Choice Privileges brings back its 8,000 points after 2 stays promotion for stays February 19 to April 22, 2015. The promotion offer is not all bonus points, but 8,000 points total including regular base points, with a minimum bonus of 5,000 points. Elite bonus points are also earned on top of the 8,000 points.
Choice Hotels advertises this offer as stay two times and earn a free night. The actual offer is between 5,000 and 7,500 bonus points after two stays, depending on hotel brand and spend. Here is a list of hotels worldwide at 8,000 points per night. You can always redeem for higher level reward nights at 16,000 to 25,000 points if you already have some Choice Privileges points since you are earning points with this promotion.
Choice Privileges 2015 Spring Promotion FAQ.
Choice Privileges also introduced Points Plus Cash reward nights for 2015. With 8,000 points in your account, you can pay $7.50 per 1,000 points when redeeming for a higher priced reward night.
For example, spend $100 per night for a one night stay at a Comfort Inn and a one night stay at a Quality Inn. These hotel brands earn 10 points per dollar. Spend $200 for two stays and earn 2,000 base points. The Choice Privileges member earns an additional 6,000 bonus points to reach 8,000 points total on $200 in hotel spend for the two stays.
Assume 2 stays at $100 per night at a Quality Inn and a Comfort Inn.
- $100 per night = $200 hotel spend after 2 different hotel stays.
- $200 hotel spend earns 2,000 base points.
- Stay twice promotion bonus = 6,000 bonus points.
- Total Choice Privileges points = 8,000 points for $200 spend on 2 stays.
There is a minimum 5,000 bonus points after two eligible stays.
- 3 nights @$100 per night = $300 hotel spend per stay.
- Assume 2 different stays at this rate.
- $600 hotel spend on 2 stays = 6,000 base points.
- Stay twice promotion bonus = 5,000 bonus points.
- Total Choice Privileges points = 11,000 points for $600 spend on 2 stays.
Watch out for 2-night stay rule for budget brands
Another feature of Choice Privileges 2 stays earns 8,000 points is the requirement for a 2-night or longer stay at four hotel brands: MainStay Suites, EconoLodge, Rodeway Inn and Suburban Extended Stay to count as an eligible stay for this promotion.
Except for MainStay Suites with a room rate comparable to Quality Inn, the other three Choice Hotels brands have significantly lower average daily rates. These four brands only earn 5 points per dollar.
Assume a 2-night stay at Rodeway Inn at $57 per night and 2-night stay at Econolodge for $58 for a total spend of $230 for 4 –nights. The two stays earn $230 x 5 points = 920 points and receive 7,080 bonus points.
How to stay this promotion
There are 5,221 hotels in 11 Choice Hotels brands in the USA and 1,158 hotels internationally.
Comfort Inn and Quality Inn are two of the most prevalent brands in the USA in the midscale hotel segment with more than 2,000 hotels. The number of Comfort Inns and Suites dropped by 74 properties during 2014, while Quality Inn added 61 hotels. Clarion dropped 10 hotels, while Ascend Collection added 15 hotels.
Ascend Collection has some interesting boutique properties. Comfort Inn and Quality Inn are quite a bit less than hotel brands like Holiday Inn Express, Hampton Inn and Hyatt Place. There are some opportunities to earn a large number of bonus points at a low price and there are good redemption opportunities for Choice Privileges points, especially in Europe.
Choice Hotels Brands:
- Ascend Collection – Upscale boutique. 109 hotels with 9,395 rooms. (added 15 hotels in 2014)
- Cambria Suites – upscale. 22 hotels with 2,642 rooms.
- Clarion – upper midscale. 178 hotels with 25,049 rooms.
- Comfort Inn – upper midscale. 1,240 hotels with 95,862 rooms.
- Comfort Suites – upper midscale. 577 hotels with 44,632 rooms.
- Quality Inn & Suites – midscale. 1,284 hotels with 104,454 rooms.
- Sleep Inn – midscale. 371 hotels with 26,811 rooms.
- MainStay Suites – midscale extended stay. 45 hotels with 3,568 rooms.
- EconoLodge – economy. 856 hotels with 52,878 rooms.
- Rodeway Inn – economy. 474 hotels with 26,172 rooms.
- Suburban Extended Stay – economy extended stay. 65 hotels with 7,198 rooms.
Hotel Chain Scale Segment 2014 Smith Travel Research STR used to rank hotels is scale based on average daily rate for the brand in the USA and globally.
Choice Hotels Portfolio
- USA: 5,221 hotels with 398,661 rooms.
- International: 1,158 hotels with 106,617 rooms.
- Systemwide: 6,379 hotels with 505,278 rooms.
Average Daily Rates (2014 year-end data)
- Ascend Collection – $121.49
- Cambria Suites – No data
- Clarion – $77.65
- Comfort Inn – $86.08
- Comfort Suites – $90.24
- Quality Inn & Suites – $71.98
- Sleep Inn – $77.13
- MainStay Suites – $74.82
- EconoLodge – $57.85
- Rodeway Inn – $56.68
- Suburban Extended Stay – $45.25
Hotel numbers and average daily rate data from Choice Hotels International 2014 year-end Investor Report.
Nordic Choice Hotels are the primary reason I like this promotion
In July 2015 I will fly to Copenhagen, Denmark. One of the best values of Choice Privileges points are for hotel stays at Nordic Choice Hotels in Norway and Sweden where there are about 170 hotels. Choice Privileges points can be used for reward stays at Nordic Choice Hotels, but you can’t earn Choice Privileges points for paid stays at Nordic Choice Hotels. There is a separate Nordic Choice Club loyalty program. Most hotels are 16,000 points per night and some are lower at 10,000 or 12,000 points and some are 20,000 points per night.
The ability to earn 16,000 points after about $300 in spend can earn points for free nights with this promotion in Norway and Sweden, typically with room rates around $200 to $300 per night in July peak season.
