There can be several reasons one might want to book a stay for someone else using their IHG account. It could be to earn extra points, get faster elite status, or for a spouse traveling alone, etc.
However, if you’re looking to book a stay for someone else using your IHG account, there are a few things you should know about what is allowed and what is not.
Booking a reward night using your IHG points for someone else.
Firstly, if you want to use your IHG points to book a free night for a family member or friend, you can do so. Unlike most other programs, IHG officially allows using points to book an award night for someone else.
When booking an award night on the IHG website, you have the option to add the names of additional guests. Simply include the name of the person you are booking for in this section.
Note that if you choose single occupancy, this field may not appear. You may need to select double occupancy, even if the room is required for one person.
For stays in Greater China (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan), there is an additional step required. If a member books a reward night on behalf of another person in these regions, they must contact IHG Customer Care at least 7 days before the stay date.
To find out more details about booking reward nights for a third party, you can refer to the terms provided by IHG here.
Keep in mind that if you are not personally staying at the hotel, you will likely not earn any elite night credit or status points for the stay.
It is also a good idea to inform the hotel beforehand about the arrangement, preferably via email. Since this is officially permitted, there is no harm in putting things on record with the hotel as well.
Better way to book reward night on IHG points for someone else.
A simpler way to book a reward night for someone else using your IHG points is available to Diamond elite members and business reward members.
These individuals can now transfer their IHG points for free to other IHG One Rewards members, who can then book directly from their own accounts. This streamlines the process and makes it easier for everyone involved.
Booking multiple rooms using your IHG points.
When it comes to booking multiple rooms using your IHG points, remember that only one room can be booked on points per reservation.
However, you can make multiple points bookings at the same hotel on the same dates for additional rooms.
In these cases, you will be listed as the primary guest on all bookings, and you can add the names of other guests in the additional guests field.
Tip: If you are booking an additional room for two people using points, make sure to select an occupancy of three while searching so that you can add two names to the booking.
It’s worth noting that you may book up to a maximum of 9 rooms on the same stay dates at the same hotel.
Booking paid nights for someone else using your IHG account.
Booking paid nights for someone else using your IHG account is strictly prohibited. However, there is a better alternative available. More on that later.
According to the terms of IHG One Rewards, the account is intended for individual use only. It is not permissible to share your account, benefits, status, or other perks with anyone else, including your spouse. The only exception to this rule is when booking reward nights using points.
While some people may try to bypass this restriction by using the “Additional Guests” field and booking stays for others, it is not a worthwhile or beneficial action. In most cases, you will not receive any status nights or points for the booking, and the person staying will not receive any benefits either. Although some hotels may allow it, it is a risk that is not worth taking.
Better way to book paid night for others using your IHG account.
IHG offers a program called IHG Business Rewards, which almost anyone can join. It’s like an additional feature on your existing IHG One Rewards account.
As a member of this program, you can make bookings on behalf of others. It doesn’t have to be business bookings. It can be used to book leisure trips for other as well.
The added benefit is that you earn reward points in addition to the points earned by the guest for their stay.
Furthermore, as a business rewards member, you get the ability to transfer IHG Reward points for free to other members.
To learn more about IHG Business Rewards and join the program, visit IHG Business Rewards page.
Conclusion.
You can book reward nights at IHG hotels for others using your points, even if you are not staying at the hotel.
However, booking a paid night for someone else using your account is not permitted. The person staying must use their own account.
While there are some restrictions when it comes to booking stays for someone else using your IHG account, there are also alternatives and options available that can simplify the process and provide additional benefits.
