Choice Privileges Loyalty Program Review (2023)

Branded and Partnered Credit Cards

Choice Privileges® Visa Signature® Card

If you want to earn Choice Privileges points directly, you can use the Choice Privileges® Visa Signature® Card. This card earns 2x points per dollar on everyday purchases, which will pair nicely with the Choice Privileges Mall.

American Express Membership Rewards Cards

You can alsoearn Membership Rewards points and Choice is an American Express transfer partner.

Recommended American Express Cards (Personal)

Recommended American Express Cards (Business)

Capital One Miles Cards

Capital One miles can be transferred to Choice at a 1:1 ratio (coming soon).

Recommended Capital One Miles Cards (Personal)

Choice Privileges Program Overview

Choice Hotels has over 7,000 properties in 40 countries and territories.

Known for budget brands such as Comfort Inn and Clarion, Choice is expanding its mid-upscale Cambria brand and its upscale Ascend Collection.

Joining Choice Privileges

Register online for a free Choice Privileges account.

Travelers based in the Nordic and Baltic countries may prefer to join the Nordic Choice Club, which is a separate program for the 190 hotels in that region. There are reciprocal benefits between the 2 programs, though they are distinct and have differences.

How To Sign in to Your Choice Privileges Account

Sign in on the choicehotels.com homepage.

Viewing Your Account Activity

The My Point Activity page shows all your recent point activity.

Points Expiration

Points do not expire as long as you have qualifying activity once every 18 months.

Eligible activities include earning points from stays, using the Choice Privileges card, and purchasing points. Your points stay active even with a stay where you choose to earn miles or Amtrak Guest Rewards instead of points.

You can also Refer-a-Friend to Choice Privileges; once they complete a qualifying stay, your points expiration will be extended.

Choice Privileges Program Benefits

Choice Privileges Elite Status

Registering for free with Choice Privileges gives you the opportunity to start earning reward points on all of your stays with Choice.

General members can only book award nights 30 days in advance in the U.S. and Canada, and 60 days in advance elsewhere.

Hot Tip: An alliancewith Penn National Gaming, Inc. will offer reciprocal earning and redemption benefits for Choice Privileges members and members of Penn’s mychoiceloyalty program.

Choice Privileges Gold

  • 10% point bonus
  • Early check-in and late checkout
  • Elite reserved parking
  • Rollover nights (up to 9)
  • 100 to 250 point welcome gift at U.S. and Canada properties, varies by brand

Choice Privileges Platinum

All Gold benefits, plus:

  • 25% point bonus
  • Rollover nights (up to 19)
  • Avis Preferred Plus status

Choice Privileges Diamond

All Gold benefits, plus

  • 50% point bonus
  • Rollover nights (up to 39 nights)

Value of Choice Privileges Elite Status

Choice Privileges elite status does not have the glamorous benefits of some major hotel programs, reflecting the economical style of most of its properties.

There is no free internet, free breakfast benefit, or opportunity to receive a complimentary room upgrade.

Earning Choice Privileges Elite Status

Earning Choice Privileges elite status is refreshingly straightforward: you earn by the number of nights per year — and both paid and award stays count.

The number of nights required for elite status is:

  • Gold: 10 nights per calendar year
  • Platinum: 20 nights per calendar year
  • Diamond: 40 nights per calendar year

Hot Tip: Choice offers lifetime Gold status to military members, veterans, and their spouses. You’ll need to fill out this form to apply for lifetime Gold status plus a bonus of 2,500 points.

Status Match

With elite status in other hotel programs, you can apply for an elite status match by emailing status_match@choicehotels.com.

Choice Privileges will match you to Gold or Platinum level based on your current hotel elite status, but if you stay at a Cambria hotel for just 1 night, you’ll be matched to Diamond-level elite status.

A match granted from January to June will be good for the remainder of the calendar year. Matches granted from July to December will be good through the entire following calendar year.

How To Earn Choice Privileges Points

Earning Choice Privileges points starts with hotel stays.

Earning Points on Stays

Choice Privileges has harmonized points-earning among its brands. No longer will you earn fewer points per dollar at its budget brands.

You earn 10 points per dollar on up to 4 rooms per night on qualifying stays. For each qualifying points-eligible stay at a Cambria, you receive 250 Choice Privileges points for being an elite member.

