iPrefer is the loyalty program of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, and I review its pros and cons in this article. Preferred Hotels is a lesser-known hotel group that allows its 1.5 million members to earn points and rewards at smaller, independent hotels.
Which hotels are part of Preferred Hotels?
Preferred hotels group has some incredible hotels under its umbrella. Many of these hotels do not offer any other loyalty bonuses, so booking them through the Preferred Hotels website is well worth booking.
The Monte Carlo Bay (pictured above) is a personal favorite of mine, which sits in their Preferred Hotels “Lifestyle” collection. It’s nice to generate some loyalty points and cashback from my stays here. Other hotels in their collection include the Hotel California Champs Elysees in Paris, The Grand Isle Resort and Spa in the Bahamas, Hotel Monaco & Grand Canale Venice, the Franklin & The Hari London in Belgravia (along with the Belham, Gore and the Mandeville), Hotel Waldhaus Sills, in Switzerland, The Scala and Hotel De La Ville in Milan, the Lodge at Pebble Beach, the Mark In New York, The Montage at Kapalua Bay in Hawaii and The Banyan Tree Mayakoba. Luxury hotels are available in all the major cities worldwide, and NH Hotels are also part of Preferred hotels.
The sheer number of luxury hotels included in the Preferred Hotels portfolio is mind-boggling, so you should be able to find an independent hotel wherever you are traveling to.
How do I collect iPrefer hotel rewards?
iPrefer hotel rewards program rewards members with points and special benefits on eligible stays. You receive 10 points for every dollar spent on net room reservations booked through eligible channels. Members receive additional benefits based on their tier status, which is determined by points earned during 12 months.
iPrefer Insider (0-49,999 points = up to $4,999 USD spent on net room reservations) get points for eligible bookings, priority early check-in / late check-out, room upgrade (subject to availability), and complimentary Internet.
iPrefer Elite status (which is achieved after an annual spend of $5000 USD+): get all the benefits of Insider membership plus a welcome amenity and 50 percent bonus points earnings
Points can be redeemed online for cash-value reward certificates to use at hotels towards room nights and other expenses. 12,500 points ($1,250 USD of spending) gets you $25 USD. 25,000 points ($2,500 USD of spend) gets you $50 USD of your next hotel stay and so on.
What I like about this scheme is that it is so simple. If you spend more money, you will be rewarded with more points. What I dislike is that if you spend less than $5,000 USD a year on hotel stays, the benefits are negligible (up to $75 USD cashback), so this scheme is aimed at big spenders who are passionate about one or more of the hotels featured on Preferred Hotels website. I would like to see the Insider tier status at a more achievable level per annum (perhaps after a spend of $2,500 USD instead of $5,000 USD). Once you are an “iPrefer Insider” this scheme’s bonus points then become much more lucrative.
It is worth mentioning that iPrefer does offer valuable bonus point promotions, and travelers can learn about them via email (members receive email updates of when these promotions run) or from the iPrefer website. Double points offers or seasonal promotions run regularly, so it is worth signing up for their program newsletter so you don’t miss out.
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