Old Sep 4, 2017, 6:20 pm
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This thread has been running for multiple years and is used for every promotion. Do not assume early posts are current; please check the date of the post, or start from end of the thread and work backwards.

Early posts are about former promotions, and the links in former posts may not work for current promotions.
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Old May 14, 2017, 1:09 pm
  #91  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: BOS and ...
Programs: UA 2MM, DL 500k, AA 500k, Hyatt GP 1M, HH Gold, Rad. Gold, CP Gold, Miracle Fruit-su Club
Posts: 9,950
Originally Posted by FreeHotBreakfast
Not a concern in most areas, but it could come up in the Disney area of Orlando: rooms booked at nightly rates below $40 per night are not eligible.

For anyone new to the promotion or wanting to check for any changes. here's the FAQ page: https://www.choicehotels.com/promo/faqs#trip
Thank you, @FreeHotBreakfast, for drawing attention to this.

I see the provision in the faq. Has anyone run into this in practice, trying to earn at the really cheap hotels? I've never tested it, but have intended to try to earn at Kissimmee properties in the winter. I believe I've earned at < $40 hotels in the past.
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Old May 14, 2017, 1:40 pm
  #92  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 1,855
Originally Posted by Firewind
Thank you, @FreeHotBreakfast, for drawing attention to this.

I see the provision in the faq. Has anyone run into this in practice, trying to earn at the really cheap hotels? I've never tested it, but have intended to try to earn at Kissimmee properties in the winter. I believe I've earned at < $40 hotels in the past.
I've *definitely* earned at <$40 rates in the past, but haven't even tried since the new rules. This will likely be my last year with Choice status, I've transferred most of my motel travel to Wyndham. Just far less value for me anymore, on either the earning or burning side.
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Old May 14, 2017, 7:45 pm
  #93  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: Choice Privileges, Southwest Rapid Rewards, Hertz #1 Club Gold
Posts: 50
I booked several times at a SSO rate below $40 during the Spring promotion and received all my bonus points.

For the summer promotion, I didn't even see it in the fine print.
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Old May 17, 2017, 5:26 pm
  #94  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: BOS and ...
Programs: UA 2MM, DL 500k, AA 500k, Hyatt GP 1M, HH Gold, Rad. Gold, CP Gold, Miracle Fruit-su Club
Posts: 9,950
Thank you both again. And I see that I contradicted myself. I haven't tested the rule since it has appeared.
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Old May 17, 2017, 5:47 pm
  #95  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 1,855
Originally Posted by Firewind
Thank you both again. And I see that I contradicted myself. I haven't tested the rule since it has appeared.
When I cared about Choice status (before they completely offended me lying through their teeth claiming the weekday/weekend awards didn't result in higher average rates) I booked single nights in Orlando on either side of almost every flight. Since then, I've flown out of my tiny airport and I'm not sure I'd go back. The $40 limitation made it an easy choice for me.

I'd like to know if it's an option, though, so let me know if it still works. I still value Choice points at the P&C rates, despite the changes. I have very few nice things to say about Choice (apparently I bear grudges) but $45/6k pt motel nights is still a good value to me when I can find them.

Edit: just realized someone managed it during the spring promo, and I'm intrigued enough to think about giving it a try. I'll report back if/when I do.

Last edited by synergistic; May 17, 2017 at 5:49 pm Reason: Missed stuff
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Old May 18, 2017, 6:10 am
  #96  
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Join Date: Jan 2005
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Originally Posted by synergistic
Edit: just realized someone managed it during the spring promo, and I'm intrigued enough to think about giving it a try. I'll report back if/when I do.
Keep in mind that while Choice claims it's a $40 limitation, it may not be exactly that. Maybe it's when the pre-discount rate is below $40, rather than the final rate? Maybe it's YMMV (varying from hotel to hotel), just never more than $40? Ie, it could be something that works some of the time but not all of the time, because it's really as simple as below $40 never works and above $40 always works.

And, if so, one or two datapoints won't prove any absolutes, just that below $40 is at least sometimes possible, not that it's always possible. (You'd need lots of datapoints to come to the latter conclusion.)
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Old May 25, 2017, 8:35 am
  #97  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: Choice Privileges, Southwest Rapid Rewards, Hertz #1 Club Gold
Posts: 50
I can verify that I have already earned all points including Summer bonus for <$40/night stays in the Orlando area, where such rates are not uncommon in the "off" season.

