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Choice Hotels has kicked off 2026 with a meaningful refresh its Choice Privileges loyalty program. The headline wins are pretty straightforward. Elite status is now easier to earn, and there’s a new top tier, Titanium, designed to reward the program’s top guests. In 2027, Choice will also rollout a new status “soft landing” feature that makes losing status a little less painful.
That said, not every update is an obvious upgrade. There is also one noteworthy loss. Choice has ended rollover nights for elite members. Choice Hotels also retired its long-running “Your Extras” perk and replaced it with Milestone Rewards. This new structure can be useful, but may feel less rewarding depending on how often you stay at Choice properties and where you typically travel.
Here is a clear breakdown of what changed and what this means for members in 2026.
Page Contents
Overview: Changes to Choice Privileges in 2026
As of January 1, 2026, Choice Hotels rolled out an overhauled Choice Privileges program that changes how the program rewards its members. The overhaul focuses on three main areas:
- Making elite status easier to earn and adding a second way to earn status
- Introducing a new top-tier status
- Reworking how members earn rewards throughout the year
Choice Hotels lowered elite status qualification thresholds across all existing tiers with the number of nights required to earn Gold, Platinum, and Diamond status reduced by up to 50%. Now, elite status with Choice Privileges is earned after just 5 qualifying nights in a calendar year.
For the program's most loyal guests, Choice Privileges gets a new Titanium tier that is positioned above its Diamond tier. This new status comes with a unique annual benefit – the Titanium Travel Award – which allows eligible members to redeem one award stay at a 50% points discount at select premium properties.
Finally, Choice has phased out the “Your Extras” perk with a new Milestone Rewards structure. Instead of earning small perks tied to specific stay types, members now unlock rewards after reaching cumulative night milestones throughout the year.
The good news is that there is a lower barrier to entry at the bottom end and a solid new benefit at the top end of the program. The mixed news is that the perks travelers received as part of “Your Extras” are now tied to a milestone system which may put more casual travelers at a disadvantage.
There is one piece of bad news as a result of this program overhaul. Member that hold Choice Privileges elite status can no longer earn rollover nights.
Here is a closer look at just how much easier it will be to earn Choice Privileges elite status in 2026.
Lower Elite Status Requirements with Choice Privileges
As mentioned, the number of nights needed to earn elite status with Choice Privileges has been reduced by up to 50%. This reduction is most notable for the program's entry-level status. But, across the board, the number of nights needed to reach elite tiers has been cut by 5 nights. Here's what that means for the three existing elite tiers:
Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Thresholds in 2026:
- Gold status: 5 qualifying nights (previously 10)
- Platinum status: 15 qualifying nights (previously 20)
- Diamond status: 35 qualifying nights (previously 40)
This means that Gold, Platinum, and Diamond elite statuses see a 50%, 25%, and 12.5% reduction in the nights needed to earn each status, respectively. This is great news for casual travelers though the benefits received as a Gold member are quite modest.
Earn Status Faster with Choice Privileges Credit Cards
There are two even easier and faster ways to earn Choice Privileges elite status. Travelers that hold one of Choice Hotels' two co-branded travel rewards credit cards receive elite status as a cardholder benefit.
Additionally, both of these co-branded cards offer members bonus elite night credits each year they renew their card allowing them to jump start their journey to the next elite tier.
Complimentary Gold Status and 10 Elite Night Credits with The Choice Privileges Mastercard
The Choice Privileges Mastercard is one of the few travel rewards credit cards with no annual fee to offer solid benefits. With the Choice Privileges Mastercard, cardholders receive instant Gold status and start each year with 10 elite night credits. Starting off the year with 10 elite night credits means members will need to complete just 5 qualifying nights to receive Platinum status.
The card also comes with a solid new cardholder welcome bonus:
- 5x points on stays at participating Choice Hotels® properties plus on Choice Privileges point purchases
- 3x points on purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores and on phone plan services
- 1x points on other purchases
Complimentary Platinum Status and 20 Elite Night Credits with The Choice Privileges Select Mastercard
The Choice Privileges Select Mastercard comes with a $95 annual fee but with this fee, cardholders also receive enhanced cardholder benefits. With the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard, cardholders receive instant Platinum status and 20 elite night credits to start off each year. This means cardholders will only need to complete 15 qualifying nights to achieve Diamond status.
On additional traveler benefit that's available cardholders is up to $100 in statement credits for the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee. This benefit is available once every four years.
New cardholders will also enjoy an elevated welcome bonus over the no fee Choice Privileges rewards credit card:
- 10x points on stays at participating Choice Hotels® properties plus on Choice Privileges point purchases
- 5x points on purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores, and on phone plan services
- 1x points on other purchases
Related: Do Any Credit Cards Prove Top-Tier Elite Status with Hotels?
