Neither program wins on every count, and the answer mostly depends on how many nights you stay each year. IHG gets you status with fewer nights: Gold at 20 nights against Marriott's 25, and Platinum at 40 against 50. It also pays bigger bonus percentages and hands out milestone rewards from 20 nights. Marriott gives a room upgrade from Gold (IHG starts upgrades at Platinum) and lounge access with breakfast at Platinum, its 50-night tier. If you stay 20 to 24 or 40 to 49 nights a year, IHG's thresholds favor you; if upgrades from 25 nights or a lounge at 50 matter most, Marriott does. The details below show where each claim comes from.
Marriott's rules below come from its program terms, updated September 2026, and its tier pages. Neither program's official pages give a value per point, so this guide does not rank points.
Status tiers: how many nights you need
Marriott's membership page and IHG's membership terms set these thresholds. IHG also lets you qualify on points instead of nights.
| Nights per year | Marriott Bonvoy | IHG One Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| 0 (0-9 at Marriott) | Member | Club |
| 10 | Silver Elite | Silver Elite |
| 20 | (still Silver) | Gold Elite, or 40,000 Elite Qualifying Points |
| 25 | Gold Elite | (Gold) |
| 40 | (Gold) | Platinum Elite, or 60,000 points |
| 50 | Platinum Elite | (Platinum) |
| 70 | (Platinum) | Diamond Elite, or 120,000 points |
| 75 | Titanium Elite | (Diamond) |
| 100 plus US$23,000 qualifying spend | Ambassador Elite | none |
Marriott's Ambassador tier is the only one with a spend requirement; it asks for 100+ nights and $23,000+ USD of qualifying spend per year. IHG Diamond requires 70 qualifying nights.
How long status lasts. At IHG, status earned in a calendar year (January 1 to December 31) runs through the end of the following calendar year. To keep it, you need to hit the same thresholds again during that year. Nights count in the year you check out, and only one night per day counts, so booking two rooms for the same night gives you one Elite Qualifying Night. Gold, Platinum and Diamond members also get rollover nights toward next year's status.
Marriott works on the same calendar. Its terms count Elite Night Credits from 1 January to 31 December, and their example has a member who reaches Gold during 2025 holding it for the rest of 2025 and all of 2026. Award stays count toward Elite Night Credit, except at StudioRes. City Express, Four Points Flex and Protea Hotels give half a credit per night.
What counts toward IHG points-based status. Only Elite Qualifying Points count; sources include paid stays at qualifying rates, IHG One Rewards Bonus Points Packages, qualified spend through IHG Business Rewards, and spend on Hertz car rentals, OpenTable reservations and Viator experiences. Credit card points, purchased points and Elite Tier Bonus Points do not count; promotion points do not count unless the promotion’s terms say otherwise.
Lifetime status. Marriott's terms list three lifetime levels: Lifetime Silver Elite after 250 qualifying nights and 5 years at Silver or higher, Lifetime Gold Elite after 400 nights and 7 years at Gold or higher, and Lifetime Platinum Elite after 600 nights and 10 years at Platinum or higher. Lifetime Titanium could be earned only until 31 December 2018. The IHG pages here do not describe a lifetime tier.
What each tier gets you
Bonus points are a percentage on top of base points. IHG's FAQ gives 10 points per US dollar at most IHG hotels (5 at Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites); Marriott's terms give 10 base points per US dollar of qualifying charges at most brands, 5 at Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, City Express, Element, Four Points Flex, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, Protea Hotels, Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites, and 4 at StudioRes. Marriott Executive Apartments also gives 5, on the room rate only. With the same base rate at most hotels, the percentages below compare directly.
| Perk | Marriott Bonvoy | IHG One Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus points | Silver 10%, Gold 25%, Platinum 50%, Titanium 75%, Ambassador 75% | Silver 20%, Gold 40%, Platinum 60%, Diamond 100% |
| Room upgrade | From Gold: "enhanced room upgrade" on arrival, limited to your own room. From Platinum it can include select suites | From Platinum: complimentary upgrades, subject to availability |
| Late checkout | Silver: priority late checkout; Gold: as late as 2 p.m.; both subject to availability. Platinum and up: 4 p.m., guaranteed except at resort and convention hotels, Design Hotels and StudioRes, where it depends on availability. Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy guarantees 2 p.m. The vacation-club brands, Ritz-Carlton Reserve and The Phoenician Residences are excluded | 2 p.m., subject to availability, at every level including Club |
| Breakfast and lounge | Platinum and up: lounge access with complimentary breakfast at brands that have lounges, plus a welcome gift choice of points, a breakfast offering or an amenity (varies by brand) | Platinum: welcome amenity of points or a drink/snack. Diamond: free daily breakfast as a welcome amenity choice at listed brands, for you and one registered guest staying in the same room |
| Welcome gift | Gold: 250 or 500 bonus points, varies by brand | Platinum and Diamond: points or drink/snack (points not offered in Greater China) |
| Room guarantee | Titanium: book by 3 p.m., 48 hours before arrival, and a room is guaranteed | Platinum and Diamond: 72 hours |
| Early check-in | Not listed | Platinum and Diamond, subject to availability |
| Dedicated support | Platinum and up | Diamond only |
| Car rental and airline status | Titanium and Ambassador: Hertz Five Star, United MileagePlus Premier Silver | Gold and Platinum: Hertz Five Star. Diamond: Hertz President's Circle |
| Reward night discounts | PointSavers awards: fewer points for limited periods, where a property offers them; not tied to a tier | Platinum and Diamond |
| Extras | Ambassador: Ambassador Service and Your24 (choose your own 24 hours) | Diamond: dedicated support team |
Three things to note about this table.
