sciconf

As part of work, I got acquainted with Marriott and it stayed as my personal travel choice until they rebranded with Bonvoy! So many issues with booking which was evident right before COVID. I am inclined to use Holiday Inn. I might have had a one or two nights stay in SoCal and Canberra (OZ) - it served the purpose and nothing like Marriott property.

Will Choice be a good alternative with affordability and hotels available in California and other parts of US?
I am considering signing up for Choice Privileges, and their Credit card?

midgrade

In my opinion, CP is probably the most rewarding program out there. The trick is finding high quality properties. Choice doesn't really have strict brand standards between hotel brands, so you can often stay in a Sleep Inn or Quality Inn that exceeds the service and room quality of a Comfort Suites. Also, there is very little consistency in the quality of accomodations. The key is to check online reviews very closely before you book - anything less than a 4 star rating on TA or the Choice Hotels website is going to be a no go.

As far as point redemptions go, there is really no rhyme or reason to how the redemptions are set. I've stayed in immaculate properties that go for $200 a night for only 8,000 points, and some real dumps for 12,000. IMHO, if you spend over 12,000 points on any Choice property, you're wasting your points. You've always got to weigh the cash price vs point cost. Always try to get a minimum of $.01 per point on your redemptions. You can often get $.015-.02 or better if you play your cards right.

One other thing to note - when redeeming points, typically every room in the hotel costs the same number of points. So when cashing in your points, you can choose the one room whirlpool suite, or the standard room. Either way, it's all the same number of points. That's huge value-wise.

Choice runs "stay 2 nights get 8,000 points" promos pretty frequently. Take advantage of those, as long as the cash price you're paying is less than $90 a night. You can often snag a night at an Econo Lodge or Sleep Inn for less than $60 a night. Don't let the prices fool you; most Sleep Inns seem to be newer properties, and there are some really nice Econos out there. You probably want to avoid Rodeways. Think of it this way - if you can redeem those 8000 bonus points for 1 cent per point, you're getting a discount of $40 per night on the two you're paying for. Plus, on top of the 8000 points, you'll still get your midweek bonus points, welcome gift points (if you're elite), and 5x points on the CP Visa card (if you have it).

Speaking of the credit card, the typical sign up bonus is 32,000 points- which isn't terrible, but hold off until the 64,000 point bonus deal comes around. 2 points per dollar on everyday purchases is ok, but you can probably do better on a different card. There's no annual fee, so definitely get it, if for no other reason than to get the sign up bonus and the 5x points you get paying for your stays (they sell it as earning 15x on Choice purchases, but they're including the 10x points that you already get as a CP member whether you have the card or not). Plus you get automatic Gold elite status, which is nice, because you'll earn an extra 10% bonus points on each stay.

Finally, Choice Hotels are everywhere. I travel a lot, often to small towns and out-of-the-way places, and many times your only options are Choice and Wyndham. And since Wyndham's standards are rather low in my opinion, I'm a Choice guy. If you frequent medium and large size cities, always have a backup mid-to-upper tier loyalty program, in case the Choice options aren't that great where you're going, or you just feel like staying somewhere a little more upscale once in a while. My backup is Hilton, but it sounds like you have some experience with Marriott; Hyatt is great, but doesn't have as many properties. IHG might be a good choice, since most cities have at least one Holiday Inn Express (plus their brand standards are pretty consistent).

Anyway, if you travel through CA a lot, I would just say to browse the Choice website to see what their property selections look like. Because if you can find the right properties, Choice Privileges can't be beat for value. Hope that helps. But in closing, I'll say it one last time: Always read the reviews.

sciconf

Thanks midgrade

I tried couple of zip codes - 92037 & Lebec, ca
I do not see any over 4.5 stars! Even Sleep Inn is around 4
And only handful of them are 12k redemption!

So finding one near main HWYs meeting under 12k and over 4.5 stars seems hard to comeby!
You are experienced - perhaps you have some other way to filter these?

midgrade

I think calling 4 star reviewed properties a "crap shoot" was a bit of a stretch. In my experience, most of them are fine. I went back and edited my post. I stand by my statement about 3 1/2 stars being a no go though.

Keep in mind that prices and point costs can be affected by seasonality, supply and demand, etc. And that definitely applies to the Summer in Southern California!

I don't know the area really well, but I saw a couple places that looked like pretty good redemptions in those searches - Quality Inn near downtown Bakersfield was 8000 points / $75 cash, Sleep Inn and Suites Bakersfield North was 10,000 points / $85, Comfort Inn and Suites Mojave was 10,000 points / $104... In SD, the Comfort Inn in Old Town looks pretty good at 10,000 points / $106, and that Ascend property in Santee looks pretty nice for 10,000 / $120.

