Million Mile Secrets reader, Jonathan, commented:
I received a postcard from IHG saying I can get Executive Lounge access because I have Platinum elite status with the IHG® Rewards Club Select Credit Card. Is this true?
Great question, Jonathan! Several folks on FlyerTalk received a similar mailer.
Unfortunately, after calling IHG, it seems this perk was mistakenly listed on the postcard.
I’ll explain how you get executive lounge access at IHG hotels. And remind y’all about the benefits of IHG Platinum status!
IHG Executive Lounge Access
Certain hotel chains give folks with elite status access to Executive Lounges.
For example, folks with Marriott and Ritz-Carlton gold status get access to lounges.
But at IHG hotels, elite status does NOT give you automatic access. Instead, you’ll have to pay a fee to go to the lounge. Or you must book a more expensive paid room that’s on the lounge floor.
Even though IHG Platinum elite status gets you a potential room upgrade, it’s still unlikely you’ll get access to the Executive Lounge floor.
The perks of each lounge varies by hotel. For example, at the InterContinental Hong Kong, you get:
- Daily breakfast buffet
- Afternoon tea
- Evening cocktails
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
But you’ll pay $100+ per night for access. That said, other IHG hotels have lounges with lower fees and fewer perks.
It would be amazing if access came complimentary with the Chase IHG card.
Keep in mind, folks on FlyerTalk report showing the recent mailer to the front desk at the hotel to get free lounge access.
This might work at some hotels. But I can’t promise it will work everywhere.
Chase IHG Card Perks Are Still Valuable
Link: IHG® Rewards Club Select Credit Card
Link: My Review of the Chase IHG Card
While you won’t get automatic lounge access with the Chase IHG card, you still get fantastic perks, including:
- IHG Platinum elite status (free upgrades, priority check-in, and elite rollover nights)
- A free night at any IHG hotel worldwide each year of card membership
- 10% rebate on redeemed points (up to 100,000 IHG points a year)
- NO foreign transaction fees
The free night every card anniversary is an amazing perk that more than offsets the card’s $49 annual fee.
For example, team member Harlan recently used 2 free night certificates for a stay at the Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York, which saved him more than $500!
Here are some ideas where you can use the free IHG night:
- 5 Top Hotels in Europe to Book With IHG Card’s Free Night
- 5 Great Hotels in the US With IHG Card’s Free Night
- 5 Outstanding Hotels in the Caribbean & Mexico With IHG Card’s Free Night
- 5 Terrific Hotels in Asia & Australia With IHG Card’s Free Night
Bottom Line
Some folks with the Chase IHG card recently received a postcard listing access to Executive Lounges at IHG hotels as a benefit.
Unfortunately, after calling IHG, I learned this perk was listed as a mistake. To access lounges at IHG hotels, you’ll typically have to pay a fee or book a more expensive paid room on the lounge floor.
The Chase IHG card still has terrific benefits like a free night at ANY IHG hotel in the world every card anniversary. This perk alone can easily save you hundreds of dollars!
I’d love to hear if you received the postcard and have been successful in getting lounge access!
I read certain chains will match your status of another chain, ie. Marriott Platinum member will be given same high status at Starwoods.
I was wondering if IHG did that I have Marriott Platinum status and my wife has Hilton Diamond ( thanks to your tips) can we broker that status with other chains to get to higher level?
In practice, though, I’ve often gotten lounge access due to my IHG card. One of the perks is room upgrades (if available). And since I’ve usually been upgraded to the lounge floor, I’ve gotten lounge access. This probably happens about 75% of my stays.
Is not another benefit of having the card that your miles never expire as long as you have the card?
Otherwise they expire after 1 year of inactivity.
I believe this is correct.
It’s too bad they don’t offer complimentary Breakfast as a benefit (at any elite level/at any of their brands beyond HIE). Especially in comparison to top levels of Hyatt/Hilton etc.
Off topic: Do you have a point of contact for IHG that you can share here, or send me in a PM ? I have a few topics to hash out with IHG, and the regular channels of communication are a waste of time.
I’m OK with finding my own breakfast. Compared with their competitors, IHG provides one with the ability to earn enough points for redemptions *far* more rapidly.
For example, I recently spent about $270 for a single stay that, after stacking promos, earned about 50K points worth $350, plus a rebate for about $25. That’s a net positive of more than 100 bucks…and I could have earned $60 more, but I elected to spend more for my stay to get a more ideally located property. That sort of earning doesn’t happen all the time, but I’ve never come close to it with the other hotel programs, even with branded cards paired with top-tier elite status.
In summary, while IHG doesn’t offer as nice of “perks” as the other brands, they do an effective job swaying where I spend my money for hotel stays.
Wow!! Mind sharing about what you did to get that deal??
I just met enough terms of the Accelerate promotion to qualify for their respective points plus the achievement bonus. Each new promotional period presents different point offers from one member to another; sometimes the promo’s goals are less attractive, other times they’re good…this one happened to be especially great for me this time around.
How could he have used 2 free nights? Doesn’t it expire after one year?
@Charles – You must redeem the certificate within 12 months. But it can be for a free night that’s after the expiration date. For example, if your free night expires May 31, you can book a stay on July 1. And after May 31, you’ll get a new free night certificate, which you can redeem for a stay on July 2.
Probably one certificate each for him and his spouse.