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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
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Citi’s Hotel Collection and The Reserve: Get free breakfast and premium perks
Credit card writer Danyal Ahmed is an avid traveler, averaging about 100,000 aeronautical miles per year. He regularly applies that knowledge and his expertise in credit cards to his role as a credit card writer at TPG.
Daria is a perpetual wanderer and a hiker. She has traveled to over 40 countries. She recently traveled around the world for a year with her 5 and 8 year old. Daria, along with her husband Rob, co-wrote a comedic memoir about this experience - Don't Try This At Home: One Family's (mis)Adventures Around the World. (Turnstone Press, 2019)
Daria is also the author of The Prairie Bridesmaid and freelances for many publications in Canada and the US. She holds degrees in Arts and Education and and is completing her MFA in Creative Writing.
also contributed to this story
August 27, 2025 • 11 min read
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Editorial note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.
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Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
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Quick summary
Citi Travel portal offers two hotel programs: The Reserve for five-star properties and Hotel Collection for four-star hotels.
Both programs provide perks such as daily breakfast, complimentary Wi-Fi and, for The Reserve, a $100 experience credit and potential room upgrades.
Access to The Reserve is limited to select cardholders, while Hotel Collection is available to anyone with a ThankYou Rewards points-earning card.
You can redeem ThankYou Rewards points at a fixed value for bookings, but transferring points to loyalty partners may yield higher value per TPG's August 2025 valuations.
What to consider
Booking through these programs does not allow earning or using hotel elite status or loyalty benefits.
Not all room rates at participating hotels include program perks; eligible rates may cost significantly more than standard rates.
Multiple consecutive bookings at the same hotel do not stack experience credits, as they are treated as a single stay.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed comparison of how Citi's hotel programs stack up against similar offerings from other travel portals and guidance on maximizing value for your points.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
The Reserve is Citi's refresh of the Luxury Collection, and features five-star properties. This group of hotels is designed to compete with premium hotel collections such as American Express' Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Edit by Chase Travel℠. It offers perks such as daily breakfast, a room upgrade (based on availability) and a $100 experience credit.
With recent changes to Citi's lineup of points-earning cards, existing and prospective cardholders may be wondering how to use the Citi Travel portal for hotel bookings. Is it better to book with the Hotel Collection instead of booking directly, and can your Citi ThankYou Rewards points be of any use?
Here's a detailed look at Citi's Hotel Collection and The Reserve — and whether you should use them.
What is the Citi Hotel Collection?
Citi's Hotel Collection is a specific list of hotels and resorts that can be booked via Citi Travel powered by Booking.com. It's important to note that the Hotel Collection only includes four-star hotels and resorts.
CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY
Anyone with a credit card that earns Citi ThankYou points can access Citi Travel and Citi's Hotel Collection. Reservations booked directly with a Hotel Collection property include additional benefits such as daily breakfast for two and complimentary Wi-Fi. Depending on individual room availability, you may also receive early check-in and late checkout privileges.
What is The Reserve by Citi Travel?
The Reserve is Citi Travel's most premium accommodation offering. It includes select five-star properties and offers top-tier benefits.
Booking The Reserve properties is only available to the following cardholders:
The information for the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
HYATT
Comparing the perks and benefits of Citi's The Reserve vs. Citi's Hotel Collection
Here's a breakdown of the perks and benefits each hotel program offers:
Benefit
The Reserve
Hotel Collection
Daily breakfast for two
Included
Included
Complimentary Wi-Fi
Included
Included
Early check-in/late checkout
Based on availability
Based on availability
Room upgrade
Based on availability
Not offered
On-property credit
$100 experience credit (redemptions vary by property)
None
BENJI STAWSKI/THE POINTS GUY
Although some benefits are guaranteed when booking with either The Reserve or Hotel Collection, other perks, such as early check-in and late checkout, are not.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you cannot receive consecutive $100 experience credits if you make separate back-to-back reservations. According to Citi's terms, multiple reservations at the same hotel on continuous dates count as one stay, even if you check out and check in again.
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To see what offers are included with either hotel program, click on "See offers" when a hotel is marked as part of the Hotel Collection or The Reserve.
