IHG One Rewards is the loyalty programme of IHG Hotels & Resorts: InterContinental, Six Senses, Regent, Kimpton, Vignette Collection, Hotel Indigo, voco, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and the rest. For UAE residents its strength is on the ground: IHG says it runs 39 hotels across eight brands in the UAE, with 110 more due over the next three to five years, per its 29 September 2026 news release. That makes it a currency many residents earn on work trips and staycations without meaning to.
A sourcing note up front: tier thresholds, tier bonuses, earn rates and the expiry rule on this page were read from IHG’s Membership Terms and Conditions on 19 October 2026. Reward Night prices are dynamic and are not quoted.
Tier structure
Every member starts at Club level. Above it sit four elite tiers, earned in a calendar year on qualifying nights or Elite Qualifying Points:
| Tier | Qualifies at | Bonus on points |
|---|---|---|
| Silver Elite | 10 nights | 20% |
| Gold Elite | 20 nights or 40,000 qualifying points | 40% |
| Platinum Elite | 40 nights or 60,000 qualifying points | 60% |
| Diamond Elite | 70 nights or 120,000 qualifying points | 100% |
Status earned in one year lasts to the end of the next. Three rules make the ladder easier to climb than it looks:
- Reward Nights count. IHG’s terms count nights paid for with points as qualifying nights.
- Rollover nights. Nights above what Gold, Platinum or Diamond needed roll into the next year and count towards status there.
- Milestone Rewards are earned every 10 nights, from 20 nights up to 100, on top of the tier itself.
Only one night per day counts, so two rooms on the same night earn one qualifying night, not two.
How Reward Nights are priced
IHG publishes no award chart. Its terms say the points price of a Reward Night “may vary according to several factors, including but not limited to brand, hotel, and day of week”. There are no blackout dates, but rooms are limited.
So the only way to judge a redemption is on the day: compare the points price with the cash rate for the same room and date on ihg.com. If you are short, Points & Cash tops up the balance with points bought at booking. You can also buy up to 200,000 points a year outright.
What an IHG point is worth
We have no house valuation for IHG One Rewards yet. It sits as “Pending” on our valuations table. Our methodology samples the best off-peak award price at a UAE property against the cash rate for the same night, and we have not run that sampling for IHG. No UAE card earns IHG points, so no card review has needed a figure either. Until the sampling is done, this page publishes no fils figure.
For a single stay, divide the room’s cash price in AED by its points price on the same date. That tells you what the redemption is worth to you.
Who IHG One Rewards suits
IHG suits the UAE resident whose stays are already in its hotels: Holiday Inn Express or Crowne Plaza on work trips around the Gulf, InterContinental or a voco for a staycation. Silver at 10 nights is reachable for most, and it turns the 12-month expiry clock off.
It suits you less if you want hotel points from a credit card. No UAE card earns IHG points. Without an award chart, the programme also rewards checking prices more than planning ahead.
How to earn from the UAE
- Paid IHG stays. Per IHG’s terms, 10 points per USD 1 or local currency equivalent at most IHG hotels, and 5 at Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. The elite bonuses above come on top.
- Promotions. IHG runs registration-based promotions; we covered its pick-your-points promotion, which ran to 31 August 2026. Register before you stay.
- New UAE hotels. IHG’s first two Garner Hotels, in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah, are expected to open in 2026.
- UAE credit cards: none. No card in our data earns IHG One Rewards points or transfers into them.
What to watch
- The expiry clock stops at Silver. Club-level points expire after 12 months with no earn or redeem transaction. A stay only protects them if it changes your balance, up or down.
- No chart, no anchor. Points prices move with the hotel and the day. Run the cash-versus-points check every time.
- Conversions out. Moving points to Qatar Avios is worth a look only during a bonus, and only once you have seen the rate in your account.
Related
Programme reference
Redemption sweet spots
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A deep UAE estate, from Holiday Inn Express to InterContinental
IHG says it has 39 hotels operating across eight brands in the UAE, including InterContinental, Vignette Collection, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza, voco, Holiday Inn Resort, Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites, with 110 more due to open in the next three to five years (IHG news release, 29 September 2026). That spread makes IHG one of the easier hotel currencies to earn on ordinary stays at home.
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Reward nights count towards elite status
IHG's terms say Reward Nights consumed by members count as qualifying nights. Silver Elite takes 10 qualifying nights in a calendar year, so a mix of paid and points nights gets you there, and from Silver up your points stop expiring while you hold the status.
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Points & Cash on any Reward Night
Short of a full Reward Night? IHG lets you top up with points bought at the time of booking. Check the cash price of the points against the room's cash rate before you do it: it is worth it only when the mix costs less than paying for the room.
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IHG points to Qatar Avios, when there is a bonus
IHG Hotels & Resorts is on Qatar Airways' Global Points Exchange partner list, which ran a 15% to 35% Avios bonus on conversions to 31 October 2026. The offer page does not state the conversion rate and we have not published one, so check it in your IHG account before converting.