If you’re familiar with the major hotel loyalty programs, then you already know the drill. Stay with Hyatt, earn World of Hyatt points. Stay with Hilton, earn Hilton Honors points. Stay with Marriott, earn Marriott Bonvoy points.

But I Prefer Hotel Rewards is a little different. It’s the loyalty program for hundreds of independent hotels worldwide, giving you ways to earn and redeem rewards without being locked into one major hotel chain.

I Prefer has another huge advantage: several popular transferable rewards programs now let you convert your points to it.

Here’s what you need to know about earning and redeeming I Prefer points, elite status, and whether transferring your flexible points makes sense.

 

What Is I Prefer Hotel Rewards?

I Prefer Hotel Rewards is the loyalty program of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, a collection of more than 700 independent hotels, resorts and residences around the world. Preferred Hotels & Resorts properties range from boutique hotels and resorts to high-end luxury properties and residences, giving members access to independent hotels that may not participate in the major hotel loyalty programs.

Unlike Hyatt or Hilton, Preferred Hotels & Resorts isn’t a traditional hotel chain. Instead, independently owned and operated hotels participate in the portfolio while maintaining their individual brands. Consequently, you’ll find everything from boutique hotels to historic properties and luxury resorts, including The Londoner in London, Dromoland Castle in Ireland, and The Fullerton Hotel in Singapore.

Not every Preferred Hotels & Resorts property participates in I Prefer, so check before booking if earning or redeeming points matters to you.

I Prefer membership is free.

 

How To Earn I Prefer Points

I Prefer members earn 10 points per $1 spent on eligible room charges at participating properties. The more points you earn, the higher you climb through I Prefer’s three membership tiers — and the more points you’ll earn on future stays.

 

I Prefer elite status

• Silver: 0 to 24,999 points. Receive benefits including member rates, complimentary Wi-Fi, and, when available, early check-in, late checkout, and room upgrades.
• Gold: 25,000 to 49,999 points. Receive Silver benefits plus a welcome amenity and a 20% points bonus, bringing your earning rate to 12 points per $1 on eligible stays.
• Titanium: 50,000+ points. Receive a 50% points bonus, bringing your earning rate to 15 points per $1, plus additional perks including complimentary daily breakfast for two and other benefits that vary by property.

 

I Prefer Transfer Partners

I Prefer is especially interesting for points-and-miles travelers. The program currently partners with several transferable rewards programs:

• Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards: 1:2
• Bilt Rewards: 1:2
• Capital One miles: 1:2
• Citi ThankYou® points: Up to 1:2

For example, if you transfer 10,000 Capital One miles at a 1:2 ratio, you would end up with 20,000 I Prefer points.

Citi’s exact transfer ratio depends on which card you hold. Eligible premium cards like the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card allow points to be transferred at a 1:2 ratio, while certain other Citi cards transfer at a lower ratio.

Adding these transfer partners means you don’t need to be a frequent Preferred Hotels & Resorts guest to get value from I Prefer. You can build your balance through flexible rewards and transfer points when you find a worthwhile redemption.

As always, transfers are final, so confirm award-night availability before moving your points.

 

How To Redeem I Prefer Points

I Prefer lets members use their points in several ways, including booking hotel stays and redeeming points for Reward Certificates.

Book Hotel Stays With Points

You can redeem I Prefer points for free nights at select participating hotels, with award nights starting at 15,000 points per night.

I Prefer doesn’t publish a traditional award chart, so you’ll need to search your specific hotel and dates to see how many points a stay will cost. Not every Preferred Hotels & Resorts property can be booked with I Prefer points, either. When searching, look for hotels offering the “Book with points” option.

 

 

If you don’t have enough points for a free night, some properties also offer Reward Nights Plus, which lets you combine points and cash. These stays start at 3,000 points plus cash, and you’ll earn I Prefer points on the cash portion of the rate.

 

I Prefer Reward Certificates

You can also redeem I Prefer points for Reward Certificates that can be used toward eligible charges at participating hotels:

• $25 Reward Certificate: redeem 12,500 points
• $50 Reward Certificate: redeem 25,000 points
• $100 Reward Certificate: redeem 50,000 points
• $250 Reward Certificate: redeem 125,000 points
• $500 Reward Certificate: redeem 250,000 points

No matter which denomination you choose, you’ll get a fixed value of 0.2 cents per point.

Reward Certificates can generally be applied to room charges, and some properties also accept them for expenses like dining and spa treatments. You can also give a Reward Certificate to someone else for use at a participating property.

 

Are I Prefer Points Worth Transferring?

Just because you can transfer points to I Prefer doesn’t mean you always should. Take Capital One as an example. With its 1:2 transfer ratio, 25,000 Capital One miles become 50,000 I Prefer points. Redeem those points for a $100 Reward Certificate, and you’d get just 0.4 cents of hotel value per Capital One mile.

Booking hotel stays directly with points can offer much better value. Although I Prefer doesn’t publish an award chart, award nights commonly range from 15,000 to 150,000 points per night. The best redemptions tend to be properties where the points rate is relatively low compared with the cash price.

The 1:2 transfer ratios available from several programs can make these sweet spots even more appealing. For example, a 30,000-point award would require just 15,000 transferable points.

Value varies considerably by property, so compare cash and award rates before transferring. And because transfers are final, confirm availability before moving your points.

 

When I Prefer Can Make Sense

Where I Prefer really shines is its access to independent hotels. If you typically rely on Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, or IHG points, your hotel options are naturally limited to properties participating in those programs. I Prefer gives you another way to use points at independent and boutique properties that may not otherwise be accessible through traditional hotel loyalty programs.

That can be particularly useful in destinations where the major hotel chains have limited options or when you find an independent property you’d rather book than a chain hotel.

The growing list of transfer partners makes that opportunity much more accessible, even if you’ve never earned a single I Prefer point from an actual hotel stay.

 

Do I Prefer Points Expire?

I Prefer points expire after 24 months of account inactivity. Qualifying activity includes staying at a participating hotel, earning or receiving points, and redeeming points or Reward Certificates.

If you don’t use I Prefer frequently, keep an eye on your account activity so you don’t lose your balance.

 

Bottom Line

I Prefer Hotel Rewards probably isn’t going to replace World of Hyatt or Hilton Honors as your favorite hotel loyalty program. But it doesn’t need to.

With hundreds of independent hotels worldwide and transfer partnerships with Bilt, Capital One, Citi, and Atmos Rewards, I Prefer gives points-and-miles travelers another option when major hotel programs don’t have the property they want.

Membership is free, so there’s virtually no downside to joining. And now that you can transfer flexible points into the program, I Prefer is definitely worth keeping in mind—even if you’ve never stayed at a Preferred Hotels & Resorts property before.

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