Choice privileges: introducing an all new rewards experience

Choice Hotels is one of the value chains I actually like. The blog already has a longer write-up; it is worth a few minutes:

From 2026, the loyalty programme is getting a major upgrade. The stated goal is to “earn, redeem, and reach Elite faster.” Official announcement 🔗. Overall, this is a positive change.

Core changes (effective 2026)

  • Elite-tier changes:
    • A new top tier, Titanium
    • Nights and Elite Qualifying Credits (EQC) needed for each tier are coming down — Gold, for example, becomes 5 nights or 10,000 EQC
    • The tiers:
      • Member: starting point
      • Gold: 5 nights or 10,000 EQC
      • Platinum: 15 nights or 30,000 EQC
      • Diamond: 35 nights or 70,000 EQC
      • Titanium: 55 nights or 110,000 EQC
  • Milestone Rewards:
    • One milestone reward (such as Bonus Points or a gift card) for every five qualifying nights
    • Return & Earn: the 2nd and 3rd qualifying stays in a year each earn 1,000 Bonus Points
  • Points Sharing:
    • Later in 2026, members will be able to transfer or share points with friends or family
  • Credit-card spend:
    • Everyday spend on a Choice Privileges cobrand card (such as the Choice Privileges Mastercard) can also count toward Elite
    • Card earn becomes Elite Qualifying Credits
  • Points expiry / downgrade protection:
    • For members who already hold Elite: points will no longer expire for inactivity
    • From 2027, lighter travellers will not lose every tier at once; they drop at most one tier a year (a soft landing)
  • Award-night floor / points required:
    • Official wording still says award nights “start from as low as 6,000 / 8,000 points” (depending on the region) and that “redemption rates have not changed”

How 2026 compares with the current programme

Dimension Current (2025 and earlier) New (from 2026)
Elite thresholds Gold usually 10 nights; Platinum 20; Diamond 40 Gold 5 nights, Platinum 15, Diamond 35;
new Titanium at 55 nights / 110,000 EQC
Milestone frequency No clear “every X nights” milestone (mostly points and upgrade offers) A milestone reward every 5 nights (Bonus Points / gift card)
Points sharing None Points Sharing coming later in 2026
What counts toward status Mainly qualifying nights;
card spend earns points but not elite credits		 Everyday cobrand-card spend can also count as Elite Qualifying Credits, which opens another upgrade path
Points expiry / downgrade Points expire after 18 months of inactivity
No soft landing		 Elite members: points no longer expire
From 2027, downgrade protection: at most one tier per year
Award-night floor / points needed Typically from about 8,000 points (higher in some markets) Official wording: awards still “from as low as 6,000 / 8,000 points,” and redemption rates “have not changed”
Award room types / premium rooms Some room types may not be available for points, or cost extra The main changes are elite qualification and reward frequency; premium-room award access may improve (full terms are not fully out yet)