Three months ago, IHG Rewards announced that it was planning on introducing a new elite tier, slotting in above Platinum. Today, online accounts were updated to reveal the name of the new level, and it’s ‘Spire Elite’.
Unusual name, and a bit of a deviation from the type of names we’re used to. I’ll leave it to IHG to explain what it means:
About the Spire Elite name
‘Spire’ is derived from the old English word ‘spir’ – a shoot or a stalk of grass standing out amongst the others. It is awe inspiring, exceptional and a symbol of prestige. It conveys a sense of dedication and an aspirational attitude: going above and beyond; the sky is the limit. The name connotes a strong sense of prestige, elevated stature, and worthiness of admiration, along with a sense of dedication and an aspirational attitude, which is in line with how IHG Rewards Club sees its most loyal members who would qualify for this tier.
Details on Spire Elite
To earn the Spire Elite level, members will need to earn either 75,000 qualifying reward points or make 75 eligible stays at IHG Hotels over the course of a calendar year.
The benefits of Spire Elite includes the ability to earn 100% extra bonus points on qualifying stays, Spire Elite members will also be able to choose between receiving 25,000 points, or upgrading a friend or family member to Platinum.
The full chart of benefits, for all members of IHG Rewards has been updated to reflect the new level.
Changes to Gold/Platinum requirements
As announce previously, the requirements to earn Gold or Platinum Elite levels are also being adjusted. From July, Club members will need to earn 10,000 qualifying points or stay for 10 qualifying nights to be eligible for Gold membership. Gold members will need to earn 40,000 qualifying points or stay for 40 qualifying nights to reach Platinum membership.
This is a reduction from 15 nights or 20,000 points for Gold and 50 nights or 60,000 points for Platinum. The new earn requirements reflect the previous ‘fast track’ requirements that was available when staying at multiple brands. This is effectively removing the multiple brand requirements, and thus the ‘fast track’ program appears to be no more.
The following table shows the new versus old requirements
| Level | New Requirements | Existing Requirements | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nights | Base Points | Nights | Base Points | |
| Gold | 10 | 10,000 | 15 | 20,000 |
| Platinum | 40 | 40,000 | 50 | 60,000 |
| Spire Elite | 75 | 75,000 | – | – |