flyerUSA

So I'm staying at a Choice property this week, for the first time ever basically, and inquired about a status match.

After sending, and re-sending, my SPG Platinum account info to them - 3 times in total plus a 30 minute phone call - they made me "Choice Platinum" - not even Diamond.

Which gets me....exactly NOTHING.

The ONLY level with any kind of in-stay benefit is DIAMOND - a room upgrade. And everyone else gets - absolutely nothing. An extended booking window for free nights? That's even a THING? I'm astonished that you require STATUS just to book a night on points 50 nights out.

Thank you, Choice, for ensuring that I will never stay at another property of yours again. Lamest benefits I have ever seen, at any chain.

lwildernorva

Yes, if you need the in-hotel benefits of status, Choice is not a program for you.

If you need hotels in small towns around the United States, then SPG is not a program for you.

Each program has its strengths and its drawbacks. Elite recognition is definitely a drawback of the Choice program. Forget getting upgrades (at well over 95% of Choice properties, that probably just means a room overlooking the parking lot away from the street rather than facing it), most Choice properties do not even acknowledge at checkin that a guest is a member of the program.

The primary strength of the Choice program other than the breadth of properties: a fairly generous earnings structure because of regular variants of their "stay two, earn 8000 points" promotions coupled with some excellent European and Japanese redemption opportunities, frequently at 8K points. The great majority of Choice properties, however, are functional and hardly luxurious.

flyerUSA

Thanks. Yea I know the properties are obviously not luxury brands, I'm just a little surprised they don't do much for you, during your stay. I mean, even just a token.

But point taken. (Bad pun.)

lougord99

That is unlikely. Most hotels have no room upgrades.

Program works for me and gets 80-90% of my stays.

BigLar

Yep.

I tend to travel (Europe) in "wholesale lots"; that is, I usually have at least two and up to ten of my immediate family with me. Choice Privileges has allowed my to score up to 28(!) room-nights in Dublin at a pretty nice hotel, twelve room-nights in Paris (good location, free breakfast), and I just sent my SIL and her SO to Rome and Venice where they stayed at Choice properties on my points. There's no way I could have done that with Hilton, Marriott, or Starwood.
Yep.

sdsearch

I think you don't understand the "budget" hotel space. There's rarely anything to upgrade to. Are the benefits so much better at Best Western Rewards or WyndhamRewards or LaQuinta Returns? Those are the programs to compare to Choice, not SPG or Hilton.

flyerUSA

a snack? a beer? a little wine split? some in-room amenity for people who stay 50 nights a year...does that not occur to anyone in the budget category? surely a budget traveler would appreciate a snack being left in the room or something like that.

that's all i would have expected to see.

GUWonder

I don't know if most hotels have no room upgrades to offer -- many do, even if they tend not to offer them for free even to elites -- but the program does work for me even as I get elite status from award stays and don't usually have many -- if any -- regular paid stays at Choice hotels. The reason it works for me is that I find decent European, Asian and even some acceptable North American properties where the award nights are extra good value.

DebitNM

My last 2 stays at Quality Inn yielded check in amenities! I got a bottle of water and some chex mix (in a gift bag tied with ribbons) at one and at the second, a bottle of water and cheese crackers in a plain bag. I was gold at check in and Platinum and check out on the second.
I was quite surprised.

flyerUSA

YES! THIS!

This is what I've been hoping to hear.

I check in on Thursday.

And my fingers are crossed for Chex Mix.

DebitNM

It was generic store brand Chex Mix...didn't want you to be totally surprised.

Wollstonecraft

I posted here about some point about whether or not it was worth it to go for Diamond when I was an accidental Platinum. Everyone said no. Maybe in some chains it matters, but Choice is all about value and leverage. I couldn't care less about amenities and upgrades, I care about being able to utilize their weird system to my advantage - and being Platinum definitely gives me the advantage I really care about for award hotel bookings, some of which are incredible.

lwildernorva

Yep, booking window doesn't matter in most programs, but it does with Choice. As a result, getting some status (I accidentally fell into Diamond at the end of 2013 but made no effort to retain it for 2015) is important so that you can snatch up some of those great values before all the rooms are booked for cash.

dorif

We often stay at the Clarion in Williamsport, NY, before our flights out of Buffalo. They usually have fresh coffee and home baked cookies. Can't complain about that.

Firewind

+1

I've never gotten any elite recognition at any Choice property - including upgrades - that I know of.

Paramount, I watch my moving average per room night, including points stays, closely. The 8,000 promos and little points leverage for Gold are a satisfactory ROI. I can't beat Choice. (At the other end, Hyatt has long since out-priced me.) I stay in some really great areas - e.g., Monterey and in Europe - if not hotels, and get to use my money on other things. I don't mind walking to the breakfast room for my amenity (apple, cookies, coffee, water). Nowadays, the only upscale chain where I get breakfast is Hilton, thanks to their easily-earned Gold. I can't speak to Best Western's or Wyndham's or others' programs because I have to concentrate my treasure somewhere.

I'm not normally one to say, "You've gotta understand their (hotel, airline et al) side," but most Choice hotels must run on very slim margins.

ETA: Another value of Choice status ... I once was graced to Club Carlson Gold based on my Choice Diamond ...