What is a member rate?

How does a member rate work?

A member rate is a price tier kept behind a programme's membership wall. The traveller joins the programme, signs in or quotes a membership number at the time of booking, and in return sees prices or inclusions that are not offered to non-members. The same room can therefore be sold at a public rate and at a member rate on the same night, and member prices normally carry conditions about who may use them and how the booking must be made. Availability, verification and inclusions differ between programmes and between individual properties.

At IHG One Rewards there is no fee to join, and new members can enrol on the programme website, at IHG-branded hotels, in the IHG One Rewards app or through other channels IHG authorises. [4] Marriott Bonvoy is also free to join and is open to individuals who are at least 18 or have reached the age of majority where they live. [5] Marriott markets member pricing as a headline reason to enrol: its join prompt advertises "Enjoy our lowest rates, all the time" alongside free in-room Wi-Fi and mobile check-in. [5]

Because the rate sits inside a programme, it is also a data point the programme can audit. IHG requires members to provide current contact information, to hold only one account, and to be the registered guest staying at the hotel, with the account name matching their legal photo identification. [4]

Which member rates still earn points?

Programmes sort rates into qualifying and non-qualifying groups, and the sort usually decides whether a stay counts. IHG One Rewards lists Qualifying Rates as including Reward Night and Free Night stays, IHG Member Rates provided on Authorized Travel Agent Platforms, the IHG Employee Discount Rate, and most business and leisure rates such as Advance Saver and Best Flexible. [4] A stay is a Qualifying Stay when the member pays a Qualifying Rate, and Qualifying Rates paid for hotel stays provide Elite Qualifying Points. [4]

An Authorized Travel Agent, in IHG's definition, is a booking platform operating under a direct distribution agreement with IHG which specifically provides that nights booked through it count as Qualifying Stays. [4] That is the line that separates a member rate that behaves like a direct booking from a third-party booking that does not.

Member benefits follow a similar channel logic, which is the practical link to the direct booking requirement. IHG says most benefits are only available to members who book through IHG's own websites and app, the WeChat mini program, IHG Customer Care, the Iberostar websites and contact centres, IberostarPro, or directly with an IHG-branded hotel, and that benefits may change and vary by hotel, country and region. [4] The wider pattern of what a booking channel does to elite treatment is covered in hotel, OTA and elite benefits.

Who can use a member rate?

Eligibility is personal and tied to the account, not to the room. IHG's membership terms require one account per member, used only by that member, with a single email address and an age of majority in the member's state, province or country. [4] Where several members share a room, only the member whose name and IHG One Rewards number are on the reservation earns points and Qualifying Night credit and receives in-hotel benefits. [4]

IHG also polices restricted rates directly. Misuse of benefits and privileges, including abuse of corporate rates without authorisation — such as failing to show appropriate photo identification or validation at check-in — is listed among the grounds on which IHG may cancel a membership and revoke unredeemed points, benefits and rewards. [4] Marriott Bonvoy accounts are individual as well: they may not be shared, jointly held, sold, bartered or transferred except as its rules expressly allow. [5]

Exceptions and limits

• Late cancellations and no-shows. IHG does not award points or Qualifying Night credit for no-shows or for rooms cancelled after the hotel's cancellation time, even if the room is paid for in full. [4]
• Stays before enrolment. IHG does not award points for stays completed before the date a member enrolled. [4]
• Benefits vary by property. IHG states that member benefits and services may change and may vary by hotel, country and geographical region. [4]
• Availability is not guaranteed. Whether a member rate exists for a given date, room type or property is decided by the programme and the individual hotel, so a member rate on one night says nothing about the next.
• Rules can change. IHG reserves the right to modify its membership terms and to modify, suspend or cancel the programme, [4] and Marriott may change programme rules and earning structures with or without notice, even where a change affects the value of points. [5]

Frequently asked questions

Does a member rate earn points and elite credit?

At IHG One Rewards, IHG Member Rates provided on Authorized Travel Agent Platforms are Qualifying Rates, and Qualifying Rates paid for a stay provide Elite Qualifying Points. [4] Bookings made through online travel agents such as Expedia.com and booking.com are Non-Qualifying Rates, so the room rate earns no points. [4]

Do I have to be the person staying to use a member rate?

IHG requires the member to be the registered guest staying at the hotel, and when more than one member shares a room only the member named on the reservation earns points and receives in-hotel benefits. [4]

Is it free to join the programmes that sell member rates?

IHG One Rewards has no fee to join, and new members can enrol online, at IHG-branded hotels or in the app. [4] Marriott Bonvoy enrollment carries no fee or cost and is open to individuals at least 18 or of majority age in their jurisdiction. [5]

Can a booking platform sell a hotel's member rate?

At IHG it can, but only within the authorised framework: a platform needs a direct distribution agreement with IHG that specifically provides for nights booked there to count as Qualifying Stays, and member rates provided on those platforms are Qualifying Rates. [4] How platforms run their own membership schemes is described under booking-platform loyalty programme.

Related pages

Read next: hotel, OTA and elite benefits, booking-platform loyalty programme, direct booking requirement, and the full glossary of frequent flyer terms.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Hilton Honors, World of Hyatt, Accor ALL, Wyndham Rewards and the member-rate terms of individual online travel agencies are not covered here.

1. IHG One Rewards membership terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026
2. Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026