Difference between revisions of "Choice privileges"
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<li>You can acquire Choice points, on-demand, for .8 cents per point, using the same “Cash & Points Trick” that works with IHG. This makes it easy to use the Choice program when the need arises, without needing to build-up points in the program ahead-of-time. Purchasing and using points using this method often provides a discount compared to the regular room rates. {{Link|Hotel Point Values}}</li> | <li>You can acquire Choice points, on-demand, for .8 cents per point, using the same “Cash & Points Trick” that works with IHG. This makes it easy to use the Choice program when the need arises, without needing to build-up points in the program ahead-of-time. Purchasing and using points using this method often provides a discount compared to the regular room rates. {{Link|Hotel Point Values}}</li> | ||
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| + | <li>You can also transfer ThankYou points to Choice at good values. You'll get two Choice points (which you might otherwise need to buy at .8 cents each) for each ThankYou point.</li> | ||
<li>Ironically, for a program best known for having thousands of the cheapest hotels, Choice is one of the best options for booking luxury hotels and resorts. You can use Choice points to book very expensive independent luxury hotels, that are part of the Preferred Hotel and Resort program. and high-end all-inclusives through its partnership with AMResorts. The cost for buying and redeeming points for these hotels isn’t cheap, but it is often significantly less expensive than booking them at normal rates.</li> | <li>Ironically, for a program best known for having thousands of the cheapest hotels, Choice is one of the best options for booking luxury hotels and resorts. You can use Choice points to book very expensive independent luxury hotels, that are part of the Preferred Hotel and Resort program. and high-end all-inclusives through its partnership with AMResorts. The cost for buying and redeeming points for these hotels isn’t cheap, but it is often significantly less expensive than booking them at normal rates.</li> | ||
Revision as of 18:18, 28 October 2021
Hotel Strategies, Hotel Loyalty Program Reference Guide
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Quick Guide
- You can acquire Choice points, on-demand, for .8 cents per point, using the same “Cash & Points Trick” that works with IHG. This makes it easy to use the Choice program when the need arises, without needing to build-up points in the program ahead-of-time. Purchasing and using points using this method often provides a discount compared to the regular room rates. How Much are Hotel Points Worth?
- You can also transfer ThankYou points to Choice at good values. You'll get two Choice points (which you might otherwise need to buy at .8 cents each) for each ThankYou point.
- Ironically, for a program best known for having thousands of the cheapest hotels, Choice is one of the best options for booking luxury hotels and resorts. You can use Choice points to book very expensive independent luxury hotels, that are part of the Preferred Hotel and Resort program. and high-end all-inclusives through its partnership with AMResorts. The cost for buying and redeeming points for these hotels isn’t cheap, but it is often significantly less expensive than booking them at normal rates.
- Choice doesn’t give you much in the way of member or credit card benefits. You can get a little bit of value by holding onto the no-annual-fee Choice Credit Card. But we wouldn’t prioritize it over many other options.
- Especially in Scandinavia, but in many other countries as well, Choice has some great hotels, available in expensive locations, for relatively small numbers of points. Even in the United States, the point cost of many of their hotels can make it the best way to get an inexpensive award night when you need one.
Choice Brands
Choice has an enormous number of hotels. However, in the United States, they are mostly concentrated in lower-end brand. Many travelers, who tend to spend more money on vacation, rarely stay at their hotels, and tend to ignore this program. But they do have many attractive hotel options around the world, particularly in Scandinavia.
Award Chart
- There is no published award chart for Choice hotels—the number of points needed for an award is different for different hotels, different times of the year, and even different days of the week. The points range for hotels in most of the world is 6,000 to 35,000 points, with some hotels in Australasia costing up to 75,000 points per night.
- Choice offers discounted award rates, called “FlexRewards”, at over 1,500 of their hotels. Depending on the hotel, you’ll pay fewer points either on weekday nights (Sun-Thu) or on weekend nights (Fri-Sat).
- While there are no official black-out dates, each hotel controls their reward capacity, and you can’t always find availability when you want to book an award.
- One of the oddities of the Choice program is that you can’t book awards nights until 100 days before arrival. Even that is a recent change from as little as 30 days, and if you aren't signed-in, you may still see "not available" for dates more than a month out.
Points Plus Cash Awards
Whenever award reservations are available (for at least 8,000 points per night), you can book a Points Plus Cash award instead.
- You’ll need to use 6,000 points, plus a cash amount that is equal to $8.00 for every 1,000-points you save. For example, a hotel, which would normally cost 20,000 points, would cost 6,000 points plus $112.
- Because Points Plus Cash reservations allow you to purchase points at less than they are usually worth, they are always a better option than regular award reservations. There is a 250,000 per year limit to points purchased this way.
