If you've got the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card or the new Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, listen up: Your points are about to be worth less (but not totally worthless) when transferring to a pair of hotel chains.
Effective this coming Sunday, April 19, transfers to both Choice Privileges and Preferred Hotels & Resorts I Prefer will be reduced to the following ratios:
- Choice Privileges: 1 Citi ThankYou Point will get you 1.5 Choice points – a 25% decrease from the current 1:2 ratio
- Preferred Hotels & Resorts: 1 Citi ThankYou Point will turn into 2 iPrefer points – a 50% decrease from the current 1:4 ratio
Citi sent out a notice about this (pending) devaluation to current cardholders late last month. Now, you've got just days left to make a transfer at the current rates. In addition to Citi, you can transfer points to Choice on a 1:1 basis from Capital One and American Express, and on a 1:2 basis from Wells Fargo – making it the best option once this change goes into effect. Meanwhile, you can also transfer Capital One miles to I Prefer on a 1:1 basis … but you probably shouldn't.
While neither program consistently provides the kind of outsized value as, say, World of Hyatt, both Choice Privileges and I Prefer can be quite useful in their own rights … especially with the current transfer ratios from Citi. From Europe to Asia and California to the Caribbean, there are a handful of really nice hotels across the globe that can be booked (with either chain), using points to save you hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars in the process.
Here are a few hotels worth booking … before it's too late.
Best Preferred Hotels & Resorts to Book With Points
You'd be forgiven if you haven't spent much time looking into Preferred Hotels & Resorts in the past. With 600-plus independent hotels and resorts, spread across 85 countries around the world, it's hardly a household name. But its relatively small size doesn't mean it' should be an afterthought – just the opposite.
With an impressive portfolio of independent properties under its umbrella, I Prefer offers the kind of unforgettable stays that can't typically be booked with points.
The Ranch at Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach is a little slice of heaven tucked along Southern California's Pacific Coast. Unfortunately, hotels here aren't cheap … but when using I Prefer hotel points, a stay doesn't have to break the bank, either.
The Ranch at Laguna Beach offers 97 cottage-inspired rooms, spread across 87 acres in Aliso Canyon. For golf nuts, there's a nine-hole golf course right on site and while this hotel isn't right on the beach, it still offers guests plenty of ocean views.
When using I Prefer points to book, rooms can be had for 100,000 points per night – just 25,000 Citi ThankYou Points with the current 1:4 transfer ratio!
If you were instead paying cash, it's not uncommon to see rates of $600-plus per night … or even as high as $814.
That makes using just 25,000 Citi points to book a stay here the obvious choice. After April 19, that same exact stay would cost you 50,000 points instead – double the current price – but still a decent use of points.
Artyzen Singapore
From Hyatt to Marriott, Hilton, and IHG, there's no shortage of options for using points for a hotel stay in Singapore. But Preferred Hotels & Resorts offers some of the best options of all … at places a little more unique than you'll find with the other big names.
Take the Artyzen Singapore, for example. This 142-room hotel offers a mix of rooms and suites (all with balconies), blending modern luxury with Singapore's rich culture, right in the heart of the city.
Award nights here are bookable for just 75,000 points per night – only 18,750 Citi ThankYou points with the current transfer ratio.
By comparison, you'd be on the hook for $350-plus per night if paying cash, making this a solid use of points.
But after the new transfer ratio goes into effect on Sunday, you'd need 37,500 Citi points to book. In that case, you're probably better off just paying cash for a stay here.
Myconian Villa Collection, Mykonos (Greece)
Greek islands like Mykonos are at the top of nearly every traveler's bucket list – for good reason – but stays here don't come cheap.
Preferred Hotels & Resorts has four different properties on the island of Mykonos alone – and one of the best bangs for your buck (when using points) is the Myconian Villa Collection. Award nights here aren't exactly cheap at 150,000 points per night, but the blow is softened with Citi's current 1:4 transfer ratio – just 37,500 ThankYou Points and $52 in taxes and fees are all you'd need.
That's obviously more points than the other properties on this list (and it comes with a stubborn cash co-pay), but it still beats paying the $700-plus cash rate.
