NEW YORK—Preferred Hotel Group, which operates Preferred Hotels & Resorts and the newly launched Beyond Green, announced a series of updates to its I Prefer Hotel Rewards loyalty program. From the new Explorer and Authority membership tiers and earning and redemption options to a selection of independent hotel experiences and a refer-a-friend bonus offer, the developments address the shifting demands of today’s travelers and the continued evolution of the program.
“Over the past year, our loyal I Prefer Hotel Rewards members have shared consistent feedback requesting greater value and differentiation in their membership, a faster route to more benefits, a wider variety of points redemption options, and earlier recognition,” said Jeri Salazar, vice president of loyalty for Preferred Hotels & Resorts. “As part of our constant commitment to improvement and service excellence, we took on board these learnings to create several new member-focused initiatives that travelers can enjoy this summer and beyond as more travel freedoms are introduced.”
Membership Tiers and Benefits
I Prefer Hotel Rewards is focused on flexibility, offering personalized rewards, points, tier status, and benefits upon every eligible stay. Having recently invested in expanding the program, Preferred is introducing two new membership tiers—Explorer and Authority—each with its own set of benefits. Recognizing member-only value, the new tiers complement the existing Insider and Elite tiers, offering early check-in and late check-out, room upgrades upon availability, free in-room internet, access to partner offers, welcome amenities, and 20 to 50 percent bonus points earning per eligible stay based on status. With the addition of the new tiers, member benefits for the existing tiers have also been revised:
- Insider (0-24,999 points): New members receive Insider status upon enrollment, earning points for every eligible stay, and accessing benefits such as priority early check-in and late check-out, room upgrades based on availability, complimentary internet, a Beyond Green Stay benefit bonus, and digital access to Preferred Travel Magazine.
- Explorer (25,000-49,999 points): The Explorer tier offers all Insider benefits, a welcome amenity such as a bottle of wine, spa credit, or bag of locally made coffee, and 20 percent bonus points earning per eligible stay.
- Elite (50,000+ points): Includes all benefits of Insider and Explorer memberships plus 50 percent bonus points earnings, a digital anniversary gift, and a food and beverage offering such as a welcome cocktail or breakfast voucher (varies by hotel).
- Authority (invite-only): Includes all Insider, Explorer, and Elite benefits, in addition to complimentary daily breakfast for two (varies by hotel), concierge lounge access (varies by hotel), a reservation line, and the ability to gift Elite status to three friends per calendar year; membership is exclusive to top I Prefer members and available only by invitation.
I Prefer Reward Nights
Members can book reward nights with points. For 15,000 points per night, members can book a selection of independent hotel experiences across North America including, but not limited to, Hotel Monville in Montreal, Canada; The Wort Hotel in Jackson, Wyoming; Half Moon in Montego Bay, Jamaica, any of eight HS Hotsson hotels in Mexico; Hotel Bennett in Charleston, South Carolina; and Sophy Hyde Park in Chicago, Illinois, with more hotels from global destinations coming soon.
Refer-a-Friend Bonus
Members can refer friends and family to I Prefer and receive points through the program. By sharing a referral link via social, email, or messenging, members can earn 1,000 bonus points for each new sign-up, with bonus points extended to each new member. The program is also offering the 1,000-point bonus to agents that onboard new members to the loyalty program. There is no cap to the number of friends, family, and clients that members can refer through the new offer.
New Hotel Options for I Prefer Travels
More than 25 new properties have joined Preferred’s loyalty program so far this year, including ModernHaus SoHo (New York, United States), The Fives Oceanfront Puerto Morelos (Puerto Morelos, Q.R., Mexico), Haycock Manor (Wansford, United Kingdom), La Esperanza Granada (Andalucia, Spain), Ultima Gstaad (Gstaad, Switzerland), Pendry Manhattan West (New York, United States), Hotel Diplomat (Stockholm, Sweden), Andronis Arcadia (Santorini, Greece), and The Park Kolkata (Kolkata, India), among others.
Recent Enhancements
Exclusive to members, I Prefer Auctions offers a way to bid and win travel experiences such as winemaking and tasting in Tuscany, a suite stay and dinner for two in Canada, a couples spa experience in Acapulco, an artisanal meal under the stars in San Diego, and more, for 5,000 points.
Launched in April 2021, I Prefer Loves offers members-only access to offers such as products, services, gift cards, discounts, and more. Each month, the program adds a new brand partner across the travel, fashion, food and wine, home, and wellness industries through promotions and deals.
The points expiration date for all I Prefer Hotel Rewards members has been extended from June 30 to December 17, 2021, with Elite members maintaining their status through June 30, 2022.
The program offers members a flexible member rate with savings of 10 percent or higher on top of rate matching. The flexible rate is fully cancellable up through the day of arrival, providing travelers with the ability to cancel last minute.
