Choice Privileges has a buy points promotion Oct 16-Nov 12, 2017 for a mystery bonus of 30% to 50% additional points for purchases of 5,000 or more points.
Members can buy up to 50,000 points in a calendar year. Bonus points do not count toward the limit.
My bonus is 50%. I doubt I would buy points if the cost were more than $7.50 per 1,000 points without an immediate use I know would save me money on hotel stay.
50% bonus points reduces the price of Choice Privileges points from $11 per 1,000 points to $7.33 per 1,000 points. This is a lower rate than $7.50 per 1,000 points with Points Plus Cash reward night purchases before Choice Privileges removed that option in May 2017.
I paid $110 for 15,000 Choice Privileges points today. I am 1,800 points shy for reward nights I need to book. I hate to fall below 20,000 points in my account since I can’t see the exact type of available rooms a hotel has each night without reward points in my account.
The importance of being able to see exactly what kind of rooms are available for reward nights is important. Choice Privileges is one of the budget chain loyalty programs, along with Best Western Rewards and Wyndham Rewards, which loads several different categories of rooms in reward inventory, even suites at some hotels for standard reward rates. But, you can only see reward room types available if you have the necessary points in your account to book the reward stay.
Value of Choice Privileges Platinum EliteÂ
As a 20 nights per year Choice Privileges Platinum elite the past few years, I have a booking window of 75 nights for North America and worldwide.
Choice Privileges members without any elite status can only book hotels in the USA (or whatever global region is your membership home region) within 30 days of a hotel stay.
Platinum status really helps me land good reward night deals in Europe for reward nights before most members can book available inventory.Â
Two More Nights to 20 Nights in 2017
Looks like I will need two more additional nights by Dec 31 to requalify for Choice Privileges.
My plan is book two one-night hotel stays in Monterey for $55 per night after tax before Nov 11 during the current two stays earn 8,000 points promotion.
I can pay $110 and requalify for Choice Privileges Platinum elite, while earning 8,000 points for two stays. I also earn 1,000 additional bonus points with ‘Your Extras’ midweek stay benefit.
The current sale price with my 50% bonus points offer means the cost to buy 9,000 points is $66.00.
Considering I seem to always need more Choice Privileges points than I have each year, I consider paying $110 to earn $66 in points gives me a total expense of $44 to pay for two hotel nights I don’t really need, but two hotel nights that requalify me for 2018 Choice Privileges Platinum elite membership with a 75-day reward booking window and a few thousand additional bonus points earned in 2018.
In Prague this month I redeemed 24,000 Choice Privileges points for 3 nights at Clarion Prague City with a published room rate of 360 EUR for a Superior Room with breakfast.
To buy 24,000 points with this sale will cost me $176. Three nights at Clarion Prague City in the Superior room I stayed would have cost $422.81 USD.
The lowest room rate for Clarion Prague City at the time was a standard room for 90 EUR per night or $317.05.
Buying points at $7.33 per 1,000 points is equivalent to saving $140 to $246 on those Clarion Prague City hotel rates for 3 nights. Even in Prague, finding a comparable room in a great location for $59 per night, the price I paid for points today, is a hard deal to beat.
Choice Privileges points are a highly valued currency for my travels.
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