About IHG Destined

IHG Destined is a preferred program from IHG Hotels & Resorts designed for its upper-upscale and luxury brands. When you book through an authorized travel advisor, the IHG Destined rate is usually about the same as the direct booking rate, but you can also enjoy extra perks such as breakfast for two, a $100 property credit, room upgrades, and more. If you already have IHG elite status, the two sets of benefits can stack, making this a great double dip.

  • Complimentary daily breakfast for two (usually full restaurant breakfast)
  • Property credit (most hotels offer $100 per stay)
  • Room upgrade (subject to availability at check-in)
  • Early check-in & late checkout (subject to availability)
  • Welcome amenity and complimentary Wi-Fi
  • Some hotels also offer extra promotions, such as 15%-25% off or One Night On Us

You cannot access this program by booking on the official website. To receive IHG Destined benefits, you must book through an authorized travel advisor. Since advisor-channel pricing is usually about the same as booking direct, finding a reliable advisor is basically a way to get these extra perks for free. Our US Credit Cards 101 team is also authorized to book IHG Destined rates. If you are interested, you can contact hotel assistant mh (WeChat ID: metahacker; note: hotel booking), and we can help with your reservation.Now let’s look at a specific example: Vignette Collection: RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka. A flexible refundable booking is $278. Through IHG Destined, you get the standard benefits including breakfast for two and more (not all benefits are shown here). Meanwhile, a similarly refundable booking that also includes breakfast and requires no deposit costs $327. Booking through this channel is directly $50 cheaper, or about 15%. Even better, this hotel also participates in the IHG ONE NIGHT ON US promotion, meaning stay four nights and pay for three, with the fourth night free, saving another 25%. ONE NIGHT ON US is a special version within IHG Destined: you still get the standard perks, plus a discount.

Participating Brands and Footprint

IHG Destined includes the following IHG brands, though not every hotel within each brand participates. For details, you will need to refer to the IHG Destined hotel list.

  • Six Senses
  • InterContinental
  • Regent
  • Kimpton
  • Vignette Collection
  • Hotel Indigo

IHG does not have many upper-upscale properties in the US, but the footprint is broader in Asia and other regions.

Extra Promotions

In addition to the standard benefits, many hotels also run their own separate promotions. For example, the IHG ONE NIGHT ON US promotion can mean stay three nights and pay for two, or stay four nights and pay for three, making it 1/4-1/3 cheaper than booking through regular channels.

Some resort hotels also have their own standalone offers, such as 35% off with a four-night stay, or 15% off for stays of two nights or more, etc. These can vary by low season and peak season.

You may also be able to stack credit card bonus points offers or AMEX offers. For example, the one below is a good fit: spend $250 or more on this card and get $50 back. That can be stacked with bookings through our channel for even better value. However, services like FHR that charge through a third party cannot be stacked.

How to Book IHG Destined

IHG Destined rates must be booked through an authorized travel advisor; you cannot book them yourself in the official app or on the IHG website. The process is otherwise the same as booking direct. The reservation will appear in your IHG account, and points & elite nights will accrue as usual. You can contact us in either of the following two ways for booking help:

  • Email: [email protected]. Send us the hotel you want, or the destination and approximate dates, and we will check pricing and the extra benefits for you.
  • Hotel assistant mh: WeChat ID metahacker; note: hotel booking
  • When booking, you will need to provide your name, IHG membership number, hotel, dates, and other relevant information, just like an official booking.
  • For payment, IHG Destined bookings require you to enter your credit card number and related information at the time of booking, so you will need to complete that through the payment page we provide. All information is one-time use only.
  • Depending on the hotel and the rate, you may be able to choose either prepaid in full or pay at hotel. In both cases, the charge comes directly from IHG to your credit card.
  • After booking is complete, you will receive an official email from IHG. In the rate field, you will see IHG Destined, which confirms that the booking includes the relevant benefits.
  • The reservation will appear in your own IHG account, where you can modify or cancel it yourself. The cancellation policy is the same as a normal cash rate and may vary by hotel.

For example, here is one of our test bookings. It clearly shows the rate as IHG Destined, and it can also be modified directly by the guest.

In addition to regular booking help, reservations made through our channel also come with free extra services.

  • Hotel outreach: if you want it, we can email the hotel based on your stay details, Hilton status, and other hotel elite status you may have, to see whether additional benefits may be available, such as a better upgrade or anniversary decorations.
  • Complaint assistance: if you run into issues during your stay, we can help you submit complaints and work toward a resolution or compensation from the hotel.
  • Rate monitoring: we use software to automatically track pricing for your room type. If a lower rate appears, we can rebook it so you get the better price, without you having to keep checking yourself.

Our team is very familiar with hotel loyalty programs, so we do have a real advantage in these areas.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can I book with points/free night certificates/points + cash? No. All bookings are cash rates only.
  • Will I earn points and elite nights/stays as usual? Yes. It works the same as booking directly with IHG.
  • Can I use certificates or other offers in my account after booking? Yes. This is a cash booking, just like making a cash booking yourself on the official website.
  • Can credit card payment stack with hotel bonus points, AMEX Offers, Chase Offers, and similar deals? Yes. In terms of payment, it works the same as if you booked directly on the official website.
  • Can it stack with other IHG promotions? Yes. This is a cash rate through IHG’s own channel.
  • Can it stack with IHG elite benefits?: Overlapping benefits generally default to whichever is better, while different benefits can complement each other. Of course, when we reach out to the hotel, we can mention everything, which may improve your chances of an upgrade or other extra perks.
  • Can anyone use this booking? Is it a contracted/corporate rate? Anyone can contact us to book. As long as the reservation is made through our channel, it comes with the extra benefits. This is not a contracted rate, and there is no audit risk. You can simply show your ID at the front desk and check in normally, just like any other booking made on the official website.

Booking

  • Email: [email protected]. Send us the hotel you want, or the destination and approximate dates, and we will check pricing and the extra benefits for you.
  • Hotel assistant mh: WeChat ID metahacker; note: hotel booking