IHG One Rewards: A Hidden Gem for Budget-Savvy Travelers Over 55
A complete guide to the loyalty program behind Holiday Inn, Kimpton, InterContinental — and why it deserves a closer look.
You've probably heard of Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy. If you've been reading WanderWise for a while, you may have already explored Hyatt's program too. But there's a fourth major hotel loyalty program that rarely gets the attention it deserves — and for travelers who care about stretching every point, it might be the smartest one to join.
It's called IHG One Rewards. And if you've ever stayed at a Holiday Inn, a Crowne Plaza, or an InterContinental hotel, you've already been within arm's reach of it.
Here's what you'll learn in this guide: how IHG One Rewards works, what the points are actually worth, which of their 19 hotel brands matter most for your travel style, and why this program is particularly well-suited for people who travel regularly but don't want to overthink every booking.
Let's walk through it together.
What is IHG One Rewards?
IHG stands for InterContinental Hotels Group. They're one of the largest hotel companies in the world, operating more than 6,300 properties across 19 brands in over 100 countries.
IHG One Rewards is their free loyalty program. You sign up, you earn points when you stay at any IHG property, and you use those points to book free nights later.
The program is free to join. There's no annual fee, no credit card required, and no minimum stay to start earning. You can sign up online in about two minutes.
The IHG Hotel Brands You Should Know
One of IHG's greatest strengths is range. Their portfolio stretches from budget-friendly roadside hotels to some of the most luxurious properties in the world. Here are the brands that matter most:
For everyday travel and road trips:
- Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express — The backbone of IHG. Clean, reliable, and available in nearly every American city and small town. These are the hotels you stop at on a drive from Charlotte to Savannah.
- Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites — Extended-stay options with kitchenettes. Ideal for longer trips, snowbird stays, or visiting family.
For a step up in comfort:
- Crowne Plaza — A notch above Holiday Inn. Often found in city centers and near airports. Comfortable rooms, on-site restaurants, and a more polished feel.
- Hotel Indigo — Boutique-style hotels in interesting neighborhoods. Each property is designed to reflect its local area. Think: a Hotel Indigo in Charleston feels distinctly different from one in Nashville.
- Avid Hotels — IHG's newer brand, designed for travelers who want a clean, modern room without paying for extras they won't use.
For special occasions and splurges:
- Kimpton Hotels — Upscale boutique properties with personality. Wine hours, pet-friendly policies, and locally inspired design. These are the kind of hotels where you feel like you've discovered something.
- InterContinental — The flagship luxury brand. World-class properties in cities like Paris, London, Hong Kong, and Sydney. This is where your points can deliver extraordinary value.
- Regent Hotels & Resorts — Ultra-luxury. If you've been saving points for something truly memorable, this is where they go the farthest.
- Six Senses — Wellness-focused luxury resorts in stunning locations. Newer to the IHG family and an exceptional redemption for a milestone trip.
The key insight: You can earn points at a Holiday Inn Express on a weekend trip to see the grandchildren — and then spend those points at a Kimpton in San Francisco or an InterContinental in Rome. The earning is everyday. The spending is aspirational.
How you earn IHG One Rewards points
There are two main ways to build your IHG points balance: staying at hotels and using an IHG co-branded credit card.
Earning through hotel stays
When you stay at any IHG property and book through IHG directly (their website or app), you earn points based on the room rate:
- Base members earn 10 points per dollar spent on the room rate.
- Silver Elite members earn 10 base + 20% bonus = 12 points per dollar.
- Gold Elite members earn 10 base + 40% bonus = 14 points per dollar.
- Platinum Elite and above earn even more.
Here's what that looks like in practice. A three-night stay at a Holiday Inn Express at $140 per night would earn you roughly 4,200 base points. Not life-changing on its own — but these accumulate faster than you might expect, especially if you travel regularly.
Earning through the IHG One Rewards credit card
IHG offers co-branded credit cards through Chase, and this is where the math gets interesting.
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card has a $99 annual fee and currently offers a sign-up bonus that often reaches 140,000 points after meeting the spending requirement (typically $3,000 in the first three months). That single bonus alone is worth four to six free nights at mid-range IHG properties.
