Most IHG One Rewards cardholders are sitting on unused food and beverage credits. The October 2026 Chase refresh added $100 annually to the IHG One Rewards Premier card ($25 quarterly) and $300 to the new $350 Premier Select ($75 quarterly). Milestone Rewards members have even more floating around from hitting night thresholds. Yet plenty expire worthless because the redemption flow is buried in the app and front desks often shrug.
That's a shame. These aren't vague statement credits. They're real deductions from your folio at participating properties. Turn them into actual savings on that InterContinental breakfast or Kimpton rooftop cocktail instead of subsidizing the hotel's margin.
Card Credits vs. Milestone Credits: Know the Difference
Card-based credits and Milestone ones aren't interchangeable. The new Premier card credits come as $25 (or $75 on Select) chunks deposited quarterly. They must be used during a single stay, expire at the end of the quarter, and leave no residual value. Spend $19 on a $25 credit? The remaining $6 vanishes. Same harsh math on the bigger Select amounts.
Milestone Rewards F&B credits, selectable at 20-night, 30-night, and higher tiers, are worth $20 each. You can stack multiple on one bill. They expire 12 months after selection and feel more forgiving for occasional luxury stays. Both post to the same "Rewards Wallet" in your IHG account, but the quarterly ones tie you to more frequent visits.
Recent changes expanded eligibility. Most brands now honor them after early post-2022 rollout hiccups. InterContinental, Kimpton, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza, Regent, Vignette Collection, and even many Holiday Inns work. Exclusions remain: Iberostar properties, certain InterContinental Alliance Resorts, select Six Senses, and IHG Army Hotels. Minibars sometimes qualify if charged to the room; vending machines, gift shops, third-party deliveries, and non-room-charge restaurants do not. Taxes and gratuities typically apply against the credit.
Step-by-Step Redemption That Actually Works
Log into the IHG app or website before your stay. Go to your profile, find the Rewards Wallet or My Rewards section. Your available F&B credits will list there with expiration dates. Screenshot it—front desk staff aren't always fluent.
Check in. Order food and drinks charged to your room. Breakfast, dinner, bar tabs, even certain in-room service usually works. Avoid paying at the restaurant stand-alone; it must hit your folio.
Before checkout—ideally the night before or morning of—revisit the Rewards Wallet on the app while connected to the hotel Wi-Fi. View your current folio charges. Select the eligible F&B amounts, apply the credit(s), and confirm. It deducts directly. Multiple charges across the stay can combine under one credit.
If the app glitches, politely ask the front desk to note it on your bill and follow up. Persistence beats entitlement. Do this quarterly for card credits or you'll fund someone else's martini.
Pro tip: Time higher-spend stays around quarter-end to burn the full amount without waste. A $75 Select credit pairs nicely with a solid dinner and drinks at a Kimpton or InterContinental. Leave a generous tip to max it out cleanly rather than let $8 evaporate.
Why Most People Waste These Perks
The system is clunky by design. Credits don't auto-apply. You must be checked in with your IHG number attached. Award stays work fine as long as F&B is on your personal folio. Third-party bookings can complicate linkage.
IHG expanded acceptance in recent years, but not every front desk knows the drill. Luxury brands like InterContinental and Kimpton are generally smoother than select budget-adjacent properties. Test on a low-stakes stay if you're skeptical.
These aren't game-changers like a suite upgrade, but in a $600/night property, $100–300 in real F&B savings over a year is free money. Especially when paired with the cards' elite night credits that accelerate Milestone Rewards anyway.
Stop letting them expire. Next stay, open the app, apply the credit, and enjoy the property's overpriced Negroni on IHG's dime. Your folio will thank you.
Action item: Check your IHG Rewards Wallet today. Note every expiring credit. Book a qualifying stay before the next quarter ends and apply them proactively before checkout. Turn a forgotten perk into tangible on-property value.
