guffaw

So now we know how they handle the gas card promotion--they keep Econo Lodge/Rodeway/MainStay/Suburban out of it. Of course, everyone in this forum will take the 16,000 points instead of the gas card. And, as usual, you don't get 16,000 plus the points you would normally earn for the 3 nights; you get 16,000 total for the 3 nights. (The Econo Lodge/Rodeway/MainStay/Suburban 1,000 bonus points would be on top of your regular points, though.) And please read the fine print in the press releases about: how to book, "qualifying rates", etc. As I write this, I didn't see anything at choiceprivileges.com about these offers, but there will certainly be something soon.

From http://investor.choicehotels.com/pho...ar&id=1145000&

Members of the Choice Privileges rewards program who book their stay at choicehotels.com or 800.4CHOICE this summer and stay three separate times, with arrival between June 1 and August 14, will be eligible to receive a $50 gas card. After each third qualifying stay at any Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, or Cambria Suites brand hotel in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, Choice Privileges members will receive enough bonus points on top of the points from their three stays to reach 16,000 points, which can be redeemed any time for a $50 gas card or other great rewards. Consumers can earn the points for a $50 gas card an unlimited number of times during the promotion without having to register*.

From http://investor.choicehotels.com/pho...ar&id=1145002&

Members of the Choice Privileges program who book at choicehotels.com for qualifying stays between June 1 and August 14 at MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge or Rodeway Inn brand hotels in the U.S. will be eligible to receive 1,000 bonus points. Consumers can earn the 1,000 bonus points reward an unlimited number of times during the promotion period, without having to register*.

sdsearch

As of this morning, these are now showing up on the main Choice Hotels page. Here is the More Details link for the 16k "gas card" promo:

http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/en-...qi.r4hjmg2D1.2

Interesting how the wording is different (but means the same). Which hotel brands you earn this bonus at is buried in the definition of a "stay"! (Plus those brands' logos are shown on the page.)

fetchem

Thank you both for the links. I assume the Smarter Living code will count as a qualifying rate??

SkyVillager

Thanks for posting, guffaw

Would you mind amending thread title to include valid promo dates ( Jun 1 - Aug 14 ), please?

guffaw

I don't think I have the ability to change the title of the thread. If I'm wrong and I can change it, somebody please tell me how.

I don't see a moderator for this forum, so I will try to find a moderator who can change it.

sdsearch

Choice only has one concept of "qualifying" rates. If your rate qualifies for earning points, it qualifies for any bonus points (there may be other qualifications for the bonus, of course, but not rate-specific).

Meanwhile, it tells you as you're making the reservation "this rate is eligibile for earning points" or something close to that.

Smarter Living isn't a quique rate. Smarter Living is one of many organizaitons that enable the Special Organization Savings rate. (AARP is another of those argnaizations. The only thing unique about Smarter Living is that it's free and open to everyone who's online, while most other SOS rates require membership in an organization.) If Choice were to restrict things, it would be to restrict SOS, not to restrict Smarter Living per se. (Of course, separately, they could discontinue recogniaing the Smarter Living codes, but then other SOS codes could continue.)

gleff

Thread title changed per OP request.

Regards,
Gary
aka gleff
Senior moderator

GrizShel

From a link on http://www.choicehotels.com/

BigLar

The only thing wrong with this promo is that they just make up the difference. Consider: suppose you don't want to hotel-hop, but you stay all week (4 nights) at a Choice property.

If it's $75/night, you will be getting 75 X 10 X 4 = 3000 points for the week. After 3 weeks, you will have earned 9000 point, so they add another 7000.

For the last time they ran the gas card promo, the 16000 points was in addition to the points you earned, so in the above case you would have gotten your 9000 points plus the 16000 for a total of 25000 points. Still, it's lots better than a sharp stick in the eye.

Strategy to maximize point accrual:

1. Stay no more than one night in any given property
2. Pay the cheapest rate you can

I don't believe this is the effect they're aiming for, but that's how the rules "force" us to act.

Finally, if it's the same as before, you will also get your status bonuses (which will not count toward the amount to which they add the necessary points to make 16,000) and also the 2 points/$ if you pay with the Choice Visa card.

Firewind

"...at any Comfort Inn®, Comfort Suites®, Quality®, Sleep Inn®, Clarion® or Cambria Suites®..."

Think they just picked up old t&c boilerplate and inadvertently omitted Econolodge and Rodeway, or is it status quo ante? But then, the Econolodge and Rodeway emblems aren't on the promotion, either.

Did they really mean everything they said about Econolodge and Rodeway?


EDIT: Oops, I (and maybe the OP) didn't see that this is the same as the other current thread.

Firewind

Leaving the gas card aside, because the promo is for points and not a $50 gas card directly, per se, I'm comparing it to the stay-twice-round-up-to-8,000 points ("free stay") promo. It's better: 16,000 for three stays is better than 16,000 for four. Also, because it's become much more difficult to find an 8,000 point hotel.


EDIT: Oops again. Still, I hope this gets merged and not closed, as I think the point about the three vs. four stays is important to this discussion.

FLOIR

I don't see anywhere in the T&C's where they 'require' you to get points for the stay, as opposed to miles. Could you get miles and then, as per the terms, have enough points added to your earned points (which would be zero) to reach 16,000 (which means they would have to add 16,000 points)?

Or am I missing it in the terms somewhere? They seem to imply that you need to earn points, since they use the phrase "points earned", but never come out and say it and zero is a number of points earned.

Anyone remember previous promotions if they specifically required you to earn points instead of miles to participate?

rove312

Choosing points earning was specifically required in previous promotions.

GrizShel

I'm afraid you are right. The new terms make it much less useful for multiple night stays at more expensive properties.

sdsearch

Frrom a thread already on FlyerTalk (on the first page of this Choice forum) for a whole week by the time you posted this:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=823491

Merge time?