masco131
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Choice Privileges hotels and Why you should look into this
While Choice privileges may not be well-known in Australia or the Asia-Pacific region like Accor, IHG or Marriott, there’s still plenty of hidden in their program. This program might not be your go-to for every trip, but for the right destination, Choice privileges can offer some good value.
1.Transfer partners of Qantas and Virgin
Choice privileges like many hotel chains are transfer partners to various airline loyalty programs and yes, while these do not present the best value most of the time. There are some exceptions. In fact, we have seen Choice privileges previously run targeted bonus transfers to both Qantas and Velocity. Typically the bonus is 2000 choice points -1600 Qantas/Velocity points and if you do the maths it might work out to be better value than buying from Qantas/Virgin directly.
2.Great Value in the Nordic Countries
Choice points offer excellent value for hotel stays in Europe, especially in the Nordic countries, where nights can be booked for as low as 15,000 points per night.
For example, I recently booked five nights in Tromsø at the Clarion Hotel The Edge over New Year’s. At the time, the cash rate was a hefty AUD 533 per night, but I secured it for just 15,000 points per night. The hotel is right in the heart of Tromsø, making it a perfect base.
I also used Choice points to book Hotel Lilla Roberts in Helsinki over Christmas. While the cash rate was around AUD 250 per night, my points redemption worked out to be just about AUD 80 per night. Plus, both hotels included free breakfast, adding even more value to the stay.
In total, eight nights across Norway and Finland during one of the busiest travel periods of the year, and it only cost me only 120,000 Choice point which is roughly AUD 1,260. That’s an incredible deal for peak-season stays in prime city locations, especially when you factor in the included breakfast and the sky-high cash rates during the holidays.
3.Other Benefits
Another great perk of the Choice Privileges program is the ability to book select properties from the I Prefer Hotel Rewards portfolio. These include some high-end, independent hotels that wouldn’t usually be on your radar through typical hotel chains.
For example, I recently looked into a weekend getaway in Singapore with my partner, and the Fullerton Hotel through Choice would cost 40,000 points per night. Unfortunately, there was no availability for our dates, but seeing that kind of redemption option is still impressive.
Choice does have other benefits as listed on their website like cheap cinema rate which could be valuable for family with kids.
Earning & Buying Points: What You Need to Know
Choice Privileges isn’t a transfer partner of any major credit card program in Australia by major, and let’s be honest most people probably aren’t staying at Choice properties frequently enough to earn a meaningful amount of points organically. That’s why the best strategy is to buy points during their regular promotions.
They recently ran a 30% bonus points sale that ended in late June, which brought the cost down to a much more reasonable level for redemptions. If you’re planning a trip and see another sale pop up, it’s definitely worth considering. I’ll update this once the next bonus promo rolls around.
Status Match: A Small Perk (Maybe)
Choice Privileges is currently offering a status match to other hotel loyalty programs. I recently matched my Accor Platinum status to Choice Platinum. While the benefits of Platinum with Choice are pretty minimal and there’s no clear mention of room upgrades. It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out during my upcoming stays in Europe. I’ll report back if there’s any surprise recognition or perks
While Choice privileges may not be well-known in Australia or the Asia-Pacific region like Accor, IHG or Marriott, there’s still plenty of hidden in their program. This program might not be your go-to for every trip, but for the right destination, Choice privileges can offer some good value.
1.Transfer partners of Qantas and Virgin
Choice privileges like many hotel chains are transfer partners to various airline loyalty programs and yes, while these do not present the best value most of the time. There are some exceptions. In fact, we have seen Choice privileges previously run targeted bonus transfers to both Qantas and Velocity. Typically the bonus is 2000 choice points -1600 Qantas/Velocity points and if you do the maths it might work out to be better value than buying from Qantas/Virgin directly.
2.Great Value in the Nordic Countries
Choice points offer excellent value for hotel stays in Europe, especially in the Nordic countries, where nights can be booked for as low as 15,000 points per night.
For example, I recently booked five nights in Tromsø at the Clarion Hotel The Edge over New Year’s. At the time, the cash rate was a hefty AUD 533 per night, but I secured it for just 15,000 points per night. The hotel is right in the heart of Tromsø, making it a perfect base.
I also used Choice points to book Hotel Lilla Roberts in Helsinki over Christmas. While the cash rate was around AUD 250 per night, my points redemption worked out to be just about AUD 80 per night. Plus, both hotels included free breakfast, adding even more value to the stay.
In total, eight nights across Norway and Finland during one of the busiest travel periods of the year, and it only cost me only 120,000 Choice point which is roughly AUD 1,260. That’s an incredible deal for peak-season stays in prime city locations, especially when you factor in the included breakfast and the sky-high cash rates during the holidays.
3.Other Benefits
Another great perk of the Choice Privileges program is the ability to book select properties from the I Prefer Hotel Rewards portfolio. These include some high-end, independent hotels that wouldn’t usually be on your radar through typical hotel chains.
For example, I recently looked into a weekend getaway in Singapore with my partner, and the Fullerton Hotel through Choice would cost 40,000 points per night. Unfortunately, there was no availability for our dates, but seeing that kind of redemption option is still impressive.
Choice does have other benefits as listed on their website like cheap cinema rate which could be valuable for family with kids.
Earning & Buying Points: What You Need to Know
Choice Privileges isn’t a transfer partner of any major credit card program in Australia by major, and let’s be honest most people probably aren’t staying at Choice properties frequently enough to earn a meaningful amount of points organically. That’s why the best strategy is to buy points during their regular promotions.
They recently ran a 30% bonus points sale that ended in late June, which brought the cost down to a much more reasonable level for redemptions. If you’re planning a trip and see another sale pop up, it’s definitely worth considering. I’ll update this once the next bonus promo rolls around.
Status Match: A Small Perk (Maybe)
Choice Privileges is currently offering a status match to other hotel loyalty programs. I recently matched my Accor Platinum status to Choice Platinum. While the benefits of Platinum with Choice are pretty minimal and there’s no clear mention of room upgrades. It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out during my upcoming stays in Europe. I’ll report back if there’s any surprise recognition or perks
