cupps

Planning a trip to Florida during the Spring Break time frame. I was in the process of making a booking when I received a message in very bright red letters that I was inside the Cancellation window and that once I booked my points stay they would be non-cancellable. Now, my stay is more than 3 weeks out and I have never come across this before with Choice. The hotel I am looking at is an Ascend brand so I am not sure if this would have anything to do with this policy. I am not aware of any other program, Marriott, Hilton, SPG, etc that has anything more than a 24 hr cancellation policy with points. Any thoughts?

VolFanDave

I think you answered your own question in the first sentence of your post. Try a mock booking in a non Spring Break-y town and see if the same restrictions are in place.

cupps

Still checking some various scenarios, but it appears with this resort that their is a much more restrictive cancellation policy in comparison to other Choice hotels. I checked on a booking later in March and got the following message:

Wednesday, Mar 30, 2011Check-out Date: Thursday, Mar 31, 2011Length of Stay:1 Night
Number of Rooms:1
Rate Program:Choice Privileges Reward Night - (An eligible party with identification must occupy the room to qualify for the Choice Privileges Reward Night.) - This rate is not eligible for Choice Privileges® points.
Cancellation Deadline:If you need to change or cancel this reservation, you may do so up until Monday, February 28, 2011, before 4pm local hotel time.
Points Redeemed:25000 Points
Check In Time: 3:00 PM
Check Out Time: 11:00 AM Late check-out must be requested prior to hotels' posted check out time

Under this example I could still cancel, but my cancellation had to be at least 30 days in advance of arrival. I further checked in to April bookings and for this resort it appears that once you are closer in than 30 days from arrival the reservation is non-cancellable.

soitgoes

Award night cancellation policies with Choice (and with other hotel programs as well) are aligned with the cancellation policies for paid stays for those particular nights that you are reserving.

sdsearch

That's the thing: Resort. (Your first post simply mentioned a hotel and Ascent brand.)

I've had the same thing happen with resort hotels in other places in other hotel brands, for example a Best Western in the Jackson WY area.

I've not seen it at "normal" (not at all resort) hotels, and have not even seen it at all resort hotels. (For example, some hotels near Disneyland call themselves "resort", but I don't remember seeing horrid cancellation policies there. But that could be simply because of the gigantic amount of hotel competition in the area. All "resort" costs you in the Disneyland area -- if you're staying there for non-Disneyland reasons -- is a few bucks "resort fee" tacked on. Not sure about award stays, since the hotels are so cheap -- again because of said hotel competition -- that it doesn't seem worthwhile as place to do an award stay, at least not with budget brands like Comfort or Quality.)

dd1612

Yesterday Feb 23rd - reserved 3 rooms for 2 nights at a Comfort suites hotel using points for a mid March stay at Milwaukee.
As the plans changed ... the same day, due to factors beyond my control, I had to cancel the rooms.
This morning all my points were refunded to my CP account.

This may be only for resort hotels or hotels in certain cities - have never noticed this.