is designed for well-traveled guests by offering premium services.
- Complimentary weekend night.
- Guaranteed room upgrade.
- $200 membership fee.
- 40,000 points annually.
- Extended checkout.
- Restaurant and bar credit for up to $20 for every stay and 15% discount.
- Complimentary breakfast.
How Does IHG Rewards Work?
IHG Rewards points can be earned in different ways including hotel stays, credit card usage, promotion offers, online shopping, dining, events, and experience. The registered members can earn 10 points per dollar through in-store, online, or in-app qualifying hotel booking.
The points will be generally earned on qualifying room rates and additional purchases including food and beverage.
IHG periodically provides promotional offers and the latest offer is customers get 2000 points for every 2-night stay.
The members who use co-branded IHG credit cards can earn points faster. There are two card options: IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card and IHG Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card.
| CARD FEATURES | IHG PREMIER CREDIT CARD | IHG TRAVELER CREDIT CARD |
| Sign Up Bonus | 125,000 bonus points and a reward night for $3000 purchase on the first 3 months. | 80,000 bonus points after spending $2000 on purchases in the first 3 months. |
| Earning Rate | 10x points at IHG hotels and resorts, 2x points at gas stations, grocery, and restaurants, 1x point on all other purchases. | 5x points at IHG properties 2x points at gas stations, grocery, and restaurants, 1x point on all other purchases. |
| Annual Fee | $89 | No annual fee |
| Anniversary Bonus | A free night stay | – |
IHG partners with Chase Ultimate Rewards so that you can transfer Chase points to IHG Rewards within 24 hours at a 1:1 ratio. Some of the recommended Personal Chase Cards include:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred
- Chase Sapphire Reserve
- Chase Freedom Unlimited
The Business Chase Cards include:
- Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
- Ink Business Cash Credit Card
- Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card
The IHG Rewards Dining Program allows you to earn points when you dine at participating restaurants. You need to sign up for an account online and link your credit or debit card to your account.
You can earn between 1x to 8x points on eligible purchases. If you spend more than $30 dining in the first month, you will be rewarded 1000 bonus points.
500 bonus points can be earned when you make an open table reservation through IHG Trip Extra Restaurant Portal. Points can be earned for food delivery orders.
IHG Business Rewards Program allows you to earn points when you plan a meeting or event. You need to register on the IHG website to earn points for events.
For rental car booking, points can be earned through Hertz, Dollar, or Thrifty through IHG Trip Extras Portal. You can earn up to 1000 points per booking which are worth $5.
When you book tours and activities through IHG Trip Extras Portal. You can earn up to 1000 points per tour booking. Another option for earning points is to purchase points directly.
What Can I Get With IHG Rewards Points?
The best ways to use IHG points are to book hotel rooms at participating locations. The standard reward night typically ranges between 1000 points and 10,000 points. When you book rooms with your point and hold an IHG credit card, you will get a fourth award night free and a 25% discount on four-night bookings.
The earned IHG points can be exchanged for airline miles including United, American, Delta, Qantas, and British Airways.
If you don’t have enough points, you can make a Points+Cash booking. For example, when booking a Points+Cash, the effective rates include:
- 43,000 points + $30 – 0.6cents per point.
- 38,000 points + $60 – 0.6cents per point.
- 33,000 points + $89 – 0.59cents per point.
- 28,000 points + $115 – 0.58cents per point.
The members can transfer their points for various airline partners and the standard transfer rate will be 10,000 points to 2,000 airline miles which is less compared to hotel stay redemption.
The other way of point redemption is to use the points for events and experiences like sporting event tickets, concert tickets, and city experiences.
Members of IHG Rewards Club can redeem their points with a minimum donation of 2,500 points for a cash donation to the American Red Cross.
Other options are to redeem IHG points for the following:
- Gift Cards
- Merchandise
- Digital Rewards
- Marathon Gas
| GIFT CARDS | PURCHASE PRICE | REDEMPTION POINTS |
| Panera Bread | $10 | 5,500 |
| Landry’s | $25 | 13,000 |
| Bass Pro Shops | $50 | 25,000 |
| Subway | $50 | 25000 |
| Lowe’s | $100 | 13,000 |
| REDEMPTION CATEGORY | CATEGORY NAME | POINT REDEMPTION |
| eMagazine | MacLife | 1550 |
| eMagazine | Cigar Aficionado | 1750 |
| Music | Still Over It-Summer Walker | From 400 |
| Music | BODR-Snoop Dogg | From 250 |
| Movies | No Time To Die | 1900 |
| Movies | The Holiday | 1250 |
| Games | DRIFT21 | 8800 |
| Games | DOOM Eternal | 17,650 |
| Software | Fences | 2650 |
| Software | Thinkfree Office | 13,250 |
How To Redeem IHG Reward Points?
After logging in to your IHG Rewards account, click the “IHG Reward” button. Choose the redemption option and click “Submit”.
To check the point balance, go to the “Account Summary” page on your account and the collected current balance will be displayed.
The points expire after 12 months if it is left unused. To maintain the point balance, you need to regularly earn and redeem the points.
Is The IHG Rewards Worth It?
As it is easy to earn IHG points through stays, credit cards, and promotions the program is worth joining for anyone. With elite benefits and a lot of good valued options to redeem, they offer a lot of member perks. The baseline point value of IHG points is 0.8 cents.
- 10,000 IHG Points are worth $80.
- 25,000 IHG Points are worth $200.
- 50,000 IHG Points are worth $400.
- 80,000 IHG Points are worth $640.
- 100,000 IHG Points are worth $800.
