Sometimes it pays to stay at Choice, and sometimes maybe it pays to cancel some stays there (because you weren't going to get any bonus and you heard of a bonus at another chain family)?

This week I got the following email:

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Choice Hotels International(R)

Choice Privileges(R) - 2006 Summer Promotion

Stay 2 times, earn a free night at over 1,000 hotels.

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Dear sdsearch,

Only selected Choice Privileges rewards program members
can take advantage of our exclusive summer promotion.
Which means you're sitting pretty.

Just register, then stay two separate times at any Comfort Inn(R),
Comfort Suites(R), Quality(R), Sleep Inn(R), Clarion(R), or MainStay
Suites(R) hotel in the U.S., Canada, Caribbean, or Mexico, and you'll
earn enough points for a free night on a future stay at more than 1,000
hotels.* The more times you stay between June 5 and now, the more
free nights you'll earn.

Register Today, by visiting:
<specific-to-me web link>

---------------------------------------------------------
This offer is non-transferable and only available to the recipient of
the email. You must register between June 5, 2006 and August 15,
2006 and stay between June 5, 2006 and August 31, 2006 to qualify
for the point bonus.

*The free night is based on an 8,000 point Choice Privileges
reward night. A free night may require more points at certain
hotels. Members earn points for stays when paying eligible rates
at any Comfort Inn(R), Comfort Suites(R), Quality(R), Sleep Inn(R),
Clarion(R), or MainStay Suites(R) hotel. A stay is defined as any
number of consecutive nights at one hotel regardless of check-ins or
check-outs. Only one room per member will be awarded the applicable
bonus points. Bonus points will be added to points earned from every
two qualifying stays, with arrival between June 5, 2006 and August 31,
2006, to reach the 8,000 point reward level. Allow a minimum of 15 days
from check-out for points to post to your account.

=====

Note the nonsense "between June 5 and now"! A couple days later they sent me a correction email, which changed that to:

=====

Oops, the email we sent yesterday incorrectly stated the
dates for this promotion. As indicated below, the promotion
runs through August 31.

[...]

The more times you stay between now and August 31, the
more free nights you'll earn.

=====

Personally, I'm happy I didn't get around to reserving all those summer stays with the palry 1000 points Visa booking bonus (that you had to book by May 17), since I think if they'd seen me with 10ish stays a month all summer, they wouldn't have offered me this fatter bonus...

(For the record, at the time they offered me this, I had 5 stays, mid June through first week of July, still booked, the only 5 stays well in advance that I managed to reserve with the 1000 points Visa booking bonus.)

Anyone else get this, or ever gotten any other TARGETED promo from Choice?

I received this offer and I was not a member. I am now. I think I will go for this one along with the 24k credit card offer. I was looking for a new hotel program after the recent HH revamp so the timing was perfect.

This sucks, if they're going to targetted promos. Mainly because I didn't get targetted yet. :)

OTOH, I understand the 8000/2 promo (or some variation thereof) is normally a Spring and Fall deal, so maybe this is just a special for the Summer.

If I get targetted, I'll do a number of stays, but if not I have other choices.

I got the same email but when I clicked on the links it took me to a page to sign up for the Choice Privledges program. I called the service center to let them know as well as get myself enrolled in the promo. Not entirely sure if I'm enrolled cause they didn't seem to understand what I was talking about. Gonna call back and double check my enrolment status today. That being said, can't hurt to call and ask about the promo, you never know, they might sign you up.

Update: Apparently Choice got the email from the account I had set up previously when crediting stays to Southwest Airlines. Talked to a rep who is merging the two accounts and sending me a confirmation email that will confirm my enrolment in the promo.

That being said, can't hurt to call and ask about the promo, you never know, they might sign you up.Bummer.

Called tonight and the CSR could do nothing. If you didn't get the email, you're not eligible. They only sent out about 50,000 emails, and he had no idea of the selection criteria.

He did verify, however, that they will be running the open version of this promotion in the Fall.

I also got the email(s). I am already a member and there seemed to be no way to register without signing up to be a member.

I sent an email, got a random answer with no help. I called and the CSA said a correction email would be going out. It did but only corrected the dates. I emailed again and got a reply saying they would answer in 7-10 work days....

If I don't get a reasonable answer, I will keep calling.

Update:
Personally, I'm happy I didn't get around to reserving all those summer stays with the palry 1000 points Visa booking bonus (that you had to book by May 17), since I think if they'd seen me with 10ish stays a month all summer, they wouldn't have offered me this fatter bonus...

(For the record, at the time they offered me this, I had 5 stays, mid June through first week of July, still booked, the only 5 stays well in advance that I managed to reserve with the 1000 points Visa booking bonus.)
As the stays have been posting super quick for me lately (see separate thread), I can now report that I've been getting BOTH the targeted 8000 min per stay AND the 1000 Visa booking bonus on the same stays! The don't count the 1000 Visa booking bonus in calculating the 8000 min, so I've been alternating (for a $71ish stay each time) between 1700 and 8290 points!