Here's how to obtain a complimentary weekend night with the InterContinental Ambassador program.
The InterContinental Ambassador program allows you to effectively purchase IHG elite status and enjoy extra benefits during your stays at select IHG One Rewards properties. Members receive various advantages, with one of the most prized being a complimentary weekend night at an InterContinental hotel or resort each year of membership.
This guide will begin with an overview of the InterContinental Ambassador program, followed by a discussion of its complimentary weekend night benefit.
What exactly is the InterContinental Ambassador program?
For $200 or 40,000 IHG points — equivalent to $200 according to TPG's July 2024 valuations — you can secure a 12-month InterContinental Ambassador membership. This membership grants benefits when staying at InterContinental hotels and resorts, including:
- One room upgrade to the next category
- Late checkout until 4 p.m.
- $20 food and beverage credit for each stay
InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort located in Vietnam. KATIE GENTER/DinogoTypically, InterContinental Ambassador benefits do not apply when staying at other IHG brands. However, by booking through eligible channels, members can enjoy some additional perks at participating Six Senses and InterContinental Alliance Resorts properties.
Membership in InterContinental Ambassador also grants you Platinum Elite status in the IHG One Rewards program. However, it may not be worth paying for the InterContinental Ambassador membership solely for this status if you're eligible for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card or IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card. These IHG credit cards offer Platinum Elite status and access to the fourth reward night free benefit when redeeming IHG points, with a lower annual fee compared to an InterContinental Ambassador membership.
Complimentary weekend night for InterContinental Ambassador members
With every purchase or renewal of your InterContinental Ambassador membership, you receive a complimentary weekend night. However, this benefit functions differently from the anniversary nights offered by some IHG credit cards. Instead of being equivalent to a specific number of points, the InterContinental Ambassador weekend night covers the room and tax for the second night of an eligible paid reservation.
You can redeem your InterContinental Ambassador weekend night once before your 12-month membership period ends. To utilize this complimentary night, you must book a stay of two nights or more at the Ambassador weekend night rate.
In most locations, this exclusive rate is only offered at InterContinental hotels and resorts for weekend stays, defined as Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. Therefore, you'll typically need to check in on a Friday or Saturday to take advantage of this rate and secure a complimentary weekend night.
InterContinental Phuket Resort in Thailand. KATIE GENTER/DinogoBefore we delve into the booking process, here are some additional details you should be aware of regarding the InterContinental Ambassador complimentary weekend night:
- The complimentary weekend night cannot be combined with reward nights or other IHG promotions. Ensure you book online with the Ambassador complimentary weekend night rate.
- Only members of the InterContinental Ambassador program can utilize the complimentary weekend night (valid identification is mandatory at check-in).
- An advance reservation is required, and you may only redeem one complimentary weekend night per stay. You can only have one reservation using the Ambassador complimentary weekend night rate; multiple reservations may lead to cancellations.
- Upon checking in, you must have an unredeemed and valid complimentary weekend night in your account. Otherwise, you will be charged the hotel’s best flexible rate for your entire stay.
Steps to book your complimentary weekend night
To secure your InterContinental Ambassador complimentary weekend night, log into your IHG One Rewards account, scroll down to the "Enjoy your rewards" section, locate the "Ambassador weekend nights" tile, and click on the "Book your nights" link.
IHG.COMNext, under "Free Nights and booking rewards," locate the "Ambassador Complimentary Weekend Night" tile and click on "Redeem."
IHG.COMYou can expedite this process by navigating through this specific link. It's advisable to bookmark this link, allowing you to check the Ambassador complimentary weekend night rate from this page, even if you don't currently possess an eligible complimentary weekend night in your account.
IHG.COMWhen reviewing your search results, be sure to note the Ambassador complimentary weekend night rate. Regrettably, this rate is often not the most economical flexible rate available.
