If you’ve been eyeing a Citibank credit card bonus, you may be wondering whether it can actually get you something meaningful—like a free hotel stay. I recently took advantage of Citi’s popular ThankYou Points bonus to do exactly that.
Here’s the full breakdown of how I earned the bonus, how I redeemed the points for a hotel, and what I learned about maximizing the value of Citi’s rewards program in the process.
The Card I Used: Citi Premier® Card
At the time of signup, the Citi Premier® Card was offering:
- 60,000 ThankYou Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
- 3x points on travel, gas, supermarkets, and dining
- $95 annual fee
I chose this card because it balances a strong sign-up bonus with useful everyday earning categories. My goal was simple: unlock the bonus, and use it to cover a hotel night or two for an upcoming trip.
How I Earned the Bonus
I hit the $4,000 spend in about six weeks by timing my application around two key life events:
- A work trip where I prepaid for a hotel and flights (which my employer reimbursed)
- Some large quarterly bills (insurance, subscriptions, and taxes)
No manufactured spending. No gift cards. Just careful timing.
Once I hit the threshold, the bonus posted about five days after the billing cycle closed.
My Redemption Goal: A Free Hotel Stay
I had a long weekend planned in Savannah, Georgia, and wanted to cover my hotel without dipping into my bank account.
The total value of 60,000 ThankYou Points depends on how you redeem them:
- As a statement credit or gift card: ~0.5–1.0 cents/point
- Booking travel via the Citi ThankYou travel portal: 1 cent/point
- Transferring to hotel or airline partners: 1.2–2.0+ cents/point if done right
So while the portal is easy, I wanted better value—and transferred my points instead.
Step-by-Step: How I Booked My Free Hotel
Step 1: Compare Portal vs Transfer Value
In the Citi portal, a two-night hotel stay in downtown Savannah would have cost ~52,000 points (around $520 value).
But I saw better redemption value through Citi’s Choice Privileges transfer partner, especially with boutique hotels.
Step 2: Transfer Points to Choice Privileges
I transferred 48,000 ThankYou Points to Choice Privileges at a 1:1 ratio.
It took about 48 hours for the points to appear in my Choice account. Once they did, I searched for properties and found a 2-night stay at The Bluff Hotel Historic Savannah, normally priced at $280/night.
Cost in points: 24,000 points per night, total = 48,000 points
Cash value: ~$560
Effective redemption value: 1.17 cents per point
Step 3: Book and Confirm
I booked directly through Choice’s site using my transferred points. Taxes and resort fees were waived, and I received a confirmation instantly.
Not only did I avoid a $560 charge—I also enjoyed a boutique-style hotel stay in a prime location, all thanks to my Citibank credit card bonus.
Other Redemption Options I Considered
Had I not transferred to Choice, I could have used Citi’s travel portal to book a hotel directly. That’s easier, but value caps at 1 cent per point.
Airline transfers were also tempting. Citi partners with Turkish Airlines, Avianca, Flying Blue, Etihad, and more. These offer tremendous flight value, but I had no immediate travel plans.
If you’re booking flights, transferring Citi points can unlock business-class seats at steep discounts, especially on international routes.
Why the Citi Premier Worked for Me
Here’s what made this card a good fit:
- The bonus was accessible (no $10k+ spend)
- Points were flexible, with both cash-back and transfer options
- Everyday spending earned solid multipliers
- I wasn’t locked into just one hotel brand or airline
For anyone looking to cover a specific travel cost—a hotel, a domestic flight, or rental car—the ThankYou Points program offers enough flexibility to make it happen.
What to Watch Out For
If you’re planning to use Citi points for travel, keep these caveats in mind:
1. Transfer Times Vary
While some transfers are instant (JetBlue, Wyndham), others take 24–72 hours. If award space is limited, this delay can be a dealbreaker.
2. No Travel Portal Bonus Boost
Unlike Chase Sapphire cards (which offer 25–50% more value in their portals), Citi gives you a flat 1 cent per point when booking travel through their platform.
3. Airline Partners Can Be Complex
Citi’s international airline partners offer great redemption value—but you’ll need to learn how award charts work, search availability on foreign sites, and sometimes deal with customer service in other countries.
For beginners, sticking with hotel transfers or the travel portal may be easier.
Who This Strategy Is Best For
- Frequent domestic travelers who want to offset hotel costs
- Business spenders who can easily hit $4,000 in 3 months
- Travelers who are open to flexible hotel brands (Wyndham, Choice, etc.)
- Anyone willing to learn how to transfer points for above-average value
Final Thoughts: Was It Worth It?
Absolutely. I saved over $500 on a hotel stay using a single sign-up bonus from a no-fuss credit card. I didn’t pay an annual fee beyond the $95 upfront, and I still have ~12,000 points left over for future use.
What impressed me most was how quickly I could redeem the value. Unlike some programs where you need to collect points for years or hit elite tiers, Citi’s ThankYou Points are immediately useful once you unlock them.
If you have a specific travel cost in mind—especially hotels—this card makes a compelling case. Just make sure to time your spending, know your transfer options, and compare redemption paths before you click “book.”