Acquiring Points
Acquiring last minute points
If you do see a great redemption deal on Choice hotels, there are several ways that you can acquire additional points.
| Cash & Points Trick |
Like the IHG program, you can purchase points whenever you need them, using the Cash and Points trick. To do this, you make a cash and points reservation for any hotel, and then cancel the reservation. Rather than refunding the points and cash that you paid, Choice keeps your cash and refunds the number of points you would normally need for the hotel. For example, at a hotel that would normally cost 20,000 points, you’d get 20,000 points back, rather than the 6,000 points and $112 you spent. In essence, you are buying points for .8 cents each. Get Cheap IHG and Choice Points Using the Cash & Points Trick. |
| Normal point purchases |
You can also purchase up to 180,000 points per year, for 1 cent each, through their normal point purchase program. You may need to purchase 6,000 points at this price to be able to start taking advantage of the cheaper points available through the Cash &points Trick. If Choice is running a purchase promotion, buying points outright can be cheaper than the Cash & Points trick. Get a Discounted Room Rate by Buying the Points for an Award Night. |
| Transferring credit card points |
You can transfer from Diners Club Reward points (1250:2400) or Amtrak Guest Rewards (1000:3000) |
Earning points from your stays
Members earn 10 points for every dollar spent at Choice hotels. Gold, Platinum, and Diamond members earn bonuses of 10%, 25%, or 50% on stays.
If you use your Choice credit card, you’ll earn an additional 5 points per dollar. 5x Choice points are worth around 3.75 cents per dollar. This is a better return than you’ll get from a general-purpose reward card, but not as good as you can get from a card that earns a good bonus reward rate on travel spending. Best Credit Cards for Travel Spending.
Other ways to earn points
The best way to quickly earn a bunch of Choice points is by signing up for Choice’s credit card. The normal bonus on the Choice card is 32,000 points ($1,000 initial spending requirement). You’ll can also get 8,000 bonus points each year that you use the card for $10,000 or more in spending, but it isn’t worthwhile to put this much spending on the card. The Choice card is issued by Barclays and you should be able to periodically cancel and reapply to earn the signup bonus multiple times. Credit Card Signup Bonuses: The Easiest Path to Free Airplane Tickets and Hotel Nights.
You can also earn points from purchases from the Choice online mall, and a few other earning partners. See all earning options.
Keeping your Points from Expiring
If you go 18 months without any account activity, you can lose your points. You can easily keep your points alive by making any charge with the Choice credit card, buying anything from the Choice portal, buying 1,000 points for $11, or crediting a car rental. Our Keep Your Points from Expiring article provides more details about strategies for keeping track of upcoming expiration dates and keeping your points alive.
Preferred Hotels and Resorts Redemptions
One of the hidden secrets of the Choice Privileges program is that you can use your Choice points to book many of the independent luxury hotels that are part of the Preferred Hotels and Resorts program. These include about 500 hotels around the world, including many very special hotels like the Surf and Sand in Laguna Beach, Travaasa Hana in Maui, and the Sagamore in New York.
Leela Palace Udaipur, India
Luxurious modern palace hotel with stunning views of the City Palace and Lake Pichola. Experience exotic luxury in one of the best hotels in India. Normal rates average $600 per night, 55,000 points ($440).
Hotel Waldhaus Sils, St. Moritz, Switzerland
This Legendary hotel is an ideal base for skiing and exploring one of Europe’s most prestigious ski resorts. Regular ski season rates average $600 per night. 55,000 points ($440).
Montage Beverly Hills, Location
One of the most prestigious hotels in Los Angeles, with panoramic city views from the heart of Beverley Hills. Regular summer rates average $750 per night. 55,000 points ($440).
Surf and Sand Resort, Laguna Beach, California
This lavish oceanside resort is perhaps the top high-end beachfront hotel in California. Regular summer rates average $600 per night. 55,000 points ($440).
The Sebastian, Vail
Luxury mountain lodge located at one of America’s top ski resorts. Ski season rates average over $1000 per night. 55,000 points ($440).
Chanler at Cliff Walk, Newport, RI
Don’t just visit the 19th century mansions on Newport’s cliff walk, stay in one as well. #56 hotel in the world according to Travel & Leisure. Rates average $800-1000 per night. 55,000 points ($440).
Peter Island Resort, British Vigin Islands
One of the rare opportunities to stay on a private Caribbean island. Visit five private beaches from your luxurious private villa. Winter rates average over $1000 per night. 55,000 points ($440).
