Best Choice Privileges Redemptions in 2026: The Citi 1:1.5 Transfer, Preferred Hotels, and What Points Are Worth

Disclaimer: Choice Privileges lets each hotel set its own reward-night price by date range, so the point costs in this guide are reported figures that change by property, season, and demand. Point valuations are estimates from 2026 data available at the time of writing. Verify current pricing on ChoiceHotels.com before transferring points or booking. This article contains affiliate links; we may earn a commission if you apply through them, at no cost to you.

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Choice Privileges points are worth about 0.75 to 0.85 cents each in late 2026, and the number is rising: The Points Guy moved Choice from 0.7 to 0.85 cents in its September 2026 valuations, NerdWallet’s August 2026 analysis of Gondola pricing data puts the median at 0.8, Frequent Miler’s Reasonable Redemption Value sits at 0.75 (up from 0.67 in its February 2026 update), and One Mile at a Time holds a conservative 0.6. On those numbers, the program most people associate with Comfort Inn is now worth more per point than Marriott, IHG, or Hilton. The value lives in two places the Comfort Inn image misses: Strawberry hotels in Scandinavia, where 20,000 to 35,000 points buy $300 to $600 rooms, and about 300 Preferred Hotels & Resorts properties bookable on points.

The bad news arrived on April 19, 2026, when Citi cut its ThankYou transfer ratio from 1:2 to 1:1.5. For a decade the Citi doubling was the whole reason points people cared about Choice. It is still a decent transfer, but Wells Fargo’s 1:2 ratio is now the best door in. This guide covers how Choice prices awards, where the points beat their average, the two Wells Fargo cards, the 2026 program overhaul, and the transfer math under the new ratios. For the cross-program view, start with our Best Hotel Points Redemptions in the US guide.

Key Facts: Choice Privileges redemptions in 2026

• Choice points are worth about 0.6 to 0.85 cents each (One Mile at a Time 0.6, Frequent Miler 0.75, NerdWallet 0.8, The Points Guy 0.85 as of September 2026)
• No fixed award chart: hotels set prices by date range, standard awards start at 8,000 points (RewardSaver from 6,000), and the old 35,000-point cap was removed in June 2024, with Cambria and New York properties now reaching 45,000
• Citi ThankYou transfers at 1:1.5 since April 19, 2026 (down from 1:2); Wells Fargo Rewards transfer at 1:2, Amex and Capital One at 1:1
• Roughly 300 Preferred Hotels & Resorts price at about 25,000 to 87,000 points per night; Strawberry (formerly Nordic Choice) hotels in Scandinavia price from 20,000
• The Choice Privileges Select Mastercard ($95) pays 30,000 points every anniversary and guarantees Platinum status
• Since January 1, 2026: elite tiers at 5, 15, 35, and 55 nights, points never expire for elites, and Milestone Rewards every 5 nights

How Choice Privileges Award Pricing Works in 2026

Choice does not publish an award chart, and it does not run fully algorithmic dynamic pricing either. Each hotel sets its own reward-night price for date ranges, often with different weekday and weekend rates, which AwardWallet’s 2026 guide describes as “rates by property and date ranges.” Standard reward nights start at 8,000 points; the RewardSaver tier, introduced in January 2025, drops the floor to 6,000 points at participating properties and dates. At the top, the 35,000-point cap that once defined the program is gone. The Points Guy reported in June 2024 that Choice removed it, and Cambria Hotel Nashville Downtown and several New York properties moved to 45,000 points a night. One Mile at a Time’s July 2026 range is 6,000 to 45,000 points domestically and up to 75,000 in Asia-Pacific.

Two structural changes from January 2025 still matter. The booking window tripled from 100 days to 50 weeks, so you can finally plan a summer Scandinavia trip in the fall. And premium rooms became bookable with points at higher rates, where previously only standard rooms qualified.

One thing to budget for: Choice charges resort fees on award stays. Frequent Miler subtracts them in its valuation methodology, and a Preferred Hotels booking Amber on Points documented in March 2026 ran 50,000 points plus $48 in resort fees. Unlike Hyatt, which waives resort fees on awards, Choice passes them through.

What Are Choice Points Worth in 2026?

The 2026 valuations cluster at the high end of the mid-tier hotel programs: For Choice’s number next to all eight major hotel programs on one scale, see our hotel points value guide.

The trend is the interesting part. Frequent Miler raised its Reasonable Redemption Value from 0.67 to 0.75 cents in February 2026 after analyzing about 980,000 award searches across nearly 5,000 properties, and found members who cherry-pick reach 0.88 cents at the 75th percentile and 1.02 at the 90th. The Points Guy jumped from 0.7 to 0.85 in September 2026 using the same Gondola data source. Both moves reflect cash rates rising faster than award prices at the economy and midscale brands.

