So, after averaging 100 nights a year since 2000 in Choice properties, I'm giving up the extensive travel for a new job.

A few comments on my way out.

1. Choice properties truly run the gamut, from tired old mom and pop's to newly constructed state of the art. More than any other chain, it pays to stick to what you know, and to return to properties that have pleased you. Some suck, most are average, a very few are over the top "How's this a Quality Inn" fabulous.

2. Choice more than any other is famous for their bonus programs. It's a rare quarter that doesn't feature a stay X get 1 free bonus. For frequent travellers these can really pile up. If you don't mind bed surfing you can approach 1 free night for each 3 paid year after year.

3. Most hotels are good about getting your points posted, but in my experience some are notoriously bad. Maybe this is true of all chains, but since all Choice properties are independant they just seem to be more errartic than for example Hilton.

4. The definition of "Breakfast" varies widely by property. In this regard I much prefer for example Hampton Inn's where consistancy is more the norm. At CI or QI "Breakfast" can mean as little as a waffle (yuk) and cup of coffee up to a full hot breakfast. Again, return to the ones which exceed your expectation.

5. 6,000 points doesn't mean it's a bad property. One case that I'm familiar with. There are in the South SF Bay area many choice hotels. Among them - the Choice Palo Alto where a free night runs 16,000 points. Less than 5 miles away is the far newer and much nicer QI Mountain View (Moffett) which runs only 6,000 points. The difference makes no sense and such gaps in points / service are common throughout the system. When redeeming points don't automatically shy away from 'cheap' properities (do some research though because sometimes you really do get what you pay for).

I've met many who are horrified that I've spent some many nights (by choice ;) ) in Choice hotels. After all those nights I can honestly say the bad experiences have been few, many more times actuals have exceeded expectations. They've saved me a bundle of money (per diem) and at properties where I'm known I'm treated like a treasured guest.

Choose wisely and enjoy.

Lihue1k

Thanks. Great post. Haven't stayed in a Choice property in a long while, but will keep your comments in mind.

Best of luck with your new job.

5. 6,000 points doesn't mean it's a bad propertyHere's (http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/en-US/html/HotelInfo?hotel=PT023&sid=iyODM.3xJfigjM6g.2&sarea=2074&sname=Lisbon&sstate=&scountry=PT&sradius=40.22&slat=38.756980895996094&slon=-9.122466087341309&schain=A&exp=&scity=Lisbon&sort=&srp=SRD&nadult=1&nchild=0) my favorite bargain -- the Lisbon Clarion Suites in Lisbon, Portugal. All suites and 6000 points/night.

Not a bad place, either -- Here's (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g189158-d206894-Reviews-Clarion_Suites_Lisbon-Lisbon_Estremadura.html)the Tripadvisor reviews.

Thanks for an excellent post!! I agree with your experiences. I have found some of the best Choice Hotels in the most unusual places (rural West Virginia) and some of the worst in places where I expected better (Chicago).

I have found their reward program quite useful, although they seem to be bad about posting frequent flyer miles. Anyone else seem to have this problem? Two or three times I've had to mail my bill to US Airways for credit.

Especially if you have access to the NetVIP rates, you can really save a bundle.

Good luck with the new job!

There are quite a number of good Choice properties in Europe. Being aware of some of the promos -- BigLar, thank you ;) -- there can be some real good money saving opportunities for the international traveller. :)

My only issue is that the 8,000 points that the "two stays, get one free" promotion yields doesn't yield a free night at very many hotels in the Choice family -- especially with the recent increase in points required at many properties, and the introduction of seasonal variability for a free night.

Any of you Choice User ever stay at the Clarion Hotel Randolph Park in Tucson, AZ ? What are your comments about the place? The reviews on the web seem to be mixed, the only comment that returns is that it's old. I am asking because I am going to Tucson for a 7 day vacation with my spouse and that hotel is showing up at only $42.00 a night. I am suppose to be staying with points at the Sheraton Tucson but if I can save my points and stay at the Clarion for cheap. My spouse is the picky one :D , What is your opinion on the Clarion Hotel Randolph Park? Cleanliness, pool area, etc. Does it compare to the Sheraton Tucson? They are both rated 3 stars.Thank you for your comments ^

Look in TripAdvisor.com at Hotel Reviews for Tucson. Alternatively, you can post the question in their Tucson forum. Such things are TripAdvisor's forte. Hope it isn't against the rules to say so here. I learned about FlyerTalk on their boards.

Lihue1k:
Thanks for a great education on this chain! By the way, I wish you success in your new position.
LWW

Thanks for all the kind words.

The new job goes well, for the first time in nearly 7 years I've slept in my own bed for 27 consecutive nights. I even put "my bag" away for the the first time in I don't know how long. . .

Haven't charged my nano in a couple weeks . . . my cat (and to some extent my wife) aren't quite sure what to make of my daily return home.

It's a whole different world without my FA, CSR and desk staff 'friends'.

All the best.

Lihue1k

I have to admit I shuddered when I read this thread title. I've only had 2 choice stays in 4 years, and they weren't my choice. :D In one case, the airline paid. In the other, my host paid. In neither case, was this the best locally available option, but about what you'd expect for $40-50.

I'd say the program is equivalent to BW, in that you earn points at mundane or borderline properties and spend them at higher end places, maybe in Europe. Definitely, better earning power than the BW program though.

My current programs work for me and I'll stick with them until they don't or I drop out of the travel game like the OP (fingers crossed).

I find myself staying in Choice hotels more often these days. The newer Comfort Inns and Sleep Inns are usually very nice. I used to stay at more Hampton and Hilton Garden Inns, but they are getting more and more expensive. When the Hampton rate is $30 more than the Comfort Inn, I take the Comfort Inn every time.

