Do they give you the difference between 8000 and the 2 stays total of points? Jim

It depends what you mean exactly by "total".

If you have no status, that is what happens (the second stay posts as 8000 minus the points you earned from the first stay, so they gave you 8000 points instead of the points for both stays, and thus they added 8000 points minus the points for both stays.

But if you have any elite status at Choice, the "total" could be interpreted to mean the base points plus your elite status points (for example, 40% extra points for the top level of Diamond), ie, what actually posts as the total on the Choice website for a normal stay (or, during this promotion, for the first stay). In that case, those are computed separately. So the correct rephrase of what you said is:

They give you difference between 8000 and the base points that you would have earned for the 2 stays, then they add any elite bonus on the normal points that you would have earned for the 2 stays.

A simple example:

$100 rate, 1-night stays.

No elite status:

First night posts as 1000, second night posts as 7000. They gave you 6000 extra.

Diamond elite status:

First night posts as 1400, second night posts as 7400. They gave you 6000 extra because of this bonus, plus the 40% extra on both stays because of your Diamond elite status.

(Other elite levels work the same but with smaller percentages.)

As you can imagine, if your stay is "too expensive", there may be little or no difference (or even "negative" difference). For example, if each stay is $400 or more, you'd have earned at least 8000 points anyway (without any bonus!). In the past, they gave you some extra points (I don't remember by what exact formula) in some such cases (I don't remember what the exact threshold was). (I was never in this situation myself, knowing full well to hotel hop through such a promo :), but I do remember reading about it happening to someone else, long ago in this forum.)

Btw, what bonuses your earned on a stay is not explained super clearly on the Choice website. They only list the biggest bonus on each stay. So if you have 2 stays as a Choice elite during this promo, the first stay will say it includes your elite bonus, while the second stay will only say that it includes this gas card bonus, even though it also includes your elite bonus.

Don't feel alone on this. When the Amex Daily Getaways Choice promo was announced in the spring of 2011, I couldn't figure out why some folks were buying such large stacks of Choice points. I did a little reading here and figured out maybe I should buy some.

Then, I started following the 8000-point redemption options in Europe. These come and go, but I began to understand that they are there enough to give you one of the sweet spots of the Choice program. I went to London in December 2011 and Rome in February 2012, two trips I would have been unlikely to make in the absence of this Choice redemption option. As a result, I began to feel that an "earn here, burn there" philosophy would work for me. Others, very logically, have found that Choice works as well in an "earn small, spend big" sense where you take advantage of a promo like this, which encourages the cheapest stays possible (thus, more likely smaller hotels in smaller towns) in return for redemptions in New York City or other major metropolitan areas.

This year, when the 2012 Choice Daily Getaways promo was announced, I was holding my breath because I was afraid the bloggers would get wind of the value of 8000-point redemptons. Although several bloggers plugged the Choice promo, most focused on the redemption ratio with Southwest in connection with the companion pass program. Maybe another logical use of the points bought, but I still find the best use of most points earned, no matter the program, is in the program in which they were earned.

I have found this section of FT a very reliable and helpful resource for learning the ins and outs of the Choice program. As with many of the forums at FT, there is a core of well-informed folks who are generally willing to help with questions (and generally without the snide attitude that unfortunately infects some of the other subforums here). I agree that most elites do not understand the ins and outs of this program, but I think that's true for most miles/points programs--the percentage of folks who really know what's the best way to earn and redeem is actually very small. I think you have to look at what we do here as a hobby, and like any hobby, the more time you spend on it, the better you're likely to get at it.

Yes, I just paid 10k Choice Points for a 2 bed room at the Bolivar for check in on Sunday 6/24 Check out on Monday 6/25.

This is a room that costs Euro 190 + taxes!

Worth every day I have to stay at a Choice Hotel to earn these points!

Good explanation by sdsearch.

