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Choice Privileges doesn’t get the same attention as some other hotel loyalty programs, but for many travelers, it should. With more than 7,400 properties worldwide — and a strong footprint in smaller cities and along major highways — Choice Hotels often fills gaps other chains have.
In 2026, the Choice Privileges program underwent a major overhaul. Elite status is now easier to earn, a new top-tier Titanium status has been introduced, and members can qualify through either nights or revenue-based elite qualifying credits. The program also added Milestone Rewards.
And while Choice is known for value brands, the portfolio now includes select Radisson Blu properties, Ascend Collection hotels, and a growing number of resorts — including 20 added in 2025.
If you’ve overlooked Choice in the past, it may be time to take another look. Here’s why the program deserves consideration, and everything you should know before you book your next stay.
Page Contents
How To Join Choice Privileges
Joining Choice Privileges is free and open to anyone. To sign up, head to the enrollment page, fill out the required fields, and click “Join Now.” Finally, you’ll need to provide some basic personal information and contact details to complete the process.
Add your Choice Privileges account to AwardWallet
AwardWallet is our homegrown tool for tracking the most important elements of your loyalty programs. With Choice Privileges, the tool can track your future reservations, points balance, elite status, and any additional benefits associated with your account.
You'll receive email reminders when your valuable benefits are approaching expiration. Plus, you can use AwardWallet to log in with one click instead of entering your details manually on Choice's website.
AwardWallet Plus members can also view points activity, progress toward the next tier of elite status, and the expiration dates of individual awards.
To track your Choice rewards and other account information, add your Choice Privileges login.
AwardWallet can track more than 620 loyalty programs. To add a different program, log in to AwardWallet through a web browser or the AwardWallet app (iOS, Android). Then, click the “Add Award Program to Track” button and enter the program's name.
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Related: How To Track Your Rewards Using AwardWallet
Choice Hotels Brands
Choice Hotels operates over 20 brands divided into four buckets:
- Upscale (“Travel with More”): Cambria Hotels, Radisson, Radisson Blu, Radisson RED, Ascend Hotel Collection, Radisson Collection, Radisson Individuals, and Park Plaza by Radisson
- Midscale (“Travel and Relax”): Comfort Hotels, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Clarion Pointe, and Radisson Inn & Suites
- Economy (“Travel Simply”): Park Inn by Radisson, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn
- Extended Stay (“Travel Longer”): Everhome Suites, WoodSpring Suites, MainStay Suites, and Suburban Studios
Three of the Choice Hotels brands — Ascend Hotel Collection, Radisson Collection, and Radisson Individual — function as curated collections of hotels and resorts. Through Ascend, for example, you can book more than 20 casino hotels and resorts, 15 Bluegreen Vacations resorts, and several all-inclusive resorts.
WoodSpring Suites doesn't participate in Choice Privileges. This stems from the 2021 split between Radisson Rewards and Radisson Rewards Americas.
As of 2026, only Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Radisson Collection, Radisson Individuals, Park Plaza, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Park Inn by Radisson, and Radisson Inn & Suites properties within the Americas participate in Choice Privileges. Properties in these brands outside of the Americas participate in Radisson Rewards.
How To Earn Choice Hotels Points
Now, let's look at the best ways to earn Choice points.
Earn Choice points on stays
Generally, Choice Privileges members earn 10X points per $1 spent on most stays. So, if you spend $100, you will earn 1,000 points.
However, there are a few exceptions to keep in mind:
- Lower earnings at select brands: Members earn 5X points per $1 at MainStay Suites, Suburban Studios, and Everhome Suites on stays of seven nights or longer, and only for the first 30 nights. Stays of six nights or less still earn 10X points per $1.
- Country exclusions: You’ll only earn Choice Privileges points in participating markets. Stays at Choice Hotels properties in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden don't earn Choice Points, according to Choice’s terms and conditions.
- Elite bonuses: Elite members earn even more — between 10% and 50% bonus points on stays, depending on tier.
- Direct booking required: As with many hotel programs, you won’t earn points on stays booked through third-party sites like Expedia or Booking.com. To earn Choice Privileges points, you must book directly with Choice Hotels.
To earn points on your stays, make sure to include your Choice Privileges account information at booking. If you book online and are signed into your account, this is done automatically.
Earn Choice points with Choice Hotels credit cards
Travelers can also use co-branded Choice Privileges credit cards to earn more points:
The Choice Privileges Select Mastercard earns:
- 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
Rates & Fees
- 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
And the Choice Privileges Mastercard earns:
- 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
Rates & Fees
- 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
Earn Choice points through transfer partners
You can also transfer rewards from several programs to Choice Privileges, as shown in the following table:
That means you can essentially earn Choice points through the following cards:
$95
- 10X on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations
- 1X – Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
$95
- 5X miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment
- 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases
$325Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- 4X Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel booked on amextravel.com
- 1X on other eligible purchases
Other ways to earn Choice points
Here are some other ways to earn Choice points. Note that some of these options may not be available if you reside outside the U.S.:
- Register for and then stay during lucrative Choice bonus points promotions
- Rent Avis and Budget rental cars (earn 1,000 points on eligible rentals)
- Get 5 points per $1 spent with cruise promotions booked via Choice Privileges Cruises
- Refer friends to Choice Privileges and get 500 points once your friend completes their first stay at a point-earning rate
- Dine at restaurants that participate in Choice Privileges Eat & Earn.
