sdsearch

I'm just returning from a trip to Norway (where I stayed for 14 nights at 4 different Choice hotels for 16k points/night!).

The last couple days (at two different Choice hotels), using Telnor's WiFi access that they provide, I've been getting:
every time I try to go to either:

www.choicehotels.com
www.comfortinn.com
www.qualityinn.com
www.rodewayinn.com

(I can go to secure.choicehotels.com and log in, but if I try to do a lookup of hotels there, it puts me back on the unsecure site, where I get this message again.)

I thought it way either my laptop or Telnor's service, until just now I logged in at an AA-provided computer in their lounge at London Heathrow (where I'm changing planes), and I'm getting the same result! So it's not my computer, and it's not just Telnor (because they're a Norwegian company, and I'm sure they're not the ones providing internet access to the computer's in AA's lounge west of London).

So how widespread is it? Anyone else running into it?

(It appears to be related to their use of Akamai:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akamai_Technologies

since when I looked up this Access Denied stuff on the web, I came across past examples from not just www.choicehotels.com but also www.jcpenney.com, both of which use Akamai. (But I'm not having problems with www.jcpenney.com right now, nor was I back at those hotels in Norway, only with the unsecured Choice websites.)

starflyer

I'm seeing the same problem.

AnneSommer

You are not the only one with this problem. I have it to and asked in my travel forums. Other have it too.

After the first 2 answer I try it with a US Proxy. And it worked.


Apparently they locked the US Site for non Us IPs.

The cheaper RAte for Choice Privilegies members is only available over the US Site.

Anne

sdsearch

Can you please explain how to do that (or post the link to an explanation)? Thahks.

While I'm back in the US now and not having the problem any more, obviously there is at least one other person (post above yours) who is still having it.

Yes, I noticed that while I was able to go to secure.choicehotels.com, it was not giving me half of the rate options I'm used to seeing. And yet again, those are back now that I'm the US.

This is really annyong, that they give you the rate choices based on where you're logged in from, rather than based on where your membership is (gosh, if you're logged in, they should know that!!!).

Nevertheless, whether secure.choicehotels.com had the right rates or not, it wouldn't really work, because it kept throwing to the blocked unsecured US sites for the hotel search part of the transaction.

I presume if I wanted to use Choice Hotels (non-Scandinavia) in Europe I had to use a different URL? (How confusing, I can use the same URL for every other hotel program worldwide if it has implemented their rewards program worldwide, but I need a different URL to access Choice Privileges in the UK than in the US???)

... At any rate, if it is intentional blocking, Access Denied is still a horribly unfriendly way to do it. If their point is that you should use a different URL in Europe, they should show a redirect page or at least a page with a link to the right URL!

AnneSommer

Hello

@sdsearch There Websites/Homepage , where you find Proxy from all over the world. f.e. here http://www.samair.ru/proxy/type-09.htm. Then you choose a manual connection to the Internet and put the proxy there.

But you have to try, which works the best for you. And while you can access a site like Choicehotels.com fine, you could have problems to post in a forum (with html).

Anne

starflyer

Still getting the Access Denied error message when trying to access from outside the US. I find it quite hard to believe this is intended functionality.

AnneSommer

Hello

But this happens indeed. For example you can`t watch Clips/previews on CBS.com with a Non US Proxy/IP. The Same for some clips on YouTube. On YouTube you get a message like "This clip is not available for your region".

And with a US IP you can access the site. If this is on purpose for Choice hotels(.com) or not ? We will see. I have send a email to customer service.

I will post the anwser here till Tuesday, if I have already the anwser then. I will leave for our vacation on Wednesday. So it might take longer.

Anne

sdsearch

Whatever your opinion of the lockout itself, the YouTube message you cited sounds user friendly and understable. (The problem is that your doing something you cannot do in your region, and it explains that.)

If Choice wants to lock out the .com versions of their website from use overseas, I would understand that, but I don't understand why the horribly cryptic "Access Denied" (with no explanation of the likes YouTube gives), and even more importantly -- since you can access a Choice website over there, just not this one -- no explanation of what is the right site to use.

In fact, ideally, if they don't want you to access the .com at all, there should be no message at all, just a URL redirect to the website they do want you to acess.

However: You should be able to use a Choice Privileges website of some sort even when traveling in an area where Choice Privilieges is burn-only (like Scandinavia). You shouldn't be forced to use only the most local (in that case, Choice Hotels Scandinavia website), since then you can't earn Choice Privilieges points on reservations you make there. (Choice Hotels Scandinavia has a separate program called Choice Club.)

Also, even if Rodeway Inn, etc, don't exist outside of the US, you should be able to make reservations at a Rodeway Inn in the US from outside the US. But you can't do that with www.rodewayinn.com (which Choice will throw you to the moment you pick a Rodeway Inn hotel, since only rodewayinn.com can show you the rooms at one), so is there a European version of the Roedeway Inn website (and every other US-only brand Choice hotels webiste)?

starflyer

Got a message from Customer Service that they're aware of the problem but don't have an estimate as to when it will be fixed. Nothing in their reply suggested that this was intentional behavior to restrict site access.

starflyer

Access from outside the US appears to be working now.

simmonsb

i too am having problems accessing the choice hotels website receiving 'access denied.' i got in touch with their tech support and they are aware of the issue and indicated they anticipated solving the problem by tomorrow...so try then...i wasn't overseas but was right on the canadian border recently and accessed the website.

EVA777

Can't log in from any browser / device. App not working, 3 different browsers on the computer, and 2 browsers on the phone. This has been going on a few days. They have lost my business this week.

Yes I know I can call. If they can't be bothered to fix the issues then I have no desire in giving them business.

RogerD408

Working for me... If you don't call them to let them know you are having an issue how are they going to know a fix is needed? Choice has become my last choice for hotels, but I don't expect them to read my mind.

Also, you are aware there have been extensive DDOS attacks last week or so. It might not even be under their control. Again, a phone call could resolve the issue.

sdsearch

But can't log in in what sense? The "Access Denied" message or something else? It could be important (for example, you account may have been compromised, or that they have a problem in a specific country?). Trying from what country/countries? (Are you in Tennessee or Thailand right now?)

And just to be sure, have you tried private/incognito browsing? (I mention this because for years I've occasionally had problems develop where I couldn't log in which were tied to corrupted cookies.)

The reason you might want to call is because you seem to be the only one here so far reporting that problem, so it may be something specific to your account (if it's not specific to the browsers/computers you used or the location you're connecting from).

EVA777

I can not log in from any device, browser, or app. I have tried everything possible. Calling in resulted in going in circles and ended with a ticket being submitted to IT. I am currently in the US and the account looks fine.

The access denied message others are getting I have seen when using a VPN. I have never had any issues getting into my account while in Thailand and trying from a Thailand IP.

It will be interesting to see where this goes, but to me it looks like a captcha issue.