I have no personal experience with this and it may not apply to this promotion, but Loyalty Traveler says for an earlier promotion like this that:
"Update March 26 – I received an email today from a Choice Privileges representative stating the minimum bonus points to be given for this promotion is 5,000 points after two stays. This term is not currently listed in the promotion FAQ."

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/loyalt...-8-may-8-2012/

If anyone can confirm that, it would be nice.

Noticed in the fine print on the promo sign up page that there is a required time frame for making the reservation "7, 14, 21 or 30 days" prior to staying depending on the hotel. I have no idea how to know which hotels require what.

I am not sure how to even begin to explain this.

On the sign-up page it says:

.....

Notice the ** at the beginning of the quote. It refers to the top of the page talking about 20% off for advance reservations, which are non-refundable prices. This has nothing to do with the get 8,000 points for 2 stays.

There is no advance booking needed to receive this bonus, if you have signed up prior to booking.

I'm sure you are right.

When do the promotion points post?
 

Has anyone received the points yet after staying 2 times? How are they identified in the online current activity statement?

I have many "adjustments" for reward nights cancelled and I am concerned about the promotion points being hidden (or not there).

I noticed the gift card has to be ordered by Sept 30? When with redemption at the 8000 point level be available on the website?

They do a weekly "sweep" and the points that were earned up to a couple of days before that usually post overnight when that happens. I can't remember the night. If things are working right, the make-up bonus points should post automatically along with the base points.

The 8,000 point hotels' availability is there now. But be aware that only some 1,500 of the ~ 6,500 Choice family of hotels go for 8,000 points. Also beware that Choice family properties change the required points more often than any other chain. They can change up or down seasonally, and not on a regular schedule. It pays to keep checking. Not fun, but regulars kind of get used to it and do our best to exploit it.

5/17-8/15/12: 2 stays = 8,000 points or $50 gift card
 

The 8000 point gift card, not hotel stay, is the availability of interest.

You can order the gift card after the website sees that you have earned the 8000 points through this promo.

Since the 8000 points usually post at the same time as the stay itself posts, within a few days of the stay, and the last stay has to have an arrival date of Aug 15th, unless you are doing an extremely long stay for your last stay, you should have plenty of time (over 5 weeks) to order a gift card at that rate (by Sep 30th) after your 8000 points post (for the last pair of stays you have under this promo).

So just because the gift card has to be ordered (at this rate) by Sep 30th, I still see no reason to worry if it takes a few extra days before it can be ordered.

I have been getting the 8,000 points posted in my account after my second stay. The points post as bonus points at the same time my regular points post (usually a day or two after I check out). They are available to redeem immediately.

I am pretty new to this and so I am not sure how everything works. But I was concerned that Quality Inn changed the price of my reservations without notifying me.

One of the Quality Inns I stayed at had a rate that pulled up at $6 a night when you put in 2 adults and government rates. I stayed there several times and paid the $6 a night ($8.66 with tax) and got the stay two times bonus.

Before the last time I was going to stay, I pulled up my online reservation on the Choice site and saw they had changed my reservation to $66 a night. Choice did not notify me that they were changing my rate. They just changed it in the system.

I cancelled the reservation because I didn't want to drive there and get charged the $66 rate. If I had only booked one stay I would have probably fought to have them honor the rate. But since I had already stayed there several times at $6 a night (and got the $50 gas cards) I just cancelled the reservation.

The following day my other reservations were also changed to $66 a night - again without notifying me. I cancelled them also.

Though the price was obviously an error, it concerns me that Choice changes the rates they are charging for a room in their reservations system without notifying the customer.

reservation needs to be online or to central reservations
 

I received this from customer service when I inquired about my bonus points;

Our summer promotion requires your reservations be made either through our website or through our reservation to qualify for the bonus points. I am showing that your reservation on 07/07/12 was made with the hotel directly.

Pretty consistent with the information posted about this promo at the website:
As I understand it, Diamond and Platinum members may book through "any channel," which would seem to cover bookings also made directly with the hotel. I book through the website, just to be sure, though.