Hotel Gault, Montreal
Boutique hotel in the middle of Old Montreal, with all the right touches like private balconies, exposed brick, and loft-style rooms. Rates average $500 per night. 35,000 points ($280)
Suryagargh, Jaisalmer, India
A grand palace hotel, whose traditional Rajasthani architecture evokes a desert fortress—just one with elegant rooms and a luxurious spa. Rates often over $300 per night, 35,000 points ($280)
Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach, Cancun
One of the best locations and pools in Cancun, and a perfect choice for your winter break. Winter rates average over $500 per night, 55,000 points ($440)
Hacienda Del Sol, Tuscon, Arizona
Historic ranch hotel with elegant Southwestern style in the Catalina foothills just outside of Tucson. Winter rates average $400 per night, 45,000 points ($360)
The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs
The Grand Dame of the Rockies, this legendary hotel is famous for its breadth of activities. Perhaps the most famous mountain resort in the country. Normal rates average over $500 per night, 45,000 points ($360)
Limelight, Aspen
Hip, modern base for one of America’s most expensive ski resorts. Ski season rates average over $700 per night, 45,000 points ($360)
Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans
Majestic luxury hotel whose gilded décor seems the perfect fit for a high-end stay in the middle of New Orleans’s French quarter. Normal room rates average $400 per night, 45,000 points ($360)
Rates range from 25,000 to 55,000 points per night. At the .8 cents per point that you can purchase points through the Cash & Points Trick, this works out to between $200 and $440 per night. While this isn’t a cheap bed for the night, many of these hotel rooms cost upwards of $600 per night if you paid the normal rates. The points cost with Choice can sometimes represent a significant discount.
The other problem is that some, but not all, of the very most expensive Preferred Hotels, don’t seem to participate in the program. You’ll see them on the Choice website, but when you click on the availability calendar, you’ll notice that there isn’t a single night available.
You can see a directory of participating hotels and their availability information online, but you need to call 888-770-6800 to book. Unlike booking Choice hotels, you don’t need to wait till 30 (or 50) days before, and rates don’t change based on the time of the year and the day of the week.
All-inclusive Resorts
Choice allows you to earn and redeem points at dozens of all-inclusive resorts through a partnership with AMResorts. This collection of all-inclusives includes several well-respected brands.
Many of these resorts are available to book now at award rates ranging from 25,000 to 60,000 points per night. Rates seem to vary by date and are set at values around 1 cent per point. Other resorts won't be available to book until January 2023.
Since Choice points can be bought for .8 cents each with the Cash & Points Trick, you should always be able to generate the Choice points you need to book these at the award rate. In most cases, that will save you money over the regular cash rate.
For more details see the Choice All-inclusive website.
Member Benefits
Any extra nights for Gold members and above will rollover to the following year. For example, if you stay 15 nights in a year, you'll qualify for Gold status, and the extra 5 nights will rollover to make it easier to earn status the following year.
Member (entry level)
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| Gold (10 nights) 10% bonus points on stays and adds the following benefits:
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| Platinum (20 nights) 25% bonus points on stays.
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| Diamond (40 nights) 50% bonus points on stays.
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Shortcuts to Choice Elite Status
- Choice will usually match your status with other programs. Unlike the Hilton and Marriott Status challenges, you're simply granted status—there is no need to stay a minimum number of times over 90 days to lock-in your status. As long as you apply after July, you'll have status for the rest of that year and the entire following year. Status Match webpage.
- If you stay a single time at a Cambria hotel, your status match will bump you all the way to Choice's highest Diamond level status, with a better chance of a room upgrade. Without the Cambria stay, your status match will only qualify for the Gold or Platinum level.
- You'll also get automatic Choice Gold status from the Choice Credit Card. But since it doesn't come with a free night certificate or a huge bonus, getting the card isn't a high priority.
- Any extra nights for Gold members and above will rollover to the following year. For example, if you stay 15 nights in a year, you'll qualify for Gold status, and the extra 5 nights will rollover to make it easier to earn status the following year.
Benefits are light. You're entitled to a free snack or beverage at US and Canadian hotels, the possibility of a minor room upgrade, and either 10% or 25% bonus points on stays (depending on whether you receive Gold or Platinum status). Like the other matches, you are only officially allowed to do this once per lifetime. Choice Status Benefits.
The Choice Credit Card
The Choice Privileges card has one of the lower valued signup bonuses among the various hotel credit cards. However, it is still the only way to quickly earn a significant number of Choice points. The typical signup offer is 32-50,000 points. The card is issued by Barclays, so you should be able to periodically cancel and re-apply.
Because the card has no annual fee and some slightly useful ongoing benefits, if you ever decide to apply, you should hold onto the card (unless you are temporarily cancelling it to try to earn an additional signup bonus). It isn’t much, but at least you’ll get a small point earning bonus and an extended booking window.
You can earn 8,000 bonus points by spending $10,000 per year on the card. Given the low value for using this card for spending, we can’t recommend doing this to earn points that are only worth around $60.
The Choice card earns higher rewards for spending at Choice than a general-purpose reward card, but not as much as a card that earns good bonus rewards on travel purchases. 5x Choice points are worth about 3.75 cents per dollar. The card is not worthwhile to use for other spending. Best Credit Cards for Travel Spending.