How to book Citi Hotel Collection and The Reserve stays
To book a hotel in the Hotel Collection or The Reserve, start your search on Citi Travel by providing your destination, dates and the number of guests.
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In the results, you'll notice hotels with a Hotel Collection or The Reserve tag.
CITI TRAVEL
To filter for Hotel Collection or The Reserve properties, be sure to check the boxes under "Collection type" on the left pane in the result filters. Even after filtering for hotels by collection type, Citi Travel may still show you other hotels, but they'll be located after Hotel Collection and The Reserve properties.
Not all room rates at a property offer the extra benefits of Hotel Collection or The Reserve. Make sure you choose an eligible room rate to receive the additional benefits, and know that it will cost more than choosing a room rate without Hotel Collection or The Reserve benefits.
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You can see below that a Hotel Collection-eligible room is about $200 more per night compared to a standard rate without the additional benefits.
Will I earn elite status or loyalty benefits at hotels?
When booking a Hotel Collection or The Reserve property through Citi Travel, you will not be able to enter your loyalty number if the hotel is a part of a loyalty program brand such as World of Hyatt or Marriott Bonvoy.
Even if you have elite status with a hotel program, it will not be recognized when booking through Citi Travel, so you won't receive any of those perks, nor will you get points or elite night credits for your stay.
CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY
Hotel rewards programs typically require booking directly with the hotel to receive elite status benefits. Therefore, if earning elite status is important to you, you may be better off booking with the property.
The good news is that you can use your Citi ThankYou Rewards points toward any hotel booking and not just ones for Hotel Collection or The Reserve properties. You can redeem points at a value of 1 cent apiece, and you can pay for a booking entirely using ThankYou points or a combination of points and cash.
FINN WINKLER/PICTURE ALLIANCE/GETTY IMAGES
Although this sounds convenient, it may not be the best value for your points. According to TPG's August 2025 valuations, Citi ThankYou Rewards points are worth 1.9 cents each when you take advantage of Citi's 21 transfer partners. In that case, redeeming ThankYou points for 1 cent apiece isn't ideal if you're trying to squeeze the most value out of your rewards.
Instead, transfer your points to loyalty programs such as American Airlines AAdvantage or Air France-KLM Flying Blue, where you'll get maximum value for your redemptions, especially for premium-cabin tickets.
What are the benefits of booking through the Citi Travel portal?
If you have select Citi cards, you can combine a card's hotel credit or perk with a booking made with a Hotel Collection or The Reserve property.
As a cardholder of the following cards, here are some benefits you can take advantage of for Hotel Collection or The Reserve bookings:
Citi Strata Elite Card: Up to a $300 annual hotel credit on a single prepaid hotel stay (minimum two-night stay)
Citi Strata Premier Card: A $100 hotel credit each calendar year on a booking of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees)
Citi Prestige: Receive a fourth night free on hotel bookings, available up to twice per calendar year
You can book a Hotel Collection hotel as a cardholder of a Citi ThankYou points-earning credit card. The Reserve rates are only available to cardholders of the Citi Strata Elite, the Citi Strata Premier and the Citi Prestige.
OSCAR WONG/GETTY IMAGES
You'll earn bonus points on Citi Travel purchases with the following cards:
The information for the Citi Custom Cash has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
When you hear about getting free daily breakfast, an on-site $100 credit and the potential to get a room upgrade, it may sound like a win. However, it isn't necessarily worth taking advantage of.
Booking a Hotel Collection or The Reserve property is worth it if the price is similar to what you'll get when booking directly or with another issuer's travel portal. It becomes less appealing when there's a higher price, especially if it outweighs the additional benefits either program offers.
DAMIRCUDIC/GETTY IMAGES
If you're a cardholder of the Citi Strata Elite Card, Citi Strata Premier or the Citi Prestige, it may be worth booking with these programs so as long as you use the hotel benefits that these cards provide. It's a good way to recoup some of the cost of the annual fee.
The hotel programs are useful for bookings at boutique hotels where the question of elite status is irrelevant and you receive elitelike benefits. In addition, if the price for a hotel is the same as booking another way (but without the added benefits), using these programs makes sense.
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