The card earns:
- 26 points per dollar on IHG purchases (stays, dining at IHG hotels)
- 5 points per dollar on travel, dining, and gas
- 3 points per dollar on everything else
There's also an IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card with no annual fee for those who prefer simplicity. The earning rates and sign-up bonus are lower, but if you're uncomfortable with annual fees, it's a solid entry point.
A note about that annual fee: The Premier card comes with an automatic free night certificate each year (valid at properties up to 40,000 points per night) on your cardmember anniversary. At most Holiday Inn or Crowne Plaza locations, that single free night is worth $120 to $200 — which more than covers the $99 fee. The math works.
What are IHG points worth?
This is the question that matters most. Here's the straightforward answer.
IHG points are worth approximately 0.5 to 0.7 cents each when redeemed for free nights.
That means 50,000 IHG points are worth roughly $250 to $350 in hotel stays. It's not the highest value per point in the industry — Hyatt points are generally worth more — but IHG makes up for that in other ways: easier earning, broader availability, and a massive network of properties.
Let me put that into real terms:
| Property type | Typical points per night | Cash rate you'd pay | Value per point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holiday Inn Express (small city) | 15,000–25,000 | $120–$160 | 0.6–0.8 cents |
| Crowne Plaza (city center) | 25,000–40,000 | $180–$250 | 0.6–0.7 cents |
| Hotel Indigo (popular destination) | 30,000–50,000 | $200–$350 | 0.6–0.7 cents |
| Kimpton (major city) | 40,000–70,000 | $250–$400 | 0.5–0.7 cents |
| InterContinental (international) | 40,000–80,000 | $300–$500+ | 0.6–0.8 cents |
The sweet spots — the places where the math works best — tend to be midrange properties in popular destinations during peak travel season. When the cash price is high but the points price stays reasonable, your points stretch further.
The IHG elite status tiers — and which one matters
IHG One Rewards has several elite status tiers. Here's what you need to know, without getting lost in the details.
Silver Elite (10 qualifying nights per year): You earn a 20% bonus on points earned from stays. A modest benefit, but it adds up.
Gold Elite (20 qualifying nights): 40% bonus on points, plus room upgrades when available and extended checkout.
Platinum Elite (40 qualifying nights): 60% bonus, guaranteed room type, complimentary upgrades, and a welcome amenity (sometimes points, sometimes a food or beverage credit).
Diamond Elite (70 qualifying nights): The top tier. All Platinum benefits plus upgrades to suites when available, a dedicated support line, and choice of additional benefits.
Here's the practical advice: For most people who travel 10 to 25 nights per year, Gold Elite is the realistic and worthwhile target. The room upgrades at Gold level are genuine — you'll often be moved to a higher floor, a room with a better view, or a larger room type.
If you hold the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, you automatically receive Platinum Elite status. That alone makes the card worth considering. You skip the 40-night requirement entirely and walk into every IHG property with top-tier benefits.
Why IHG deserves a place in your strategy
You might be wondering: if Hyatt points are worth more per point, and Marriott has more properties, why should I pay attention to IHG?
Fair question. Here are three specific reasons.
1. The sheer number of properties — especially where you actually travel
Marriott has more total properties, but IHG has excellent coverage in the mid-market segment that matters for regular travel. Holiday Inn Express alone has over 3,000 locations in the United States.
If you're driving to see family, road-tripping through the national parks, or spending a few weeks in Florida for the winter, there's almost certainly an IHG property nearby. That everyday availability is what makes the points useful. There's no value in a loyalty program — no matter how generous — if you can't find a hotel where you're going.
2. The fourth night free benefit
This is one of IHG's best-kept advantages. When you book an award stay of four or more nights, the fourth night is free.
Let me show you why that matters. Say a Crowne Plaza in Barcelona costs 35,000 points per night. A four-night stay would normally cost 140,000 points. But with the fourth-night-free benefit, you pay only 105,000 points — a 25% discount.
For longer trips — which many people over 55 prefer — that discount is significant. Book eight nights and two of them are free.
Who gets this benefit: It's available to all IHG One Rewards members who hold an IHG co-branded credit card. Another reason that $99 annual fee often pays for itself.
3. Points and cash bookings
IHG allows you to combine points and cash for a single booking. If you don't have quite enough points for a full award night, you can make up the difference with cash. This flexibility is genuinely useful — you're never stuck with points you can't use because you're a few thousand short.
