"UPS' IHG code (108146) is for one of the world's largest package delivery companies. UPS has 500,000+ global employees and major hub in Louisville KY. IHG enforcement: Holiday Inn Express near UPS distribution centers (Louisville, Atlanta, Dallas, Newark) rarely checks; IHG InterContinental/Kimpton properties in business centers are more likely to verify. UPS employee IDs are physical company-issued photo badges recognizable to hotel staff. No specific UPS IHG denial incident documented in FlyerTalk."

"Target's IHG code (888400) is a major retail chain code. IHG enforcement is tier-based: InterContinental and Kimpton properties are more likely to verify; Holiday Inn Express essentially never checks. Target's code circulates widely online, which is specifically called out in FlyerTalk's IHG thread: "A moderator explicitly cautioned — unless you're employed by one of those companies, I would avoid using these codes at all. They do often ask for ID." Target employees near Minneapolis HQ and major distribution centers may be verified at full-service IHG properties."

"The only legitimate reason the hotel needs is that the company is giving permission, for whatever reason, for that individual to stay on the corporate rate. Since my uncle is THE guy to ask permission from, I see that to be a perfectly legitimate reason, and the paperwork (that so far has never actually been produced) would not be fake."