IHG.COMFor instance, here are the rates at both the Ambassador complimentary weekend level and the lowest flexible level for a two-night stay from May 9-11, 2025, at the InterContinental New York Times Square:
| Rates for the 2-night stay, including taxes and fees | Classic low floor | Premium midtown view | Classic corner | Premium skyline view | Junior suite midtown view |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambassador complimentary weekend night rate | $957.22, with $438.44 credited at check-in, for a net cost of $518.78 | $1,071.98, with $495.82 credited at check-in, for a net cost of $576.16 | $1,083.46, with $501.56 credited at check-in, for a net cost of $581.9 | $1,117.88, with $518.77 credited at check-in, for a net cost of $599.11 | $1,645.78, with $782.72 credited at check-in, for a net cost of $863.06 |
| Cheapest flexible rate | $931.12 | $1,042.44 | $1,053.58 | $1,086.96 | $1,599.02 |
| Savings | $412.34 | $466.28 | $471.68 | $487.85 | $735.96 |
Similarly, here are the rates at both the Ambassador complimentary weekend level and the lowest flexible level for a two-night stay from May 9-11, 2025, at the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa:
| Rates for the 2-night stay, including taxes and fees | Garden view | Pool view balcony | Lagoon view balcony | Beachfront balcony | Suite with club lounge access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambassador complimentary weekend night rate | $978.72, with $430.33 credited at check-in, for a net cost of $548.39 | $1,024.48, with $452.65 credited at check-in, for a net cost of $571.83 | $1,161.74, with $519.60 credited at check-in, for a net cost of $642.14 | $1,344.77, with $608.89 credited at check-in, for a net cost of $735.88 | $1,527.79, with $698.16 credited at check-in, for a net cost of $829.63 |
| Cheapest flexible rate | $929.79 | $973.25 | $1,103.66 | $1,277.53 | $1,451.40 |
| Savings | $381.40 | $401.42 | $461.52 | $541.65 | $621.77 |
The charts above illustrate the nightly premium required to utilize your complimentary weekend night. However, since the room rate and taxes are waived for your second night when using your Ambassador complimentary weekend night, this benefit could effectively cover the cost of a year’s membership.
Nonetheless, as the rate for the Ambassador complimentary weekend night prior to the second night credit is typically higher than the cheapest flexible rate, you will usually receive the best value by booking your complimentary weekend night stay for just two nights.
Ultimately, you’ll notice greater savings when redeeming your Ambassador complimentary weekend night at more expensive hotels. For instance, here are the rates at both the Ambassador complimentary weekend level and the lowest flexible level for a two-night stay from May 9-11, 2025, at the InterContinental Kuala Lumpur:
| Rates for the 2-night stay, including taxes and fees | Classic | Classic high floor | Super classic | Classic club access | Executive suite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambassador complimentary weekend night rate | $265.17, with $131.96 credited at check-in, for a net cost of $133.21 | $290.36, with $144.54 credited at check-in, for a net cost of $145.82 | $315.54, with $157.14 credited at check-in, for a net cost of $158.40 | $416.27, with $207.51 credited at check-in, for a net cost of $208.76 | $693.28, with $346.02 credited at check-in, for a net cost of $347.26 |
| Cheapest flexible rate | $257.22 | $281.65 | $306.07 | $403.78 | $672.48 |
| Savings | $124.01 | $135.83 | $147.67 | $195.02 | $325.22 |
As illustrated, the savings may not entirely offset your InterContinental Ambassador membership fee (unless you book an executive suite) when using your complimentary weekend night at the InterContinental Kuala Lumpur. However, even at one of the more affordable InterContinental hotels globally, you can still cover over half of your annual membership fee on most weekend dates by utilizing your complimentary weekend night.
Key takeaway
The InterContinental Ambassador weekend night benefit has the potential to provide savings that exceed the program's annual membership fee. For instance, during our two-night stay at the InterContinental Fiji in 2019, we saved approximately $286 compared to the lowest available rate. Additionally, we were aware that we would receive a room upgrade, 4 p.m. late checkout, and a $20 food and beverage credit thanks to our InterContinental Ambassador membership. All these perks combined represent a $200 investment well spent in the InterContinental Ambassador program.
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