Start here: Taj InnerCircle — earn NeuCoins, use them, watch their expiry and move up the five tiers

Step 1: What Taj InnerCircle is and who it suits

You will learn: what the programme is, which brands take part, and the control IHCL keeps over membership.

Participating hotel brands are Taj, Claridges Collection, Brij, SeleQtions, Clarks, Gateway, Vivanta, Ginger Hotels, Tree of Life and amã Stays & Trails [1]. Taj Wellington Mews, Mumbai does not participate for stays, so stays there earn no NeuCoins, but F&B, Spa and Salon spending does earn [1]. Brij Villa, Dalhousie and Brij Casa Susegad, Goa do not participate, and no savings, rewards, benefits, vouchers or earning and spending of NeuCoins applies there; the same is printed for Tree of Life Grand Oak Manor, Binsar, Tree of Life Lakeside Cottage, Srinagar and Tree of Life Eila Art Hotel, Manali [1]. Atmantan and Soulinaire are listed as a non-participating brand [1].

Membership and benefits are offered at the sole discretion of IHCL, which may add, modify or delete rules, conditions, privileges, benefits and earn rates with or without notice, even though the changes may affect the value of NeuCoins already accumulated [1]. IHCL may also refuse, discontinue or revoke membership, and revoked membership may mean the loss of all accumulated NeuCoins and the cancellation of rewards and benefits [1]. Benefits cannot be sold, bartered or transferred, and the terms are governed by Indian law with the courts at Mumbai having exclusive jurisdiction [1].

The programme suits guests who stay and dine at IHCL's participating brands and book direct, because earning depends on eligible spend at those brands through the channels the terms list [1].

Go deeper: Start here: hotel points for how hotel currencies work in general, and best hotel programmes for Asia for how this one sits beside others in the region.

Step 2: How to join

You will learn: who is eligible, which tier you start in, and the details that keep your account working.

Membership is open to individuals aged 18 years and above, and the Member tier is the base tier [1]. All terms and conditions of the Tata Neu Member Programme also apply to members [1]. Communication is sent to the postal or email address and mobile number in the NeuPass records, so it is the member's responsibility to report changes through the registered email or at www.tajhotels.com, and communication is treated as received once sent [1].

A valid membership number or registered mobile number should be given at the time of booking so the benefit can be verified at the hotel [1]. Where a member books for someone else, guests who are enrolled before billing can earn points for that stay [1].

Go deeper: the Taj InnerCircle programme hub collects every Flyerfolio page about this programme by task.

Step 3: How earning works

You will learn: which spend earns NeuCoins, how the rate changes by tier, and which bookings and charges earn nothing.

The Member tier earns 2 NeuCoins for every INR 100 of eligible spending net of taxes, Copper 4, Silver 5, Gold 7 and Platinum 8 at the brands listed for each tier, and Silver, Gold and Platinum members earn 4 NeuCoins per INR 100 at Ginger Hotels [1]. As printed, the Silver and Gold earn lines name Taj, Claridges, SeleQtions, Gateway, Vivanta, Tree of Life and amã Stays & Trails, while the Member, Copper and Platinum lines also name Brij and Clarks, so the brand lists differ between the tier blocks [1].

Eligible spend covers room rates and room charges, food and beverages in restaurants, bars, room service and mini-bars, telecommunication, laundry, spa and salon services, the cake shop, business centre services and purchases at the Taj Khazana chain of stores [1]. Ten exclusions apply: room charges within the ineligible rates, banquet, party, meeting, wedding and event charges, rooms booked as office space, business centre facilities used by a non-resident member guest, complimentary services, charges settled using NeuCoins, food and beverage sold as discounted or special menus or packages rather than from the printed menu unless stated otherwise, car hire, shopping arcade, fitness centre, chartered flights, Taj Air, payouts, tips and taxes, charges for non-affiliated outlets such as travel bookings, gift shops, drugstores or galleries, and food and beverage at Ginger Hotels for in-room dining, dine-in and takeaways [1].

NeuCoins are earned only on direct bookings through the Taj Website, the Tata Neu App, Taj Reservation Worldwide, an IHCL Regional Reservation Office or a Hotel Reservation Office, not on third-party sites [1]. Ineligible rates are rooms booked through online booking channels or other travel websites or a third party, contracted or travel-industry staff rates booked through tour operators, wholesalers and travel agents, group bookings, conferences, weddings, events and organised tours, airline staff and crew rooms pre-booked and paid by the airline or directly, and employee rates such as FNF or SEB or any complimentary rooms [1].

NeuCoins go only to the member whose name and mobile number are on the invoice, who completed the stay or used the service, settled the bill and matches the NeuPass records, on up to five rooms under the same stay, credited after the stay and up to 7 days after check-out [1]. On multi-room bookings each room's NeuCoins go to the primary guest in that room, and all rooms can be credited to one guest if the hotel issues every room invoice in that guest's name at check-out [1]. Under Book for Someone Else, the member making the reservation earns nothing and the staying guest earns if they are a NeuPass member, at their own tier's rate [1].