- IHG Gold has no upgrade. IHG's tier benefits page lists complimentary upgrades and early check-in only from Platinum. Marriott's Gold does include the enhanced upgrade.
- Breakfast is narrower than it sounds. IHG's official text ties free breakfast to Diamond, at InterContinental, Regent, Vignette, Hualuxe, Hotel Indigo, voco, Crowne Plaza, Even, Holiday Inn and Kimpton. It does not state guaranteed breakfast at Platinum or free breakfast for every Holiday Inn Express guest. At Marriott, breakfast comes from Platinum via lounge access or the welcome gift choice.
- Benefits vary by hotel. Marriott's terms exclude several benefits at Ritz-Carlton Reserve, among them enhanced upgrades, late checkout and guaranteed lounge access. Every upgrade above is subject to availability; Marriott’s Platinum-and-up late checkout follows the guarantees, limits and exclusions in the table above.
Both programs also give members a booking edge. Marriott's Member Rate is at least 2% below the property's lowest applicable public rate for non-Premium rooms, booked in advance through a Marriott channel; it does not apply at Atlantis, MGM Collection, Design Hotels, Homes & Villas or Ritz-Carlton Reserve. IHG lists member rates at every level, but its pages do not give a percentage.
Milestone rewards and yearly choice benefits
The two programs handle this very differently.
IHG Milestone Rewards start at 20 nights and come every 10 nights up to 100, counted within the calendar year. The full table from IHG's member benefits page (UK edition):
| Nights | Choices | Bonus points | Food & beverage rewards | Confirmable suite upgrade | Annual lounge membership |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 1 | 5k | 2 | 1 | - |
| 30 | 1 | 5k | 2 | - | - |
| 40 | 2 | 10k | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 50 | 1 | 10k | 5 | - | - |
| 60 | 1 | 10k | 5 | - | - |
| 70 | 2 | 10k | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 80 | 1 | 10k | 5 | - | - |
| 90 | 1 | 10k | 5 | - | - |
| 100 | 1 | 10k | 5 | - | - |
Once you reach a milestone you have 90 days to choose on the IHG website or app, or the reward is forfeited, and selections are final. The terms also note limits on suite upgrade and lounge membership selections.
Marriott Annual Choice Benefits come at just two points, from the Platinum and Titanium pages:
- At 50 Elite Night Credits, choose one of: five Nightly Upgrade Awards, US$1,000 off a bed from a Marriott Bonvoy retail brand, a gift of Silver Elite status for someone else, a US$100 charity donation, or five Elite Night Credits.
- At 75 Elite Night Credits, choose again from the same list, now with one Free Night Award added and the status gift upgraded to Gold Elite.
The practical difference: IHG rewards you from 20 nights, so mid-frequency travelers get something tangible well before the top tiers. Marriott's choice benefits start at 50 nights, but the menu includes a Free Night Award at 75.
Which bookings earn points and count toward status
Both programs favor booking direct. The table covers the main rules.
| Marriott Bonvoy | IHG One Rewards | |
|---|---|---|
| Where to book | Marriott channels: Marriott websites, the app, the property, and customer engagement centers | IHG websites, the IHG One Rewards app, IHG WeChat mini program, IHG Customer Care, Iberostar channels, authorized travel agents, or directly at the hotel |
| Online travel agents | Excluded: a room booked through a tour operator, online travel channel or other third-party channel is a Non-Qualifying Rate, with no points and no tier benefits. The terms name expedia.com, hotwire.com, priceline.com, orbitz.com, booking.com and travelocity.com | Excluded: Expedia.com and booking.com are named as not earning; most third-party rates are not eligible |
| Which rates qualify | Most business and leisure rates: Marriott.com rates without a discount code, standard and premium retail rates, advance purchase, corporate negotiated and government rates. Not qualifying: group rates you don't pay the hotel for directly, tour operator, wholesaler, crew and package rates, complimentary rooms, and rooms paid with a voucher or third-party award | Reward Night/Free Night, IHG employee rate, most business and leisure rates, including Advance Saver, Best Flexible and government rates. Locally negotiated rates always qualify in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Greater China; elsewhere they qualify if discounted less than 30% |
| Member number | Add it to the reservation; for Trailborn bookings made via a Trailborn channel, it must be added by check-in | Add it when booking, or afterwards from My Account. No retroactive credit for stays before you enroll |
| Award stays | Award stays count toward Elite Night Credit, except at StudioRes. Trailborn award stays must be booked through a Marriott channel | Reward Nights count as qualifying nights toward status, but earn no points on the room rate |
| Posting time | Not stated in the pages here | Five business days after checkout; promotion bonus points up to six weeks |
Marriott's terms limit or exclude several properties, and the list changes. As of the September 2026 update:
- Sonder by Marriott Bonvoy stopped participating on November 9, 2025.
