Originally Posted by
iahphx
What Choice hotels are you staying at for 6,000 or 8,000 points these days? There aren't many of them. And the number I would willingly stay at is extremely small. Most plausible properties are 2x that, and a lot of properties, even $100 ones, are 25,000+ points.
I think it's a seasonal thing. I stayed at a Quality Suites just off International Drive for 6K points between Christmas and New Year's, but that property is 12K this spring, and the Quality I used to stay at in Winter Park is now apparently 12K as well all year round. Given that I don't see much use in staying on points at a 12K hotel I can get for $100/night, I generally will pay the price, especially during a "stay twice, get one free" promo.
Like with a lot of loyalty programs, there are sweet spots, but like a lot of loyalty programs, they're getting increasingly difficult to find. I now tend to survey spots I'm likely to visit on a regular basis even if I don't have current plans to visit, like Ireland, Italy, Orlando, Myrtle Beach, NYC, the DC area, and Northern California, just to see if any properties have dropped their award redemption requirements before I invest heavily in points purchases.