You can also run this Google Map search to see all of the Choice Hotels in CA, and their prices and Google reviews (if that link doesn't work, just search "Choice Hotels map California".
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iggyray

I would also adjust the points valuation from 1 cent to 0.75-0.78 cent, in line of what you usually are able to buy them for during a promo. Basically with the 8k /2 stays promo, you are getting $60 back for 2 stays (not $80). Make sure to set up you reward perks, I prefer getting a $5 Starbucks card back per stay as well.

But yes, please be advised that the quality of US choice hotels is steadily deteriorating as they transition to the hands of let's say "ethnic" owners. Cleanliness IS an issue across the board. Roadways and Economy ARE going to be filthy dumps often serving for cities to house their "temporarily homeless", and Quality Inns are slowly slipping in the same direction.

sdsearch

Check the paid rates. Choice does not make redemption rates have anything to do with paid rates. I've seen hotels that normally sell for well under $100 a night and yet want 20000 points a night, while a few miles away a hotel that charges a bit more (and is a bit nicer) is only 12000 points a night.

The best Choice redemption values tend to overseas in places like Japan and Scandinavia, or in expensive US places at times. In the cheaper US suburbs, it's almost always better to earn (especially during stay 2 times earn 8000 points minimum promo like Choice has this summer) than to redeem.

Brighton Line

I found choice because the Hotel frequented by work switched from Holiday Inn Express to a Quality Inn (would you believe before Express it was a Hostways) and one year even reached Diamond one year. Due note that the actual on site benefits at any member level is lacking and even very often you do not get what is advertised at an individual property. It's all about getting good point value redemtion.
The 8K for two stays is the best incentive out there, just remember they plus up to 8K from what you earned in the two nights.

To find out what the points required for a stay since if you are outside the window to reserve room on points at 100 days, on the main page of the property all the way at the bottom you will find the point requirement this is a hotel in NYC in Brooklyn so not a good example of best use.

Choice Privileges® Reward Night Redemption

Use reward points to book this hotel

Jul 12, 2020 - Sep 15, 2020: Sun - Thu 16,000/Room Fri - Sat 20,000/Room
Sep 16, 2020 - Nov 30, 2020: Sun - Thu 25,000/Room Fri - Sat 25,000/Room

jebr

What are your hotel standards? Simply stated, Choice-branded hotels tend to be rather hit-or-miss, especially in terms of renovations and amenities. Most hotels will give you a clean, comfortable bed, though checking reviews, especially for Quality/Econo/Rodeway, is a good practice. Many will also have a suitable breakfast, nice staff, and decently-renovated rooms, though others will have a decent bed but be otherwise very dated, poor breakfast, and mediocre front desk experiences. There's definitely some diamonds in the rough, but there's a lot more rough than Marriott (or Hilton, Hyatt, or even IHG.) Choice also has plenty of their own IT issues, and they tend to have less IT features than other chains (for example, there's no way to do online check-in, or use your phone as a key, at least on anything resembling a brand-level basis.)

If you're willing to sift through some of that, the rewards program can be very generous, especially with the promotions often available. It's quite possible to get free hotel stays at reasonable hotels every 3-4 stays with the promotions (though note that you need an even number of stays to maximize most promotions.) The IT problems generally aren't terrible, but you'll have some frustrating experiences from time to time. I'm primarily a leisure traveler, and I generally only need the room/bed to be clean and fairly comfortable. With that expectation, Choice generally fits the bill well enough, especially considering the cost savings.

DCABarry

We could have quite a discussion on this board with all the experienced CP point collectors/users in regard to the "value" of Choice points.

Midgrade suggested here $.01 per (one penny each), Iggyray's view is $.075 (around 3/4 cents) and THE POINTS GUY (an online expert of all types of travel point/miles programs) say $.065 each (around 2/3 of a cent.)

My view: $.01 is an easy starting point for valuation and in your decision making as to whether you should redeem points vs. spending cash in a reservation making situation.

Another factor not mentioned here, taxes. When you redeem points there are no sales/hotel/local taxes to be paid. Example: On a given date a Choice Hotel the price for a room that suits your need (2 double or queens in my case) is $80. Tax on that is $12 (15% is typical in localities around the US), $92 total. If the corresponding redemption rate is 8K, you've got a $.0115 valuation (92/8000) that exceeds the $.01 standard. (at 10K it's $.0092 less than a penny per, 12K $.0076 -near Iggyray's standard.)

Using points is a personal matter. You have to declare to yourself what is a good use of points. For me it's $.01 or better.

I agree with Midgrade and will typically use points if the redemption is 8,10 or 12 thousand points. (only once in my 19 years as a CP member have I broken that rule, 16K - for a $142 stay (124 rate+16 tax) $.0088 per point value - it is the ONLY time I've ever been below the $.01 amount rule-of-thumb that I use. I was flush with points at the time and no 2X promo was "on" at the time.)

