Choice Hotels® are a more niche brand for points and miles travelers, but Choice Privileges® points can be very valuable, especially outside the U.S. If you’re willing to do some math to find a good deal, these points can be a great addition to your points wallet. So we’ll get you started learning all about Choice Privileges® points and how to use them!

First, we’ll go over how to get them, and then we’ll find some examples of stays you can book with these points. 

 

Getting Choice Privileges Points 

In addition to earning points from stays at Choice Hotels®, there are three main ways to accumulate Choice Privileges® Rewards. 

• Choice Hotels® co-branded cards: Choice currently offers two credit cards – the Choice Privileges® Mastercard® and the Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®.
• Transferring credit-card points: You can transfer points from American Express® (1 to 1), Capital One (1 to 1), Wells Fargo (1 to 2), or Citi (1 to 2). We recommend transferring during a transfer bonus, transferring from Citi, or any time you’re confident you’ll get at least 1.5 cents per point of value with your planned stay. 
• Buying Points: For the right stay, it can make sense to buy Choice Privileges® points when they’re on sale. We’ve seen sales for as low as 0.74 cents per point. You can always check our regularly updated blog post for the latest on points sales.  

We always recommend having a trip in mind and confirming availability before you buy or transfer points. In some cases, I do buy hotel points speculatively if I’m very familiar with the program and know I’ll get value from the points. But I don’t recommend that if you’re new to a points currency. So, let’s explore some options before you get your points. 

I’m going to list the cents per Choice Privileges® point in value for each property in these examples, just to give you an idea of the what kinds of deals you can get from these points. And remember that those points values can double if you transfer from Citi or Wells Fargo at a ratio of 1:2! But if cents per point is not something that’s important to you, no need to worry about it. As we always say, you do you! 

 

Finding a Property 

In the U.S., the Choice Hotels® brand is known mostly for lower-end properties like Quality Inn and EconoLodge. If you’re looking for something mid-tier or higher, you’ll want to look for an Ascend Collection hotel, a Cambria hotel, or a Radisson, which are the top brands in their portfolio. Outside the U.S., Clarion hotels are often a great choice for a nicer stay, especially in Scandinavian countries, where hotels can be expensive. Choice also partners with Preferred Hotels and Resorts to let you book their properties with Choice points. 

 

Family Stay in Venice, Italy 

Finding hotel rooms in Europe that can accommodate more than two people can be challenging for family travelers. Luckily, some Choice properties allow you to book larger rooms or suites with points. Depending on the cash cost of the stay, you can get excellent value for your Choice points. Hotel Aquarius Venice, Ascend Hotel Collection, is a trendy hotel in the city’s Santa Croce district and close to many attractions. It also offers a free breakfast. [Editor’s note: Jess and I have both stayed here using Choice Privileges® points. We each thought it was a lovely hotel and a great value but Jess wasn’t a fan of the bathtub/shower in her room. I had a different shower setup and loved it. – Traci]

Booking with Points: The hotel has rooms that cost more than $600 per night in July 2025. But you could book a Junior Suite with one double bed and one twin bed that accommodates three people for 20,000 Choice points per night. That’s more than three cents per point on a peak summer stay! 

 

Summer Trip to Helsinki 

Choice Privileges points can really go far in Scandinavia. Choice has higher-end properties in some of the best destinations in this part of the world. F6, Ascend Hotel Collection is a boutique hotel in the center of Helsinki. The hotel is in an historic building and close to Market Square and the historic Old Market Hall. The property even offers a free full breakfast. 

Booking with Points: You could book this hotel in August for three nights in a Double Bed Superior Room for only 36,000 Choice points. The cash cost of this stay would be $984. That’s 2.73 cents per point—a fantastic value for these points. 

 

 

August in Stockholm 

Stay in the center of Stockholm this summer with another high-end Choice property, the Nordic Light Hotel. Next to Stockholm Central Station, this hotel’s name is inspired by the Northern Lights. The property is close to the royal palace, the city’s old town, and many museums. It also offers free breakfast, which is a wonderful benefit in an expensive city like Stockholm. 

Booking with Points: You can book this hotel for 15,000 Choice Privileges points per night for a two-night stay in August, whereas the cash value of this stay would be $428, as of the time I searched in May. That’s a little less than one cent per point. That’s not a bad redemption for Choice points, but it’s not a great one either.  

 

 

Windy City Weekend with the Family 

If pizza, great museums, shopping, and one of the U.S.’s great cities is on your travel list, you can use your Choice points in downtown Chicago. Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago is within walking distance of iconic Chicago attractions like Millennium Park, the Magnificent Mile, and Navy Pier. The hotel has many amenities, including two pools, a fitness center, a steam room, and more. 

Booking with Points: You can book this stay for 45,000 points per night for a two-queen room that will accommodate four people. The cash price for this two-night stay is $957 at the time I searched. That gives you a value of 1.06 cents per point. 

 

 

Winter Couples Getaway to Florida 

The elegant Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida is bookable via the Preferred Hotels and Resorts platform. This luxury hotel is a National Historic Landmark and close to Miami and Miami Beach. But you may never want to leave this property with amenities like a spa, fitness center, and golf. The hotel even boasts one of the continental U.S.’s largest hotel pools. The resort also has lots of dining options, including gelato and afternoon tea! 

Booking with Points: On a December weekend, this property would cost more than $2,000 for three nights. But using your Choice points, you could pay 171,000 points for the same stay. That would give you another good value of 1.21 cents per point. This property charges a $23 per night resort fee, which is not waived on award stays, and has been removed from the cents-per-point calculation already. 

 

Austin City Limits Friends Weekend 

If you love music and Tex-Mex, head to Austin City Limits and stay at the Cambria Hotel Austin Downtown with your Choice points. This hotel is in the heart of Austin, near Lady Bird Lake and the Austin Convention Center. If you need a break from the hot Texas weather, the hotel offers an outdoor pool with views of Austin. The property also offers dining options and a fitness center. 

Booking with Points: You can book three nights at this hotel for 90,000 Choice points. The cash cost for this stay would be $918. That’s a value of 1.02 cents per point. 

 

 

Bottom Line

 As you can see, Choice Privileges® points can be very useful in the right situations. With some planning and points math, you can turn these hotel points into a mid-tier or even luxury stay! 

 

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