Introduction of Elite Qualifying Credits
Up until January 1, 2026, there was just one way to earn elite status with Choice Hotels. Member reached elite status by earning elite qualifying nights. As already highlighted above, this is still an option. But, there is also a new way to earn status this year.
Choice Privileges has introduced a revenue-based path to status called elite qualifying credits or EQCs. Elite qualifying credits are earned alongside elite qualifying nights but unlike qualifying nights, qualifying credits are pegged to the number of base points you earn each stay.
Elite qualifying credits (EQCs) according to Choice Hotels are “the sum of a member’s base points earned from points-eligible stays within a calendar year.”
Not all points a member earns will count towards their EQCs. Elite stay bonuses earned by members with elite status don't count towards EQCs. Additionally, members won't earn EQCs on any other bonus including promotions or those earned from a Milestone Reward.
Here's how many elite qualifying credits are needed to reach each tier in 2026:
- Gold: 10,000 EQCs
- Platinum: 30,000 EQCs
- Diamond: 70,000 EQCs
- Titanium: 110,000 EQCs
You might be wondering if points earned with Choice Privileges' co-branded rewards credit cards will count towards elite qualifying credits. The answer is yes, but not all points earned with a Choice Privileges credit card are eligible. Here's how cardholders will earn EQCs with their Choice Privileges card:
- Cardholders will earn EQCs on all qualifying purchases
- Bonuses earned by cardholders will not earn EQCs. This includes new cardholder welcome bonuses and cardholder anniversary bonuses.
Ultimately, given how few nights are needed to achieve status, most members will likely continue to achieve elite status through elite qualifying nights. However, members that hold a Choice Privileges co-branded rewards credit card may benefit from the introduction of EQCs.
New Choice Privileges Titanium Tier
Before 2026, the highest elite status tier you could earn with Choice Privileges was Diamond status. However, as of the first of the year, there's a new top tier for the program. Titanium takes Diamond's place as the top elite tier for 2026 and with a few added benefits and increased requirements to obtain this new status.
To earn Titanium status, members will need to earn either 55 qualifying nights or 110,000 qualifying credits. This is a pretty significant increase over Diamond status. Members that want to make the move from Diamond to Titanium will need to increase their nightly stays or elite credits by more than 50%.
So, what are the benefits you receive with Titanium status that you won't get with Diamond? Despite the significant bump in qualifying nights and credits, Titanium members don't receive a ton of added benefits. In fact, there is just a single added benefit that accompanies Titanium status – the Titanium Travel Award.
The Titanium Travel Award
Upon achieving Titanium status, members will receive the Titanium Travel Award. This is an annual benefit awarded each year a member qualifies for the program's top status. The Titanium Travel Awards allows members with Titanium status to receive an annual coupon for 50% off a Reward Night stay at select higher-end Choice Hotels properties.
The 50% off Reward Night coupon is good for 1 room up to 7 nights but only at participating properties. As mentioned, eligible members can only redeem this coupon at Choice Hotels' higher-end properties. These properties include a “curated selection” of hotels. It's not entirely clear what is meant by a curated selection but some of the eligible properties will include Choice Hotels properties operating under the following brands:
- Ascend Collection
- Cambria
- Radisson Blu
- Radisson Red
- Radisson Individuals
- Westgate Resorts
- Bluegreen
While the vague language surrounding to this benefit isn't great, the benefit itself is fantastic. 50% off awards at these properties is nothing to scoff at. However, it's worth noting that Radisson Hotels outside of the Americas do not participate in Choice Privileges and are not eligible to book with this award.
If you're curious as to how this benefit appears in the official program terms and conditions, it's worth noting that even in the terms and conditions, the wording is extremely vague.
Titanium Travel Awards are available for Reward Night Redemptions at a select list of Participating Locations worldwide, which may include individual Ascend Collection, Cambria Hotels, Radisson, Radisson Blu, Radisson Individuals, Radisson RED, Park Plaza, Casino hotels, or hotels from other brands and partners outside of the U.S. Titanium Travel Awards may not be used for reward redemptions at Preferred Hotels.
It appears as though there is not one single list that a member can view. Instead, members looking to redeem this benefit will only know if there preferred hotel participants in Titanium Travel Award when they go to redeem their coupon.
Related: The Complete Guide to Choice Privileges
Milestone Rewards Replaces “Your Extras”
The third major change to the Choice Privileges program in 2026 is the introduction of Milestone Rewards. Milestone Rewards replace the existing “Your Extras” perk that allowed members to earn an added bonus when booking weeknight stays.
This is not a direct replacement as the Your Extras benefit was not earned after a set number of stays. Your Extras were small extra perks that any member – even without elite status – could receive when they booked eligible stays that included a weeknight. These included things like extra Choice Privileges points, 100 points or miles with select airline partners, a $3 Uber credit, or $5 Starbucks card.
