IHG changed its Network ID onboarding process in September 2023.
The current IHG registration page says a new hire can no longer begin Merlin Network ID self-registration until an invite code has first been sent by email.
That changes the most important first-time-user question.
Do not begin with:
Where is the registration form?
Begin with:
Who is responsible for initiating my Network ID request?
Franchise Hotel Employees Start at the Property
IHG instructs employees at franchised hotels, along with certain internationally managed properties, to contact an authorized hotel leader such as the:
- General Manager;
- IT Administrator;
- Deputy GM.
That person starts the Network ID invitation process. IHG says the request can require the hotel code, job title, and a valid email address.
The employee then receives an invitation code.
Only after that step does self-registration make sense.
Corporate and Certain Managed-Hotel Employees Follow Another Route
IHG’s published instructions treat corporate employees and employees at IHG-managed hotels in the United States and United Kingdom differently.
Those users are told that a Network ID and temporary password will be sent before their start date.
This is useful when two colleagues compare onboarding experiences and conclude that one of them received the “wrong” process.
Different employment categories can legitimately receive different processes.
Contractors and Vendors Have a Third Route
Corporate contractors and vendors are instructed to contact their representative at IHG Corporate.
That corporate contact can have a Network ID created through MyID.
A vendor should not attempt to impersonate a hotel employee in order to get into Merlin.
The sponsorship path establishes why the outside user requires access.
An Invite Code Is Not an Open Registration Code
The invitation code continues an already-authorized account request.
It is not evidence that Merlin is open to the general public.
The work relationship comes first.
Registration follows.
This distinction helps explain why searching the web for “IHG Merlin sign up” can produce misleading instructions.
Use the Email Address Associated With the Request
IHG’s registration flow is tied to the invitation process.
The email used for the request should therefore be treated as part of the identity workflow.
If the invite never arrives, the first useful action is to confirm that the correct email address was submitted by the authorized manager or IHG contact.
Creating another unrelated request can make the identity problem harder to trace.
Hotel Code and Job Role Matter
For hotel employees, IHG specifically asks for the hotel code and job title as part of the provisioning process.
Those fields help establish the user’s organizational context.
That context can later affect which applications or property resources are available.
An employee changing roles or hotels may therefore need access administration rather than an entirely new identity.
MyID Is Used Behind the Scenes
MyID appears in IHG’s instructions for both contractor provisioning and later account administration.
IHG support material shows authorized GMs and hotel IT administrators using MyID to manage Active Directory access for eligible colleagues.
That makes MyID an important part of the account lifecycle even when an ordinary colleague spends most of the time in Merlin.
Account Creation and Application Provisioning Are Not the Same Step
Receiving a Network ID means the identity exists.
It does not guarantee that every application required by the user’s job has already been assigned.
A clean onboarding checklist separates:
- Network ID created;
- password established;
- second factor configured;
- hotel association correct;
- required applications assigned;
- employee travel eligibility handled where applicable.
If step one succeeds and step five fails, the employee has an application-access problem rather than a registration problem.
Avoid Duplicate Identities During Transfers
A colleague moving from one IHG-branded hotel to another may already possess a Network ID.
The new property should review whether that identity can be updated or re-associated through the authorized administration process rather than assuming a second account is always necessary.
The public IHG documentation does not provide one universal transfer rule for every worker category, so the hotel administrator or support channel should determine the correct treatment.
The First-Time-User Checklist
For a new user:
Franchise/international hotel colleague: confirm the authorized manager has initiated the request.
Corporate/U.S.-U.K. managed colleague: check the official onboarding email route.
Contractor/vendor: work through the IHG corporate sponsor.
Invite received: complete the authorized registration process.
Identity created: configure the required authentication method.
Merlin works but app is missing: investigate role or application entitlement.
That sequence is far more reliable than repeatedly searching for a public “create Merlin account” page.