Earn up to 20k+ Choice points for every 2 stays this summer at select brands
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.
Registration opened in early June for Choice Hotels' Free Night summer promotion. But, we recently noticed that Choice updated the terms and conditions of this promotion to offer a much larger bounty for stays at Cambria hotels.
This promotion required arrival no earlier than June 10 and checkout no later than Sept. 7, 2020. During this promotion, travelers will earn between 5,000 and 20,000 bonus points after every two stays at Cambria properties. And, travelers will earn between 5,000 and 8,000 bonus points after every two stays at most other Choice Hotels properties. If you plan to travel this summer, this promotion may be able to help you rack up some serious bonus points.
New to The Points Guy? Sign up for our daily newsletter and check out our beginner's guide.
Register for the promotion
To get in on this promotion, you need to register at this link. You must register before checkout of your first stay. But, even if you don't have plans to stay at a Choice hotel this summer, you might as well register now. Registration is open to Choice Privileges members with a U.S. or Canadian address.
After registering, a confirmation screen will load.
How to book
The terms and conditions state that stays must be booked via the Choice website, mobile app, phone booking center or Book by Google at qualifying rates — so avoid booking through an online travel agency. Corporate travelers may also book through their online booking tool or with a travel agent, but bookings through Egencia’s Preferred Rate Program don't qualify. You must ensure that your Choice Privileges number is associated with your booking before check-in.
Related reading: How to pick the right hotel chain for you
Most rates that normally earn Choice Privileges points are qualifying rates. However, many rates do not and are thus not eligible for this promotion:
“Rooms booked at rates below $40 USD per night, certain hotel initiated promotions, reward night stays, complimentary rooms, rooms paid for as part of a convention or meeting, rooms booked through a travel agent or third party online retailer including online travel agencies, wholesale packages, group tours, and stays booked using the employee discount or the friends and family discount.”
Also, the following restrictions apply to this promotion in particular:
“Stays at vacation rental property locations and Choice Hotels® properties in the following countries are excluded from this promotion: Japan, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia.”
The FAQs note that stays booked at an AMResort all-inclusive property currently do not qualify for the promotional bonus. And, the terms and conditions note that WoodSpring Suites hotels and Ascend Hotel Collection all-inclusive resorts aren't participating in this promotion.
Related reading: The best hotel credit cards
Promotion details
Check-in for a qualifying stay must have occurred no earlier than June 10 and checkout must be completed by September 7. A stay is defined as one or more consecutive nights — and this promotion specifies that a stay is “any number of consecutive nights at one hotel regardless of check-ins or checkouts.”
To participate in this promotion, you’ll need to ensure your earning preference is Choice Privileges points. So, if your earning preference is currently set to an airline program, you’re going to need to change this preference before stays for this promotion. There’s no cap on the number of points that can be earned during this promotion though.
After each pair of qualifying stays at most Choice brands, you’ll be awarded a minimum of 5,000 and a maximum of 8,000 bonus points. And, after every second qualifying stay at Cambria Hotels, you'll get a minimum of 5,000 points and a maximum of 20,000 bonus points.
The exact number of bonus points depends on "the number of base points earned from the two separate qualifying stays.” But, you are guaranteed that the total of base points plus bonus points awarded across the two stays will be at least 20,000 points when staying with Cambria and 8,000 points when staying with most other Choice brands. You can expect the points to post within 72 hours of checkout, although Ascend properties and international properties may take up to 20 days.
Related reading: Register for and maximize Your Extras at Choice Hotels
Bottom line
Through this promotion, you’ll earn a combination of base points and bonus points that will total at least 8,000 Choice points after every two eligible stays from June 10 through September 7. And, if you stay at Cambria properties, you'll earn at least 20,000 Choice points after every two eligible stays. Based on TPG's valuations, 8,000 Choice points are worth about $48 and 20,000 Choice points are worth $120.
This promotion can be particularly lucrative if you have one-night stays at relatively inexpensive Choice Hotels properties. Based on the frequently asked questions page for the promotion, there's no cap on the bonus points you can earn from stays during this promotion. So, this promotion will provide ample opportunity to earn valuable Choice points that you can then use to get excellent value in cities as well as at the vacation club component of Choice.
Related reading: Are vacation rentals by Choice Hotels a good deal for families?
