With the launch of the IHG One Rewards program in 2022 got here IHG’s Milestone Rewards program. You may earn IHG factors or meals and beverage rewards at most Milestone Rewards tiers. It’s also possible to select an IHG annual lounge membership on the 40-night and 70-night tiers.
Most IHG motels and resorts do not supply membership lounges, however if you wish to entry the membership lounge at IHG properties that do have one, you will must do one of many following:
- Ebook a room that features lounge entry or buy lounge entry throughout your keep
- Have an IHG annual lounge membership
- Keep at an InterContinental property whereas having Royal Ambassador standing
Additionally, remember the fact that even when an IHG property upgrades you to a club-level room, you will not routinely get entry to the lounge. At IHG membership lounges, you sometimes get complimentary breakfast and nonalcoholic drinks all through the day. You’ll generally even get afternoon tea, night drinks and hors d’oeuvres.
This is every part you must find out about IHG’s annual lounge membership, together with tips on how to earn and use it.
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What’s IHG annual lounge membership?
IHG’s annual lounge membership — which you’ll be able to earn by IHG’s Milestone Rewards program — offers lounge entry for one member and a visitor, in case you keep at an IHG property with a membership lounge.
An annual lounge membership will get you entry to the membership lounge and its facilities throughout your keep. Nevertheless, IHG’s phrases and situations enable for lounge entry to be restricted “as a consequence of renovations, closures, or different facility limitations.” This membership additionally would not embody Membership Regent or Membership InterContinental facilities or companies past the bodily lounge.
In line with IHG’s phrases and situations, an annual lounge membership offers entry to membership lounges on certified stays, together with reward nights, free nights and stays booked by on-line journey businesses. Throughout stays at collaborating Iberostar Beachfront Resorts, an annual lounge membership offers you entry to the Star Status amenities and companies (however to not Star Status rooms). Nevertheless, an annual lounge membership would not present lounge entry at InterContinental Alliance Resorts in Las Vegas and Macau.
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Sadly, there is not any fast option to decide which IHG motels in a selected metropolis have membership lounges. As an alternative, I’ve discovered it best to easily verify whether or not a selected resort shows rooms with lounge entry within the room’s title or description.
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The best way to earn an IHG annual lounge membership
The one option to earn an IHG annual lounge membership is to pick out it as a 40-night or 70-night Milestone Reward. You may earn IHG Milestone Rewards as you attain the next tiers every calendar 12 months:
- 20 nights: 5,000 bonus factors, two $20 meals and beverage rewards or one confirmable suite improve
- 30 nights: 5,000 bonus factors or two $20 meals and beverage rewards
- 40 nights (select two): 10,000 bonus factors, 5 $20 meals and beverage rewards, one confirmable suite improve (restrict one) or one annual lounge membership (restrict one)
- 50 nights: 10,000 bonus factors or 5 $20 meals and beverage rewards
- 60 nights: 10,000 bonus factors or 5 $20 meals and beverage rewards
- 70 nights (select two): 10,000 bonus factors, 5 $20 meals and beverage rewards, two confirmable suite upgrades (restrict one) or one annual lounge membership (restrict one)
- 80 nights: 10,000 bonus factors or 5 $20 meals and beverage rewards
- 90 nights:10,000 bonus factors or 5 $20 meals and beverage rewards
- 100 nights: 10,000 bonus factors or 5 $20 meals and beverage rewards
As soon as you choose an annual lounge membership as a Milestone Reward, will probably be legitimate by the top of the next calendar 12 months. So, if you choose an annual lounge membership at any level this 12 months, the cross shall be legitimate by Dec. 31 of subsequent 12 months.
Since you might have 90 days to pick out a Milestone Reward after reaching a selected milestone, Frequent Miler found you may earn an annual lounge membership legitimate for nearly two calendar years in case you attain the 40-night or 70-night milestone on or after Oct. 3 and choose an annual lounge membership at first of January.
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The best way to use an IHG annual lounge membership
Between incomes an IHG annual lounge membership and its expiration, there is not any restrict to the variety of instances you should utilize your membership.
If you verify in to an IHG resort or resort with a membership lounge, present the entrance desk workers your annual lounge membership. Yow will discover your memberships in your IHG account’s Rewards Pockets below “Rewards to reinforce your keep.” Click on “Redeem,” and present the ensuing web page to the entrance desk workers. The workers will then add membership lounge entry to your room key or let you know tips on how to entry the lounge.
You may solely use your annual lounge membership if you’re the first member of a qualifying keep. An IHG spokesperson instructed TPG that the member with the annual lounge membership have to be the first member on the reservation so “the resort will be capable to verify the existence of the Annual Lounge Move within the account.”
Along with manufacturers like InterContinental, the place you would possibly look forward to finding a membership lounge, you will often discover that different IHG manufacturers (like Crowne Plaza and Vacation Inn) supply lounges.
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Is it price incomes an IHG lounge membership?
So, ought to you choose an annual lounge membership on the 40-night or 70-night milestone? And do you have to attempt to remain 40 nights at IHG motels to earn an annual lounge membership as considered one of your Milestone Rewards selections?
Sadly, the reply is not at all times a transparent “sure” or “no.” My husband redeemed an annual lounge membership in early 2023, and I’ve gotten to expertise a number of IHG lounges since then. All of the membership lounges I’ve visited provided a wide variety of meals and drinks, together with complimentary alcoholic drinks within the evenings. So, I have been happy with our determination to pick out an annual lounge membership on the 40-night Milestone Rewards tier.
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Tea service within the Membership InterContinental Lounge on the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort in Australia. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY
Nevertheless, you will additionally need to contemplate how a lot you assume you will use an IHG annual lounge membership. Particularly, you might need to contemplate how necessary membership lounge availability is to you within the locations you will go to. For instance, we selected the InterContinental Cartagena de Indias in Colombia and the Vacation Inn Singapore Atrium in Singapore primarily as a result of their award charges have been cheap and we knew the properties had membership lounges.
When you resolve the worth you assume an annual lounge membership would offer, contemplate the worth you’d get from the opposite Milestone Rewards selections on the 40-night or 70-night tier. For instance, on the 40-night milestone tier, would you worth having 10,000 bonus factors, 5 $20 meals and beverage rewards or one confirmable suite improve greater than an annual lounge membership? TPG’s June 2024 valuations peg the ten,000 bonus factors at about $50, whereas 5 $20 meals and beverage rewards shall be price round $100.
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Backside line
I have been very proud of IHG’s annual lounge membership. Should you keep at a number of IHG motels with membership lounges annually, I count on you will additionally discover it price choosing an annual lounge membership by IHG’s Milestone Rewards program after staying 40 or 70 nights in a calendar 12 months.
Nevertheless, in case you hardly ever keep at IHG motels and resorts with membership lounges, often journey with multiple different individual or do not worth lounge entry, you may not get sufficient worth from an annual lounge membership to justify choosing it over different Milestone Rewards on the 40-night or 70-night tiers.