Instead of Your Extras, members can earn added perks and bonuses after reaching certain set milestones in a calendar year. With Choice Privileges Milestone Rewards, members can receive similar added perks like extra points or gift cards to retailers or restaurants.
With the new milestone system, this does mean that members will need to reach Gold status to qualifying for a milestone. However, as already mentioned, this is not much of a challenge as Gold status is achieved after just 5 qualifying nights.
Here's how members will earn Milestone Rewards and what they'll receive with each milestone.
Earning Milestones Rewards and The Perks You'll Receive
| Milestone Rewards Threshold | Option 1: Bonus Choice Privileges Points | Option 2: Gift Card |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Milestone Qualifying Nights (MQNs) or 20,000 Milestone Qualifying Credits (MQCs) | 1,500 | $5 |
| 20 MQNs or 40,000 MQCs | 2,500 | $10 |
| 25 MQNs or 50,000 MQCs | 3,000 | $10 |
| 30 MQNs or 60,000 MQCs | 3,500 | $10 |
| 40 MQNs or 80,000 MQCs | 4,500 | $20 |
| 45 MQNs or 90,000 MQCs | 5,000 | $20 |
| 50 MQNs or 100,000 MQCs | 6,500 | $20 |
Rollover Nights are No Longer
The only true and noteworthy net negative as a result of the program overhaul is that Choice Privileges will no longer offer the rollover nights benefit. Rollover nights were offered to members with elite status as a way to jump-start status the following year.
Members that earned elite status and that earned additional elite nights but not enough for the next status would receive these extra elite nights as a credit the following year. Here's how this worked.
If a member achieved Gold status after earning the – at the time – 10 required elite nights but then earned 9 additional elite night credits (1 shy of Platinum status), they would receive these 9 nights as rollover nights the following year.
Choice Privileges has sunset this benefit with no clear replacement. Though, one could argue the reduction in the number of elite qualifying nights could balance out the loss of rollover nights.
Related: Do Choice Hotels Points Expire?
Additional Changes to Choice Privileges in 2026
There are a few other noteworthy changes to the Choice Privileges program introduced at the start of 2026. These include bonus points for 2nd and 3rd eligible stays, dropping only a single tier each year if you fail to re-qualify for your current status, and the ability to share points.
Return and Earn: Earn bonus points on 2nd and 3rd qualifying stays
All Choice Privileges members – regardless of their status – will now receive 1,000 bonus points each year after their 2nd and 3rd qualifying stay. Members will receive 1,000 bonus points after they complete two separate points-eligible stays and an additional 1,000 points after the completion of their third points-eligible stay. It's not a headline benefit but it's a quick and easy way to earn 2,000 bonus points each year.
Lasting Recognition: Drop only one elite tier in a calendar year
This is one of the better changes announced this year. Starting in 2027, if you fail to re-qualify for your current elite status, you will only drop one status tier each calendar year. So, how exactly is this a new benefit or perk? Here is an example that better explains how this works:
Let's say that this year, you reach Diamond status. You will start 2027 with your Diamond status. But, let's say you only stay 5 elite nights in 2027. Instead of being dropped down to Gold status in 2028, you will be dropped down to Platinum status. Now, let's say that in 2028 you only stay 3 nights. In 2029, you will still receive Gold status.
Choice Hotels refers to this as a “soft landing.” It's a pretty unique concept that aims to keep members coming back even if they're traveling less often or have shifted some stays to other hotel programs.
Points Sharing: “Coming Soon”
While many other hotel and airline loyalty programs already offer the ability to share points with another member, Choice Privileges does not. Starting later this year, Choice Hotels will allow Choice Privileges members to share their points with “friends and family.” The exact timeline for points sharing has not been confirmed though the Choice Hotels website lists this benefit as “coming soon.”
The Bottom Line
Choice Privileges’ 2026 refresh appears to be net positive for most travelers, particularly anyone who stays at Choice Hotels even a handful of nights per year. Cutting elite thresholds across the board lowers the barrier to perks, and the new Titanium tier gives the program a new top end with an added benefit for the most frequent guests.
If you hold a Choice Privileges co-branded credit card, the path gets even shorter thanks to complimentary status and annual elite night credits, which can move you into Platinum or Diamond territory with relatively few additional stays. The introduction of elite qualifying credits may also make it easier for some cardholders to earn status without meeting minimum stay requirements.
Of course, the end of rollover nights is certainly a net loss for the program. Additionally, retiring “Your Extras” in favor of Milestone Rewards makes the program feel more structured and predictable, the added perks that came with Your Extras were not all that significant to begin with.
Choice Privileges' new upcoming status “soft landing” is also a noteworthy change and a novel concept that makes retaining status much easier.
What do you make of these changes? Will this change your Choice Privileges earning strategy in 2026?
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