Choice Privileges Raises Award Rates at Some Japan Hotels
Choice Privileges has increased the number of points required for award stays at several hotels in Japan, with some properties seeing rates jump by as much as 200%. The changes were first spotted by Loyalty Lobby and mostly affect hotels in Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka.
Japan has long been one of the sweet spots in the Choice Privileges program. Many centrally located properties could previously be booked for relatively low point rates, making them a popular option for travelers transferring points from programs like Citi ThankYou Rewards and Wells Fargo Rewards.
According to Loyalty Lobby, some hotels that previously cost around 8,000 points per night are now pricing at 20,000 to 24,000 points per night.
Meanwhile, many Choice properties outside of these major cities continue to price at 8,000 points per night. But it would be surprising to see those rates go up as well in the near future.
The devaluation is particularly notable because Japan was one of the few remaining markets where Choice points could deliver outsized value. Travelers could even purchase Choice points during sales and still get pretty good deals at hotels that would otherwise cost nearly twice as much.