- Buy Choice points
- Sign up for e-Rewards and earn points for filling out surveys
Related: Do Choice Privileges Points Expire?
Redeem Choice Hotels Points
Now, let’s look at how to redeem Choice points. In most cases, redeeming points for stays yields the best value. Here are the main options:
Redeeming points for Choice Hotels stays
To book an award stay, go to the Choice website and enter your destination, dates, and guests. Before you click “Find Hotels,” open the “Special Rates” dropdown menu and select “Use Choice Privileges points.”
Free night awards start at just 6,000 points per night — although these rates are generally only found in Australia and New Zealand. Outside of those countries, redemption rates typically start at 8,000 points per night. However, higher-end hotels will often price in the 20,000- to 35,000-point range.
Choice also expanded its booking window. Historically, you could book awards only 100 days out. Now, you can book a Choice award night up to 50 weeks in advance.
Choice Privileges doesn't use a standard award chart or dynamic pricing. Instead, it sets rates by property and date ranges.
Many properties also price award rates differently for weeknights vs weekend nights. You can see this clearly in the example below at the Radisson Blu Mall of America.
As you might expect, you’ll get the best value when cash rates are high and award rates are low.
You can also get solid value at properties featured in Choice Sweet Spot Rewards promotions. And sometimes, you can book higher room categories for the same number of points as standard rooms.
If you’re short on points, you can book Points Plus Cash rates. These start as low as $17 and 6,000 points. Points Plus Cash rates are available only to U.S. Choice Privileges members, and you must have at least 6,000 points in your account to use this option.
Redeeming Choice points for Preferred Hotels & Resorts
Choice points are also redeemable at over 300 participating Preferred Hotels & Resorts worldwide. Stays at these premium properties have a price tag to match the luxury, as awards generally feature rates between 25,000 and 87,000 points per night.
In the past, you had to call to book Preferred Hotels & Resorts stays. Now Choice has made these redemptions available online.
There is one roadblock: Preferred properties appear in search results only if you have enough points in your account to book the stay.
A workaround is to find a property on one of two Choice websites, confirm availability, and check the price before transferring points to Choice. To walk you through the steps, we've assembled a short how-to.
Once you’re ready, return to the main Choice website and search again. If you have enough points, the property should appear, and you can book from there.
Other ways to redeem Choice points
As noted above, hotel stays typically deliver the best value. But here are a few other ways to redeem Choice points, with availability varying by country:
- Use points to bid for exclusive experiences like a racing or college sports experience
- Exchange your points for miles with select Choice airline partners
- Redeem points for cruise credits with Choice Privileges Cruises
- Use points at 20-plus casinos across the United States
- Redeem for gift cards
- Donate your points to charity
Most of these options provide relatively poor value compared to booking stays with Choice Hotels — with one exception. Choice Experiences can unlock unique experiences that aren't available for purchase outright.
What are Choice Privileges points worth?
Choice points can vary widely in value, depending on how you redeem them.
Recent AwardWallet user redemptions have netted an incredible 1.26¢ per point.
However, that's skewed by savvy users scoring high-value redemptions in Japan and the Nordics. You'll generally want to get at least 0.8¢ per point from your redemptions.
Choice Privileges Elite Status
You can earn elite status with Choice Privileges.
Choice elite benefits are generally more modest than what you’ll find with some other major chains. Choice still has relatively few upscale brands, and no true luxury brands — and luxury properties tend to be where elite perks matter most.
Still, if you stay at Choice properties often, earning elite status can be worthwhile.
Changes to how you earn Choice Privileges elite status in 2026
The biggest shift in 2026 affects how members qualify for elite status.
Choice reduced the number of elite qualifying nights required by five nights across all existing tiers. It also introduced elite qualifying credits — a second path to status that runs alongside elite qualifying nights. Finally, Choice added a new top-tier status: Titanium.
Introduction of elite qualifying credits
EQCs are earned alongside EQNs, so you don’t have to choose one path or the other. As a member, you earn both credits and nights. Elite qualifying credits provide a revenue-based way to achieve elite status.
EQCs represent the total base points a member earns in a calendar year, excluding bonuses and points earned from Milestone Rewards. Choice Privileges credit cardholders can also earn EQCs through card spend, but bonuses earned from card spend are excluded and don’t count toward EQCs.
