| Update: This offer now seems to be dead. For all those who managed to get their account upgraded, I’d hold off on booking any non-refundable stays in expectation of being able to use the benefits. Let’s give this a few days and see whether the status sticks |
Earlier this year, IHG launched IHG One Rewards, its revamped loyalty programme with new elite benefits such as complimentary breakfast and lounge access.
While the jury’s still out as to how good hotels are with honouring the new benefits, what’s clear is that IHG wants as many people as possible to take a test drive. After offering instant Platinum status for 120 days to literally anyone in May, it’s going one step further by offering instant Diamond status till the end of 2022.
Enjoy instant IHG One Diamond status
 |
| Register Here |
In order to enjoy instant IHG Diamond status, all you need to do is visit this page and enter your registered email address (if prompted for a promotion code, enter 70027). That’s it. Your account will be instantly upgraded to Diamond till 31 December 2022, no questions asked.
By staying at least 10 nights between now and 31 December 2022, you can extend your Diamond status until 31 December 2023 (for perspective, IHG Diamond normally requires 70 nights in a calendar year).
The offer really seems too good to be true, but I’ve tried it on my account and everything went through like clockwork. The only possible catch, as Ben from OMAAT has pointed out, is that if this turns out to be a targeted promotion then IHG reserves the right to revoke any status awarded. Given how fast this opportunity is proliferating throughout the interwebs, we’ll have to see…
As an IHG Diamond member, you’ll enjoy benefits such as:
- Complimentary breakfast
- 100% IHG bonus points
- Room upgrades up to standard suites (subject to availability)
- Early check-in and late check-out (subject to availability)
- Dedicated customer support
The detailed list of benefits can be found below.
Since upgrades will be more competitive than ever before, what with everyone being a Diamond member, the real benefit for me is the free breakfast.
IHG Diamond members enjoy a hot breakfast for two guests. Alcoholic beverages or speciality coffees may be excluded by hotels (even if they’re offered to all other breakfast-paying guests), but at least the wording means we shouldn’t see any continental breakfast shenanigans.
Candlewood Suites, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, InterContinental Alliance properties (in Las Vegas and Macau) and Mr. and Mrs. Smith properties are excluded from the breakfast benefit.
Do note that club lounge access is not an automatic benefit of IHG Diamond status. Instead, this needs to be earned through the Milestone Rewards programme. As a reminder, here’s the current list of Milestone Rewards; you’ll need at least 40 elite nights to earn a lounge pass.
| Milestone | Rewards |
| 20 nights |
(Pick one) |
| 30 nights |
(Pick one) |
| 40 nights |
(Pick two) |
| 50 nights |
(Pick one) |
| 60 nights |
(Pick one) |
| 70 nights |
(Pick two) |
| 80 nights |
(Pick one) |
| 90 nights |
(Pick one) |
| 100 nights |
(Pick one) |
Conclusion
IHG One Rewards is currently offering instant Diamond status till the end of 2022 to anyone who registers, with the option to retain it for the rest of 2023 with just 10 nights.
All I can surmise is they want to allow as many people as possible to test drive the benefits of Diamond, although I can’t imagine the hotels will be too happy at the sudden influx of elites. It also means that the upgrade pool will be more competitive than ever before, but if nothing else, free breakfast is a genuinely useful perk to look forward to.
(HT: Loyalty Lobby)
