Updated 2020-10-02 By
Robert Flowers III
The IHG Points Calculator will calculate total IHG Points based on spend, IHG brand, elite status, and if you use a IHG credit card to pay. This page also covers everything you need to know about earning points including brands, way to book your IHG stays, and how base points, elite status, and credit card points each play a role in you maximizing your earnings.
IHG Points Calculator For Stays
Use the IHG Points Calculator to calculate total IHG Points based on spend, IHG hotel brand, elite status, and IHG credit cards. Remember that you will not earn IHG Point on taxes, fees, and other charges.
How To Earn IHG Points On Stays
IHG Points are most commonly earned by booking stays at IHG brand hotels. Listed below are a few steps you'll need to take in order to ensure that you're eligible to earn IHG Points your stays.
Sign Up For An IHG Rewards Club Account
You can't build IHG Points without having an IHG Rewards Club account. IHG accounts are free to sign up for and only requires a few bits of information.
How To Sign Up
- Head over to IHG.com.
- Click Sign Up/Join at the top of the page.
- Click on the option that says Join Now.
- Fill out the requested information and create a 4-digit PIN.
- Confirm everything by clicking Join Now.
You'll be give an IHG Rewards Club number. You'll need this number and the 4-digit PIN number you created to sign into your account, so be sure to keep up with both.
Book Direct With IHG
In order to earn IHG Points on your hotel stays, you will need to book your IHG stays directly with IHG. This means booking your hotel stays via:
- IHG.com
- Through any IHG hotel brand page (such as holidayinn.com)
- The IHG mobile app
- Over the phone with IHG (1-877-424-2449)
Booking your stay through a third party site such as Hotels.com, Expedia, and Orbitz will not earn you IHG Points on your stay. If you have elite status with IHG and book through a third party, it will more than likely not be honored. Booking direct is usually the best way to go if you're loyal to any specific brand.
IHG Hotel Brands
You can't earn IHG Points booking at a non-IHG brand hotel and since their no 'IHG Hotel'-brand, you'll need to know where you can book your stays at. IHG has more than 15 brand hotels you can choose from which ranges from mainstream to luxury. You can book with any of the following IHG brands to earn IHG Points:
- InterContinental Hotels & Resorts
- Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants
- Regent Hotels & Resorts
- Six Senses Hotels & Resorts
- Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts
- EVEN Hotels
- Hotel Indigo
- Hualuxe Hotels & Resorts
- voco
- Avid Hotels
- Candlewood Suites
- Holiday Inn
- Holiday Inn Club Vacations
- Holiday Inn Express
- Holiday Inn Resort
- Staybridge Suites
- Atwell Hotels
Most of these IHG brands have their own website (such as holidayinn.com). You can book through the brands website or directly through IHG.com.
How IHG Points Are Calculated
As previously stated, IHG Points are primarily earned staying at IHG brand hotels. The IHG Points you earn will consist of base points, elite points, and points earned using IHG credit cards. You can also earn additional IHG Points through various promotions.
IHG Base Points
All IHG members will earn 10 IHG Points per $1 spent on the base cost of the room rate at IHG brand hotels (except Staybridge and Candlewood in which you will earn 5 points). You will not earn IHG Points on the taxes and fees associated with your stay.
You will earn points on the room rate. Not the taxes and fees.
If the total cost of your room rate is $187.50, you would earn a total of 1,875 base points on your stay. This is calculate by multiplying the room rate cost by 10. Remember to not include the taxes and fees which included in the final price when booking your IHG hotel.
| How To Calculate Base Rate - Examples IHG Rewards Club |
||
|---|---|---|
| Cost Per Night | Nights Stayed | Points Earned |
| $85 | 3 Nights = $85 x 3 x 10 |
2,550 Points |
| $120 | 4 Nights = $120 x 4 x 10 |
4,800 Points |
| $200 | 2 Nights = $200 x 2 x 10 |
4,000 Points |
Another things to note is that you will only earn IHG Points on paid nights. Award nights booked with IHG Points will not earn you points since you will not be paying the room rate.
You will earn no IHG points on award nights.
