Choice Privileges is a hotel chain with brands like Clarion, Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, Radisson Americas etc. In today’s podcast, we’ll talk about the pros and cons of this program.
You can find our Choice Privileges complete guide here.
Choice Privileges Pros and Cons
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Pros / items of interest…
(01:25) – Earn elite status through credit card spend thanks to an update in early 2026.
(05:47) – (Somewhat) fixed award chart
(07:04) – Ability to book premium rooms with points sometimes
(09:41) – Preferred Hotels partnership
Learn more about this partnership here
(11:41) – Transfer 1:2 from Citi or Wells Fargo
(12:19) – Buy points for around .7cpp during sales
(13:02) – Titanium Travel Award: 50% off award stay up to 7 nights
Cons…
(16:11) – Not much elite benefit. Breakfast at Diamond, Titanium Travel Award at Titanium.
(16:58) – Points expire after 18 months of inactivity
(17:25) – Fewer aspirational properties (apart from Preferred Hotels, and even that experience is complicated)
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Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads
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and, points never expire for elite members.
Lousy job. What is the difference between Sleep Inn, Comfort Inn, Clarion, Radisson, etc? Which one has a walk-in shower vs. a showerhead over the bath? How do the room amenities differ by brand. All not explained but it’s this chain’s biggest problem.
Great topic. I’m not usually inclined to stay at the “budget” brands that comprise most of Choice, but I found a suite with kitchenette in June in Europe for 12k Choice points that accepted 4 people with cash rate >$200. Great deal for 6k Citi points (especially for a family)!
For me, it’s all about location. We love Hyatt, but there are 1,450 Hyatt’s versus 7,400 Choice properties. ,
I just booked a Clarion in Page AZ for 12,000 Choice points a night (which is a discount off the normal 15,000 points per night for a multi-night stay from a recent promotion) and I was able to book into a King Suite with full kitchen and washer dryer! Definitely wasn’t the Ritz, and not up to the FM teams 4.5 stars+ minimum (wink), but for 6,000 citi points a night due to the 2:1 transfer, it gave me an opportunity to travel and stay somewhere with no out of pocket cost. I may not have a lot of disposable income, but I do have points and the ability to travel is now unlocked! Plus, the washer dryer was CLUTCH after hiking and kayaking all day with my golden retriever.
Choice hotels are incredible in Norway. We stayed at the Clarion Hotel the Hub in Oslo and it was 30,000/night but only cost 15,000 points with our Citi Strata transfer 1:2. Incredible hotel with a breakfast spread that outshines anything we have stayed at before. Another Choice hotel in Lillehammer included huge breakfast spread, afternoon tea and cake and a “light dinner” which was a very nice spread. That night was only 15,000 points (7,500 with Strata transfer). Would highly recommend Choice chain in Norway
Complimentary breakfast for you and a guest
Enjoy a great start to the day with complimentary breakfast for you and one registered guest at participating hotel restaurants during stays.
Available exclusively at participating Radisson upscale brands (Radisson, Radisson RED, Radisson Blu, Radisson Collection, Radisson Individuals, and Park Plaza).*
*Where available. Terms apply.