A more under-the-radar loyalty program, I Prefer Hotel Rewards offers independent luxe resorts for every type of traveler. Though it does not have as big a global footprint as Hilton, Marriott or Hyatt, the brand continues to expand, recently adding 14 resorts to its portfolio. Plus, those wanting a more intimate and unique hotel experience should consider staying at one of I Prefer Hotel Rewards’ branded properties.
The following four hotel brands are associated with the program:
- Preferred Hotels & Resorts: Boutique premium hotels featured throughout more than 80 countries
- Beyond Green: Luxury hotels that emphasize sustainability
- Historic Hotels of America: High-end, historically preserved hotels in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
- Historic Hotels Worldwide: Former castles, villas, palaces, monasteries and more transformed into the finest hotels across the world
Additionally, now that I Prefer Hotel Rewards is a transfer partner of Capital One and Citi ThankYou Rewards, this loyalty program may be even more beneficial for travelers who want to book award stays. Here’s what you need to know about this program, including how to earn and redeem points and secure elite status.
Related: Best hotel rewards programs in the world: Which one is right for you?
I Prefer Hotel Rewards elite status tiers and benefits
I Prefer Hotel Rewards is free to join and offers three elite status tiers: Silver, Gold and Titanium. Depending on your status, you can enjoy additional perks such as early check-in or late checkout, room upgrades, complimentary Wi-Fi, bonus points, and more. Here are the benefits associated with each status level:
Silver status (0-24,999 points)
- Earn 10 points for every dollar spent on eligible stays (excluding taxes and fees)
- Enhanced room upgrades (based on availability; can include an upgrade to a higher floor, a room with a better view or a higher room category)
- Exclusive member rates
- Complimentary in-room Wi-Fi
- Early check-in, late checkout (based on availability)
- Digital Preferred Travel magazine
Gold status (25,000-49,999 points)
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You’ll get the same perks as Silver status, plus:
- Earn 12 points for every dollar spent on eligible stays (excluding taxes and fees)
- Receive a welcome amenity (unique for each property)
Titanium status (50,000 points and above)
You’ll receive the same perks as Silver and Gold status, plus:
- Earn 15 points for every dollar spent on eligible stays (excluding taxes and fees)
- Complimentary food-and-beverage offering (unique for every property)
- Digital anniversary gift
- Access to special offers and experiences
Joining the I Prefer Hotel Rewards program is free, and you’ll automatically earn Silver status immediately upon enrollment. Unlike with other hotel loyalty programs, your elite status is solely based on your spending in a 12-month period — not the number of nights you book using the program.
Additionally, members do not have to wait for their anniversary date to move up to the next status tier and will move up once they reach the next spending threshold. For example, if you joined the program in June 2025 and reached 25,400 points in October 2025, your account will automatically move you to the Gold status tier.
Related: Comparing the best hotel elite status tiers and how to earn them
How to earn I Prefer Hotel Rewards points
Earn points through hotel stays
Once you enroll in the loyalty program, you can earn I Prefer points after completing a stay at a participating hotel through “eligible booking channels.” These channels include booking directly with the four brands associated with the program, through Preferred Travel Group call centers or directly with the hotel. You will not earn points on bookings made through third-party travel agents, like Hotels.com, Expedia and more.
Members will earn 10 points for every U.S. dollar spent (or the currency equivalent). If you have Gold status, you will earn an additional 20% bonus points, and Titanium members will earn 50% bonus points. You will not earn points on taxes, resort fees, service charges or gratuities.
However, at some hotels, you may earn points on nonroom charges such as food and beverages, parking, gift shop purchases, spa treatments, and more. However, this is up to the discretion of the individual property and is not guaranteed.
While members do not earn points on award stays, the loyalty program lets you book a stay using a combination of points and cash, known as I Prefer Reward Nights Plus. You can book a hotel room starting at just 3,000 points plus cash; members will only earn points on the cash portion of the booking.
Earn points with credit card partners
In addition to booking an eligible stay at an I Prefer Hotel Rewards property, you can earn points by transferring credit card rewards. Currently, I Prefer Hotel Rewards is a hotel transfer partner of Citi ThankYou Rewards and Capital One.
Eligible Citi cardmembers can transfer their points at a rate of 1:4, which means for every 1,000 ThankYou Rewards points you transfer, you’ll get 4,000 I Prefer points.
Capital One miles transfer to I Prefer Hotel Rewards at a rate of 1:2, which means for every 1,000 Capital One miles you transfer, you’ll receive 2,000 I Prefer points.
Notable credit card offers include:
Related: Credit card transfer partners: Guide to transferring points and miles to airlines and hotels
How to redeem I Prefer Hotel Rewards points
You can redeem I Prefer points to book free nights at select properties around the world. Award rates start at 15,000 points per night and can reach upward of 150,000 points per night.
