How To Book Choice Hotels on Points
How-To Guide: Points Bookings with Choice Hotels
Are you dreaming of international travel but struggling to find hotels that can actually fit your whole family in one room?
Here’s the solution: Choice Hotels! They’ve revamped their booking system, and now you can plan nearly a year in advance—50 weeks instead of just 100 days!
The best part? Many Choice Hotels offer rooms for four people, making it easier (and cheaper!) to travel as a family (children ages 9 and under are free. Make sure to check with Choice for older children before booking).
Want all the details on how to maximize Choice Points, plus a sneak peek at where we're staying in Norway this August? Read below!
WHO IS CHOICE HOTELS?
With over 7,000 hotels across 25+ countries, Choice Hotels offers an incredible range of lodging options through its 12 unique brands:
Sleep Inn
Quality Inn
MainStay Suites
Comfort Inn
Country Inn & Suites
Park Plaza
Park Inn by Radisson
Ascend
Cambria Hotels
Clarion Pointe
Clarion
EconoLodge
Everhome Suites
While Choice Hotels might not have the same name recognition as Marriott or Hilton, don’t sleep on these gems! Brands like Ascend, Cambria, and Clarion offer luxurious experiences that rival their larger competitors.
TRANSFERABLE PARTNERS WITH CHOICE
There are four key points transfer partners for Choice Hotels:
American Express – 1:1 ratio
Capital One – 1:1 ratio
Citi ThankYou Points – 1:2 or 1:5 ratio, depending on the card
Wells Fargo – 1:2 ratio
Pro Tip: Sign up for one of these cards when there’s an elevated welcome offer, earn the bonus, and voilà—you’ll have points ready to transfer to Choice!
HOW TO TRANSFER POINTS
Transferring points to Choice Hotels is simple. Below is how we transferred using Amex Membership Rewards.
*Always check award availability before transferring points! For example, I researched the hotel in Norway we wanted to stay at, confirmed it could fit four people, and checked the availability for our dates. Once you transfer points, you cannot reverse them, so plan ahead!
Steps to Transfer:
Important: The names on both accounts must match, and you’ll need your Choice Hotels membership number. Transfers are often instant but can take up to 48 hours. Be patient—my first transfer took a few hours, while the second was instant.
BOOKING A CHOICE HOTEL
1.
Open the Choice app and verify your points have transferred.
2.
Select "Choice Privileges Rewards Night".
3.
Choose your hotel.
4.
Select your room.
AFTER YOU BOOK
I recommend keeping a record of your reward bookings. A simple Google Sheet works great to track:
-Location
-Dates
-Points used
-Cash price equivalent
For our trip, we booked Clarion Hotel The Hub in Oslo, Norway, for both the start and end of our trip. This hotel allows families of four (children 9 and under) to share one room—perfect for family travel!
Our Booking Details:
Clarion Hotel The Hub Oslo
-Cost: 15,000 points per night (vs. $380 cash rate)
-Value: 2.5 cents per point (cpp)
-Perks: Indoor pool, free breakfast
By using points, we’re saving nearly $800 for two nights—an amazing deal! Down below is a picture of the hotel!
Conclusion
Choice Hotels’ extended award calendar (now up to 50 weeks) is a game-changer for families planning ahead. Add in the ability for families of four to share a single room, and it’s clear that Choice is a fantastic option for European travel.
If you’re ready to book a stay at a Choice Hotel, I’ve linked the two cards we personally use below. These cards are flexible, allow points transfers to Choice, and have been invaluable for our travels.
Note: There’s no cost to you for using my links, but if you find value in this guide, our family would greatly appreciate your support by clicking through!
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