Choice Privileges - OK, Choice, what's the new offer?

14K is expiring tonight. What next?

8000 points for 3 consecutive nights at same property and also 500 bonus points for 1 or 2 night stays.

8000 points for 3 consecutive nights at same property and also 500 bonus points for 1 or 2 night stays.

Would you be willing to provide a link?

Can't be 8000 points for 3 nights. Their going to totally lose all their frequent guests. I can see 8000 points for 2 nights though.

Just called the member service number on the back of my Choice Gold card and spoke to a CSR. They confirmed that the "promo" is that a 3-nights-in-a-row stay at one property will net a bonus sufficient to round up the points earned for that 3-night stay to 8000, beginning August 31st and ending in late November.

I didn't think to ask if it was for all brands within the chain or, like most other promotions, excluding Econo/Rodeway/Mainstay. Even if it does extend to those the promotion seems to be very weak. I'm plotting a 3-night trip right now that requires me to stay in two different cities so there's no incentive here whatsoever.

They confirmed that the "promo" is that a 3-nights-in-a-row stay at one property will net a bonus sufficient to round up the points earned for that 3-night stay to 8000, beginning August 31st and ending in late November.

Does this mean they are going against their previous rule where a stay was different hotels on different nights, not nights in a row? This promo already stinks.

Does this mean they are going against their previous rule where a stay was different hotels on different nights, not nights in a row? This promo already stinks.

I specifically asked "does this mean I must stay three consecutive nights at the same hotel to earn this bonus" and the answer was "yes". I am now planning my trip so that I stay three nights in any other chains that give me some value as opposed to this pittance. Maybe I should purchase a gift card from Best Western to score the bonus Rapid Reward credit (see http://travelcard.bestwestern.com/travelcard/promotion/southwestbonus09.jsp), and then immediately use the gift card to buy nights from them. At least it's working the system for some gain.

It's finally (with only days to go) online at the Choice website. Here's the direct link:

http://www.choicehotels.com/fallpromotion

A few things of note:

First, they're promoting it as a "free night" at over 1500 hotels, and yes it is 8000. And it is "3 straight nights".

But the 500 is not an alternate for 1 or 2 night stays (as it was described above). It's an online/800 booking bonus, and it implies it applies to all stays regardless of length, as long as those stays are made either on the Choice website or via the Choice 800 number. (So, unlike some previous rounds, the 8000 point roundup bonus does not require any particular method of booking, but the 500 point incremental bonus does.)

And it's based on arrival date Aug 31 thru Nov 19, which is the Thursday one week before Thanksgiving.

And as a reminder, although it's never spelled out, elite status points are applied after the roundup, so if you have any elite status at Choice, you'll get over 8500 points for a cheap 3-night stay booked online/800. (And of course Choice Visa points, if you use that, at the extra 5/$ level, are applied long after, so they're also not factored out at roundup.)

It's finally (with only days to go) online at the Choice website. Here's the direct link:

http://www.choicehotels.com/fallpromotion

A few things of note:

First, they're promoting it as a "free night" at over 1500 hotels, and yes it is 8000. And it is "3 straight nights".

But the 500 is not an alternate for 1 or 2 night stays (as it was described above). It's an online/800 booking bonus, and it implies it applies to all stays regardless of length, as long as those stays are made either on the Choice website or via the Choice 800 number. (So, unlike some previous rounds, the 8000 point roundup bonus does not require any particular method of booking, but the 500 point incremental bonus does.)

And it's based on arrival date Aug 31 thru Nov 19, which is the Thursday one week before Thanksgiving.

And as a reminder, although it's never spelled out, elite status points are applied after the roundup, so if you have any elite status at Choice, you'll get over 8500 points for a cheap 3-night stay booked online/800. (And of course Choice Visa points, if you use that, at the extra 5/$ level, are applied long after, so they're also not factored out at roundup.)

Well, Im finally motivated to stop staying at Choice during this promo and try to requalify for HH gold now. Thanks Choice, I needed something to get that kicked into gear.

I love how they are rewarding the once a year (or less) families and shafting the road warriors who are never in the same location for that long. This will be the first time I dont break 100 nights with Choice since I signed up with the program in 2006. :rolleyes:

I love how they are rewarding the once a year (or less) families and shafting the road warriors who are never in the same location for that long.
They are not the originators here, but I'm not sure who is. In the Priority Club Master Promo Thread, you can see that Priority Club has had a promo code for triple points (which requires 3-night stays) recently (weeks before anyone knew about this coming from Choice).

It smells like they're both copying someone else's more famous promotion, but if so that must be in a program that I don't follow.