Note that you cannot earn points for stays inBrazil, China, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, Guyana, Iceland, India, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden.

In Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden, you can earn points by registering in the separate Nordic Choice Club program.

Announced for 2021, members will also soon be able to earn points at Penn properties.

Booking Meetings

Planners booking meetings with 10 or more rooms per night earn 4 points per dollar on meeting rooms, guest rooms, and food and beverage.

Your Extras

For U.S. and Canada stays that include a Sunday through Thursday night, you can select 1 Your Extras bonus:

  • 400 Choice Privileges points
  • 100 airline miles
  • $0.20 per gallon inFuel Rewards
  • $2.50 Amazon.com credit
  • $5 coffee card
  • $3 Uber trip discount

You need to select a Your Extras preference in your Choice Privileges account to receive the benefit.

Free Night Promotions

Choice Privileges typically runs a promotion several times a year that offers 1 free night when you stay 2 paid nights.

Earn Points With Travel Partners

Beyond stays with Choice, you can earn points using:

Alternatives To Earning Points

If you have infrequent stays at Choice Hotels, it can make sense to choose to earn airline miles or Amtrak Guest Reward points for your stays instead of points.

Check for regular promotions such as 1,000 Air Canada Aeroplan miles or 1,000 Amtrak Guest Reward points per stay.

Bluegreen Vacations

Enjoy a 3-night stay at a Bluegreen Vacations timeshare property for $199 and receive a $100 gift card or 20,000 Choice Privileges points.

Note that you will have to participate in the usual timeshare rigmarole.

Other Ways To Earn Choice Privilege Points

You can earn Choice Privilege points for:

  • Using the Choice Privileges card
  • Transfer from American Express Membership Rewards or Capital One Miles at a rate of 1,000:1,000 points
  • Transfer from Diners Club at a rate of 1,250:2,400 points
  • Transfer from Amtrak Guest Rewards at a rate of 5,000:15,000 points
  • Shopping online using the Choice Privileges Mall
  • Buy up to 50,000 points per year
  • Gift up to 50,000 points per year (subject to fees)
  • Refer friends to Choice Privileges (friend must then complete a qualifying stay)

How To Redeem Choice Privileges Points

Hotel award nights are the primary Choice Privileges points awards. From standard awards to Cash + Points, there are great values to be found.

Cost of Award Nights

Choice Privileges has over 7,000 properties available for award nights.

There are no published award charts. Instead, awards start at 6,000 points, with over 1,500 properties priced at 8,000 points or less.

The maximum award night price is 35,000 points (except for a whopping 75,000 in Australia).

Pricing is seasonal, so the same hotel may cost a different price at different times of the year.

Log in to your Choice Privileges account and search on the Redeem Points page to find specific pricing.

Announced for 2021, members will also soon be able to redeem points at Penn properties.

Cash + Points

Compare Cash + Points results with regular points results — you may find some great values.

Cash + Points show up in award night searches where available.

Great for Families

Many Choice Privileges properties have multi-room suites ideal for families. These can be pricey in cash.

The great news is that if they are available for award booking, the price is the same as a standard room!

Great for Europe

Many European properties offer excellent points value in popular tourist destinations, with city center locations other chains may lack.

Even better, breakfast is often included for free.

In the Nordic countries, while you can’t earn points for stays, you can still redeem points for stays. These hotels may have a free breakfast, too, and sometimes even an evening smorgasbord.

FlexRewards

When searching for award nights, you may come upon special low pricing called FlexRewards. Certain properties offer these discounted rates on either Sunday to Thursday or Friday and Saturday.

You do not need to do anything special to book FlexRewards. You’ll book them the same as regular award nights.

Preferred Hotels & Resorts

The 500+ Preferred Hotels & Resorts include some of the most luxurious hotels in the U.S. Award nights range from 25,000 to 55,000 points per night.

Gift Cards

You can redeem Choice Privileges points for gift cards.

The information regarding the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Choice Privileges® Visa Signature® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, clickhere.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here.

Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.

FAQs

How much is 8000 points worth for Choice Hotels? ›

Most $25 gift cards cost 8,000 points, so you'll only get a value of 0.31 cents per point. As such, we typically recommend other redemption options.

How much is 1,000 Choice Privileges points worth? ›

The standard price is $12.80 per 1,000 points (1.28 cents per point), which is above our average value.

