The Site: ChoiceHotels.com
- Choice Hotels has over 5,000 locations open and under development around the world.
- 10 hotel brands including Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, Comfort Suites, Clarion, Sleep Inn, & Econo Lodge
- Family-Friendly hotels. Generally offering free breakfast, pools, in-room Nintendo systems, game rooms, playgrounds, and free shuttles to nearby points of interest.
- Romantic suites often available with in-room hot tubs and whirlpool bathtubs, manager’s reception, and room service.
- Choice Privileges Rewards Program: Earn points at over 5,000 hotel locations, earn airline rewards, or Amtrak reward points. Points are redeemable for free hotel nights worldwide, airline rewards,and gift cards. Earn nights or flights fast with the Choice Hotels® Choice Privileges® rewards program. Choice hotels participates in Points.com. Read our review of Points.com to get the most from your reward points.
- Senior discount. Over 50 years of age save 10% with “50+ Mature Travelers rate”. Ask for this discount when you check-in at the front desk. 15% OFF if you are a AARP member!
- Kids under 18 stay free.
- More than 2,500 Pet-Friendly hotels. Your pets are welcome at Choice Hotels
The Good:
Are you ready? We are going to let you in on our insider secret: Stick to the source. Book your hotel directly on the hotels website at ChoiceHotels.com. You will nearly always get the lowest rate (even without a Choice Hotels “coupon”), while avoiding booking fees and cancellation penalties. You may also have greater peace of mind that your reservation won’t get “lost” in the system – this has been a complaint with various online travel sites. If we are NOT booking a vacation package (air+hotel), we book directly with the hotel. Because, we have found that online travel agency sites may offer the same price for the hotel (usually higher), but then they tack on service fees and burdensome cancellation policies to boot. Take a look at Choice Hotels cancellation policies, and you won’t need to worry about buying a “travel protection plan” again, as you can often cancel with no penalties whatsoever*. Choice Hotels has a great rewards program. You can quickly rack up points for free nights, and gas cards.
The Bad:
Nothing. Choice Hotels is one of our favorite sites for booking a hotel.
The Deals:
Hotel Deals of the Week on Choice Hotels << CLICK HERE for the hotel deal of the week
15% OFF* All Mature Travelers 50 and older
I made a credit-card guaranteed reservation with Choice Hotels in November 2009 for a stay in October 2010 in Stillwater, OK at the Quality Inn. They called (I was one of the few who actually got a phone call) in February 2010 to tell me they were letting a football team stay in their hotel and that my guaranteed reservation was cancelled. They said they could book me in a room over an hour away. Obviously I wasn’t interested in this so I called Choice Hotels. After talking to several people there, I finally got someone coherent enough to understand the situation. She said I would be reimbursed for my stay at a hotel 20 miles away. This was the best option I could find so I ended up going that route. Since my stay I have spoken with three people at Choice Hotels Customer Relations (who said there is no way they would’ve told me what they did), and three people from the actual hotels. I have yet to be refunded my money by Choice Hotels.
Very pleased. Courteous front desk, vry nice room and extremly comfortable bed and pillows.