Here is how that compares to the other programs, using the same publications:

Frequent Miler’s brand-level data shows less spread than you would expect: Quality Inn, Clarion, Ascend Collection, and Comfort Inn all cluster near the 0.75-cent median. The outliers are Suburban Extended Stay at 0.91 cents, Econo Lodge at 0.87, Rodeway Inn at 0.85, Radisson at 0.81, and Radisson RED at the bottom at 0.56. In other words, the cheap brands quietly deliver the best per-point return on ordinary stays, and the aspirational value comes from partners, not from Cambria.

Use 0.85 cents as your bar. Anything clearing it beats The Points Guy’s current consensus, and the sweet spots below clear it with room to spare.

What a Choice point returns, by redemption type

Cents per point, 2026

Best-Value Choice Privileges Sweet Spots in 2026

The program’s outsized value sits with two partner networks rather than its own brands. Strawberry, the Scandinavian group formerly called Nordic Choice, lets you redeem Choice points (but not earn them) at Clarion, Comfort, Quality, and Clarion Collection hotels across Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark, where summer cash rates are brutal. Preferred Hotels & Resorts, the independent luxury collection, opens roughly 300 properties to Choice points. The figures below come from Upgraded Points’ May 2026 redemption guide unless noted, with the standing caveat that every one of them moves by date.

Strawberry is the headline. The Thief is Oslo’s design flagship and Hotel At Six anchors Stockholm’s Brunkebergstorg square; both routinely clear $400 in summer. The Clarion Collection properties are the sleeper pick: they include breakfast, afternoon snacks, and a light evening meal, which in Norway is worth $100 or more a day on its own. At 20,000 to 25,000 points a night, a Wells Fargo transfer prices those at 10,000 to 12,500 Wells Fargo points, and a Citi transfer at 13,334 to 16,667 ThankYou points. One Mile at a Time’s July 2026 buy-points analysis singles out Northern Europe in summer as the program’s clearest outsized-value pocket for the same reason.

Preferred Hotels is the aspirational tier, with a devaluation history. Pricing sat at 25,000 to 55,000 points in May 2024, spiked to 87,000 in June 2024 and briefly 118,000 that September, then settled back to a top of 87,000 per The Points Guy’s October 2024 report; AwardWallet’s 2026 guide still quotes 25,000 to 87,000, while One Mile at a Time lists up to 118,000 in July 2026. Eau Palm Beach, Half Moon in Jamaica, Hawks Cay, and Edgewood Tahoe were the 87,000-point properties TPG named. The math works best at Preferred properties in the 35,000 to 45,000 band with high cash rates (Tokyo, Naples), and turns marginal at 71,000 for Cavallo Point unless you catch a $700 weekend. Two mechanics matter: the points must already be in your Choice account before the award appears in search, and Choice’s cancellation rules apply, not Preferred’s.

Radisson Americas is the domestic upside. Since Choice acquired Radisson Hotels Americas, the Radisson, Radisson Blu, Radisson RED, Radisson Collection, Radisson Individuals, Park Plaza, Country Inn & Suites, and Park Inn brands in the Americas earn and redeem Choice points (Radisson properties elsewhere stay with the separate Radisson Rewards program). Frequent Miler’s data puts core Radisson awards at 0.81 cents, 8 percent above the program median, while Radisson RED underperforms at 0.56.

Cambria and Ascend are fine, not special. Frequent Miler finds both clustering near the 0.75-cent median, and Cambria’s downtown properties are the ones that broke the old 35,000-point cap. They are the right use for a 30,000-point anniversary bonus when a city hotel costs $300, and the wrong place to transfer flexible points.

The Wells Fargo Choice Cards: 30,000 Anniversary Points for $95

Wells Fargo issues both Choice Privileges cards, and the annual-fee version is one of the better hotel cards nobody talks about.

The Choice Privileges Select Mastercard carries a $95 annual fee. Its current welcome offer is 60,000 points after $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. Earning runs 10x on stays at participating Choice hotels, 5x at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores, and on phone plan services, and 1x elsewhere. The recurring benefits, per Wells Fargo’s product page:

• 30,000 bonus points every account anniversary. At Frequent Miler’s 0.75 cents that is $225; at The Points Guy’s 0.85 it is $255. Either way it more than doubles the fee, and it covers one night at Hotel At Six or a night and a half at Clarion Hotel Stockholm.
• 20 Elite Qualifying Nights each calendar year, which guarantees Platinum Elite status (the threshold is 15 nights) and its 25 percent points bonus on paid stays.
• A $120 statement credit toward TSA PreCheck or Global Entry every four years, no foreign transaction fee, and up to $800 in cell phone protection with a $25 deductible when you pay the phone bill on the card.