- StudioRes members earn four base points per US dollar, but no elite bonus points or Elite Night Credit.
- Marriott Executive Apartments began awarding elite bonus points on February 12, 2026.
- Atlantis, Paradise Island earns on room rate only, and not for bookings through AtlantisBahamas.com.
- Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy takes part on limited terms.
On IHG's side, only select Six Senses and participating Iberostar Beachfront resorts take part, and Ruby Hotels are being integrated from January 2026, so check the individual hotel before you book.
Points basics: earning, expiry and redemption
IHG's FAQ says its Club members' points expire after 12 months without account activity, while points never expire for Elite members. Any earn or redeem at an IHG hotel or partner once a year keeps a Club balance alive. IHG also states that Reward Nights have no blackout dates at any level. Its FAQ gives a joining bonus of 1,000 points for the qualifying stay during which you enroll, excluding InterContinental Alliance Resorts, and points can be bought in 1,000-point blocks up to 200,000 a year.
Marriott's terms say an account with no activity for 24 consecutive months forfeits all its points; Lifetime Elite members are protected from that. Earning, redeeming or buying points at least once every 24 months keeps them, and forfeited points cannot be reinstated. Its pages also show redemption features such as Cash + Points ("as little as $55 and 3,500 points") and PointSavers. On redemption pricing, IHG's FAQ says point amounts vary daily like cash rates, so compare the two for the hotel and dates you plan to book.
Can you belong to both?
Yes. Both programs are free to join, and each keeps its own account and its own night count. Marriott's terms say membership is free; IHG says there is no fee to join. IHG allows one account per person, and Marriott's rules allow one membership account as well.
Belonging to both makes sense in two cases:
- You split hotel stays between the two groups and neither gets you to a status tier alone. Joining both costs nothing and gets you member rates and free internet at both.
- You want a fallback for one specific benefit. Marriott for lounge access at Platinum or upgrades at Gold, IHG for the bonus percentage and milestones.
It does not make sense to spread the same nights across both if you are near a threshold. Ten nights at each gets you Silver at both, and nothing higher at either.
If you hold status with another group, read our IHG and Accor status article before you commit to nights at either program.
Which should you choose
Pick by how many qualifying nights you stay per year with the group, then adjust for the perks you care about.
| Your nights per year | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 10 | Whichever chain has the hotel you want | Nights alone won't reach status at either; IHG Gold and up can also be earned with Elite Qualifying Points. Both give member rates and free in-room internet on eligible bookings. IHG Club points expire after 12 months of inactivity; Marriott points are forfeited after 24 consecutive months without account activity |
| 10 to 19 | IHG | Both give Silver. IHG's 20% bonus beats Marriott's 10%; Marriott adds priority late checkout, while IHG gives 2 p.m. checkout to every level |
| 20 to 24 | IHG | Gold plus a first milestone reward at 20 nights. Marriott is still on Silver |
| 25 to 39 | Depends on the perk | Marriott Gold adds an enhanced upgrade and 25% bonus. IHG Gold gives 40% bonus, 2 p.m. checkout and milestone rewards at 20 and 30 nights, but no upgrade |
| 40 to 49 | IHG | Platinum: 60% bonus, complimentary upgrades, 72-hour room guarantee, early check-in, two milestone choices at 40 nights. Marriott is at Gold |
| 50 to 69 | Marriott if you want a lounge or breakfast; IHG for milestone value | Marriott Platinum adds lounge access with breakfast and an Annual Choice Benefit. IHG Platinum has milestones at 50 and 60 nights |
| 70 and above | IHG Diamond at 70 nights; Marriott Titanium at 75 | IHG offers 100% bonus and free breakfast as a welcome amenity; Marriott offers 50% at 70–74 nights, then 75% and the 48-hour guarantee from Titanium at 75 nights. Only Marriott has a top tier above 75 nights |
Then adjust for how you travel:
- You want a lounge. Marriott Platinum gives lounge access with breakfast at 50 nights; IHG offers an Annual Lounge Membership choice from 40 nights. IHG's lounge appears only as an Annual Lounge Membership milestone option at 40 and 70 nights.
- You want a free breakfast every day. IHG Diamond offers daily breakfast as a welcome amenity choice for you and one registered guest staying in the same room, at listed brands; Marriott depends on lounge access and each brand's breakfast offering.
- You stay at hotels in Greater China. IHG's welcome-amenity points do not apply there.
- You mostly book through online travel agents. Neither program credits those bookings: IHG names Expedia.com and booking.com as not earning, and Marriott's terms treat third-party channels as Non-Qualifying Rates with no points and no tier benefits. Book direct with both.
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