Note that Orlando seems to be gradually going the way of Las Vegas with "resort" fees (under several different names), ostensibly to provide shuttle service to theme parks, etc. Some Choice properties are more up front about these fees than others. While it should be included in your total when reserving online, that's not always the case. In one recent instance, my $48 bottom line at Quality Inn by the Lake in the Disney area turned out to be $60 when I checked in. Not only did this property hide the fee (you have to look very closely when making the reservation) they included it in the taxable rate.
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Old Jun 1, 2017, 1:22 pm
  #98  
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Cullman, Alabama
Programs: Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 648
Question Questions

So are people taking the $50 gift card after 2 stays or keeping the 8K Points? Just curious what most people do. I am going to get in about 12-14 stays.

Also what is a SSO rate? haven't seen that before...thanks!
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Old Jun 2, 2017, 1:59 pm
  #99  
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: MSP
Programs: WN A-List, Club Carlson Concierge, IHG Plat, Choice Diamond: All things Chase
Posts: 26
Originally Posted by SimpleManToo
So are people taking the $50 gift card after 2 stays or keeping the 8K Points? Just curious what most people do. I am going to get in about 12-14 stays.

Also what is a SSO rate? haven't seen that before...thanks!
I'm keeping the points, it didn't seem like a very good redemption for the GC after calculating the #s . I'd rather save the points for Aruba or Stockholm.

I'm hoping to squeeze in the same amount of stays.
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Old Jun 3, 2017, 10:13 am
  #100  
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Originally Posted by SimpleManToo
So are people taking the $50 gift card after 2 stays or keeping the 8K Points? Just curious what most people do. I am going to get in about 12-14 stays.
I keep the points. I typically get more than $50 value out of 8000 points using them on hotel stays (and only when I get good value on hotel stays).

Originally Posted by SimpleManToo
Also what is a SSO rate? haven't seen that before...thanks!
Significant Savings Organization. Also sometimes referred to as SOS, which the words moved around: Significant Organization Savings.. Please note, while Choice no longer uses this term (they call it Preferred Customers Savings once you enter the code under Special Rate/Corp ID), in googling to find one you'll often still find the old terms of SOS or SSO.

Be aware that while I've never had a Choice hotel ask for an ID, they do sometimes strike up a short conversation about the organization I've chosen, so be sure you know something about the organization who's code you use so that you don't sound like a goofball if someone asks you about what your involvement with them is.
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Old Jun 3, 2017, 12:02 pm
  #101  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: ORD, MDW or MKE
Programs: American and Southwest. Hilton and Marriott hotels primarily.
Posts: 6,454
There has been a lot of devaluation in the Choice system with hotels charging more points than in past years. However, it still isn't to hard to find more than $50 of value in 8,000 points.
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Old Jun 25, 2017, 6:44 pm
  #102  
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Cullman, Alabama
Programs: Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 648
Whats the code for a Preferred Customer Savings?
"Preferred Customers Savings once you enter the code"
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Old Jun 26, 2017, 7:10 am
  #103  
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Originally Posted by SimpleManToo
Whats the code for a Preferred Customer Savings?
"Preferred Customers Savings once you enter the code"
There is no one code. There are lots of codes, from lots of companies and organizations.

To enter the code you have, select Special Rate/Corp ID. It'll ask you to confirm the name of the company/organization, and once you do, you'll have access to the Preferred Customer Savings.

Having said that, this is the wrong thread for your question. It's no a promo, it's how to use special codes. They used to be know as SOS (and googling "Choice SOS" is still how you can find many of them) and also SSO. Here's the latest thread on it (it hasn't been discussed in a while):
See also:
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Old Jun 26, 2017, 5:47 pm
  #104  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: ORD, MDW or MKE
Programs: American and Southwest. Hilton and Marriott hotels primarily.
Posts: 6,454
Originally Posted by SimpleManToo
Whats the code for a Preferred Customer Savings?
"Preferred Customers Savings once you enter the code"
You need to belong to an organization or company that has negotiated a preferred customer rate. That company or organization will give you the code.
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Old Jul 1, 2017, 12:44 pm
  #105  
 
Join Date: May 1999
Posts: 1,627
Anyone know how long the promotion bonus points take to post? I registered and completed a second stay nearly for weeks ago, and the bonus points haven't posted. I submitted a missing stay request about three weeks ago, and haven't received my missing points or even a response. Is the Choice Privileges tesm on vacation?
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