Our family has stayed at a number of Choice properties over the past 2 years... I agree, they are different in almost every city we've stayed in one, we kind of try to have some fun with that -- pulling into the property and seeing if it's a 'yay!' or an 'uh-oh'! Sometimes, though, the ones where we were somewhat apprehensive have actually been the best stays for a number of reasons including their 2pm checkout for Choice Privileges members :)

I'll have my first Choice stay next week, in OKC. The cheapest Hilton property was a Hampton Inn across town from where I need to be that had a rate of $89. The Sleep Inn by the airport, across the street from my morning meeting, is $43 with the 20% off Smarter Travel discount. I'll reserve judgment, but the place seems nice and new from the website.

I'm curious, what is the 20% Smarter Travel discount?

It's available by clicking the link on this page (http://www.smartertravel.com/discounts/Save-Quality-Comfort-Clarion.html?id=16348) and choosing the "Significant Organization Savings Rate" rate type. I was led to it by a post here at FT. Unbeatable rates. It has made me consider becoming a Choice frequent stayer. :D

Oh, yes, I remembered reading that... THanks for the reminder, I've gone ahead and made a reservation and am now wondering if anyone has had to provide proof of being able to use that rate because the words "an eligible party must occupy the room to qualify for the rate" show under Rate Program, and then the dollar rate is shown under Estimated Total. ?

Well I'll let you know after next weekend. :D

I don't forsee a problem. I suspect that is standard boilerplate conditions that they apply to all special rates. In this case an "eligible party" seems to be someone who goes to the website through smartertravel.com. For a AAA reservation, for instance, it would be a member of AAA.

I used the Smarter Travel 20% discount with no problems on Thursday night at the Sleep Inn OKC airport.

It's available by clicking the link on this page (http://www.smartertravel.com/discounts/Save-Quality-Comfort-Clarion.html?id=16348) and choosing the "Significant Organization Savings Rate" rate type. I was led to it by a post here at FT. Unbeatable rates. It has made me consider becoming a Choice frequent stayer. :D

thanks. Just found this. Works out to $2 off "internet users rate" (which was pretty good to start with) for an upcoming stay at SFO.
Maybe I'll give Choice hotels a chance on some other upcoming travel.

I just spent a few dollars more on a newer property, rather than the dumpier one I planned on staying at.

New res at Quality Inn Glens Falls, NY. Indoor pool. Free deluxe breakfast. Free computer. ^

Old res at Rodeway Inn Lake George NY.

Sorry I didn't discover this thread earlier. Choice Hotels has some out of the way properties for when I'm
< out of the way >. :D

dh

Uh, Dave, the Rodeway Inns and EconoLodges are part of the Choice system, but they're normally not in the same class as the Qualitys Comforts, or Clarions. They don't even participate in the various Choice promos, in that they use a stamp system that you can turn in for cash discounts or airline miles.

I would expect a Quality Inn to be somewhat of a cut above the average Rodeway.

Does Choice Hotel Gold elite status mean anything other than the advertised 10% on points for stays.... They sent me a new card a few weeks ago and I haven't really thought anything about it till now after reading the original post!

Does Choice Hotel Gold elite status mean anything other than the advertised 10% on points for stays.... They sent me a new card a few weeks ago and I haven't really thought anything about it till now after reading the original post!

Wow - wild to see this thread float to the top again, I barely remember starting it. . .

There are no (or should I say at the time I stopped staying on a weekly basis there were no) published benefits beyond the bonus points. Unlike HHonors for example which promises room upgrades "upon availability" Choice simply doesn't in most cases have upgrades to give.

Lihue1k

if you use Smarter Travel -- do you still get a choice of either Choice Privilege Points or Miles??

Sometimes Choice will not give you points/miles for certain discounted rates?

Does anyone have any experience with this?

Sometimes Choice will not give you points/miles for certain discounted rates?My experience has been that Choice considers just about any rate as a qualifying rate, short of the ski-mask-and-gun routine. Which means you get points or miles.

The only exception I have run into is when I was staying on a corporate discount rate and they coded the receipt with a 3-letter code (their own local designator) that the main system didn't recognize, so it got tossed out for points and stay credit. I had to call and argue about it. The local manager fixed the problem by just re-coding the rate as something else that they would accept. No problems since.

if you use Smarter Travel -- do you still get a choice of either Choice Privilege Points or Miles??

Sometimes Choice will not give you points/miles for certain discounted rates?

Does anyone have any experience with this?
It works fine, becuase it is a rate available at Choice's own website (Smarter Travel simply sends you to the Choice website with a special code making that rate possible). I use it all the time now, and have gotten both points and miles (on different stays) and whatever bonus (8000 points last fall, triple miles now) just fine.

It's rates that you book outside the Choice web site ("blind" bidding sites, other mile-earning sites like iDine/Rewards Network Hotels, some prepay-required deep-discount "aggregator" sites, etc) that don't earn you points/miles (through Choice itself, at least; obviously in the case of Rewards Network Hotels you earn miles another way, in theory at least).

It works fine, becuase it is a rate available at Choice's own website (Smarter Travel simply sends you to the Choice website with a special code making that rate possible). I use it all the time now, and have gotten both points and miles (on different stays) and whatever bonus (8000 points last fall, triple miles now) just fine.Are you free to share the code?

As we have now moved to Yosemite National Park, we have to change our hotel and airline strategy. We will be staying occasionally in Oakhurst, CA, at the Comfort Inn. It is a decent hotel, the great part is they allow our pet. By using the smarter travel discount the rate was lowered from $54 to $48. Thanks FT and SRQ Guy.