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.
Programs: Choice Privlidges Elite Diamond, NW World Perks, UA - 120+ Choice Privlidge nights/year
Posts: 46
Quote:
Originally Posted by jtaft
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/tr...estbonus09.jsp), and then immediately use the gift card to buy nights from them. At least it's working the system for some gain.
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.)
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.
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.
Programs: DL Plat (frmr NW), IHG PC Plat, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Slvr, Choice Priv Gold, National Emrld Exec
Posts: 1,424
Quote:
Originally Posted by IsleTraveller
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.
