InterContinental Ambassador’s little-known free extension perk

At the start of October, IHG hiked the price of an InterContinental Ambassador membership to US$225 or 45,000 points, from the previous US$200 or 40,000 points. No one likes a price increase, but to be fair, the fee had remained the same for a very long time so we were probably overdue an increase.

However, before you pay to renew your membership, or give it up altogether, you might be interested to know that you can get a one-time 2 or 6 month extension at absolutely no cost. This might not be available for much longer, so I’d act on it sooner rather than later.

InterContinental Ambassador free extension perk

My InterContinental Ambassador membership was set to lapse on 1 January 2025. I didn’t have any plans to renew, not so much because of the price increase but rather because I had difficulty integrating it into my travel plans. 

The main attraction of a free weekend night certificate never seemed to line up with my travel dates, and I didn’t have much chance to enjoy the InterContinental benefits since I tend to default to Hilton or Marriott, where the bulk of my points are. 

But then I read over on Loyalty Lobby that IHG had removed the wording in the Ambassador programme T&Cs which allowed for free one-time 2 or 6 month extensions. This previously read:

I didn’t even know this perk existed, but figured I might as well try my luck, especially if the perk was soon going to be nerfed. I sent an email to ambassador@ihg.com requesting a status extension, and within an hour I received the following reply.

I gave my confirmation, and shortly after, received the following. 

So even though my membership has about three months left to run, I was still able to get a six month extension beyond my current expiry date till 1 July 2025. 

Do note the following:

• If you’ve held an Ambassador membership for two years or more, you’ll be eligible for a six-month extension. Otherwise, you’re eligible for a two-month extension only
• There is no extension to the free Weekend Night Certificate. You must still burn this by the original expiry date on your membership

But that wasn’t all. I also got a separate email informing me that my IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status had been extended- till 31 December 2025. 

What I think is going on here is that IHG’s systems are incapable of granting partial-year status extensions. So when it sees that I’m still an Ambassador member as of January 2025, it automatically grants Platinum status for the whole year (since that’s an Ambassador benefit). 

This would also imply that if your status expires in, say, March 2025, and you got a six-month extension that took you till September 2025, you shouldn’t expect a status extension till December 2026 (because you won’t have any Ambassador status as of January 2026).

I know, Platinum with IHG isn’t much to get excited about, but some status is always better than none!

InterContinental Ambassador benefits

As a reminder, InterContinental Ambassador members enjoy the following benefits when they stay at InterContinental hotels:

• Guaranteed one category room upgrade
• Guaranteed 4 p.m late check-out
• Complimentary weekend night certificate
• Platinum Elite status in IHG One Rewards
• Restaurants & bars credit of up to USD20 for every stay
• Complimentary mineral water
• Complimentary internet
• Dedicated check-in area
• Single room rate for double occupancy
• Mainland China Only: Complimentary breakfast for one, each night you stay

The biggest perk to me is the complimentary weekend night certificate. This is valid for 12 months from the date of issue, and requires a minimum two-night paid stay with check-in on Friday or Saturday (Thursday or Friday at hotels in the Middle East).

Depending on which hotel you visit, the value of the free night could be significant. Even better, this perk doesn’t apply just to base rooms; you could book a club room or suite and still enjoy the free night.

By the way, unlike Accor Plus, there’s no need to purchase an Ambassador membership in order to check free night availability; you can do so via this link. Rates booked under the Ambassador free night certificate can sometimes be a bit higher than the best flexible rate, but not inordinately in my experience. 

Guaranteed 4 p.m check-out and a one-category room upgrade are useful too, though it’s important to note the latter only applies to paid nights. If you’re staying on an award night, upgrades are subject to availability.

If you stay at a Six Senses property that participates in IHG One Rewards, InterContinental Ambassador membership will give you:

• Complimentary breakfast for two in the main restaurant per day
• Signature amenity of a complimentary 50-minute Six Senses Spa massage for two, or local experience once per stay
• One-category room upgrade, subject to availability
• 4 p.m late check-out, subject to availability
• 10 a.m early check-in, subject to availability
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Wellness platter welcome amenity

Six Senses Resorts aren’t cheap, but if you’re willing to make the splurge, then the free breakfast, spa treatment and other perks can help sweeten the deal.

Conclusion

IHG Ambassador members can enjoy a one-time complimentary extension of 2 or 6 months, depending on how long they’ve held their membership. This gives you some extra time to enjoy the perks, even if you have no intention of ultimately renewing.

However, since the wording for this benefit has been removed from the T&Cs, it might not be around for much longer. If your status expiry is coming up, it might be worth shooting an email to customer service and asking about an extension.