IHG has, for years, had three separate loyalty and guest recognition programs; IHG One Rewards, InterContinental Ambassador (paid), and Inner Circle (Kimpton).
There is an invitation-only Royal Ambassador level that has had variable qualification and requalification requirements throughout the years.
You can access IHG’s page for the Ambassador program here.
READ MORE: IHG One Rewards Rate & Bonus Points Offers
IHG has now done the initial processing of Royal Ambassador renewals for 2023, but without actually informing members.
You can check if your status has been renewed by looking at the points activity:
There is a note of Royal Ambassador renewal processed on December 7th.
It is unclear what requalification requirements are in place in 2022 for the 2023 membership year, and it would help if readers could share theirs:
How many eligible nights (InterContinental, Kimpton, Regent & Six Senses) and approximate spend at these brands?
The renewal requirement before the pandemic was somewhere between $10K to $12K.
The initial qualification requirement can differ from renewals, and I have not heard anyone initially qualified yet.
Conclusion
It is interesting to see the renewal and initial Royal Ambassador qualification requirements.
The IHG One Rewards program refresh earlier this year and the launch of Milestone Rewards has made, IMHO, Royal Ambassador status not as important as previously.
You can now get lounge access at InterContinental and all other hotels that have them by staying 40 nights within a calendar year and choosing it as a Milestone Reward.
Also, you can choose a Suite Upgrade certificate as a Milestone Reward option at 20 (one), 40 (one), and 70 (two) nights. Each certificate can be used to upgrade a stay of up to 5 nights.
