Choice Hotels Will Add 50+ All-Inclusive Resorts This Winter

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.

Starting this winter, you'll be able to earn and redeem Choice Privileges points at more than 50 beachfront all-inclusive resorts in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Some Choice Privileges members received an email announcing this news on Friday morning:

This opportunity is a result of a strategic relationship Choice announced last May with AMResorts. At that time, Choice said the new relationship would allow members to "earn and redeem points at AMResorts' more than 50 award-winning properties by year end" and that the partnership will result in Choice having "the largest all-inclusive luxury resort offering of any major US hotel company."

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Now, Choice is announcing to its members that bookings through Choice for these properties will be available soon. However, a Choice spokesperson said there's no concrete date yet on which bookings will open.

If you're wondering how this relationship between AMResorts and Choice Hotels can help you, just look at the map of AMResorts:

Indeed, you'll soon be able to earn and redeem Choice points at AMResorts' brands including Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets, Breathless, Dreams, Now, Reflect and Sunscape Resorts & Spas. Each brand has a theme, with some tailored to couples, some to groups of friends, some to nuclear families and some to extended families.

Choice has yet to announce how many points these properties will cost. Currently, a free night outside the Asia Pacific region costs between 6,000 and 35,000 points. Based on TPG's valuation of Choice points at 0.6 cents each, this means a free night is worth between $36 and $210. Since even multi-bedroom villas at Choice's vacation ownership provider Bluegreen Vacations usually only cost 16,000 to 30,000 points, I imagine the new all-inclusive resorts will be bookable toward the mid to upper points range depending on season.

If any of these resorts look appealing, now's a great time to start stocking up on Choice points. There are a few ways you can acquire Choice points:

• Purchase Choice points
• Earn Choice points on stays and through promotions
• Earn Choice points by spending on the Choice Privileges Visa Signature Card
• Transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Choice at a 1:1 ratio

Since we don't yet know how many points these resorts will cost per night, you may be best off earning American Express Membership Rewards points through spending on a card like The Platinum Card® from American Express or the American Express® Gold Card.

Bottom Line

I'm excited to see Choice Hotels not only increase their presence in the upscale market, but also add some additional all-inclusive options for using points. Choice points provide excellent value in many areas, ranging from Europe and Japan to New York as well as family-friendly vacation rentals. We'll see this winter how affordable stays are at AMResorts' all-inclusive properties — both in terms of points and cash — but this partnership certainly seems like a positive addition whether you're looking to earn or redeem points.