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Choice hotel points are going on sale with Daily Getaways tomorrow. So we decided to rerun this post which was initially published in April 2017. While the comments dated 2017 are no longer relevant, the content of this post has been reviewed and updated for you. Compared to last year, more Choice points packages will be available tomorrow, however prices also go up slightly to 0.48 to 0.57 cents per point, compared to 0.40 to 0.47 cents per point last year.  The packages were very popular during the past three years as many people buy them and then transfer to Southwest Airlines for the Companion Pass. Now that the loophole is closed, are the Choice points still worth buying? The short answer is yes. In this post I will show you four best uses of Choice Points.

Use points at low category Choice hotels

There are over 6,300 choice hotels, and reward nights range from 6,000 points to 35,000 points, excluding Australia where points required are up to 75,000 points per night. One of the best uses of Choice points is to stay at low category hotels for as little as 6,000 points. Here are some examples:Comfort Hotel Tokyo

  • Comfort Hotel Lichtenberg, Berlin – 6,000 points
  • Comfort hotels in Tokyo, there are five of them that cost 8000 points, and one cost 12,000 points
  • Comfort Hotel Nara – 8,000 points
  • Comfort Hotel Osaka Shinsaibashi – 8,000 points
  • Quality Inn Porto, Portugal – 8,000 points
  • Comfort Suite Cannes Mandelieu, France – 8,000 points
  • three hotels in Prague, 10,000 -12,000 points
  • Dan and his wife stayed at the Comfort Suites in Rome for only 8000 points / night AND got a 2 floor suite!

comfort-hotel-roma-fiumicino-airport-stairs

There are definitely more. If you know any great Choice hotels at the low end of redemption, please let us know in the comments.

Best use of Choice points at expensive weekend destinations

There are some Choice hotels in popular weekend destinations, such as Napa Valley where hotel rates on the weekend can be expensive. An example would be UpValley Inn Calistoga, which often requires two-night minimum on weekends. A quick search for the first weekend in May showed a cash rate of $322 per night, but the same room can be booked for 30,000 points!

a screenshot of a hotel

Or book just Saturday night at the Napa Winery Inn for 30,000 points instead of paying $254 plus taxes. I stayed here last summer. While basic, the hotel is perfectly fine!  [SEE: Napa Winery Inn – a solid redemption of 30,000 Choice points ]

Napa Winery Inn

Another example is Ocean City Maryland, a very popular beach destination on the East Coast. Summer rates are high, especially on weekends. But you can save a ton using points! The Comfort Inn Boardwalk would cost $339 plus taxes on a Saturday in June, or 30,000 points.

Comfort Suites Ocean City

Dan and his family had a similar experience at the Rodeway Inn at the northern edge of Yellowstone Park – 16,000 points / night saved a cash price of $290!

Another best use of Choice points – Take the family to Atlantis!

Want to take the family to Atlantis Bahamas but don’t want to pay the outrageous price of Atlantis resorts? You can stay at the Comfort Suites Paradise Island, located at the entrance of Atlantis Resort. Take a look for the Saturday night over Memorial Holiday weekend. The two-double bed suite will cost $339 plus $106.17 in fees and taxes. The room accommodates a family of four people, and includes free access to the water park at Atlantis Resort. Comfort Suites Paradise Island

You can book the same room for 30,000 choice points. There was no taxes due on award stay when I took my girls there in summer of 2015. We stayed four nights using points purchased through Daily Getaway. Yes the room was not fancy, but it was more than adequate as we were out in the morning after the free breakfast, and only returned in early evening to shower and sleep. This was definitely my best use of Choice points in the past three years.

Comfort Suites Paradise Island on points

Use Choice points for luxury stays with Preferred Hotels & Resorts

Choice Privileges has a partnership with Preferred Hotels and Resorts, which operates over 500 independent luxury hotels and resorts around the world. You can use your Choice points to enjoy free nights from 25,000 points to 55,000 points, or use 10,000 points plus $112.50 to $337.50 cash. You can find complete details or locate hotel availability here. Reservation is not available online and must be booked by calling 888-770-6800.

Whether you are visiting major metropolitan cities like San Francisco, New York, Paris, London, Tokyo, Singapore etc, or relaxing by the beach in the Caribbean, Preferred Hotels & Resorts have you covered.

Conclusion

There is definitely value to be found with Choice points, depending when and where you use them. If you know of any best use of Choice points, please share with us in the comment below.


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