Most motels do not supply membership lounges. However should you’re staying at a lodge with a membership lounge and need entry to the lounge, you may often must guide a room that features this entry. In spite of everything, even when an IHG property upgrades you to a club-level room, you will not routinely get entry to the Membership Lounge.
Nonetheless, there are different methods to entry a lodge’s membership lounge. For instance, applications like Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors and World of Hyatt supply lounge entry to high-tier elite members at most properties with a lounge. In the meantime, IHG One Rewards provides lounge entry throughout qualifying stays to members with an annual lounge membership, which you’ll earn by IHG’s Milestone Rewards program.
At these membership lounges, you sometimes get complimentary breakfast and drinks all through the day. You generally even get afternoon tea and night appetizers that may substitute meals. This will prevent fairly some huge cash on meals, particularly throughout an extended keep.
Here is what it is advisable learn about IHG’s annual lounge membership, together with how one can earn and use it.
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What’s IHG One Rewards’ annual lounge membership?
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Meals within the Membership InterContinental Lounge on the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort in Australia. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY
IHG’s annual lounge membership — which you’ll earn by IHG’s Milestone Rewards program — offers Membership Lounge entry for the member (when staying at IHG properties with a Membership Lounge) and one visitor (who would not need to be staying on the lodge).
An annual lounge membership get you entry to the Membership Lounge and its facilities throughout your keep. Nonetheless, IHG’s phrases and circumstances enable for lounge entry to be restricted “because of renovations, closures, or different facility limitations.” This membership additionally would not embrace Membership Regent or Membership InterContinental facilities or companies past the bodily lounge.
In response to IHG’s phrases and circumstances, annual membership membership offers entry to lounges on certified stays, together with reward nights, free nights and stays booked by on-line journey businesses. It is price mentioning that membership excludes entry to lounges at Mr. and Mrs. Smith properties and InterContinental Alliance Resorts in Las Vegas and Macau.
Sadly, there is not any straightforward option to decide which IHG motels in a specific metropolis have Membership Lounges. You may determine it out by seeing if a lodge sells lounge entry rooms. Nonetheless, chances are you’ll often come throughout a lodge with a closed lounge, similar to I did at IHG’s Grand Pacific Lodge in Fiji (the lodge’s employees stated the lounge was closed because the property transitioned to InterContinental branding).
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Tips on how to earn an IHG annual lounge membership
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Membership InterContinental Lounge on the InterContinental Cartagena de Indias in Colombia. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY
The one option to earn an IHG annual lounge membership is to pick it as a 40-night or 70-night Milestone Reward. You earn IHG One Rewards Milestone Rewards as you attain the next milestones every calendar 12 months:
- 20 nights: 5,000 bonus factors, two $20 meals and beverage rewards or one confirmable suite improve.
- 30 nights: 5,000 bonus factors or two $20 meals and beverage rewards.
- 40 nights (select two): 10,000 bonus factors, 5 $20 meals and beverage rewards, one confirmable suite improve (restrict one) or one annual lounge membership (restrict one).
- 50 nights: 10,000 bonus factors or 5 $20 meals and beverage rewards.
- 60 nights: 10,000 bonus factors or 5 $20 meals and beverage rewards.
- 70 nights (select two): 10,000 bonus factors, 5 $20 meals and beverage rewards, two confirmable suite upgrades (restrict one) or one annual lounge membership (restrict one).
- 80 nights: 10,000 bonus factors or 5 $20 meals and beverage rewards.
- 90 nights:10,000 bonus factors or 5 $20 meals and beverage rewards.
- 100 nights: 10,000 bonus factors or 5 $20 meals and beverage rewards.
As soon as you choose an annual lounge membership as a Milestone Reward, it is legitimate by the tip of the next calendar 12 months. So if you choose an annual lounge membership at any level this 12 months, it will likely be legitimate by Dec. 31 of subsequent 12 months. Since you could have 90 days to pick a Milestone Reward after reaching a particular milestone, Frequent Miler found you would earn an annual lounge membership legitimate for nearly two calendar years should you attain the milestones on or after Oct. 3 and choose an annual lounge membership at first of January.
