How to redeem IHG One Rewards points for hotel stays
Editor's Note
Quick summary
I frequently stay at IHG properties because I can get good value when redeeming IHG points. Although IHG One Rewards moved to dynamic award pricing in 2020, I've continued to get solid value when redeeming IHG points.
For example, earlier this year, I redeemed 87,000 points for a four-night stay at the InterContinental Athenaeum Athens in Greece, which would have otherwise cost $889. I got a redemption rate of 1.02 cents per point on this stay, much higher than the 0.5 cents per IHG point listed in TPG's July 2025 valuations.
Two IHG credit cards have limited-time welcome offers if you apply by July 23. Specifically, with the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card (see rates and fees), you can earn 120,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Meanwhile, with the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (see rates and fees) you can earn five free nights (each night valued at up to 60,000 points) after spending $5,000 in the first three months from account opening.
IHG credit cards are one of the many ways to earn IHG points. But here's what you need to know about redeeming IHG points.
Redeem IHG points for hotel stays
You can redeem IHG One Rewards points for most IHG stays through IHG's website, app or customer care. However, you may be unable to redeem IHG points at some IHG Army Hotels and Six Senses properties. Reward nights include taxes and fees — except at Iberostar Beachfront Resorts, where you'll need to pay local and conditional taxes or fees — but don't include extra-person charges, resort fees and service charges.
Since IHG uses dynamic award pricing, the number of points you'll need to redeem for a reward night will vary. IHG's terms and conditions say reward night pricing "may vary according to several factors, including but not limited to brand, hotel, and day of week." Although there aren't any reward night blackout dates, you may not find award availability for some stays because "room inventory is limited and subject to prior sale," according to IHG's terms and conditions.
Related: Which credit card should you use for IHG stays?
To check award night availability and pricing, start on IHG's website or app. Enter your destination, check-in date, checkout date and number of guests. Select "Reward Nights" from the drop-down menu under "Rate Preference."
The next page will show you the award night results for your search query. You can filter these results by amenities or brands. You can also sort by various metrics, including distance, price and rating.
Click on "Map" to see where the properties are within your destination.
Once you click "Select Hotel" for one of the properties, you'll see the room options you can book with points for your stay. Some properties may only offer one room type, while others may offer a variety of room setups or views (some of which may cost more points per night). Scroll through the options and pick the best room type for your trip.
IHG occasionally offers reward night discounts to eligible Platinum Elite, Diamond Elite and IHG One Rewards credit card holders. You'll usually get an email from IHG about these reward night discounts, but you often must book quickly to enjoy the discounted rates.
Finally, note that IHG's terms and conditions now allow a second guest listed on a reward night reservation to stay even if the member who booked the reward night isn't staying. So, you can redeem your IHG points for a friend's or family member's stay. However, there are additional requirements if your stay is within mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan.
Related: How to maximize award redemptions with the IHG One Rewards program
Fourth reward night free
Perhaps the best way to get better value when redeeming IHG points is to get an IHG credit card with the fourth-reward-night-free perk. This perk lets cardholders of the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card and IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card (see rates and fees) pay zero points for every fourth night when redeeming points for stays of at least four nights.
Without this benefit, this four-night stay at the InterContinental Bali Resort would cost an average of 26,250 points per night (for a total of 105,000 points).
Since I have the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, which offers the fourth-reward-night-free perk to cardholders, I'd only need to redeem an average of 19,000 points per night (for a total of 76,000 points for this four-night stay).
Even if you redeem IHG points only once or twice a year for stays of four nights or longer, this valuable perk makes it worth keeping an IHG credit card in your wallet.
Related: Why you should get (and keep) the IHG One Rewards Premier card
Points and cash
You might have noticed in some screenshots above that you can book points-and-cash rates. Know, though, that you're effectively buying points when you book an IHG points-and-cash rate, so IHG will refund you solely in points if you cancel your booking within the free cancellation period.
It's worth working through the math and checking the rate at which you can buy IHG points outright before you book a points-and-cash rate. For example, consider this one-night stay in New York City.
