Last month, Choice Hotels ran a record-low 55%-off points sale, which turned out to be a “trap” – a massive devaluation hit right after the sale ended. There had already been some small increases in August, but now it’s widespread.
The first major casualty is, without question, the Strawberry group in the Nordic region. Here are some stats:
- Norway The Thief, Oslo 30,000 → 35,000
- Norway Amerikalinjen, Oslo 30,000 → 35,000
- Norway Sommero House, Oslo 12,000 → 35,000
- Norway Hotel Christiania Teater, Oslo 20,000 → 25,000
- Sweden At Six, Stockholm 20,000 → 25,000
- Sweden Nordic Light Hotel, Stockholm 20,000 → 25,000
- Sweden Clarion Hotel Sign, Stockholm 20,000 → 25,000
- Sweden Clarion Hotel Arlanda Airport, Stockholm 12,000 → 20,000
- Sweden Home Hotel Wellington, Stockholm 15,000 → 25,000
- Denmark Villa Copenhagen, Copenhagen 20,000 → 35,000
- Denmark Comfort Hotel Vesterbro, Copenhagen 12,000 → 20,000
This round of increases is quite extreme, as some hotels like The Thief in Oslo had already been raised once recently. The most shocking is Sommero House, which has literally tripled in cost; but too be honest, 12,000 points for such a lovely hotel was too good to be true.
The second major hit, as you might guess, is Japan:
- Tokyo Comfort Inn Roppongi 8,000 → 15,000
- Tokyo Comfort Hotel Kanda 8,000 → 10,000
- Tokyo Comfort Hotel Higashi Nihombashi 10,000 → 12,000
- Tokyo Comfort Hotel Kiyosumi Shirakawa 10,000 → 12,000
It seems that only Tokyo properties are affected, where the value proposition has basically disappeared. Other cities like Sapporo and Takayama remain at 8,000 points for now which is still decent.
Choice used to be a hidden gem among hotel groups, but as popularity grows, the magic fades. If you’re still holding onto a stash of Choice points, now’s the time to burn them.
Recent Comments