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IHG One Rewards is offering a very interesting status challenge. You do not even need to hold elite status with a competing hotel chain!

Once you register for the status challenge, you are automatically granted Platinum status for a period of 120 days. Within those 120 days, you must:

• Stay 5 nights within 120 days to keep Platinum status until 31 December 2023
• Stay 10 more nights (15 total) within 120 days to earn Diamond status until 31 December 2023

You cannot register just yet. Registration will be available between 31 May and 31 July, 2022.  (you should obviously delay registering until a couple of days before your next IHG stay.

The most relevant fine print involves the definition of a “Qualifying Stay/Night”…

A Qualifying Stay is a minimum of one (1) night stay booked under a Qualifying Rate, with total spend exceeding US $30 (or local currency equivalent) for each night.  The stay can be at any IHG hotel or resort or Mr & Mrs Smith property, with the exception of stays at IHG hotels and resorts or Mr & Mrs Smith properties located in the Greater China region, which are excluded for purposes of this promotion.

You can reach the landing page for the IHG status challenge by clicking here.

Is it Worthwhile?

Diamond Benefits

Quite likely…  Click here to be taken to our original article explaining the new elite benefits on offer.

The most relevant benefits for Diamond members are probably:

• Complimentary hot breakfast for two people at most IHG hotels
• Suite upgrades (more of a hint than a promise)

Don’t forget, however, that you can always “buy” Platinum status by paying $200 (£160) to sign up for the Ambassador programme offered by the Intercontinental brand.

Milestone Benefits

Although complimentary breakfast is a valuable perk for Diamond members, you will have to complete far more nights to earn “Milestone Benefits” from IHG One Rewards.  (click here to be reminded)

As a result, completing this status challenge will make you a “Diamond-lite” member, as the confirmable suite upgrades and lounge membership passes require 40+ nights in 2022.

Earn 4x Points in the Process…

It is also worth remembering IHG’s current promotion. If you register for the status challenge in June, you would be earning 2-4x points on the 15 paid nights needed for the Diamond challenge (assuming you stay before 31 August, 2022).

Bottom Line

If you are tempted by the benefits offered by the new IHG One Rewards programme, you will definitely want to find a way to stay 15 paid nights with IHG this summer.

Fingers crossed that IHG actually delivers on the promised elite benefits. Otherwise there will be quite a few disappointed members…