As mentioned, this hotel loyalty program does not have the hotel footprint that rival brands do, so it may be hard to find a property at the destination you are visiting. For example, there are only 74 properties in the United States that are available to book with points. That being said, it is worth exploring the program as you can find some really good deals on luxury properties, especially if you transfer Capital One miles or Citi ThankYou Rewards points.
In our experience, the I Prefer website isn’t the most user-friendly. First, be sure to log in to your account before searching for available award properties. When I wasn’t logged in, the website only showed about 72 properties; however, once I signed in to my account, 223 hotels popped up.
Whether you’re searching a specific area or wanting some getaway inspiration, you can filter by region, country, state/province or city; you can also sort by lowest or highest points.
For example, if you’re planning a trip to Ireland for summer 2026, you can see a range of points hotels available across the Emerald Isle. Is Cork on your itinerary? You can book a stay at the Castlemartyr Resort, an 18th-century restored manor offering two-Michelin-star dining options, an 18-hole golf course, a spa and much more, for $387.32 or 50,000 points per night (plus $17.24 in taxes and fees) in June 2026.
While the points-versus-cash rate would only give you a value of about 0.7 cents apiece, transferring your Capital One miles or Citi ThankYou Rewards points could give you a great deal on a dreamy property. Since Citi points transfer at a rate of 1:4, you’d only need to transfer 13,000 points to book a one-night stay or 50,000 points to book a four-night stay.
So, is this a valuable deal if you book it with Citi points? Let’s break down the math:
- One-night stay (on June 17, 2026) booked with Citi points: Transfer 13,000 ThankYou Rewards points to I Prefer and receive 52,000 points ($387.32 – $17.24/13,000 = 2.85 cents per point)
- Four-night stay (from June 17-June 21, 2026) booked with Citi points: Transfer 50,000 ThankYou Rewards points to I Prefer and receive 200,000 points ($1,887.08 – $68.95/50,000 = 3.64 cents per point)
This shows the total cash value of a one-night or four-night stay, minus the taxes and fees, divided by the number of Citi points you would need to transfer to book this hotel stay. Therefore, for a one-night stay, you’d get a redemption value of 2.85 cents per point, and for a four-night stay, you’d get a value of 3.64 cents per point. Since TPG values Citi ThankYou Rewards points at 1.9 cents apiece (per our October 2025 valuations), these are excellent redemption values that would help you maximize your transferable credit card rewards.
Now, while Capital One won’t give you as good of value on a redemption as Citi ThankYou Rewards because the transfer rates are only 1:2, you can still book a luxury property for essentially half the points value.
For example, you could book a stay at Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal in June 2026, starting at $766.10 or 150,000 points per night (plus $10.45 in taxes and fees). You can opt to spend your Italian vacation at a restored 17th-century palace right on the famous Venice canals.
So, is this a valuable deal if you book a stay with Capital One miles? Let’s break down the math:
- One-night stay (on June 17, 2026) booked with Capital One miles: Transfer 75,000 Capital One miles to I Prefer and receive 150,000 points ($766.10 – $10.45/75,000 = 1 cent per mile)
- Three-night stay (from June 17-June 20, 2026) booked with Capital One miles: Transfer 225,000 Capital One miles to I Prefer and receive 450,000 points ($2,532.79 – $31.34/225,000 = 1.11 cents per mile)
For a one-night stay at this property in June, you’d get a redemption value of about 1 cent per mile, and for a three-night stay, you’d get a value of about 1.11 cents per mile. TPG values Capital One miles at 1.85 cents per mile (per our October 2025 valuations); therefore, this specific redemption would not maximize your Capital One miles, but you’d be redeeming your rewards for about 1 cent per mile, which is still valuable if you want to save on the cash rate.
However, it’s important to note that cash prices for I Prefer Hotels fluctuate. For the Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal, cash rates can go as high as $1,239.41 per night (including taxes and fees). Therefore, if you transferred 75,000 miles to book a one-night stay for 150,000 I Prefer points, you’d get a value of about 1.64 cents per mile, which is close to TPG’s valuation.
As always, we recommend comparing the cash rate versus the points cost, as transfers are irreversible. While you may be able to get outsize value for your transferable rewards at select properties, even a value of 1 cent per point or mile can be worth it if it saves on your out-of-pocket cost.
Related: Rewards aren’t always best: 4 times I book a paid rate instead of redeeming points or miles
Bottom line
Following Capital One and Citi’s move to add I Prefer Hotel Rewards as a hotel transfer partner, this loyalty program should be on your radar, especially if you have Citi ThankYou Rewards points. You can potentially book a unique luxury boutique hotel for a great deal simply by using your points or miles.
Though this portfolio is limited to a little over 200 “points” properties, we hope it continues to grow in the near future.
