Choice Privileges functions a bit differently than most hotel loyalty programs. Choice Privileges has some important program limitations members need to understand.
1. Seasonal reward night rates
Hotel rewards have a variable rate based on limited time seasons. Most hotel loyalty programs assign a hotel to a specific category or tier and the hotel has a fixed reward cost regardless of the hotel reward stay dates. A Marriott Rewards category 6 hotel will be 30,000 points per night tonight or on October 15, 2012 unless it is participating in a special offer like Marriott PointSavers.
A hotel in Choice Privileges may be 25,000 points in some high season months, but only 8,000 points in other months. There is a wide range of reward night cost in Choice Privileges.
Paris, France seasonal reward rates.
These two hotels in Paris are only 8,000 points for a free night up to June 30 and then the rates rise to 25,000 points from July 1 to September 15, 2012.
Hotels in Australia and New Zealand can be even higher rates than 25,000 points per reward night.
2. Limited advance booking window for reward nights.
Bookings can only be made within 30 days for Choice Privileges members residing in the US and Canada with no elite status for hotels in the USA and Canada. Hotels in other international locations can be booked up to 60 days before arrival.
No other hotel program has such a restrictive booking window for using loyalty points.
A similar rule applies to members in different regions of the globe.
2. If you reside in the U.S. (including U.S. Territories) or Canada you must make your free room night reservations personally through the Program Line or through your online profile no more than 30 days prior to your planned arrival for stays in the U.S and Canada or 60 days prior to your planned arrival at all hotels in Hawaii and all other locations worldwide.
3. If you reside in Europe, the Middle East or Africa, you must make your reward night reservations personally through the Program Line or through your online profile no more than 30 days prior to your planned arrival for stays in Europe and the Middle East or 60 days prior to your planned arrival at all other locations worldwide.
4. If you reside in Australasia (including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Papua New Guinea and Fiji) you must make your reward night reservations personally through the Program Line or through your online profile no more than 30 days prior to your planned arrival for stays in Australasia (including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Papua New Guinea and Fiji) or 60 days prior to your planned arrival at all other locations worldwide.
5. If you reside in Mexico, Central America or the Caribbean, you must make your reward night reservations personally through the Program Line or through your online profile no more than 30 days prior to your planned arrival for stays in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean or 60 days prior to your planned arrival at all other locations worldwide.
This means members without elite status in the US and Canada can book international hotels in other worldwide locations up to two months in advance, whereas, these members can only book US/Canada hotels within 30 days of arrival.
Choice Privileges expanded booking window for elite members.
- Elite Gold member = 50 days for local region or 60 days for other international regions.
- Elite Platinum member = 75 days for all regions.
- Elite Diamond member = 100 days for all regions.
3. Points expire even with hotel stay account activity.
Choice Privileges points expire on December 31, two years after the year in which they were deposited into your account unless forfeited or canceled earlier due to membership inactivity or otherwise in accordance to these rules and regulations.
I earned 8,000 points in June 2011 from the “stay twice, earn a free night offer” that is similar to the current Choice Privileges promotion running March 8 – May 8, 2012. These points expire December 31, 2013 regardless of my stay activity. Choice Privileges operates with a “use them or lose them” points policy.
International hotel stays at 8,000 points per night are one of the highest value uses of Choice Privileges points.
Related Posts:
Choice Privileges: Booking High Value Reward Nights in Europe(March 26, 2012)
Choice Hotels Best Rate Guarantee offers Free Night(March 12, 2012)
Choice Privileges 8,000 Points for 2 Stays March 8-May 8, 2012 (March 7, 2012)
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