How to Buy a Hotel Status, and why?

Some hotel loyalty programs still allow you to buy your way into elite status instead of earning it only through nights and spend.
This can make sense if you have one or two important trips coming up, or if you want to use that status for status matches with other hotel chains.

In this guide, we look at the two main options that let you effectively “buy” hotel status today:
Accor Live Limitless (ALL) via its subscription products, and IHG One Rewards via the InterContinental Ambassador program.
Unfortunately, the old ibis Business Card shortcut to instant Accor Gold status is no longer available for new members, but there’s another possibility…

Why buy a hotel status?

A paid hotel status can be interesting if the benefits you receive are worth more than the membership fee.
Typical elite status benefits include:

• Room upgrades (often to a better room type or higher floor).
• Early check-in / late checkout, useful on early arrivals or late flights.
• Welcome drinks and welcome gifts on arrival.
• Bonus points on stays, helping you earn free nights faster.
• Guaranteed room availability at some status levels, even on busy dates.

On top of that, having a mid- or high-tier hotel status can help you to:

• Perform status matches with other hotel chains.
• Access status challenges that are easier to complete than going from zero status.

If you have several upcoming stays with one chain, or you need a status as a starting point for status matches, buying status (or a shortcut to it) can pay off very quickly.
However, you should always do the math based on your own travel plans.

Which hotel programs let you “buy” status?

Currently, there are only two practical options:

• Accor Live Limitless (ALL) – through paid subscription, ALL Accor + Explorer.
• IHG One Rewards – through the InterContinental Ambassador paid membership.

Below, we explain how each of these works, and what has changed compared with the old ibis Business Card route you might remember from a few years ago.

Accor Live Limitless Gold

The old loophole: ibis Business Card and instant Gold (no longer for new members)

In the past, it was possible to buy the ibis Business Card for around €90 per year and receive
instant Accor Gold status for up to almost two years. This was a very attractive shortcut and widely used by frequent travellers.

However, this specific loophole has effectively been closed:

• The old ibis Business Card product was discontinued and replaced by the ALL PLUS ibis subscription.
• New subscribers to ALL PLUS ibis do not receive automatic ALL Gold status.
• In some cases, older members who had Gold through ibis Business were “grandfathered” for a while, but that does not apply to new sign-ups today.

So if your main question is: “Do I still get Accor Gold with the ibis Business Card?”, the short, current-day answer is:
No, not for new members.  But there’s another way to get instant Accor Gold status.

All Accor + Explorer

The ALL Accor+ Explorer subscription is Accor’s premium paid loyalty product, replacing the old Accor Plus membership from October 1, 2025. It costs around $229 per year and offers several perks beyond just status nights.

• 30 Status Nights credited annually — enough to immediately qualify for ALL Accor Gold status as long as your subscription remains active.
• 15% off hotel stays worldwide at over 4,500 Accor properties when booked via the ALL Accor+ rate.
• Two Stay Plus free nights each year in the Asia Pacific (buy-one-get-one-free on two-night bookings).
• Up to 50% off Red Hot Rooms — special deeply discounted member rates in Asia Pacific.
• Up to 30% off dining and 15% off drinks at participating restaurants and bars across the Asia Pacific region.
• Exclusive member events and offers and curated travel experiences.

This subscription not only gives you a substantial head start toward elite status with the 30 bonus nights, but also delivers tangible value through hotel and dining discounts, free nights, and exclusive deals, particularly if you travel frequently within the Asia Pacific region.

What does Accor ALL Gold status give you?

Accor ALL Gold is the mid-tier status, above Silver and below Platinum.
Key benefits typically include:

• All Silver benefits (member rate, welcome drink, late checkout, priority welcome) where offered.
• Guaranteed room availability up to a few days before arrival at participating hotels.
• Room upgrade to the next room category, subject to availability.
• Early check-in or late checkout, subject to availability.
• In practice, often better treatment at many properties (nicer rooms, better views, small “soft benefits”).

Note that the exact implementation of benefits like upgrades and late checkout can vary by hotel, and lower-cost brands (including ibis) are naturally less generous than luxury brands.

What about Accor Platinum status?

Above Gold you have Accor ALL Platinum, which requires in a calendar year:

• 60 Status Nights, or
• 14,000 Status Points (around €5,600 of qualifying spend).

Platinum brings additional benefits such as:

• Access to lounges where available.
• More generous upgrades (often including suites where space permits).
• Higher points earning bonus.

Crucially, you cannot directly buy Platinum. Subscriptions can help you get there faster by adding status nights, but some real stays are still required.

IHG One Rewards

IHG still offers a very straightforward paid route: the InterContinental Ambassador program.

IHG Ambassador membership: price and key perks

The InterContinental Ambassador program is a paid membership targeted at guests of:
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts (and some related luxury brands for certain benefits).

As of 2025, pricing is:

• USD 225 per year, or
• 45,000 IHG One Rewards points for one year of membership.

The exact price and options can change over time, but expect something in this range.

Core Ambassador benefits at InterContinental often include:

• Guaranteed one-category room upgrade on eligible stays.
• Guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout.
• Complimentary weekend night certificate (buy one weekend night, get the second free on a special rate).
• USD 20 (or local equivalent) restaurant & bar credit per stay at participating hotels.
• Complimentary mineral water and welcome amenity.

Used strategically at expensive InterContinental properties, the free weekend night and the upgrades alone can easily justify the membership cost.

IHG Platinum Elite status included

On top of the specific Ambassador perks, membership also includes IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status for the duration of your Ambassador membership.

Platinum Elite is the mid-high tier of IHG’s loyalty program and gives you benefits across most IHG brands (Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, voco, Hotel Indigo, etc.), such as:

• Bonus points on paid stays.
• Room upgrades where available.
• Guaranteed room availability when booking in advance on qualifying rates.
• Priority check-in and often a dedicated desk or lane.
• Welcome amenity (points or a drink/snack, depending on brand).
• Late checkout subject to availability.
• Free Wi-Fi at IHG properties.

The important point: you do not need to stay any minimum number of nights to get Platinum Elite if you buy
Ambassador, it is effectively a purchased status shortcut.

When does it make sense to buy hotel status?

Buying or “boosting” hotel status with Accor or IHG can be worth it in several scenarios:

• You have an expensive or important trip coming up
  If you are staying several nights at an InterContinental or a higher-end Accor property, the combination of upgrades, late checkout and welcome benefits can easily offset the cost of the membership.
• You regularly stay at ibis or other Accor brands
  The ALL PLUS ibis card can make sense if you:
  • Stay several nights per year at ibis / ibis Styles / ibis Budget.
  • Value the 15% year-round discount.
  • Want the 10 Status Nights to help reach or maintain ALL Gold more easily.
• You want to use status for status matches
  Having Accor Gold or IHG Platinum can often be used as the basis for a status match or status challenge with other chains such as Hilton, Best Western, or smaller programs.
• You stay at InterContinental hotels several times per year
  In that case the InterContinental Ambassador membership (with the free weekend night and Platinum status) can pay for itself very quickly.

On the other hand, if you only stay in hotels a couple of nights a year, or you always book the cheapest possible rate with no flexibility,
paying for elite status will usually not be worth it.

Bottom line

It is still possible to buy or fast-track hotel status, but the details have changed compared with a few years ago.

If the benefits on your planned stays exceed the cost of the subscription or membership, buying hotel status can be a very smart move, especially when combined with status matches to other programs.

Note: All deals are personally verified and bookable directly with airlines or reputable travel partners. Prices and availability can change quickly, we never sell flights ourselves.