Sure except i wasnt Gold at the time I opted in for this offer, its only a disadvantage given tardy processing of the offer. Wnen they handed out free silver it was immediate.
Note that based on spend (and i didnt buy any suites) it was possible to achieve gold by staying 9 nights / earning 8.5k points, so yes not that hard to do.
The August IHG status match was simpler and better value. IHG gave you free platinum upfront for 3 months, (if you held silver or above with a competitors program, no proof requested) then you just needed to stay 5 nights to keep it. As I stayed 16 nights (only needed 15) I now have Diamond elite until Dec 2023, and with the up to 4x points bonuses earned ~120k points. All my nights were booked (and 4/16 nights fully paid for) months in advance of this offer, yet still qualified (no new booking ninsense).