If you redeemed 47,000 points for this night that would otherwise cost $307.64, you'd get a redemption rate of 0.65 cents per point. However, you could also book any of the following points-and-cash rates for the same night:
| Points-and-cash rate | Redemption rate for points | Number of points you're effectively buying with the cash portion | Purchase rate for points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7,000 points and $239 | 0.98 cents per point | 40,000 | 0.60 cents per point |
| 12,000 points and $219 | 0.74 cents per point | 35,000 | 0.63 cents per point |
| 17,000 points and $194 | 0.67 cents per point | 30,000 | 0.65 cents per point |
| 22,000 points and $166 | 0.64 cents per point | 25,000 | 0.66 cents per point |
| 27,000 points and $136 | 0.64 cents per point | 20,000 | 0.68 cents per point |
| 37,000 points and $72 | 0.64 cents per point | 10,000 | 0.72 cents per point |
If you want the best redemption and purchase rates for points, the option with 7,000 points and $239 might sound appealing. But remember that IHG usually lets members purchase points for as little as 0.5 cents each several times a year. Plus, since the stay is treated as a reward stay when you book a points-and-cash rate, you won't earn points on the cash portion of the stay.
Related: Is the IHG One Rewards Premier card worth the annual fee?
Transfer IHG points to airline partners
You can also transfer your IHG points to select airline partners. You can see all the airline options on IHG's website. However, most programs have a transfer ratio of 10,000 IHG points to 2,000 airline miles. So, you're almost certain to lose value when you redeem your IHG points for airline miles.
Because of this, you should only consider transferring IHG points to an airline if you need to top up your account balance for a specific redemption. Otherwise, you'll almost certainly get better value when redeeming IHG points for hotel stays.
Related: Best IHG beach hotels, ranging from family-friendly resorts to luxury stays
Other ways to redeem IHG points
You can also redeem IHG points for other types of rewards and experiences. Doing so will usually give you a relatively low redemption rate, and the exact options vary based on your region and country of residence. Here's a look at the options available to U.S. residents.
Digital rewards
You can redeem IHG points for e-books, electronic magazines, games, mobile top-ups and software through the program's digital rewards portal. Electronic magazines start at around 300 points, while e-books start at around 1,050 points.
Related: The best IHG hotels in the world
IHG One Rewards Access
Through IHG One Rewards Access, you can redeem IHG points for select experiences, including sports and exclusive events. Sometimes, you can secure an experience for a set number of points; other times, you'll need to enter a bid in an online auction for the chance to win.
IHG One Rewards catalog
Through the IHG One Rewards catalog, you can redeem IHG points for merchandise, gift cards, event tickets and donations, among other options.
For example, you can redeem between 1,000 and 2,500 IHG points for a yearlong magazine subscription. You can also redeem IHG points for gift cards to various merchants. Here's how many points you'll need to redeem for physical gift cards of varying amounts:
- $50 gift card: 25,000 points (redemption rate of 0.2 cents per point)
- $25 gift card: 13,000 points (redemption rate of 0.19 cents per point)
- $15 gift card: 8,000 points (redemption rate of 0.19 cents per point)
- $10 gift card: 5,500 points (redemption rate of 0.18 cents per point)
- $5 gift card: 3,000 points (redemption rate of 0.17 cents per point)
You can also redeem IHG points for merchandise. You can request specific items through the rewards concierge if you don't see what you want in the catalog.
Finally, you can donate your points to charity, with options starting at just 1,000 points.
Related: How my IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card pays for itself each year
Bottom line
There are many ways to redeem IHG points. However, I almost always recommend redeeming them for hotel stays, as this will give you the most value for your points.
If you want to earn more IHG points, the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card has a welcome offer of 120,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening if you apply by July 23. Meanwhile, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card has a welcome offer of five free nights (each night valued at up to 60,000 points) after you spend $5,000 in the first three months from account opening if you apply by July 23. And the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card has a welcome offer of 140,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months from account opening.