It's certianly not in HH, as the only promo there recently is the 10000 bonus points over 5 stays through end of September, which is of the short-stay-favored kind. Speaking of which, I'd hate a long-stay-favored promo to be the only one at HH, since like you I'm trying to requalify for HH Gold, and that's so much easier with stays than nights or base points. But unlike you, I don't travel to different places for work, and all my stays are on my own dime, and HH properties where I stay usually are 50% more than Choice properties, so all my HH requal is on vacations, and so lacking anything way better bonuswise at another program with affordable properties, I guess I will be using this Choice promo a lot this fall "by default".

(So, unlike some previous rounds, the 8000 point roundup bonus does not require any particular method of booking, but the 500 point incremental bonus does.)


There is single-asterisk fine print for the 8000-point offer and double-asterisk fine print for the 500-point offer. The first sentence of the single-asterisk fine print is:

*Members must book qualifying stays at choicehotels.com or 800.4CHOICE at any hotel included in the Choice Privileges program with arrival between Aug. 31 and Nov. 19, 2009 to be eligible for this offer.

Both promotions seem to include Econo and Rodeway.

I love how they are rewarding the once a year (or less) families and shafting the road warriors who are never in the same location for that long.

This really sucks, I'm betting my 3 nite stays with Choice are few and far between, compared to the 1 and 2 nighters. I agree, time to start throwing my business elsewhere.

Where can one go? The promos are all weak this time. I think that this promo is actually good compared to the other weak ones. After two 3 night stays, you get 16k points which will get you a decent room at Choice.

Where can one go? The promos are all weak this time. I think that this promo is actually good compared to the other weak ones. After two 3 night stays, you get 16k points which will get you a decent room at Choice.

Check out the Intercontinental forum and the famous Priority club promo thread. They are always running interesting promos of various sorts.

I have to say that this new Choice offer has to be the dud of recent memory. The down economy finally got Hilton off its duff to offer a promo (albeit a weak one) and Choice offers this twerp. Well I know I won't bother with Choice this quarter.

First, they're promoting it as a "free night" at over 1500 hotels, and yes it is 8000. And it is "3 straight nights".



I'm embarrassed for Choice to offer this 'promo'.
Many hotels have seen rate inflation over the past 2 years.

For 8000 points, this leaves redemption opportunities at the dumpiest of the dumps, if you can find them. :rolleyes:

3 nights in a row. :rolleyes:

Agree with several of the previous posts. When Choice was running the 8k for 2 nights/16k for 3 nights promos in the past, I would steer them some nights. Not this year.

And the new 3-consecutive-night requirement is the most puzzling for me. My business travel is all 1-2 night trips.

Buh bye, Choice.

All my stays are 1-2 nights, except when I'm redeeming points (any program). Choice is fading further and further in my sights.

Maybe it's because they're so in the dumps at this point that they're just trying to appear like they're staying in the game, while backing off significantly from us business people. I mean, we were getting below-the-directory $32 rates last winter, still there were empty parking lots, and (general) business conditions don't appear to be different for the coming low season. The franchisees or whatever they are might not have the bucks to support any real promos.

Or, they may believe, from what they see, that there aren't any more business travelers. Just 3-day-ers who used to stay in Hyatts, Hiltons, Marriotts etc. who are trying to eke out a holiday at lowball rates.

To another aspect, I still think they need to knock down the redemption requirements at many more hotels to what they were two years ago -- 8,000/nt. "1,500 hotels" is a small fraction of the Choice family. I mean, when room rates dive to $32, the scale has to be different than it was when they hiked the redemption requirements by 50% and 100% to 12,000 and 16,000.

Or, they may believe, from what they see, that there aren't any more business travelers. Just 3-day-ers who used to stay in Hyatts, Hiltons, Marriotts etc. who are trying to eke out a holiday at lowball rates.
I'm not sure that they're aiming this at business travelers. The advertising I've heard/seen for this promo (print and radio, can't remember if I've seen TV yet or not) says something like "I've you traveling this fall", which implies that they're not aiming this at frequent business travelers, but rather at leisure travelers.

Anyway, in my case, it's less of a bonus than in previous cycles, but at least no need to hotel hop. I typically stay 3 nights a week (maybe even sometimes 4) near my place of work every week, and so this isn't so terrible for me.

And I'm not sure I see another bonus out there that's better if you have 3-night stays, unless the Best Western "quadruple" extends past the 4th stay to all stays during the promo period (but the T&Cs don't explain that clearly, as tends to be the case eternally with BW).

(Obviously, if 3-night stays can't work for you, then of course other hotel programs will better, even if they earn less per night, because a poor promo you qualify for always beats a great promo you can't qualify for!)

I contacted the Choice people to let them know of my displeasure with the new fall "promotion" and here is the reply. I don't think business travelers gave them the suggestions for this promotional offer.


