even with no ANA status
Link your ANA Mileage Club number to IHG One Rewards and every ANA member living in Japan gets bonus Elite Night Credits. Higher ANA tiers get more: Diamond + More members reach IHG Diamond Elite after two nights of their own.
Based on IHG Japan’s official “Loyalty partnership with ANA” page and its FAQ, the IHG One Rewards Terms and Conditions, and ANA’s official site (checked on ).
ANA and IHG Hotels & Resorts (InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and more) signed a “comprehensive loyalty partnership” on 22 April 2026, with benefits originally due from October. On 6 November the two companies published the details: from January 2027, ANA Mileage Club (AMC) members who link their account to IHG One Rewards receive bonus Elite Night Credits based on their ANA tier. These credits go straight into your IHG account and count toward IHG elite status. Members with no ANA status at all still get five.
If you live in Japan, you qualify regardless of nationality. This guide covers how many nights each tier gets, which IHG status that puts you at, how to reach the next level in 2027, which bookings don’t count, and when the current ANA member perks at IHG hotels in Japan end.
Joining IHG One Rewards is free. IHG’s FAQ recommends signing up in advance if you aren’t a member yet.
- Every AMC member living in Japan is eligible. Apply from January 2027 on the AMC member page. It’s free
- Night credits: Diamond + More 68, Diamond 38, Platinum 20, Bronze 10, no status 5
- IHG status right after linking: Diamond + More → Platinum Elite; Diamond and Platinum → Gold Elite; Bronze → Silver Elite. Diamond + More and Diamond members move up one more level after two nights of their own
- The five nights for regular members don’t give status on their own. Stay five more nights in 2027 and you’re Silver Elite until the end of 2028
- Only stays that check out on or after 1 January 2027 count, and only if booked on IHG’s website, the IHG app or the IHG LINE mini app. Jalan, Expedia and other OTAs don’t count; reward nights do
- Current ANA perks at IHG hotels in Japan are ending: room and dining discounts and the free breakfast for SFC members apply to bookings made by 28 February 2027 for stays by 31 October 2027
- ANA miles → IHG points starts in mid-February 2027. Double dipping is only for members living outside Japan
What’s new and when it starts
The program has three parts: (1) a status match, (2) two-way conversion between ANA miles and IHG One Rewards points, and (3) “double dipping”, earning both ANA miles and IHG points on ANA international flights. If you live in Japan, (1) and (2) are the ones you can use.
Night credits and IHG status by ANA tier
IHG elite status is based on qualifying nights in a calendar year (1 January to 31 December): Silver Elite at 10 nights, Gold Elite at 20, Platinum Elite at 40 and Diamond Elite at 70 (Gold and above can also be reached with points). The ANA night credits are added straight to that count. Here is IHG’s official chart:
Putting the chart together with the FAQ, each tier works out like this:
- Night credits
- 68
- After linking
- IHG Platinum Elite
- After two nights of your own
- 70 nights → Diamond Elite (breakfast, lounge and more)
- Milestone Rewards
- 68 nights already passes the 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60-night milestones; reaching 70 adds one more
- Night credits
- 38
- After linking
- IHG Gold Elite
- After two nights of your own
- 40 nights → Platinum Elite (upgrades, late checkout and more)
- Milestone Rewards
- The 20 and 30-night milestones
- Night credits
- 20
- After linking
- IHG Gold Elite
- Next level
- 20 more nights to Platinum Elite
- Milestone Rewards
- The 20-night milestone
- Night credits
- 10
- After linking
- IHG Silver Elite
- Next level
- 10 more nights to Gold Elite
- Night credits
- 5
- After linking
- IHG Club member (base level)
- Next level
- 5 more nights to Silver Elite
Why does Diamond + More start at Platinum Elite rather than Diamond Elite? IHG requires at least two nights of your own stays in the year for Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite. According to the FAQ, ANA Diamond and Diamond + More members who complete two qualifying nights after registering move up to the higher status (this applies to members with no qualifying IHG stays that year).
What each IHG status gets you
The main benefits listed on IHG’s official chart:
| IHG status | Usual requirement | Main benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Diamond Elite | 70 nights or 120,000 points | Upgrades, breakfast, lounge and more |
| Platinum Elite | 40 nights or 60,000 points | Upgrades, late checkout and more |
| Gold Elite | 20 nights or 40,000 points | 40% bonus points |
| Silver Elite | 10 nights | 20% bonus points |
| Club | Free to join | Late checkout, member rates, free Wi-Fi and more |
Status lasts until the end of the following year
Under the IHG One Rewards Terms and Conditions, status earned in a calendar year lasts until the last day of the next calendar year. Earn it in 2027 and you keep it until 31 December 2028. Reward nights paid with points also count as qualifying nights.
Milestone Rewards
Once you reach 20 nights in a year, you pick a reward every 10 nights up to 100: bonus points, Food & Beverage Rewards, confirmable suite upgrades, an annual lounge membership and more. You have 90 days to choose on the IHG website or app, or the reward expires.
IHG’s FAQ says ANA Platinum members and above who are registered when the status match launches can count their night credits toward Milestone Rewards. That means one milestone for Platinum (20 nights), two for Diamond (20 and 30) and five for Diamond + More (20 to 60).
