IHG recently relaunched their loyalty program in the form of IHG One Rewards, and IHG has been looking to increase interest in the program. As a first step earlier this year, IHG offered a status challenge to their two highest elite tiers.

There is now an opportunity to instantly register for top-tier IHG Diamond Elite status for free, with no challenges or other strings attached.

Register for IHG Diamond Elite Status

On one specific IHG One Rewards Club Offer Registration page, you can fill in either the email address or member number attached to your IHG account and instantly earn Diamond Elite status. The wording attached to this offer is “the exciting IHG One Rewards Club Promotion”, suggesting that this is a temporary offer by IHG.

There’s no requirement for any stays, or to be an elite member with any other loyalty program. Rather, it’s a simple upgrade to Diamond Elite, and not a status match or status challenge by any means.

Personally, I was able to enter my member number and received an email a minute later confirming my new Diamond Elite status. Upon clicking into my account, Diamond Elite status is already reflected.

The Diamond Elite status is set to expire December 31, 2022. If you complete 10 paid stays with IHG properties before the end of the year, your Diamond status will be extended through to December 31, 2023.

A Potential Caveat

This promotion comes with the following specific language:

Many offers are only available to IHG One Rewards Club members who receive a specific, targeted communication from IHG.

While the language specifies that many offers are targeted to specific IHG One Rewards members, it doesn’t say that this particular offer is.

Having said that, it’s always possible that IHG could renege on a very generous offer for instant Diamond Elite status, and we’ve seen loyalty programs behave this way in the past. Take this possibility into account if you’re planning upcoming IHG stays based on your IHG Diamond status earned through this promotion.

Perks of IHG Diamond Status

IHG One Rewards Diamond status typically requires staying 70 nights per year, and comes with a decent set of perks, including:

• Complimentary daily hot breakfast for up to two guests
• Suite upgrades to a standard or premium suite on a space-available basis
• Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability

Suite upgrades and breakfast are the most notable benefits, but it is disappointing that late check-out is subject to availability at the hotel’s discretion. 

It’s clear that the IHG One Rewards program is more in-line with Hilton Honors than Marriott Bonvoy or World of Hyatt, which means there is still a ways to go in terms of offering competitive benefits.

That being said, Diamond status is currently being given to all members instantly and free, and there’s no reason to pass on the opportunity. If you hold a Chase IHG Rewards Premier Card, you’ll even have access to an Anniversary Free Night every year, and your newly-minted Diamond status could go quite a ways in making your stay more memorable.

Conclusion

IHG One Rewards has a landing page where anyone can enter their member number and receive instant top-tier Diamond Elite status until the end of the year. This type of opportunity is virtually unheard of among hotel loyalty programs.

Diamond status comes with suite upgrades and free breakfast, as well as early check-in and late-checkout (subject to availability). This is a decent set of perks for a few minutes of your time to sign up for an IHG number and register for this promotion.

Given the ease of registering for the offer, everyone should take advantage of it, even if you don’t have IHG stays coming up. After all, you never know if you might find yourself heading to a destination with a strong IHG footprint and an opportunity to leverage your newfound top-tier status perks.