I just recently returned from a family trip to Vegas. On the Strip, we stayed at the Palazzo, an IHG resort using IHG Rewards points.
Because we stayed on points, we were not entitled to earn IHG Rewards points on our stay. However, we were entitled to earn IHG Rewards points on our eligible charges such as hotel dining. In fact, we were entitled to earn 10 IHG Rewards points per $1 spent on these charges.
Each day since my stay, I checked my IHG Rewards balance, but the points never hit the account. I finally had to call IHG this morning, annoying to say the least! But the call was successful. The hotel made a mistake (probably because we stayed on points) and the IHG representative gave me a goodwill adjustment for the points we were entitled to.
Regardless of whether you stay on points or not, after you return from a stay, you should always check to make sure that your account was properly credited. If you do not get the points within a few days time, I would make that annoying phone call!