robertwcook16

I just stayed 2 nights - one in Boston then 1 in NYC - Both were BRGs - both comp nights. Would these qualify towards this promo???

lowfareair

No. You must have paid something to earn choice points, and you only earn this bonus if each stay earns points. If you stayed 2+ nights under the BRG for each stay, then you would earn points and the bonus.

Minneapolis

Choice noob here, so help is appreciated. Are the redemptions limited to hotels with low redemption rates? (http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/en-...4g.mXsX9gX1Z.6) this link on the choice website seems to imply so. OR can I bank up a bunch of points and redeem them at higher end properties, EG the Comfort Suites Chicago (25,000 points)


Also, at a Choice a "stay" is as little as one night, correct?

satori

1. You can accumulate 8,000 points bonuses over many stays. 10 stays = 40,000 points and you can get two 20,000 points reward nights or five 8,000 points reward nights.

2. Choice Budget brands: Rodeway and EconoLodge and Extended stay brands: MainStay and Suburban require two night stays for a "promotion stay" credit toward this offer.

All other Choice brands are one night counts as a stay for this promotion.

sdsearch

Despite the hype about "stay twice earn a free night", you are simply earning points. So, yes, you can bank up those points and redeem them at any redemption level you wish.

As satori explained, a stay for this promo may be a two-night minimum at certain brands. But just to make clear: A stay is any number (1+ or 2+, depending on the brand) of consecutive nights at the same hotel, no matter how many times you check iin or check out. Ie, you can't turn a two -night stay at a Comfort into two one-night stays. You have to move to a different (1+) hotel on alternate nights to have two consecutive nights count as two stays. If you need 4 nights in a row in one area, then you can do hotel A one night, hotel B the next night, back to hotel A the third night, and back to hotel B the fourth night. (We call this "hotel hopping", and it's not unique to Choice by any means, most programs have at least some of their promos earn on a per-stay basis, and all hotel programs define a stay the same way.)

CreditMadeEZ

If you have time, get elite status by asking for a status match.


Then you don't have to worry about not having status and booking through a corporate site. :-)

setheriah

I booked two nights at two different hotels to get the free night. I prepaid for both nights. If I don't show up for one of the nights, can I still get the points for the stay even if don't stay at the second place

sdsearch

If you mean can you still get the 8000 points, probably not if you don't even check in. Start at post 7 in this thread:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/choic...on%27t+show+up

(The thread is in regards to a very similar promo from last year. The part of the thread dealing with your quesiton still applies.)

setheriah

Does anyone know for sure...

sdsearch

Did you read those posts in that thread? It says it depends on the property (and even then may depend on more than that, like who's on duty that day).

We do know for sure that you can't depend on it.

We also know for sure that you cannot predict the exceptions without past "no show" experience(s) at the same hotel!

So unless you're willing to say which specific hotels these are, and someone reading this has expeerience with this exact issue at those specific hotels, I don't see how there's more precise prediction to be expected.

Now, what I can tell you from experience, is that some hotels are willing to rebook a prepaid rate for a different date. If this is a possible solution for you, you have to contact the hotel in question directly, and see if you can negotiate that. (But you then have to make sure that it'll earn points after such a rebooking, or else you'll recover the use of the money but still not earn the points. But perhaps if you are able to rebook that hotel for after the promo, you'll be able to afford to book a sscond "make up" hotel during the promo?)

By the way, in case you're not aware, 8000 points (which is what you earn) is only a free night at certain hotels at certain times of year. It's not even half of a free night at other hotels at other times of year. Understand that before you commit to a lot of effort to earn a "free night".

BigLar

Jeez, what a buzzkill.

However - depending on the location of the property vis-a-vis the poster, the solution I've used is to physically check in and then go home (or wherever it is you're going). Unless housekeeping notices that no one was in the room last night and decides to tell management, and management is feeling particularly testy that morning, you should get credit for the stay.

For full belts-and-suspenders, I usually go to the room and mess up the bed, and then go back in the morning to pick up my receipt. Always works, but it might be inconvenient.

By the way, for newcomers, this notion of "remote checkin/get credit" was really abused a few years ago when you could book a Hilton in Las Vegas for $29/night (even if you were in Bumstumble, MI) and get credit. Lots of HH Diamonds were generated that way until Hilton (and everybody else) started clamping down in it.

Firewind

It's axiomatic in FlyerTalk to answer this question with, "You have to physically check in". Period. All hotel programs, all promos. I'd further suggest that the only extremely rare reliable exceptions are if you are known by staff at the particular property. Further, there is usually such discussion in FlyerTalk related to every such promo, and even if someone finds a "breach" (e.g., a hotel that has staff that accepts "phantom stays") and tells here, it usually winks out when either the GM or someone at corporate sees the hemorrhage. As this can occur within a cancellation period, it's just not worth the risk. Anyway, the hemorrhage is what they're worried about, ironically. I've often wondered if it's because there's then a higher incidence than we see here of people calling their credit card company afterward and...

Now, as noted by the sages above, it is usually quite acceptable to physically check in but never do more than use the card key on the room. (Not that that's literally a qualifier.) They don't have to make up the room. Win-win.

jacisme

Before anyone else jumps on this current offer, I want to draw your attention to the discussion we're having in another thread about a live page showing 24k points on first purchase and another 16k after first paid stay. There is no landing page but the terms and conditions clearly spell it out on the application page. More details in the other thread:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/choic...l#post18438041

sdsearch

Are you sure you posted in the right thread? I don't understand what a credit card signup offer has to do with the 1+1=FREE promo which is on stays.

jacisme

You're right, I'm wrong! Thanks for making me realize this. I got this 1+1=FREE offer confused with choicehotels.com's currently advertised ChocePrivileges Visa offer of Get the card + stay 1 night = 2 free nights. IF anyone is interested in getting the CARD, do the 24/16 link where you get 5 free nights!