How many Choice Privileges points needed for a free night? ›

Free Nights, Hassle-Free

Reward nights start at 8,000 points. Where can I book a free stay? Choose from thousands of Choice Hotels® properties worldwide.

How long will it take for Choice Privileges points to be credited to a members account? ›

Avis Budget Rental Car

Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for the Choice Privileges points to post to the Choice Privileges member's account. The savings of up to 35% for Avis and up to 30% for Budget applies to Avis and Budget base rates and is applicable only to the time and mileage charges of the rental.

Are hotel loyalty points worth it? ›

Are hotel reward programs worth it? Yes, but benefits are small for infrequent customers. Major hotel chains offer different membership levels and benefits to encourage customer loyalty, and they are usually free to sign up. Even if you are not a frequent traveler, there are still ways to glean some benefits.

How many dollars is 100000 marriott points? ›

How Much Marriott Bonvoy Points Are Worth
CategoryValue
Average Value of 100,000 Points$910
Minimum Value of 1 Point0.43 cents
Maximum Value of 1 Point1.63 cents
Value of 1 Point Toward Travel0.91 cents
Jun 8, 2023

How many points do you need for $10 on everyday rewards? ›

Every time you hit 2000 points, you'll get $10 off a future eligible~ shop. You can use your money off your shop immediately or save it for a later date.

How much is 20 000 Membership Rewards points worth? ›

How Much American Express Points Are Worth
Number of American Express PointsAverage Value
20,000$134
30,000$201
40,000$268
50,000$335
2 more rows
Dec 21, 2022

How many choice points per dollar? ›

How many points can I earn? All participating hotels reward members with up to 10 points per $1 spent on qualifying stays, exclusive of taxes and other fees.

Do you lose your points with Choice Hotels? ›

As long as you stay an active Choice Privileges member, the points you earn never expire. Points are forfeited only when your membership becomes inactive, meaning you haven't completed a qualifying activity during the previous 18 months.

Can you use points and cash with Choice Rewards? ›

Have at least 6,000 Choice Privileges points? You can use Points Plus Cash to save on over 7,000 Choice® hotels.

How many points does a night cost Hilton? ›

Editorial Guidelines
Hilton Honors quick facts
Number of propertiesMore than 6,800
Hilton points needed for a free night5,000
Number of redemption options6
Point value0.5 cents per point ($0.005)
2 more rows
Sep 6, 2023

Do hotels care if you have an extra person? ›

While it may be tempting to save money by having more people stay in the room, this can lead to problems down the line. If the hotel finds out that you have more people staying in the room than you originally booked for, they may charge you extra fees or even ask you to leave the hotel.

How do I keep my choice privilege points from expiring? ›

In order to keep them from being forfeited, you need to complete at least one qualifying activity every 18 months. Qualifying activities include staying a night at a Choice property, using a Choice Privileges credit card, purchasing points and referring a friend.

Can I transfer Choice Privileges points to someone else? ›

Give a little (or a lot)

We've increased the number of points you can give! Now gift up to 180,000 Choice Privileges points annually to friends or family so they can get free nights or redeem for gift cards, dining rewards and more.

How much is 10,000 Choice Points? ›

It is worth mentioning that Choice Hotel points have a value of roughly 0.6 cents per point, which means that 10,000 points are worth approximately $60. Members should keep in mind that some hotels may require additional fees, such as resort fees or taxes, when redeeming points for a free night.

How much are my Choice Rewards points worth? ›

Choice Privileges Rewards Program Guide: Earn and Redeem Points to Your Advantage
Choice Privileges quick facts
Point value$0.011
ProsReward nights start at just 6,000 points Can transfer flexible bank points (e.g. Membership Rewards) to Choice Privileges points Great U.S. coverage with hotels in all 50 states
4 more rows
Aug 8, 2023

How many points per dollar at Choice Hotels? ›

Rewards Every Stay

Earn up to 10 points per $1 USD spent on guest rooms at over 7,000 Choice Hotels® locations worldwide. Complete any qualifying points activity once every 18 months and your points never forfeit.

How many Choice Hotel points does it take to book a room? ›

Choice Hotels Points Needed for a Free Night
Minimum6,000
Average20,000
Maximum35,000
Mar 30, 2023

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