Choice has offered a variety of promotions in the past and takes into consideration the feedback we receive from valuable travelers such as yourself when creating our promotions. In fact, we incorporate suggestions from our customers when we market test our promotional offers. When we offer a campaign such as Stay 3 straight nights, get a free night, it's based on this offer being very appealing in this testing.


We understand that one promotion is not going to meet every member's needs. Therefore, we are offering a bonus promotion that is running at the same time. Even if you are not able to stay three nights at one location, you can still receive 500 bonus points for each qualifying stay booked through www.choicehotels.com

I currently have been staying in nyc frequently, and when I saw this promo I was very unhappy. I am a diamond member, and thankfully get the 40 % bonus points. However, the rooms in manhattan are at a low 119, average 150, and usually around 200 a night. So I was figuring I would hit 8000 points on my own with a 3 night stay at 150 with my diamond point bonus , and also the 500 point bonus promo.

So I called and asked what if I earn the 8000 on my own, and the response was that you will be credited a minimum of 5000 points if you are close to or over the 8000 mark. So in my eyes, the promo is stay 3 consecutive nights get 5000 points bonus. I was worried if I had earned say 7800 points on my own, I would only get 200 points. So I feel a little better although not nearly as good a promo as summer 09 in my opinion.Im sure its different in other states, where you can get a room for 50 bucks, and if your only gold or plat, the bonus points wont bring it up much.

I currently have been staying in nyc frequently, and when I saw this promo I was very unhappy. I am a diamond member, and thankfully get the 40 % bonus points. However, the rooms in manhattan are at a low 119, average 150, and usually around 200 a night. So I was figuring I would hit 8000 points on my own with a 3 night stay at 150 with my diamond point bonus , and also the 500 point bonus promo.

So I called and asked what if I earn the 8000 on my own, and the response was that you will be credited a minimum of 5000 points if you are close to or over the 8000 mark. So in my eyes, the promo is stay 3 consecutive nights get 5000 points bonus. I was worried if I had earned say 7800 points on my own, I would only get 200 points. So I feel a little better although not nearly as good a promo as summer 09 in my opinion.Im sure its different in other states, where you can get a room for 50 bucks, and if your only gold or plat, the bonus points wont bring it up much.
The gold/plat/diamond bonus is applied after the round-up bonus is applied. So you're doing the math wrong.

Also, it's not a matter of states, it's a matter of locations in big cities. I'm sure there a places in upstate NY (same state as NYC) where you can get a room for 50 bucks.

Anyway, I can verify that on this promo, just like on the previous ones, you get the diamond (in my case) bonus on top of the 8000 points (in the case of cheap rooms), and the 500 online booking bonus on top of the 8000 points too.

So since the round-up is not computed with the elite status bonus included, if it's only the elite status bonus that's bringing you "close to" the 8000 mark, that doesn't count.

$200/night is going to net you 6000 points for 3 nights before "roundup", so will they round that up to 8000 or add 5000 to it? $130/night is going to net only 3900 points for 3 nights, which doesn't sound "close to" 8000 at all.

It would be nice to get a clarification of when the "minimum 5000" kicks in. Ie, does it always apply, or does it only apply if you get up to a certain threshold?

Don't even bring up elite status bonus, because it has nothing to do with this promotion. This promo works the same for diamonds as no-status people, once you understand that the elite status bonus is computed totally separately and is never involved in any round-up promos.

I see what you mean about the promo being based on the base points ( poster above is correct to disreard elite status, and 500 point promo). The minimum amount credited will be 5,000 points. So if my math is correct, without determining any elite status bonus, or anything else, If one were to stay 3 nights consecutive, and the room was 100 dollars that would be 1000 times 3 which would be 3000 points. So the roundup would be 5000 points to equal the 8,000 point bonus promo. If the room was anymore than 100 a night, say 150 a night, at 3 nights that would equal 4500 base points. 5,000 points would be credited as thats the min points they will give to anyone. However if you stayed at a place where the rooms were 50 a night for 3 nights you would earn 1500 base points, they would then give you 6500 promo points to equal the free night at 8000 points.

Sorry if I confused anyone, but bottom line is if you earn any less than 3000 base points you will be given the amount of promo points to equal 8000. If you earn any more than 3000 base points you will be credited 5000 points whether your stay earned you 3000 base points, or 7000 base points, you still get 5000. And then also you will be credited your elite bonus on top of that. I am a diamond, and have already one through the cycle of getting the promo twice, so confirm what I have posted. Thanks, and lets hope for a little sweeter of a winter promo comparable to the summer one,lol.

I mean, when room rates dive to $32, the scale has to be different than it was when they hiked the redemption requirements by 50% and 100% to 12,000 and 16,000.

I agree. I am here in nyc, and the points to get a free room on points are 25,000 and 20,000 at one or two properties in manhattan. Granted I earn points quick as the rates are high.