Another Devaluation for Choice Privileges Points at Preferred Hotels

Updated: September 3, 2024, 2:32am CDT

Edited by:

Quick Recap on Using Choice Points at Preferred Hotels
Devaluation of Choice Points at Preferred Hotels
Final Thoughts

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Choice Hotels isn’t usually a brand that makes you think of luxury. That’s why people got excited when you could start redeeming your Choice Privileges points at Preferred Hotels — especially when you could start doing this online in early 2024.

However, the number of points needed for these properties has jumped twice in the past few months. Here’s a look at the latest devaluation for using Choice Privileges points at Preferred Hotels.

Quick Recap on Using Choice Points at Preferred Hotels

Choice Privileges is the loyalty program of Choice Hotels. Preferred Hotels is a completely separate, independent collection of luxury properties. It runs its own loyalty program, called iPrefer.

While Preferred Hotels & Resorts has over 650 independent properties in more than 80 countries, only around 300 participate in the partnership with Choice Hotels, letting you use your Choice Privileges points at these properties.

In the past, you had to call to make these bookings, but online bookings became available in early 2024.

Devaluation of Choice Points at Preferred Hotels

Using Choice points for Preferred Hotels may be the best way to use Choice points, considering the value you can get from these redemptions. Earlier this year, you could redeem just 55,000 points per night at these luxury properties — properties where nightly rates can easily top $500.

In the first half of 2024, the maximum number of points you’d need for a night at Preferred Hotels was 55,000 Choice points. However, that number went up to 87,000 points in June. Now, the maximum price is 118,000 points per night, as first reported by Frequent Miler.

Heading to the partnership page (where you’ll book Preferred Hotels properties with Choice points), you can sort properties by the most expensive rates. There are 4 properties now charging up to 118,000 points per night, and another 8 properties are charging over 100,000 points per night.

Choice points Preferred Hotels sorted by most expensive — The most expensive properties per night when using points. Image Credit: Preferred Hotels

Just a few months ago, the maximum price was 55,0000 points per night, so that number has nearly doubled during the summer.

Hot Tip:

Unsure whether you should use points or pay cash for your upcoming travel? We break down the math to show you what makes the most sense.

Final Thoughts

As always, it’s worth checking the cash rate of a hotel and the number of points required to see if it’s a good deal. The answer will be changing on many of these properties after the latest price increase. The Choice and Preferred Hotels partnership is interesting, and there may still be value on some of these redemptions, but nearly doubling the number of points you’ll need for a night at these hotels (and doing so through 2 devaluations in 3 months) isn’t a customer-friendly move.