Devaluation eased: Staying at top Preferred Hotels & Resorts now costs 87,000 Choice Privileges points per night once again.

Choice Privileges partners with Preferred Hotels & Resorts, enabling travelers to book 314 properties online using Choice points.

In May 2024, you could redeem between 25,000 and 55,000 Choice points per night at participating Preferred Hotels & Resorts. By June, some properties raised their award rates to 87,000 Choice points per night, and in September, certain locations saw rates soar to 118,000 Choice points per night.

However, following these increases, there’s a silver lining: Award rates at Preferred Hotels & Resorts have reverted to a maximum of 87,000 Choice points.

According to TPG's October 2024 valuations, 87,000 points equate to roughly $522 — a considerable amount that feels justifiable considering the properties involved. Here are the locations that currently require 87,000 Choice points per night through the Preferred Hotels & Resorts partnership:

• Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa in Manalapan, Florida (which features in our top resorts in Florida list)
• Half Moon in Montego Bay, Jamaica
• Hawks Cay Resort in Duck Key, Florida (noted in our best hotels with saltwater lagoon pools list)
• Edgewood Tahoe Resort in Stateline, Nevada

After the 87,000-point rate, award rates for booking Preferred Hotels & Resorts with Choice Privileges points decrease, with only five other properties priced at 80,000 points per night or more. The exciting part is that award rates for Preferred Hotels & Resorts available through this partnership start at just 20,000 points per night for The Thief in Oslo, Norway.

The rates for Choice Privileges on Preferred Hotels & Resorts represent starting prices. However, every property I've checked so far shows that each night available for booking with points is priced at this starting rate.

While we might eventually see seasonal or dynamic pricing for award nights at Preferred Hotels & Resorts redeemable with Choice points — and perhaps the test of this led to the temporary spike to 118,000 points per night — currently, award nights are capped at 87,000 points per night.

In conclusion

It’s uncommon for loyalty programs to reverse a devaluation, so I suspect that either an error or some testing caused this temporary spike in award rates for booking Preferred Hotels & Resorts with Choice points. Nonetheless, it’s a relief to see that the second pricing hike in just a few months for this partnership didn't last long.

I usually redeem Choice points for stays in Japan, where the cost ranges from 8,000 to 12,000 points per night. Therefore, I find it hard to fathom redeeming 87,000 Choice points (let alone 118,000 points) for a single hotel night. However, if you’re looking to use Choice points for a special occasion or visiting a place without Choice Hotels, the Preferred Hotels & Resorts partnership could be beneficial.

Further reading:

• Quick Points: Creative ways to redeem Choice Privileges points
  
• Choice Privileges Experiences: Bid for exclusive access to concerts and sporting events
• How to earn points through the Choice Privileges Eat & Earn dining rewards program
• Choosing the right hotel credit card
• My top three recommendations for the best cobranded hotel credit cards
• The best hotel rewards programs globally: Which one suits you?