The Best Benefits of the IHG One Rewards Loyalty Program

With benefits including the standard bonus points and the delightfully luxurious spa credits, the IHG One Rewards loyalty program has plenty of perks for every membership tier. And with more than 5,900 locations around the globe spanning more than a dozen brands, it's not too difficult to find a hotel within the InterContinental Hotels Group where you can use those IHG One Rewards membership benefits.

Here are some of the best IHG One Rewards benefits.

It's free to become an IHG member, which alone entails enough benefits to justify enrolling, even if you stay at an IHG property only once in your life.

In exchange for you creating an IHG account (which entails handing over a bit of personal information, like your email address), you'll automatically become a Club Member, which is the lowest tier of membership in the IHG One Rewards loyalty program.

1. Discounted room rates

IHG members get exclusive rates when they make reservations directly through the individual hotel, the IHG website or the IHG app. Note that some properties and regions are excluded.

2. Free internet

All members will receive free Wi-Fi during their stay. Internet accessibility, speed and connectivity in common areas and guest rooms vary by hotel.

3. A $30 in-room spa credit

If a massage from the comfort of your own room sounds like a delightful addition to your vacation, here’s a deal to make that massage even better: a $30 credit. As an IHG One Rewards member, you’ll receive a $30 spa credit at participating hotels. Some have limitations on how it can be used; at Kimpton hotels, for example, the credit can typically be applied toward any 50-80 minute service on the menu.

4. No blackout dates for award nights

Unlike some hotel loyalty programs that won’t let you book on certain days (which often means the popular dates when you’ll actually want to stay), there are no blackout dates when you use points to book a reservation. As long as the hotel you want to stay at has a room available during your desired dates, you can book it with points.

5. The ability to pay with points and cash

As a member of IHG Rewards, you don’t necessarily have to wait until you have a massive pile of points before you can apply them toward travel. With IHG’s Points & Cash payment option, you can book a stay using a combination of both. Better yet, those stays count toward elite status.

You’ll need at least 5,000 points to use this option. Enter your dates and destination in the reservations search to see how much cash and points you’ll need alongside your other payment options. NerdWallet values IHG Rewards points at 0.5 cent each. You can use the NerdWallet calculator here to see if your hotel and dates offer a better value in cash or in points.

» Learn more: Your guide to booking award nights with IHG hotels

Anyone can be a Club Member, but the more loyal customers will have elite status. There are four tiers of IHG elite status: Silver, Gold, Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite, each with increasingly better benefits as you climb the ranks.

» Learn more: What to know about the IHG rewards program overhaul

You can become an elite member by staying at least 10 nights per year at participating properties, by accumulating IHG points or by holding an IHG One Rewards credit card like the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card.

Here are some of the best benefits you can expect once you’ve broken the Club Member barrier and attained a higher tier of status:

Bonus points earned on stays: As an IHG One Rewards member, you can earn points by paying for hotel stays with cash. Most IHG hotels pay you 10 points per dollar, with a few low-cost brands like Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites paying 5 points per dollar. Once you’re an elite member, you get a boost on top of those earnings.

Here's what kind of earnings boost you'll get, based on your tier of status:

• Silver: 20% bonus earnings on top of base points.

• Gold: 40% bonus earnings on top of base points.

• Platinum: 60% bonus earnings on top of base points.

• Diamond: 100% bonus earnings on top of base points.

Late checkout and priority check-in: All elite members will receive extended checkout and priority check-in, subject to availability. With Diamond status, you get even more time in your room. Spire Elite members may check in as early as 10 a.m. You’ll need to select early arrival as a stay preference in your reservation confirmation to take advantage of that benefit.

Complimentary room upgrades (Platinum and Diamond only): If there’s an eligible room available when you check in, Platinum and Diamond members will be offered a complimentary upgrade, which might include rooms on higher floors, corner rooms, newly renovated rooms or rooms with a better view.

The best benefits materialize once you have InterContinental Ambassador membership. But the only way you can earn Ambassador status is through your wallet. There’s a $200 annual membership fee, but it can easily pay for itself through one of its best benefits, the complimentary weekend night. Here are some of the standout features of InterContinental Ambassador membership.

• Complimentary weekend night, redeemable in conjunction with a minimum two-night paid stay at most InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, and participating Regent Hotels & Resorts properties.

• Automatic Platinum status.

• Guaranteed one category room upgrade.

• Guaranteed late checkout of 4 p.m.

• Restaurants & bar credit (up to $20 for each stay).

• Complimentary mineral water daily.

• Complimentary internet.

For stays at Six Senses properties, InterContinental Ambassador membership entails even more benefits, including:

• Complimentary breakfast for two in the main restaurant each day.

• Signature amenity of either a complimentary 50-minute Six Senses Spa massage for two or a local experience, redeemable once per stay.

• Early check-in of 10 a.m. (benefit subject to availability for Ambassador members).

IHG offers two credit cards through Chase that give you opportunities to earn more points. The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card includes a tidy welcome bonus: Earn 80,000 Bonus Points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.

Pay with your card at IHG properties, and you’ll earn additional bonus points. Plus you’ll earn points when you use it for everyday spending on purchases like gas and restaurants. There’s no annual fee for holding this card.

The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card charges an $99 annual fee but it comes with a nice welcome bonus: Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. This card also offers additional points-earning opportunities, plus cardmembers get automatic Platinum Elite status.

And perhaps the best benefit that can justify the card’s annual fee? You'll receive a certificate for an anniversary night, which you'll find in your credit card account upon your renewal anniversary date each year. That anniversary night certificate is valid at IHG hotels with a current point redemption level of 40,000 points or less.

There are plenty of good reasons to join the IHG One Rewards loyalty program, from perks like exclusive rates and no blackout dates even for members of the lowest tier, to free nights for members of the highest tiers.

No matter which benefits appeal to you the most, it’s almost always worth it to sign up for the IHG One Rewards loyalty program before booking stays at an IHG property.