The no-fee Choice Privileges Mastercard offers 60,000 points after $1,000 in 3 months, earns 5x at Choice hotels and 3x in the same gas, grocery, home improvement, and phone categories, and grants 10 Elite Qualifying Nights for automatic Gold Elite. No anniversary points, so it is the card for people who want a Choice balance protected from expiration without paying for it.

The 5x category on the Select card deserves a second look. Frequent Miler notes that Choice card spend in bonus categories earns Elite Qualifying Credits at the same multiple as points, so grocery and gas spending counts toward status at up to 10x. And at 0.85 cents a point, 5x on groceries is a 4.25 percent return, which competes with the Amex Gold at 4x for anyone who will use Choice points at all. For where these cards fit in a broader wallet, see our credit card strategy guide.

Elite Status and the 2026 Program Overhaul

Choice rebuilt its elite program effective January 1, 2026, and the changes were mostly generous. The tiers now run:

The Titanium Travel Award is the program’s first genuinely aspirational elite benefit: once a year, Titanium members book one room for up to 7 consecutive nights at more than 400 premium properties (Cambria, Ascend Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson RED, Radisson Individuals, Westgate, and Bluegreen brands) for half the points. Preferred Hotels are excluded. Fifty-five nights is a real commitment, but for a Cambria at 45,000 points that is a 7-night stay for 157,500 points instead of 315,000.

Other changes worth knowing:

• Milestone Rewards replaced the old “Your Extras” and pay out every 5 elite nights: 1,500 points or a $5 gift card at 10 nights, 2,500 or $10 at 20, 4,500 or $20 at 40, and 6,500 or $20 at 50, per AwardWallet. Unclaimed rewards convert to points after 6 months.
• Return and Earn gives every member 1,000 bonus points after their second and third qualifying paid stays each year.
• Points never expire for elite members. General members still lose points after 18 consecutive months without qualifying activity.
• Rollover nights were eliminated with no replacement.
• Coming later: points sharing between members (announced for 2026) and a status soft landing starting in 2027, where lapsed elites drop one tier instead of to zero.

Diamond adds free breakfast at Radisson properties, which is the tier where Choice status starts resembling what Marriott or Hilton elites take for granted. For most readers, the Select card’s automatic Platinum is the ceiling worth reaching.

Getting Points In: Wells Fargo 1:2, Citi 1:1.5, Amex and Capital One 1:1

Choice has four transferable-currency partners, which is unusual for a mid-tier hotel program, and the ratios now diverge sharply:

Wells Fargo is now the best door in. Autograph Journey and Autograph cardholders transfer at 1:2 with no minimum and no increment requirement; The Points Guy’s May 2026 guide notes you could move a single point. At a 0.85-cent Choice valuation, each Wells Fargo point returns 1.7 cents, close to par with TPG’s 1.75-cent valuation of the currency itself, and a Strawberry summer stay pushes well past it. The Thief at 35,000 Choice points costs 17,500 Wells Fargo points.

Citi at 1:1.5 is still good, just not the steal it was. Through April 18, 2026, 1,000 ThankYou points became 2,000 Choice points; since April 19 they become 1,500. Frequent Miler confirms the reduced ratio applies to the Strata Premier, Strata Elite, and legacy Prestige and AT&T Access More cards, and that no-annual-fee Citi cards (Double Cash, Custom Cash, Rewards+) transfer at reduced ratios unless pooled with a premium card. The same day Citi halved its Preferred Hotels I Prefer ratio from 1:4 to 1:2, which removed the trick of routing Citi points through I Prefer for the same properties. At 1:1.5, The Thief costs about 23,334 Citi points, up from 17,500 before the cut. Frequent Miler’s August 2026 Citi guide still calls the ratio “decent” for Preferred Hotels bookings, and that is the right framing: worth doing against a priced Scandinavian or Preferred award, not worth doing speculatively.

Amex and Capital One at 1:1 are almost always a mistake. Converting a 2-cent Amex point or a 1.85-cent Capital One mile into a 0.75 to 0.85 cent Choice point only makes sense to top off a balance by a few thousand points for an award you have already found. Capital One requires a 1,000-mile minimum; Amex transfers in 1,000-point increments. Our Amex Membership Rewards guide covers the better uses.

Buying points and Points + Cash. One Mile at a Time reported Choice selling points at 0.62 cents each in a July 2026 promotion (40 percent off), below every 2026 valuation except its own, with a 180,000-point annual purchase cap. Choice’s Points + Cash option lets you buy the shortfall at booking for $7.50 per 1,000 points (0.75 cents each) with a 6,000-point minimum, per Upgraded Points. Both make sense against a booked Strawberry stay returning 1.1 to 1.7 cents; neither makes sense as a habit.