Go deeper: hotel points versus cash for how to compare a points return with the cash price of a stay.

Step 4: How to use NeuCoins

You will learn: the redemption route the terms describe, what it costs in eligibility, and what you may not do with NeuCoins.

NeuCoins can be redeemed and gifted as Taj Experience Gift Cards to friends and family, for a minimum of INR 1000 and a maximum of INR 25000, and the general terms of Taj Experiences Gift Cards apply to cards bought by redeeming NeuCoins [1]. Settling a bill with a Taj Experience Gift Card is itself eligible to earn NeuCoins where applicable, which the terms limit to India hotels [1]. Charges settled using NeuCoins are excluded from eligible spend, so they earn nothing [1].

Points issued cannot be bartered or sold for cash, and points or benefits that IHCL considers transferred, sold or assigned in breach of the rules may be treated as invalid or cancelled [1]. Membership benefits cannot be sold, bartered or transferred [1]. Wider redemption inside NeuPass is governed by the Tata Neu Member Programme terms, which this course does not cover [1].

Go deeper: the points value calculator for putting a cash figure on a redemption before you commit points to it.

Step 5: Tiers and keeping your NeuCoins

You will learn: the thresholds for each tier, the headline benefits, how long a tier lasts and when NeuCoins expire.

Copper is achieved on eligible spends of INR 50 thousand (50,000) or 5 eligible room nights, Silver on INR 01 lakh (100,000) or 10 eligible room nights, Gold on INR 04 lakhs (400,000) or 40 eligible room nights and Platinum on INR 08 lakhs (800,000) or 80 eligible room nights [1]. The tier is upgraded on meeting the criteria, the benefits of the new tier are active and valid from the date of attaining it, and the attained tier remains valid for 365 days from that date [1].

Room savings on Best Available Rates are 10% for Member, Copper and Silver, 15% for Gold and 25% for Platinum, on Room only and Breakfast inclusive rates on direct bookings, and the room-saving benefit allows a maximum of 30 nights at the member discounted rate, with prior written approval from the hotel for longer stays [1]. Silver adds a 2-hour late check-out subject to availability [1]. Gold adds a 2-hour early check-in and 2-hour late check-out, subject to availability, 20 complimentary upgrade E-Vouchers to the next room category and 02 upgrade E-Vouchers to Taj Club rooms [1]. Platinum adds a 4-hour early check-in and 4-hour late check-out, subject to availability, unlimited upgrade E-Vouchers, 10 upgrade E-Vouchers to Taj Club rooms and unlimited Taj Club Lounge access [1]. In the Gold block, upgrade E-Vouchers must be used within 365 days from the date of issue, are non-transferable, cannot have their validity extended, upgrade a booking one room category and do not apply above a base category suite [1]. The Gold block also prints that each upgrade is subject to availability at check-in, that one voucher covers a stay of up to 05 consecutive nights with a maximum of 20 consecutive nights in a single stay, and that the vouchers do not apply at Ginger Hotels, Tree of Life hotels or amã Stays & Trails [1].

Service contacts are printed by tier: the Member block and the General Terms give 1800 202 8282 from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm or [email protected] for Member, Copper and Silver, and the Platinum block and General Terms give 1800 11 4825 with [email protected] [1]. For Gold members the Gold tier block prints +91 22 6958 2121 with [email protected], while the General Terms and Conditions print +91 22 6905 0055 (available 24/7) with the same email, so the terms print two numbers for Gold members [1].

NeuCoins expire within 1 year from the date of issuance if not redeemed for Member, Copper and Silver, and within 3 years for Gold and Platinum [1]. NeuCoins follow the expiry rule of the tier in which they were earned whatever happens to the member's tier afterwards: as printed, 100 NeuCoins earned in June 2026 as a Platinum member expire in June 2029, and if the member moves to Silver in December 2026 and earns another 50, those follow the 1-year rule and expire in December 2027 while the first 100 remain valid under their tier of earning [1].

Go deeper: the status progress tracker for following eligible spend and room nights against the next tier.

Step 6: Your first concrete action

You will learn: the handful of actions that decide whether your next stay credits NeuCoins, and how long they last.

1. Join if you are 18 or over, and keep your email address, mobile number and postal address current through the registered email or tajhotels.com [1].
2. Book direct through the Taj Website, Tata Neu App, Taj Reservation Worldwide, an IHCL Regional Reservation Office or a Hotel Reservation Office, and give your membership number or registered mobile number at booking [1].
3. Make sure the invoice carries your name and mobile number matching your NeuPass records, settle the bill yourself, and allow up to 7 days after check-out for the NeuCoins [1].
4. Note the expiry of each batch of NeuCoins, at 1 year from issuance for Member, Copper and Silver and 3 years for Gold and Platinum [1].
5. Track your eligible spend or eligible room nights against the next tier, remembering that an attained tier lasts 365 days [1].

Next, read the Taj InnerCircle programme hub to go from these six steps into the guide that matches your task.

Next: Taj InnerCircle programme hub, with the guides library for the wider picture.