InterContinental Ambassador membership would not get you Membership InterContinental entry at InterContinental motels and resorts. However should you’re chosen for Royal Ambassador membership, you’d get Membership InterContinental entry at InterContinental motels and resorts with a devoted Membership InterContinental lounge. Nonetheless, one of these lounge entry is totally different (and extra restricted, because it’s legitimate solely at InterContinental motels and resorts) from the annual lounge membership you’ll be able to choose as a Milestone Reward.
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Tips on how to use an IHG annual lounge membership
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Membership InterContinental Lounge on the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort in Australia. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY
Between incomes an annual lounge membership and its expiration, there is not any restrict to the variety of instances you need to use your membership. To date this 12 months, we have already used my husband’s annual lounge membership on the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort in Australia, the InterContinental Cartagena de Indias in Colombia and the Vacation Inn Singapore Atrium in Singapore.
While you verify in, your annual lounge membership will not seem to the lodge employees. So it’s essential to present your membership card to the entrance desk while you verify in. Your annual lounge membership is in your account’s Rewards Pockets beneath “Rewards to reinforce your keep.”
Click on “Redeem” and present the ensuing web page to the entrance desk employees. The employees will then add lounge entry to your room key or let you know how one can entry the lounge.
Along with manufacturers like InterContinental and Regent, the place you would possibly anticipate finding a Membership Lounge, you may often discover motels at different IHG manufacturers like Crowne Plaza and Vacation Inn that supply membership lounges.
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Is it price incomes an IHG annual lounge membership?
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Government Lounge on the Vacation Inn Singapore Atrium in Singapore. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY
Different loyalty applications tie lounge entry to room kind or lodge elite standing tier. Whereas you will get lounge entry by reserving membership rooms at choose IHG motels, lounge entry is not an IHG elite standing profit. As a substitute, you’ll be able to choose an annual lounge membership legitimate for no less than a 12 months by IHG’s Milestone Rewards program on the 40- or 70-night milestone every calendar 12 months.
So, ought to you choose an annual lounge membership on the 40-night or 70-night milestone? And do you have to try to remain 40 nights with IHG to earn an annual lounge membership as one among your Milestone Rewards selections?
Sadly, the reply is not all the time sure or no to both of those questions. All three Membership Lounges I’ve visited up to now at IHG motels and resorts have provided a wide selection of meals and drinks, together with complimentary alcoholic drinks within the evenings. So, I have been happy with our alternative to decide on an annual lounge membership as my Milestone Reward this 12 months.
Briefly, think about how a lot you assume you may use your annual lounge membership. Additionally, think about how a lot you may let membership lounge availability decide the place you keep. For instance, I selected the InterContinental Cartagena de Indias in Colombia and the Vacation Inn Singapore Atrium in Singapore since their award charges have been cheap and I knew the properties had Membership Lounges.
When you resolve the worth you assume an annual lounge membership would offer, think about the worth you’d get from the opposite Milestone Rewards selections on the 40-night or 70-night tier. For instance, on the 40-night milestone, do you worth 10,000 bonus factors, 5 $20 meals and beverage rewards or one confirmable suite improve greater than an annual lounge membership? TPG values 10,000 bonus factors at about $50, whereas 5 $20 meals and beverage rewards ought to be price about $100.
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Backside line
I have been very proud of IHG’s annual lounge membership. For those who keep at a number of IHG motels with Membership Lounges annually, I anticipate you may additionally discover it price deciding on an annual lounge membership by IHG’s Milestone Rewards program after staying 40 or 70 nights in a calendar 12 months.
Nonetheless, should you not often keep at IHG motels and resorts with Membership Lounges, regularly journey with greater than only one visitor or do not worth lounge entry, you won’t get sufficient worth from an annual lounge membership to justify deciding on it over different Milestone Rewards.
