Choice Privileges, the loyalty program for Choice Hotels, is back again with its usual promo. After two qualifying stays, you get 8000 points. However, as they occasionally do, they’re presenting it as a gift card promotion because for a limited time you’ll be able to redeem points at a discount for gift cards from select retailers.
Promotion Details
Register online and for every two qualifying stays at Choice Hotels between September 21 and November 15, 2020, you get 8000 points.
According to the Frequently Asked Questions, you then have until December 15, 2020 to redeem 8000 points for a gift card at the following participating retailers in Canada:
- Amazon
- Canadian Tire
- Esso
- Home Depot
- Starbucks
- The Ultimate Dining Card
From the FAQ:
You can redeem your promotional points for your choice of a selection of $50 gift cards offered during this promotion. To redeem, US members click here or CN members click here (EN) or here (FR) and login to your Choice Privileges online account. Follow the directions on the screen to choose from options in the “Promotional Gift Cards” category. You may also redeem by calling Choice Privileges Reservations (800-521-2121), or by contacting General Reservations at 1-800-4CHOICE.
Hurry! The participating retailers have discounted their $50 gift cards to 8,000 points (normally 16,000) through December 15, 2020. You have until then to redeem your promotional points for a $50 gift card at this discounted point level. Beginning December 16, 2020, the $50 gift cards will return to their standard redemption rate of 16,000 points.
Gift Card Redemption Date Discrepancy?
In the promotion terms and conditions, the date by which one may redeem points at the discounted rate for gift cards is November 30, 2020 (bolding added below). I would hope they’d honour the later date of December 15 stated in the FAQ above.
Promotion Terms and Conditions
From the registration page:
*Registration required at www.choicehotels.com/deals/gift-card before checking out from your first qualifying stay. The promotion is only available to members of the Choice Privileges® Rewards Program who register for this promotion, and then make two separate qualifying stays at participating hotels (WoodSpring Suites® hotels and Ascend Hotel Collection® all-inclusive resorts, among others, are not participating) with arrival between 09/21/2020 and 11/15/2020. A “stay” is any number of consecutive nights at one hotel regardless of check-ins or check-outs. A “qualifying stay” is a stay that is during this promotion at a participating hotel through a qualifying channel (see Qualifying Channel, below) that is eligible to earn Choice Privileges points. Most stays are eligible to earn Choice Privileges points EXCEPT: rooms booked at rates below $40 USD per night, certain hotel initiated promotions, reward night stays, complimentary rooms, rooms paid for as part of a convention or meeting, rooms booked through a third party online retailer including online travel agencies, wholesale packages, group tours, and stays booked using the employee discount or the friends and family discount. Stays at Choice Hotels® properties in the following countries are excluded from this promotion: Japan, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Guyana, and Ecuador. You must maintain an address in the U.S. (includes U.S. territories) or Canada to be eligible.
Qualifying Channel: Members must book stays via ChoiceHotels.com, the Choice Hotels® mobile app, or 800.4CHOICE. Stays directly booked through Book by Google are also eligible, if the member adds his/her Choice Privileges number to the reservation prior to check-in. Corporate travelers may book through their online booking tool, GDS, or with a travel agent; however, reservations booked through Egencia’s Preferred Rate Program do not qualify for promotional bonus points. Choice Privileges member number must be provided upon check-in. To be eligible to earn bonus points, members must set their earning preference to Choice Privileges points in their online account. Any change made to earning preference will remain in effect after the promotion has ended, unless the member changes it. Allow 72 hours from check-out for points to post. Request for bonus points made by members who did not register for the promotion will only be considered up to 60 days after the promotion ends; request thereafter will be automatically denied.
Registered members will be awarded a minimum of 5,000 to a maximum of 8,000 bonus points after the second qualifying stay. The number of bonus points awarded depends on the number of base points earned from the two separate qualifying stays, with points varying by hotel. The total of base points plus bonus points awarded, however, will be at least 8,000 points, which is the number of points required to redeem for a $50 gift card from participating retailers. A selection of gift cards is available at the discounted redemption rate of 8,000 points from 09/21/2020 through 11/30/2020. Beginning 12/1/2020, the $50 gift cards will return to their standard redemption rate of 16,000 points. Please see a list of participating retailers here. Terms and conditions apply to $50 gift card options. See card for details.
You must maintain an address in the U.S. (includes U.S. territories) or Canada to be eligible. Choice Hotels reserves the right to amend these terms or terminate this promotion at any time. For Choice Privileges program details, eligible rates, eligible countries and point redemption rules, visit www.ChoiceHotels.com/CPrules. Hotels are independently owned and operated.
Important Reminder
If your Choice Privileges account is currently set to earn Aeroplan miles or any other loyalty currency, be sure to change it back to earning Choice points before you register or make any reservations.
Keep the 8000 Choice Points or Redeem for a $50 Gift Card?
If you have thoughts of travelling to any of the sweet spots for Choice redemptions, perhaps hold on to the points because you can definitely come out ahead by redeeming for free nights. Scandinavia in particular has great opportunities for high value point redemptions. Outside of the nordic countries, reward rates are seasonal and you’ll likely need to have some flexibility with your destination or schedule to make great use of the program.
On the other hand, if you want instant gratification, go for the gift card. There is a good selection of retailers to choose from and it requires minimal effort to use the points this way.
Choice Hotels in Atlantic Canada
There are a large number of Choice hotels here in the bubble. If you’re considering an autumn road trip, you have a lot of options:
Nova Scotia
Sydney – Comfort Inn
New Glasgow – Comfort Inn
Amherst – Comfort Inn
Truro – Comfort Inn
Halifax Airport – Quality Inn
Fall River – Inn on the Lake, Ascend Collection
Bedford – Comfort Inn
Halifax – Comfort Hotel Bayer’s Lake
Dartmouth – Comfort Inn
Bridgewater – Comfort Inn
Yarmouth – Comfort Inn
New Brunswick
Dieppe/Moncton Airport – Quality Inn & Suites
Moncton – Comfort Inn East
Moncton – Comfort Inn Magnetic Hill
Moncton – Quality Inn
Quispamsis – Quality Inn & Suites Amsterdam
Saint John – Comfort Inn
Saint John – Econo Lodge Inn & Suites
Grand Falls – Rodeway Inn
Fredericton – Quality Inn & Suites Amsterdam
Fredericton – Comfort Inn
Edmundston – Comfort Inn
Edmundston – Quality Hotel & Conference Centre
Campbellton – Comfort Inn
Campbellton – Quality Hotel & Conference Centre
Bathurst – Comfort Inn
Bathurst – Quality Inn & Suites
Miramichi – Rodeway Inn
Miramichi – Econo Lodge
Prince Edward Island
Charlottetown – Quality Inn & Suites Downtown
Charlottetown – Comfort Inn
Cornwall – Quality Inn & Suites
Summerside – Quality Inn & Suites Garden of the Gulf
Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John’s Airport – Comfort Inn
Clarenville – Quality Hotel
Gander – Comfort Inn
Gander – Quality Hotel & Suites
Corner Brook – Comfort Inn
Corner Brook – Quality Inn
Conclusion
If you have an even number of Choice hotel stays coming up, this is a very good promo. It beats Best Western’s gift card promotion which offers expiring $25 Best Western travel cards after each stay. It’s much more convenient to have the option to redeem the points for a gift card for a popular retailer. Or, if you plan to travel at some point, you can stockpile your Choice points for free nights in the future.
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