Changes to elite benefits in 2026
In addition to the changes impacting how members earn status, there are also a few changes to the benefits members with status receive. The most significant change is the end of rollover nights. Members with elite status can no longer rollover elite night credits to the following calendar year.
Another change is the end of Your Extras, which Choice replaced with Milestone Rewards. Milestone Rewards offer additional perks as members reach set thresholds, and the rewards largely resemble what members previously earned through Your Extras.
Here's how members will earn Milestone Rewards and what they can receive at each milestone:
| 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 |
Member
Everyone who joins the Choice Privileges program gets Member status. Here's a look at the benefits available to all Choice Privileges members:
- Access to member rates and promotions
- Eligible to receive 1,000 bonus points after second and third eligible stays each year
Gold status
You'll earn Choice Privileges Gold status with at least five qualifying nights or at least 10,000 EQCs within a calendar year. Gold members also receive:
- 10% elite point bonus on qualifying stays
- Eligible to receive Milestone Rewards starting at 10 milestone qualifying nights or 20,000 milestone qualifying credits
- Early check-in upon request and subject to availability (up to two hours earlier at most properties)
- Late checkout upon request and subject to availability (up to 2 p.m. at properties in North and Central America and up to two hours past standard checkout at most other properties)
- Welcome gift at check-in at most properties in the United States and Canada
- Match your status to PENN Play Preferred casino status
- Eligibility for room upgrades at check-in, and at the hotel’s discretion, at select brands and regions
It's also possible to get complimentary Gold status with the Choice Privileges® Mastercard®.
Platinum status
You’ll earn Platinum status with at least 15 qualifying nights, or 30,000 EQCs, in a calendar year. Platinum members receive:
- 25% elite point bonus on qualifying stays.
The Choice Privileges Select Mastercard confers complimentary Platinum status.
Diamond status
You’ll earn Diamond status with at least 35 qualifying nights, or 70,000 EQCs, in a calendar year. Diamond members receive:
- 50% elite point bonus on qualifying stays
- When staying at Radisson, Radisson RED, Radisson Blu, Radisson Collection, Radisson Individuals, or Park Plaza hotels in the Americas, you and one registered guest will enjoy a complimentary breakfast
- Guaranteed room availability at the prevailing rate when booking at least 48 hours in advance at select brands
NEW: Titanium Status
You’ll earn Titanium status with at least 55 qualifying nights, or 110,000 EQCs, in a calendar year. In addition to all of the above benefits, Titanium members receive:
- Titanium Travel Award: An annual coupon for 50% off a reward night stay at select higher-end Choice properties. The coupon applies to one room for up to seven nights, and only at participating properties
Other ways to earn Choice Privileges elite status
Credit cards, qualifying nights, and qualifying credits aren't the only pathways to Choice Privileges elite status. Here are some other ways to earn Choice elite status.
- Status match to the Choice Privileges program. It's free (and easy) to complete an application, and depending on when you match, you can keep your complimentary status for up to a year and a half.
- Lifetime Gold for military members and families: Eligible military members, veterans, spouses, and dependents can update the “Military Status” section of their Choice Privileges profile for lifetime Gold status.
Related: All Hotel Status Match and Fast Track Opportunities
New Benefits and Program Changes for 2026
We've already covered the most significant program changes that were introduced as part of the 2026 overhaul.
In addition to these headline program changes, there are a few other noteworthy developments announced as part of the Choice Privileges program overhaul.
Return and earn bonus
Choice now offers a small annual repeat-stay bonus for all members. After your second qualifying stay in a calendar year, you’ll earn 1,000 bonus points. After your third, you’ll earn another 1,000. It’s modest, but it’s an easy 2,000 points per year.
Status “soft landing” beginning in 2027
Beginning in 2027, members who don’t requalify for their current tier will drop only one level per year.
For example, a member who earns Diamond status and then has limited travel the following year would step down to Platinum, not Gold. If they still don’t requalify the following year, they’d drop to Gold.
Coming soon: points sharing
Choice Privileges doesn’t currently allow points transfers between accounts, but that’s set to change. Choice has confirmed that points sharing is coming, and the feature is listed as “coming soon” on the program’s website. Choice hasn’t shared a launch date or details on limits or fees.
Related: Which Programs Let You Pool Your Points and Miles?
Bottom Line
Choice Privileges isn’t the flashiest hotel loyalty program, but for many travelers, it can be surprisingly rewarding.
With more than 7,400 properties worldwide and a strong presence along major interstates and in smaller markets, Choice Hotels often fills gaps left by other major chains. That alone makes the program valuable for road trippers, regional business travelers, and anyone who prioritizes convenience and value.
The 2026 refresh strengthens the program’s appeal. Elite status is now easier to earn, Milestone Rewards add predictable bonuses throughout the year, and the new Titanium tier introduces a genuinely valuable redemption opportunity for frequent guests willing to plan around premium properties.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees)
