Similar to LHW, SLH and Mr & Mrs Smiths, Preferred Hotels is also a hotel alliance for independent boutique hotels. They have been in the process of revamping their loyalty program in case you are interested.

[I Prefer Program]

There are currently two tiers in the I Prefer program: you sign up as an Insider and immediately enjoy room upgrade, early check-in and late check-out. After earning 50,000 points (=$5000 spend) you are elevated to Elite, with enhanced point earning rate and welcome amenity.

Two new tiers will be added on August 1st: Explorer requires half of the status points of Elite, but with more or less the same benefits; and new benefits such as food and beverage credit will be added to the Elite status. Authority, which is the invitation-only top tier, will enjoy free breakfast and executive lounge access where applicable.

Unfortunately the benefits still look quite weak. As a comparison, LHW offers all members free breakfast, and for SLH there are ways to immediately qualify for Indulged / Inspired that offers the same benefits too. Why Preferred Hotels thinks breakfast is such an exclusive privilege that can only be awarded to their top VIP guests is beyond me.

[Redeeming Points]

The way I Prefer points work now is similar to Accor – 12,500 points are converted to a $25 gift certificate which can be redeemed when booking any hotels on their website. Considering you earn 10 points per dollar spent, that’s equivalent to a 2% return which is incredibly poor.

They probably have realised it too, and are now moving to a redemption system that are more similar to mainstream programs such as Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton. Having launched in North America, hotels now cost a fixed price of between 15,000 points and 150,000 points a night:

This definitely looks much more interesting.

[Status Match]

I Prefer runs frequent fast track promotions that provide easy access to their Elite tier. At the moment there is one for Mastercard World / World Elite / Black card holders, where you get the status after only one eligible stay at participating hotels.

According to their FAQ page:

I currently have elite status with another hotel rewards program. Does the I Prefer Program offer status matches?

Yes, you may contact [email protected] and provide proof of your status at another hotel rewards program.

You can also request a direct status match by sending them an email.

[Refer a Friend]

If you are interested in joining I Prefer, they have started a refer-a-friend program as well. Sign up using my referral link and both of us will get 1,000 points as a bonus.