For the past two years or so, Choice Privileges has been running Sweet Spot Rewards – a rotating list of hotels that you can book at reduced award pricing in the coming months.
When one batch ends, another one usually restarts within a couple of days. However, the last set of discounted hotels ended on June 30, with no sign of when it would restart. Late last week, Choice launched a new set of Sweet Spot Rewards and there’s an interesting mix of properties, including the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel in Chicago.
The Deal
- Book Choice Privileges Sweet Spot Rewards from 10,000 points per night.
- Direct link to offer.
Key Terms
- These properties feature reduced Choice Privileges Rewards points redemption levels for the period 8/16/2024 to 11/30/2024.
- Reward nights are available at participating Choice Hotels locations starting at 8,000 Choice Privileges points.
- Choice may change reward levels at any time without notice; redemption levels typically vary per location and time of year.
Quick Thoughts
This latest batch of Sweet Spot Rewards has a list of 28 properties where you can book discounted award nights. In the past, the offer landing page broke down the list in only two ways – domestic (i.e. US) and international (which included Canada). For this latest edition they’ve broken it down further by types of stays, from beach to casino to city to family fun and more.
One of the highlights of this latest list is the Radisson Blu Aqua in Chicago. That normally costs 35,000 points per night, but on weekday nights through November 30 it’ll only cost 30,000 points per night. Cash rates can be $600+ in that time, so that could be a decent redemption for a highly rated property.
One of the nice features of Choice Privileges is that it’s often possible to book premium rooms for a standard number of points. For example, the Radisson Resort Miami Beach can be booked from 35,000 points per night (rather than 45,000 points per night) and that includes a studio room and several types of oceanfront rooms.
Another example is the Country Inn & Suites in Myrtle Beach, SC. That has a couple of one bedroom suites bookable from only 16,000 points per night (usually 20,000 points per night) which includes a one bedroom suite with four(!) queen beds.
There are a couple of things to watch out for before booking. One is that at some of these properties the discounted award pricing only applies to midweek stays, whereas some of the hotels also include weekend stays.
The other thing to watch for is the award pricing versus the cash pricing. Despite being discounted, some of the award nights still represent very poor value for your points. For example, the Atlantis Family Waterpark Hotel in the Wisconsin Dells is bookable for 25,000 points per night, but in mid-September you can book a cash rate from only $67 per night.
Remember that Citi ThankYou and Wells Fargo points can both be transferred to Choice Privileges on a 1:2 basis. That means that with these Sweet Spot Rewards starting at 10,000 points per night, you might only need to transfer over 5,000 points per night.
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I didn’t know the Tygart Hotel in Elkins, WV became a Choice property. They spent years trying to get an investor to renovate that fantastic building, and I think it just opened in the last year. Cash rates are quite good. I know I’ll have to check it out the next time I pass through town.
Blu Aqua in Chicago has a pretty rad basketball court in their gym that’s free to use. Walking distance to tons of fun stuff, highly recommend.
I stayed there a few years ago (can’t remember if I booked with Radisson Rewards or Choice Points at the time) and the hotel is very nice and a short walk to all of the major sights and attractions. I would definitely stay again.