How IHG compares to the other major programs
Let's put IHG in context alongside the programs you may already know.
| Feature | IHG One Rewards | Marriott Bonvoy | Hilton Honors | World of Hyatt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of properties | 6,300+ | 8,800+ | 7,600+ | 1,300+ |
| Point value (approx.) | 0.5–0.7 cents | 0.7–0.9 cents | 0.5–0.6 cents | 1.5–2.0 cents |
| Best for | Broad coverage, road trips, budget-conscious stays | Largest network, diverse brands | Sheer volume of earning, frequent promotions | Highest value per point, boutique properties |
| 4th night free on points | Yes (with co-branded card) | 5th night free (Platinum+) | 5th night free (some offers) | No standard benefit |
| Credit card annual fee | $0 or $99 | $0 to $650 | $0 to $550 | $0 to $550 |
The honest assessment: IHG One Rewards is not the flashiest program. It won't generate breathless articles on travel blogs. But it's remarkably solid for travelers who value coverage, simplicity, and consistent value. Think of it as the program that works quietly in the background — always useful, never complicated.
A real-world example: How Jim would use IHG points
Jim — our friend from Minnesota who's always chasing the sun — does a lot of domestic travel. He drives to see his son in Kansas City three times a year, flies to Tampa to escape February, and takes an annual golf trip to Scottsdale.
Before discovering IHG One Rewards, Jim was booking hotels through whatever site showed up first on a search. He was paying cash every time, earning nothing, and never staying loyal to any brand.
Here's what changed. Jim signed up for IHG One Rewards (free) and got the Premier credit card ($99 per year). His sign-up bonus of 140,000 points arrived after his first month of normal spending.
Now, his three trips to Kansas City — staying at the Holiday Inn Express for three nights each time — earn him roughly 12,000 points per trip. His Tampa trip (a week at the Crowne Plaza) earns another 25,000. His golf trip adds 15,000 more.
After one year: Jim has roughly 192,000 IHG points (the sign-up bonus plus what he earned from stays and card spending). That's enough for seven to ten free nights at Holiday Inn or Crowne Plaza properties — or a spectacular four-night stay at the InterContinental in Lisbon for him and Diane.
Jim's reaction, predictably: "That can't be right."
It is.
How to get started with IHG One Rewards
If you're convinced — or even just curious — here's what to do, step by step.
Step 1: Sign up for IHG One Rewards. Go to IHG.com and create a free account. This takes about two minutes. You'll get a loyalty number immediately.
Step 2: Always book directly through IHG. When you stay at any IHG property, book through IHG.com or the IHG app — not through Expedia, Booking.com, or other third-party sites. You only earn points and receive elite benefits on direct bookings.
Step 3: Consider the co-branded credit card. If you already stay at IHG hotels a few times a year, the Premier card is worth evaluating. The sign-up bonus alone can fund several free nights, and the automatic Platinum Elite status changes your stay experience.
Step 4: Download the IHG app. The app lets you check in digitally, choose your room, and manage your points balance. It's straightforward and well-designed.
Step 5: Keep earning on everyday spending. If you get the credit card, use it for your regular purchases — groceries, gas, dining. The points accumulate quietly, and before you know it, you have enough for your next trip.
The bottom line
IHG One Rewards isn't trying to be the most glamorous loyalty program in the industry. It doesn't need to be. What it offers is something more practical: an enormous network of hotels, a simple points system, a credit card that genuinely pays for itself, and the quiet satisfaction of knowing that your regular spending and your regular travel are building toward something tangible.
If you already have a Hilton or Marriott strategy in place, IHG is the ideal complement — it fills the gaps where those programs don't have properties, and it gives you another tool in your travel toolkit.
And if you're just getting started with hotel loyalty programs, IHG is one of the most forgiving places to begin. Low barriers to entry. Straightforward earning. Hotels everywhere you need them.
The points are there. They just need somewhere to go.
WanderWise receives a referral commission if you apply for the IHG credit card through our links. That's how we keep our guides free. But our recommendation would be the same either way — if there were a better option for your situation, we'd tell you about that one instead. That's our policy, and it's non-negotiable.