One of the new features of the restyled Choice Privileges 2016 program is the addition of Points Plus Cash reward night option for stays at hotel partner chain Preferred Hotels & Resorts. Choice Privileges members can book these participating partner hotels for 10,000 Choice Privileges points plus a cash copay. The regular reward rate for these partner hotels was decreased across the board by 5,000 points per night for new reward levels starting at 25,000 points, up to 55,000 points per night.
Preferred Hotels & Resorts
Redeem points at one of the world’s finest independent luxury hotels with Preferred Hotels & Resorts.*
For 2016, Points required for reward nights have been reduced by 5,000 points for all participating hotels!
Even less Choice Privileges points required to enjoy luxurious nights at these amazing properties.
Points Plus Cash is now available:
- 25,000 Points = 10,000 Choice Privileges Points and $112.50/night
- 35,000 Points = 10,000 Choice Privileges Points and $187.50/night
- 45,000 Points = 10,000 Choice Privileges Points and $262.50/night
- 55,000 Points = 10,000 Choice Privileges Points and $337.50/night
Partner hotel Points Plus Cash rates need to be booked by phone.
Choice Privileges link to Preferred Hotels And Resorts.
Preferred Hotels & Resorts participating hotels link.
Buy up to 250,000 points per year at rate of $7.50 per 1,000
Similar to the way IHG Rewards Club Points and Cash reward nights work, Choice Privileges allows members to buy points at a discount rate at the time of booking a hotel reward stay. Choice Hotels offering Points Plus Cash rewards require 8,000 points per night + cash copay for remaining points. The copay amount is the cost to buy remaining points needed at the rate of $7.50 per 1,000 points. Partner hotel rewards require 10,000 points per night + cash copay.
Why Choice Privileges Points Plus Cash is even better than IHG Rewards Club system
Choice Privileges Points Plus Cash is even more advantageous than the IHG Rewards Club system for conserving or acquiring more points. In IHG, a member can only buy 5,000 or 10,000 points at most hotels for $40 or $70. Some IHG hotels allow the purchase of 15,000 points. This means you need at least 30,000 IHG points to book one night at a 40,000 points per night IHG hotel.
Choice Privileges only requires a member to redeem a minimum level of points for each reward night booked with Points Plus Cash:
8,000Â 6,000 points per night at Choice Hotels. (Update: Points Plus Cash reward rate changed from 8,000 to 6,000 a couple weeks following this Loyalty Traveler post)- 10,000 points per night at Preferred Hotels & Resorts.
Remaining points needed for a reward night can be purchased at time of booking for $7.50 per 1,000 points.
Hotel reward nights in Preferred Hotels & Resorts are as high as 55,000 points per night. If you have 10,000 Choice Privileges points, then you can book one night at a 55,000 points PHR property and buy 45,000 Choice Privileges points for $337.50.
If for some reason you need to cancel your reward stay, the nonrefundable purchased points are deposited back into your account.
Your account increases from 10,000 points to 55,000 points instantly at a cost of $337.50 to buy the 45,000 points ($7.50 per 1,000 points).
250,000 points annual purchase limit for Points Plus Cash rewards
This backdoor to discount Choice Privileges points is available for online redemptions at Choice Hotels offering Points Plus Cash rewards. There is an annual calendar year purchase limit at 250,000 points per year.
A member with 50,000 points could book one hotel stay for seven nights at a 45,000 points per night Preferred Hotels & Resorts property and buy 245,000 Choice Privileges in one transaction. Cancel the hotel stay within the no penalty cancellation window and you have grown your Choice Privileges account balance by 245,000 points for $1,837.50.
Of course that is an extreme purchase of Choice Privileges points for someone with a heavy reward night redemption plan. This strategy is useful even if you want to acquire 10,000 to 30,000 Choice Privileges points and you can complete the transactions online for Choice Hotels.
Choice Privileges points on my radar
Choice Privileges points are off the radar for many loyalty program travelers. My love for Choice Privileges is grounded in the value they offer for hotel stays in Norway and Sweden at 180 or so Nordic Choice Hotels. Low cost carrier Norwegian is one of my new best friends for cheap travel from Oakland, Los Angeles and Las Vegas to Scandinavia. I find myself traveling to Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm frequently in 2014-2016 for the lowest priced tickets to and from Europe and California. The biggest disadvantage to travel in Scandinavia are the high-priced hotels and food. The opportunity to redeem Choice Privileges points for Nordic Choice Hotels is a big rate discount when points are purchased at $7.50 per 1,000 points.
250,000 Choice Privileges points buys about 15 to 16 hotel reward nights in Nordic Choice Hotels where the most common reward rate is 16,000 points per night. Buying 16,000 points with Choice Privileges Points Plus Cash stays is $120 per night for a Nordic Choice Hotel reward night.
Believe me. Paying $120 per night for a hotel in Norway or Sweden is a real bargain compared to the average summer rate of $250+ USD.
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