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If you're reading this, there's a good chance you like saving money on hotels. Who doesn't? The brand-new Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (Rates & Fees) makes it easier to do just that with its annual hotel savings benefit worth up to $300.
You can use this credit to save on one or even a couple of stays of at least two nights every calendar year. Here's how to use the credit and our best tips on how to maximize it.
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How to Use the Citi Strata Elite $300 Hotel Credit
The headline perk of the Citi Strata Elite is its $300 annual hotel savings benefit. Each calendar year, you can get up to $300 back on hotel reservations of at least two nights made through the Citi Travel® portal.
The credit is so easy to use that you might burn through it without even realizing it. That is, if you regularly book hotels through Citi Travel. The savings automatically appear as a line item on your receipt at checkout when using the Citi Strata Elite.
To make a reservation and see the benefit apply, start by logging in to the Citi Travel portal and selecting the Citi Strata Elite as your booking card. If you use a different card, the savings won't show up.
From there, enter your destination and travel dates. You should also see a tracker showing how much of your $300 hotel credit you have left to use.
Once you find a property you like, choose your room and proceed to checkout.
If your stay is at least two nights, you will see a deduction of up to $300 labeled “Annual Hotel Savings Benefit” in the Price Details section. Complete your booking as usual and keep an eye out for your confirmation email. It's that simple.
Citi Strata Elite hotel credit limitations
The Citi Strata Elite hotel savings credit is easy to use, but there are still a few limitations to keep in mind. First and foremost, it's valid from January 1 through December 31 each year. The credit will reset on January 1, 2026, and any unused amount from this year won't roll over.
Here are a few more key points to be aware of:
- To get the benefit, you need to prepay for your entire stay with your Citi Strata Elite, ThankYou® Points, or a combination of the two.
- You can't combine the credit with the Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees) $100 hotel savings benefit or the Citi Prestige® Card (not open to new applicants) complimentary fourth-night hotel benefit. It's also not combinable with other promotions or discounts.
- You won't earn points on the portion of your booking that’s covered by the credit.
- If you use the credit on a non-refundable booking and cancel, the charge will still be offset by the benefit and won't be refunded.
- If you cancel a refundable booking that used all or part of your annual benefit, the credit will be returned to your account after the cancellation is processed. You can still use the remaining amount through the end of the calendar year.
- Package rates like air and hotel or hotel and car rental don't qualify for the credit.
It's also worth noting that of an authorized user makes a booking using the hotel credit, it counts toward your $300 annual cap. Authorized users don't get their own separate benefit.
Tips to Maximize the Citi Strata Elite Hotel Credit
Wondering how to get the most out of your Citi Strata Elite hotel credit? Here are three ways to maximize your savings.
Book a cheap stay and leave some savings for your next trip
The Citi Strata Elite hotel savings benefit isn’t limited to just one stay per calendar year. You can use it across multiple stays, as long as each one is at least two nights and the total cost is under $300.
For example, you could book two nights at the Holiday Inn Warsaw City Center by IHG for $213.38 and leave $86.62 left over for a future stay elsewhere.
Use at non-chain hotels or where you don't have elite benefits
There are pros and cons to booking through a third party like the Citi Travel portal. One downside is that if you have elite status with a hotel loyalty program, there’s a good chance your benefits won’t apply to third-party bookings.
So, you could consider using your hotel savings benefit at a property that doesn’t participate in a rewards program or one where you don’t have elite status. That way, you’re not giving up any perks you would have received otherwise and can still enjoy the savings.
Stack this with the Splurge Credit for a free (or nearly free) trip
The Citi Strata Elite comes with several valuable credits, so why not stack two of them to save on your next trip?
For example, you could choose American Airlines as one of your Splurge Credit℠ merchants and use that credit to book a flight — then use your hotel savings benefit to offset the cost of your stay. If done right, this could amount to a free (or nearly free) trip every year you hold the card.
Bottom Line
Every year you keep the Citi Strata Elite in your wallet, you can get up to $300 off a hotel stay — or even a couple of shorter ones — of two nights or more when booked through the Citi Travel portal.
This is a simple-to-use credit and easy way to help offset the card’s annual fee. Best of all, there’s room to get creative. You can use it to save on a quick getaway or combine it with other benefits to build a trip that costs you very little (or even nothing) out of pocket.
Don't have the Citi Strata Elite yet? Right now, the card is offering new applicants 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Rewards Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com and 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com
- Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time
- Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
- Up to $300 Annual Hotel Benefit: Each calendar year, enjoy up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more when booked through cititravel.com.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- 12X – Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com.
- 6X – Earn 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com.
- 6X – Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time.
- 1.5X – Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (Rates & Fees), and Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees)
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