Here are my rules in using points or paying for a booking (saving my points for a better future situation):
1) $.01 or more value or pay cash (when you pay cash you are getting a slight discount on your stay a) 10%-before tax in points (in my example above 80x10=800 points/ $8 value) b) sign up for CP "EXTRAS" with 200 point per nights (worth $2) c) On the stay using CP credit card get 5% in points (80x5=400 points, worth $4), total effective discount in my example is $14 - so $92-14= $78 is the value of this $92 stay. Also, there are other small bonus points for Gold or better CP'ers.)

2) I generally do not use points when there is a "two nights, one night free 8K point bonus" promotion is in effect. Unless I'm confronted with very high rates at a hotel that suits my needs for an evening/period and/or I can get an obscene points redemption. Once in NY City (2017) I got a $.04 for six nights that saved me over $1,400 if I'd paid cash (yes by paying cash I'd effectively got a point "discount" worth several hundred dollars so it would have been closer to $1400 cash less $360 or better in future points. But I'd rather pay zero (and not pay NYC's huge hotel taxes.) In Munich (2019, close-in, near subway), at Oktoberfest, 7 nights I saved over $1550 for 74000 points (5 nights at 10K and weekends at $12K. Over $.02 per point. Not bragging, just trying to give you some perspective on the potential value of using CP points.

3) 8,10,12K points per night. Never higher unless I'm confronted with obscene $ rates or a lack of other cheaper hotel options. I still want a $.01 or better value.

The CP 2 stays, 8K point promotions are usually 3 or 4 time a year. Early spring, late spring, summer and fall. Some years it's just 3, spring (late Feb/early Mar to late Apr/early May), summer (usually over by mid-Aug), fall (around Labor day to 2nd weekend in Nov).
You can check out the Upcoming Promotion thread and read backwards to get the dates of previous 2X promotions. The pattern is pretty consistent - but it's a little bit of a guessing game as to when exactly the next promo starts.

One other item:
If you need to break-up a multi-day stay so to qualify for a 2X promotion and you want to stay at the same hotel for several days contiguous. 2X promotions require separate "stays" - two, three, or more nights in a row are considered one "stay."
An example: You can stay night 1 for cash, night 2 on points, night 3 cash. You will then qualify for the 2x,8K bonus on nights 1 & 3 - they are considered separate "stays." Just make sure you booking the exact same room type for each night. When you check-in Night 1 tell the desk person that you have three reservations for 3 nights in a row. Same room type. They'll keep you in the same room. You will have to go to the desk each morning to re-sign for that day - a minor inconvenience.

toomanybooks

You also need to consider that cash stays on business trips are deductible, whereas points stays are not. Put that on top of the "stay 2, get 8000" promo and the stay can be well-nigh free.

But yeah, the quality varies a lot.

strickerj

Agreed with all of the above, plus I'll add I chose Choice over Wyndham as my "budget" brand since I can top-up my account from AmEx points. (Hilton is my backup and my go-to for higher end properties.) I also have Hyatt points (that I transferred from Chase before canceling my card) that I'm working through but they don't have enough of a footprint for me to use them as primary. (Most of my trips are to parks and rural areas, whereas Hyatt is concentrated in major cities.)

toomanybooks

Best Western is worth a look for rural or National Park-area stays.

sdsearch

While Best Western may be near more National Parks, there are National Parks with only Choice nearby, such as Olympic NP in Washington state, as well as parks where Choice is a good option (even if not the only one), such as in Oakhurst CA near the southern entrance for Yosemite.

So for parks I would recommend having points in both.

Ilove2fly

While, I have an account with Choice for years, I have only stayed at Choice hotels a few times. Because of the merger of Choice and Radisson, I have a lot of points to burn. I have diligently reading the posts to understand the Choice Hotels. However, I still have a lot of questions.

1. Get a cobrand credit card. What are the benefit of gold vs plt statuses I that are gained through different version of the credit card?
2. Should I wait for a week or so to apply for the credit card? WF seems to have a difficult time handling the conversion of the current credit card holders.
3. How do I book a room with Preferred Hotels with Choice points? Am I correct that I have to call the Choice customer service to book the rooms? I tried a dummy check for availability for an Oslo hotel, the rooms are available for the days I looked but only for 1 adult in the room. When occupancy changed to 2, the system message said that the rooms are restricted to 1 person and asked me to book multiple rooms. Is this normal?
4. Should I transfer my Radisson points now or just wait for the auto merge?

Thanks. Look forward to learning more from you.

Nancy

TTT103

While not addressing your questions, I am in a similar situation as you. I have a ton of Radisson points that I will need to use over the next many years (I was hoarding for way too long). However, my biggest complaint about Choice Rewards is the inability to book a reward night more than 100 days in advance. That has always been a deal-breaker for me with Choice. I am going to hold off on the co-branded credit card until we see how Choice is going to "enhance" its program (I believe later this year).