Making use of the five nights
Five nights won’t get you a status on their own (Silver needs 10). What they do is cut what you need in 2027 in half:
Tips for adding nights
- Stay over New Year: if you check in during 2026 and check out on or after 1 January 2027, every night counts toward 2027 (IHG FAQ). Stays that check out by 31 December 2026 don’t count and aren’t added later
- Use points: reward nights count as qualifying nights, so IHG points you already have can add nights at no extra cost
- Always book direct: IHG’s website, the IHG app or the LINE mini app. If a comparison site shows a lower price, check the IHG site before you book
- There are more than 80 IHG hotels open or in development in Japan, and half of the open ones are co-branded with ANA (ANA InterContinental, ANA Crowne Plaza, ANA Holiday Inn and others), so work trips and holidays add up quickly
Some IHG hotels in Japan (images: IHG Japan official site)
If you don’t plan to stay at IHG in 2027, linking still costs nothing, so there’s no downside to applying.
How to apply
Which stays count
| Counts as a qualifying night | Doesn’t count |
|---|---|
| Booked direct on IHG’s website, app or LINE mini app | Booked through Jalan, Expedia or other OTAs and travel agents |
| Paid stays at qualifying rates | Stays that checked out by 31 December 2026 |
| Reward nights paid with points | |
| Check in during 2026, check out on or after 1 January 2027 (all nights count toward 2027) |
Status benefits follow the same rule. Upgrades and late checkout only apply to stays booked direct through IHG’s website, app or LINE mini app, not through OTAs. Some hotels are excluded.
ANA member perks that are ending
With the new program, the perks ANA members currently get at IHG hotels in Japan will end. IHG’s site says they apply to bookings made by 28 February 2027 for stays by 31 October 2027. The FAQ lists the room discount, dining discount, and free breakfast and welcome drink as ending. Here is what each member type gets now, per IHG’s official table:
| Member | Room rate | Restaurants & bars | Breakfast & welcome drink |
|---|---|---|---|
| SFC | 10% off | 5–10% off | Free |
| ANA Diamond | 10% off | 5–10% off | – |
| ANA Platinum | 10% off | 5–10% off | – |
| ANA Bronze | 5% off | – | – |
| AMC member | 5% off | – | – |
Room discounts are off the Best Flexible Rate at participating hotels in Japan, with blackout dates.
Converting miles and points
Once the miles-to-points rate is out, compare it with the points IHG reward nights cost before deciding whether your miles go on flights or hotels. If you build ANA miles from card points, the Amex Gold Preferred transfers 1:1 to ANA; see AMEX Gold for foreigners in Japan.
Double dipping is for overseas residents
Earning ANA miles and IHG points on the same ANA flight comes with strict conditions, and people who live in Japan aren’t eligible:
- Members: IHG One Rewards and AMC members living outside Japan both when they register and at the end of the month after the flight
- Flights: ANA flight number and operated by ANA (NH), departing from outside Japan; codeshares don’t count
- Where you buy: ANA’s overseas websites and other direct channels; tickets bought on ANA’s Japan site (country set to Japan), OTAs or travel agents don’t count
- Fares: booking class S or higher; award tickets don’t count
| Eligible | Not eligible |
|---|---|
| London → Haneda | Haneda → London (departs Japan) |
| Los Angeles → Narita → Singapore (one booking) | Los Angeles → Narita and Narita → Singapore booked separately |
| A Japan resident buying only a Honolulu → Narita one-way |
FAQ
- Q. Do members with no ANA status really get nights?
- Yes. IHG’s official page says regular ANA members also receive five bonus Elite Night Credits through the status match. Every AMC member living in Japan is eligible, and it’s free.
- Q. When and where do I apply?
- From January 2027, on the ANA Mileage Club member page. You need your 10-digit AMC number and an IHG One Rewards account, so join IHG first if you haven’t.
- Q. Do five nights make me Silver Elite?
- No. Silver Elite needs 10 nights. Add five nights of your own in 2027, booked direct with IHG, and you’ll be Silver Elite until 31 December 2028.
- Q. Do my 2026 stays count?
- Stays that check out by 31 December 2026 don’t count and aren’t added later. If you check in during 2026 and check out on or after 1 January 2027, all nights count toward 2027.
- Q. What about stays booked on Jalan or Expedia?
- They don’t count, and you can’t use status benefits on them. Book on IHG’s website, app or LINE mini app. Reward nights paid with points do count.
- Q. How many nights do SFC members get?
- It depends on your AMC tier for the year. An SFC member who isn’t Diamond + More, Diamond, Platinum or Bronze that year gets the five nights for regular members.
- Q. Why does ANA Diamond + More start at Platinum Elite?
- IHG Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite both require at least two nights of your own stays in the year. 68 nights puts you at Platinum Elite; two nights of your own take you to 70 and Diamond Elite.
- Q. What is the ANA miles to IHG points rate?
- It will be announced when conversions start in mid-February 2027. The other direction, IHG points to ANA miles, is currently 2,000 miles per 10,000 points.
- Q. Can I double dip if I live in Japan?
- No. Double dipping is only for members living outside Japan who fly ANA-operated flights departing from overseas, bought through ANA’s direct channels.
- Q. When do the ANA member discounts and SFC free breakfast end?
- They apply to bookings made by 28 February 2027 for stays by 31 October 2027. The room discount, dining discount, and free breakfast and welcome drink all end after that.
Sources (official)
- IHG: Loyalty partnership with ANA (status chart and FAQ, Japanese)
- IHG: ANA Mileage Club member benefits (end of current perks, Japanese)
- IHG One Rewards Terms and Conditions (status rules, bonus Elite Night Credits)
- ANA press release, 22 April 2026 (Japanese)
- ANA: IHG One Rewards points (conversion to miles, Japanese)
- ANA: IHG Hotels & Resorts (miles from stays, member discounts, Japanese)
- TRAICY Global, 6 November 2026
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