How to get IHG One Rewards status

IHG One Rewards has exactly two free paths in, and both land you at Platinum Elite — no shortcut listed for Gold Elite or Diamond Elite. Both Platinum routes run through US-issued Chase cards, not through a status match with another hotel program.

The two cards get you there differently. The Chase Sapphire Reserve confers Platinum Elite just by linking your Chase account to your IHG account — no stays or spend required — and that perk is valid through December 31, 2027. The IHG One Rewards Premier card from Chase skips the linking step and grants Platinum automatically for as long as you keep the card open, which makes it the more durable of the two: there's no end date attached, just ongoing card membership. If you already hold either card, you're one step from Platinum; if you're choosing between them for this purpose alone, the Premier card's status doesn't come with an expiration to track.

Gold Elite and Diamond Elite don't have a card or match path here — both sit above what these two cards confer, so reaching them means earning nights and stays with IHG directly rather than taking a shortcut.