Do not redeem for gift cards or airline miles. Gift cards run 8,000 points for $25, or 0.31 cents per point, and most airline transfers go 5,000 Choice points to 1,000 miles. Both destroy more than half the value of a hotel redemption.

Common Mistakes That Waste Choice Points

1. Transferring from Citi at the old math. The 1:2 ratio ended April 18, 2026. If your spreadsheet still says a 30,000-point award costs 15,000 Citi points, it costs 20,000 now.
2. Booking a Comfort Inn in Ohio when the same points buy Oslo. Frequent Miler’s median Choice award returns 0.75 cents. Strawberry summer stays return 1.1 to 2 cents. The currency is the same; the destination is the whole game.
3. Assuming the Titanium Travel Award or elite perks apply at Preferred Hotels. They do not. Preferred bookings follow Choice’s cancellation rules and pass through resort fees, but earn no elite recognition.
4. Letting a non-elite balance hit 18 months. One purchase on either Wells Fargo Choice card resets the clock, and elites are now exempt entirely.
5. Trying to see Preferred Hotels awards before the points are in your account. The properties do not appear in search until you hold enough points, so transfer first, then search, then book quickly.
6. Redeeming for gift cards. At 0.31 cents per point you are giving Choice back 60 percent of the value.
7. Wasting the 30,000 anniversary points at an 8,000-point property. The bonus is worth $225 to $255 by 2026 valuations; point it at Stockholm, not a highway exit.
8. Ignoring the 50-week window. Strawberry summer dates fill early. The booking calendar opens 350 days out now, so Scandinavia in July gets booked in August.

What to Do This Week

1. Recalculate any pending Citi transfer at 1:1.5, and check whether Wells Fargo points would cover the same award at 1:2 for fewer flexible points.
2. Price one Strawberry target (The Thief, Hotel At Six, or a Clarion Collection hotel in Oslo) across flexible summer dates and note the low end.
3. Check your expiration clock if you are not elite; a single card purchase or small paid stay protects the balance.
4. Decide whether the Select card’s 30,000 anniversary points fit your calendar. If you will spend even one night in Scandinavia or at a Preferred property in the next 12 months, the $95 fee pays for itself twice over.
5. Audit your balance against the sweet spots above. If nothing on the list tempts you within a year, stop accumulating Choice points and send the grocery spend elsewhere.

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Sources:

• The Points Guy: September 2026 points and miles valuations (Choice at 0.85 cents, up from 0.7)
• NerdWallet: Best value hotel rewards programs in 2026 (Choice at 0.8 cents, August 2026)
• Frequent Miler: What are Choice points worth? (0.75 cents RRV, February 2026; brand-level and percentile values) and Choice Privileges complete guide (pricing structure, transfer partners, elite tiers, expiration)
• One Mile at a Time: Buy Choice Privileges points (0.6-cent valuation, 0.62-cent purchase price, award ranges, July 2026) and Citi ThankYou devalues hotel transfers
• Frequent Miler: Citi decreasing transfer ratio to Choice and Preferred on 4/19/26 and Complete guide to Citi ThankYou Rewards (August 2026)
• Upgraded Points: Best ways to redeem Choice Privileges points (property pricing and cash rates, May 2026; Points + Cash pricing) and Choice Privileges program changes for 2026
• AwardWallet: Ultimate guide to Choice Privileges 2026 (pricing model, Preferred Hotels range, Radisson Americas brands, elite bonuses) and 2026 program changes now live (Milestone Rewards schedule, Titanium Travel Award terms)
• Choice Hotels: Choice Privileges new rewards experience announcement (November 2025)
• The Points Guy: Choice removes 35,000-point award cap (June 2024) and Preferred Hotels & Resorts award pricing (October 2024) and Wells Fargo transfer partners (May 2026)
• Amber on Points: How to book Preferred Hotels using points (March 2026)
• Wells Fargo: Choice Privileges Select Mastercard and Choice Privileges Mastercard
• Capital One: Miles transfer partners (Choice 1:1, 1,000-mile minimum)
• Frequent Miler: 50-week award calendar and RewardSaver

Related reading:

• Best Hotel Points Redemptions in the US
• Best World of Hyatt Redemptions in 2026
• Best Marriott Bonvoy Redemptions in 2026
• Best IHG One Rewards Redemptions in 2026
• Best Hilton Honors Redemptions in 2026
• Best Amex Membership Rewards Redemptions
• Hotel Elite Status ROI: Marriott vs Hilton vs Hyatt