Once the new 1:2 transfer ratio goes into effect on Sunday, that same stay would cost 75,000 points per night, making it a far less valuable redemption.
Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club
We saved the best (or one of the best) for last.
Anguilla is an extremely underrated Caribbean island with friendly people and some of the world's best beaches. You'll pay for it when it comes time to book a hotel, though. Rates at four- or five-star hotels on Anguilla typically start at $1,000 per night and only go up from there.
But thanks to Preferred Hotels & Resorts, you can book a night at the stunning Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club for 150,000 I Prefer points instead. With the current 1:4 transfer ratio, you'd need just 37,500 Citi points to book a “free” stay here.
That's not an insignificant amount of points, but considering the cash cost of this exact same room is north of $1,600 per night, it's an excellent use of points and makes a dreamy Caribbean vacation like this much more reasonable.
Even after the new transfer ratio goes into effect, using 75,000 Citi points for a free night here could still make sense – one of the only properties where that holds true.
Best Choice Hotels to Book With Points
Maybe best known for its run-of-the-mill Comfort and Quality Inn budget-friendly hotels, Choice offers 7,500-plus properties across 22 brands worldwide, with even a handful of upscale, luxury options to choose from.
Long story short: You can (of course) use Choice Privileges points to book a roadside motel … but you don't have to.
Radisson Blu Aruba
Aruba is an island I've spent a fair amount of time on, and while I haven't yet stayed at the Radisson Blu, I have been by there plenty and would like to check it out in the future.
Located just a block off Palm Beach, this hotel offers endless ocean views, easy access to nightlife and a wide variety of dining options, multiple pools, and full suites, complete with a small kitchen and living room.
If you're using Choice points to book, rooms go for 50,000 points per night – just 25,000 Citi points at the current 1:2 transfer ratio.
By contrast, that same exact room would cost more than $800 if paying cash.
If you're able to find award availability for a two-bedroom suite (perfect for families), it typically costs the same amount of points … even when cash rates are north of $1,000 per night.
After the new 1:1.5 transfer ratio goes into effect, this same room would cost you 34,000 Citi points per night. Still a good deal, but not the same kind of outsized value that you can get now.
Hotel Admiral, an Ascend Collection Hotel (Copenhagen)
Copenhagen is a great city, but hotels aren't hotels here are notoriously pricey. Thankfully, Choice has a few different options where you can flex your points instead of paying the high cash cost.
Take the Hotel Admiral, for example. This property is a part of Choice's upscale Ascend Collection and looks like a pretty incredible hotel right on the waterfront in Copenhagen, near the Royal Palace.
Award nights here cost 20,000 points … or just 10,000 Citi ThankYou points with the current transfer ratio.
Compare that to the nightly rate of $477, and using points is the obvious … choice (pun intended).
After Sunday, this same hotel would cost 14,000 Citi ThankYou Points – still a great deal, but not quite as good as today.
Comfort Suites Tokyo Bay
This isn't a luxury hotel, but stick with me here because the value is kind of insane.
For just 8,000 points per night – only 4,000 Citi ThankYou Points with the current 1:2 transfer ratio – you can book a night at the Comfort Suites Tokyo Bay. This hotel isn't in the heart of Tokyo, but it would be a really good option for anyone visiting Tokyo Disney or those who prefer to stay away from the hustle and bustle a bit.
Booking this hotel for just 4,000 Citi points is already a crazy good deal, but wait until you see the cash price: $527 per night! And no, that isn't Photoshop…
In general, Choice points provide really great value in Japan, but this deal is especially insane. Just 4,000 points or $500-plus dollars – take your pick! Even after the new transfer ratio goes into place, booking this hotel for just 6,000 Citi points per night will still be an excellent use of points.
Bottom Line
Citi is devaluing transfers to Choice Privileges and Preferred Hotels & Resorts starting Sunday, April 19, reducing the value of ThankYou points by 25% and 50%, respectively.
While these programs can still offer solid redemption value – especially for certain high-end or international stays – the deals will be significantly less compelling after the change. If you’ve got a good use for either of these hotel points – and there are plenty (see above) – it’s worth acting before the deadline to lock in the current, better transfer ratio.
Featured image courtesy of Preferred Hotels & Resorts