IHG Elite Points
IHG elite status comes with many benefits and amongst those benefits are bonus points when staying at IHG brand hotels. IHG elite status is based on nights stayed or base points earned at IHG hotels. The percentage of bonus points you earn will be based on your tier which can earn you a 10% to 100% boost which is based on the base earning rate of 10 points per $1 spent.
| IHG Elite Status Requirements Based on nights or base points per calendar year |
||
|---|---|---|
| Tier | How To Qualify | Bonus |
| IHG Member | Signing Up | No Bonus |
| IHG Gold Elite | 10 Nights, 10,000 Points, or IHG Traveler Card | 10% Bonus 11 Points Per $1 Total |
| IHG Platinum Elite | 40 Nights, 40,000 Points, or IHG Premier Card | 50% Bonus 15 Points Per $1 Total |
| IHG Spire Elite | 75 Nights or 75,000 Points | 100% Bonus 20 Points Per $1 Total |
Points earned via elite status bonuses are in addition to your IHG base points. If you the base cost of your room costs $100 and you have IHG Gold Elite status, you would earn:
- 1,000 Base Points ($100 x 10)
- 100 Elite Points ($100 x 0.10)
So you would end up with a total of 1,100 IHG Points. This is equal to earning 11 IHG Points per $1 spent thanks to the 10% boost. As you continue to stay with IHG and move up in tiers, you'll earn more points per $1 spent.
Let's assume you're paying a total of $150 in room rate costs. Based on your status, you would earn a different amount of points. Check out the table below.
| IHG Elite Status - Examples Based on $150 room rate |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier | Base Points | Elite Points | Total Earned |
| IHG Member | 1,500 Points | 0 Elite No Bonus |
1,500 Points |
| IHG Gold Elite | 1,500 Points | 150 Elite = 1,500 x 0.10 |
1,650 Points |
| IHG Platinum Elite | 1,500 Points | 750 Elite = 1,500 x 0.50 |
2,250 Points |
| IHG Spire Elite | 1,500 Points | 1,500 Elite = 1,500 x 1.00 |
3,000 Points |
As you can see, the difference between a $150 stay as a member and a $150 stay as an IHG Spire Elite makes a big difference. That's one of the benefits of earning elite status.
IHG Credit Card Points
The last piece of the puzzle to maximizing your IHG Rewards Points comes with using an IHG brand credit card. Points earned from credit card usage is in addition to base points and elite points. These points are typically added after the statement cuts for your IHG credit card and are not reflected within a few days like base points and elite points are. This means you'll receive points earned from IHG spend on a specific day of the month based on your statement end date.
You'll receive all of your IHG Points from credit card spend around the same date every month.
Based on which IHG credit cards are available to you, you can earn anywhere between 2 and 10 IHG Points per $1 USD spent at IHG brand hotels.
You can also earn a significant amount of bonus points with IHG sign up bonuses.
Spend ran through IHG credit cards do not distinguish between base costs and taxes/fees. You will earn IHG Points on the entire cost of the IHG stay. So if the total cost of your hotel was $250 (including taxes/fees), you would earn points based on the entire $250 and the multiplier offered on the IHG credit card you're using.
Summary
IHG offers the ability to earn a good amount of points staying at IHG brand hotels. Base points, elite status, and IHG credit cards combined can earn you as high as 30 points per $1 which is a great return on your IHG spend.
FAQ
How many base points do you earn at IHG Hotels?
IHG members earn 10 base points per $1 spent at IHG brand hotels with the exception of Staybridge and Candlewood in which you'll earn 5 base points per $1 spent.
How many bonus points can you earn from having IHG elite status?
You'll earn a 10% bonus (+1 point) as an IHG Gold Elite, 50% bonus (+5 points) as an IHG Platinum Elite, and 100% bonus (+10 points) as an IHG Spire Elite.
How many points can you earn from using IHG credit cards?
You'll earn 5 IHG Points per $1 spent with the IHG Traveler Card and 10x per $1 spent with the IHG Premier Card.
What's the most IHG Points you can earn per $1 staying at IHG brand hotels?
Promotions aside, you can earn up to 30 IHG Points per $1 spent which consists of 10 base points, 10 bonus points from IHG Spire Elite, and 10 points per $1 when using the IHG Premier Card.
Are IHG credit cards worth it?
If you frequently stay at IHG's, yes the card is worth it. Both cards grant access to the 4th Night Free Perk and the IHG Premier Card offers a free night annually that's typically worth more than the annual fee of the card.
