Preferred Hotels Offering Early Bookings is a Game-Changer in the Points World
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Want Citi Points that you can transfer to Choice and take advantage of this great deal? Find our favorite Citi cards HERE
Background
Choice Hotels is a prominent hospitality company offering a diverse range of lodging options worldwide. With a portfolio of brands catering to various preferences and budgets, Choice Hotels provides travelers with comfortable and convenient accommodations, including names like Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, Clarion, and Econo Lodge, among others.
Generally, I haven’t found Choice Hotels to have very exciting redemptions. They’re mostly functional and have the drawback of having to wait to book until you are 100 days out from the dates you’d like to book. So, if the hotels are still available at that time, then you get to use your points on (an often lackluster) hotel. The benefit though, was that Citi Thank You Points transferred at a 1:2 ratio, meaning, you’d double your points on a transfer to Choice Hotels, making for better redemptions (1,000 Citi Thank You Points = 2,000 Choice Points). Wells Fargo has also recently entered the world of transferrable currencies and also offer a transfer to Choice at a 1:2 ratio.
Preferred Hotels & Booking with Choice Points
Preferred Hotels & Resorts is a renowned global brand representing a collection of independent luxury hotels and resorts across more than 85 countries. Choice has a Partnership with Preferred Hotels, and this is where real (points) value meets luxury.
While you could previously book Preferred luxury hotels with your Choice points, you were still subject to the 100-day advance rule. Now, you can book Preferred Hotels up to a year in advance!
You can browse the Hotels and their points cost HERE
You’ll need to log-in to your Choice Privileges account. Then scroll down and click on “start booking.” This will take you to the site where you can start searching. If you have enough points for at least one night, you can click “Book Now,” and it will get you to the page with a calendar view of available dates and the points cost per night.
If you don’t have enough points and are not getting the “book now” option, then click on the “Map View” Button in the upper left-hand corner. There, you should be able to click on “Book Now” and check availability without already having the points. Then, you’ll know exactly how many points you need to transfer over (or buy).
Why This is a Big Deal
The points prices are fixed for each category, this is HUGE when using points because the points cost remains the same, even when there’s high demand. It will remain based on the category the hotel falls under. Availability will be your only issue, however, being able to book a year in advance will help you to make sure you can grab a hotel you’re look at early. Look at Atelier, Isla Mujeres for example. From the map view, I can book May 12-18 for 55,000 points per night. If you were to book the hotel for cash directly from the site, it costs anywhere between $686- $718 per night!
Buying Points
This is one of those circumstances where buying points could make sense. You can go HERE for Choice points purchases and see if you’re targeted for any promotions. I am targeted for a 50% bonus at the moment, so I’ll use this as an example.
One of the hotels I booked for Norway, The Thief, Oslo cost me 60,000 Choice points for 3 nights (20,000 points per night). As of today, this hotel is going for $437/ night. So, if I didn’t have any points, I could actually buy 60,000 points for $412 (with my bonus)! This means I’d be able to stay in a hotel for 3 nights for $412, that would normally cost $1,311.
Bonus for AARP Members
While looking at the Preferred Hotels site, I noticed this statement:
“As a valued AARP member, you will be upgraded to Gold tier status with I Prefer Hotel Rewards and receive 2,500 I Prefer Bonus Points on your first completed stay*. You will also receive a 20% bonus on earned points, free Wi-Fi, a welcome amenity, and room upgrades (when available) on every stay.”
This is very interesting considering the low cost of AARP membership and the fact that anyone can join over the age of 18!
Conclusion
If you have the points, you should definitely be checking if there are any Preferred hotels that could work for you on any future trips. I was playing around with the site and there are plenty of hotels I’d book in a heartbeat! Even if you don’t have the points, do the math and see if purchasing points works for you. I’m going to go out on a limb and say this is a game-changer. The only downside is only being able to book the basic room.
I’ll update you guys in the fall after my Norway trip as to how everything went on our booking and if there is any option to upgrade. I’ll also be able to report on the AARP benefits since I’m a proud cardholder at the ripe old age of 40. Happy travels!
Want Citi Points that you can transfer to Choice and take advantage of this great deal? Find our favorite Citi cards HERE