An IHG charge on a credit card statement is a billing entry from a hotel owned or operated under InterContinental Hotels Group, the company behind Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza, Kimpton, Staybridge Suites, Hotel Indigo, and InterContinental. Each property handles its own billing, so the descriptor on your statement may read as the hotel’s name, a city, or some variation of “IHG.” The charge usually traces back to one of three things: a room booking, an incidental posted during a stay, or a fee assessed after checkout.1IHG. Customer Care
What the Charge Is Probably For
A single hotel stay can produce several separate postings. Some are expected. Others surprise people.
- Room rate plus state, city, and occupancy taxes. On a standard flexible rate, the card is typically charged at or near the time of the stay. Non-refundable advance-purchase rates are charged in full between booking and arrival.2IHG. Advance Purchase Rate
- Amenity or resort fees. Some properties, especially in cities like New York, add a per-night amenity fee on top of the room rate. One documented example ran $40.17 per night, and the fee applies to reward-night stays booked with points as well as paid stays.3The Points Guy. How to See IHG Resort Fees
- Parking. Valet and self-parking at urban properties frequently run $40 to $50 per day, with surcharges for larger vehicles.4IHG. InterContinental Cleveland – Directions5IHG. Hotel Indigo Detroit Downtown – Directions
- Food, beverage, and minibar charges billed to the room during the stay.6IHG. Food and Beverage Rewards
- Pet fees. Policies vary by property: some charge a one-time fee (around $75), others charge per night (such as $50 per night). Kimpton properties accept pets at no extra charge.7NerdWallet. Holiday Inn Pet Policies
- Smoking cleaning penalty if a guest smokes in a non-smoking room. Guest reports describe fees of $250 at some IHG properties.8Tripadvisor. Holiday Inn Gaithersburg Guest Review
- Early departure fee if you check out before the reserved departure date. The amount is set by the individual hotel.9IHG. Trip Ideas Terms and Conditions
- No-show penalty if you fail to cancel before the deadline and don’t check in. This is typically the first night’s room and tax, but can run the full cost of the stay.10InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront. Frequently Asked Questions11InterContinental Atlanta. Frequently Asked Questions
Why the Charge May Look Wrong
Three common situations make an IHG charge look larger, earlier, or more duplicative than it should.
An Authorization Hold That Hasn’t Dropped Off
At check-in, IHG hotels place an authorization hold on your card for the room total plus estimated incidentals. This is not a charge; it just reduces your available balance. For debit cards or cards tied to a checking account, the hold covers the full room cost, taxes, and estimated incidentals, and those funds may not release for at least 72 hours after checkout, sometimes longer. The release timeline is controlled by your bank, not the hotel.12IHG. Mobile Check-In Terms and Conditions
If you paid with a debit card, this is a frequent source of apparent duplicate charges in the days after a stay. Credit card holds generally clear faster. If a hold hasn’t dropped after several business days, your bank is the fastest route to resolution.
A Prepaid Rate Charged Before Arrival
Advance-purchase rates require full prepayment for the entire stay, and the card is charged between booking and arrival. These rates are non-refundable, and no credit is issued if you cancel or change the reservation.2IHG. Advance Purchase Rate Because the charge posts before the stay, it can show up on your statement days or weeks ahead of the dates you’re expecting.
An Amenity Fee You Didn’t See at Booking
Amenity and resort fees aren’t always obvious during booking. The toggle for “Show prices with taxes and fees” on IHG’s search results doesn’t reliably fold the amenity fee into the displayed total, and on the reservation page the fee sits under an “Additional charges” field that often needs to be expanded. The rate details page is where the full breakdown appears.3The Points Guy. How to See IHG Resort Fees If your charge is higher than the nightly rate you remember, an amenity fee is a likely explanation. These apply to reward-night bookings too, so a stay you thought was “free” on points can still produce a card charge.
If You Booked Through Expedia or Another Travel Site
Reservations made through Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, or similar sites may produce charges from both the travel site and the hotel. The travel site typically processes the room payment under its own name, which can produce an unfamiliar descriptor on your statement, and the hotel then charges separately for incidentals, parking, or resort fees at check-in or checkout. Many third-party sites also add their own booking fee on top of the room rate; IHG does not charge booking fees for reservations made through its own website, app, or customer care line.13IHG. Frequently Asked Questions
Third-party bookings also come with a different confirmation number than IHG’s internal one. To find the IHG confirmation for a third-party booking, check the bill you received at checkout or contact the property directly.13IHG. Frequently Asked Questions
How to Dispute or Remove the Charge
Because each IHG property handles its own billing, start with the specific hotel. Call the front desk or ask for the accounting department. Staff can explain a charge, correct a posting error, or process a refund directly.1IHG. Customer Care Have your folio or confirmation number ready, along with the date and dollar amount of the charge in question.
If the hotel can’t or won’t resolve it, escalate to IHG:
- IHG’s online billing issues form submits a written complaint to Customer Care.1IHG. Customer Care
- IHG One Rewards Customer Care for the U.S. and Canada: 1-888-211-9874. Guest Relations for the Americas: +1 877 424 2449.14IHG. Contact Us15IHG PLC. Guest Services
- Live chat is available on the IHG website.13IHG. Frequently Asked Questions
- IHG’s general feedback form reaches the guest relations team, which responds within 7 to 10 business days.15IHG PLC. Guest Services
If the charge is genuinely unauthorized, meaning you didn’t stay at the property and no one on your reservation did either, treat it as fraud rather than a billing dispute. IHG advises reporting unauthorized charges to your card issuer right away, since payment card rules generally protect cardholders from liability when fraud is reported promptly.16California Attorney General. IHG Data Breach Notice The number for your card issuer is on the back of the card. If you suspect identity theft, the FTC’s resources (1-877-438-4338 or ftc.gov/idtheft) and a local police report are the recommended next steps.