Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  11/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been a member of choice for the last 10 years and a Choice Diamond Member for approx 9 of those years staying out with your company for approx 150 to 200 nights a year ithin my transportation company. About 30 days ago I had compiled approx 600,000 points and my family and I decided to book a vacation to ******** *** *****. We booked the hotels with points plus cash which added up to be approx $5800.00 and patiently waited for one of our passports to return so we could take the trip December 27th thru January 2nd. The cancellation period within these rooms was November 27th so as we got closer to that date we realized that the passport may not come so we decided to cancel those rooms and book at ****** ******** in Colorado. The problem is I was able to go through the application on my phone as I have done many times and cancel all the rooms except for one that had 4 rooms booked under it. I have a confirmation screen shot showing that it was cancelled but never received an email confirmation number so I called reservations 15 days ago and asked your company to help me get this cancelled so I could receive 72,000 of my points back and my $2900.00. I have never in my last 10 years heard the complaints from your secondary supervisors. The first time I was told the ******** ***** *** had locked the reservation and that there was nothing Choice could do and we cannot contact ********, ** ***. It will be 3 to 5 days before we can get in touch with you. I never received a call back in 3 to 5 days so I called again only to be told the second tie that the ******** ***** *** had taken the payment not Choice and they should reimburse me the money and once they cancel and reimburse the money then Choice would send me my points back. 3 to 5 more days which was this past Monday i received another call asking me for 3 to 5 more days for them to look into this - please understand ** ******* your secondary supervisors must go thru some rigorous training to tell your diamond customers lies because today i was able to get in contact with ******** *** in Aruba and i spoke to a very nice lady named ****** and she was able to cancel my reservation of which i have been asking your company to do for 15 days. I'm asking for you to please have someone contact me asap and identify that your company is reimbursing my $2900.00 and my 72,000 points before I contact my attorney and the better business bureau. On each occasion your customer service people always thank me for being a Choice Diamond member but please rest assured I have figured out that I am no different than any other person that stays in your hotels. I have spoken to 4 of your secondary representatives and not one of them has been cordial in fixing my issue.

  Business response

  11/16/2023

  Hello ******,
  
  We have carefully read what you're facing regarding the points and the money used to complete your point-plus cash booking, and it's sincerely heartbreaking you have not received adequate assistance when needed. Please know that when it comes to points-plus cash reservations, the money our system takes out of your card is to purchase the points missing to complete the booking. However, since you cancel it within the cancelation deadline, you should have received the rewards and the money back. Regrettably, it was not your case, and we're eager to rectify this situation. Therefore, we have shared this case with one of our specialist teams for them to review this issue, and they might contact you within 7-10 business days once this case is sorted out or if they need further information.
  
  Additionally, we have notified the appropriate parties at Choice Hotels to make proper improvements and avoid this situation from happening again. My team and I sincerely regret all the inconvenience it has caused and appreciate you bringing your concerns to our attention.
  
  ********
  Choice Hotels International
  ********

• Initial Complaint

  11/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 9/15/23, I redeemed 8,000 Choice Privileges points for a $50 **** gift card. As of today, I have not received the card. I called Choice Privileges customer service, and they said the order was "fulfilled on 9/16/23." The first agent said because the order was "fulfilled," it was out of their hands and that I needed to call **** directly to find out why I didn't receive the card. She gave me a number to call. When I called that number (****), they said that they could not help me unless I had a card number. I called Choice Privileges again to report that, and they then replied that "fulfilled" meant that Choice Privileges had sent the card by mail and advised I contact the post office. I asked for a tracking number for the package, but the one they gave me was invalid on the USPS tracking site. This seems like a scam!

  Business response

  11/15/2023

  Dear *****,
  
  Thank you for contacting us. We understand the importance of your concern since you redeemed a Gift Card with your hard-earned points.
  
  Upon checking, our records show a $50.00 **** Rewards Gift Card was successfully delivered to ****************************** Sunnyvale, CA *****. Unfortunately, Choice Hotels is not responsible for lost or stolen gift cards. 
  
  Nonetheless, since we care about your business and satisfaction, we returned the points you used as a one-time courtesy. Thank you again for bringing this to our attention. We appreciate your time.
  
  *********
  Choice Hotels International
  CID ********

  Customer response

  11/16/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************
  

• Initial Complaint

  11/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Since July 23, Choice has persistently refused to carry any responsibility for the failed points transfer (of 36,000 points), due to its acquisition of ******** Americas, of ******** **** points to ******** ******** and onward to Choice. The points transfer was CONFIRMED by email. As part of the acquisition, the account's Platinum status carried over to Choice fine. Choice is abusing its position, its own T&Cs, and general regulations. Choice blames ******** for the failure: ******** ******** is now a Choice brand, and ******** **** cannot do anything. After months, there has been no progress, merely stonewalling. Furthermore, Choice had promised to issue the points plus 250 points for accepting a telemarketing call (to which I was half-tricked). These points never came either, despite Choice's promises to the contrary.

  Business response

  11/19/2023

  Hello *********,
  
  Thank you for taking the time to bring this situation to our attention. We sincerely regret any difficulties during this transition. My team and I would like to review your case further. Please reply with your ******** account number and include your home address associated with your Choice Privileges account. Once we have this information, we will follow up accordingly.
  
  ****
  Choice Hotels International
  ********

  Customer response

  11/20/2023

  As requested, the ******** ******** and ******** **** account numbers are, respectively, ****************, and ****************. Address in Choice profile is **************************, Sarasota FL **********

  Regards

  *********

  Customer response

  11/20/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  As requested, the ******** ******** and ******** **** account numbers are, respectively, ****************, and ****************. Address in Choice profile is **************************, Sarasota FL *******. I look forward to hearing from you.

  
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************************
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  Business response

  11/20/2023

  Dear *********,
  
  Thank you for sending the additional details. Upon checking our records, your ******** Awards account had zero points by the time the transition was done on July 2023. 
  
  Nonetheless, as attempt to keep your business and since our customers' satisfaction is our top priority, we credited 18,250 Choice Privileges points. These points are equivalent to the points you would have received in the conversion of ******** to Choice Privileges and the 250 points you mentioned above.
  
  Please know that ******** Rewards was created with different rules and regulations since you earned 20 points per dollar spent before taxes at their properties. With Choice Privileges, members earn 10 points per dollar before taxes at our establishments, excluding ********** Suites properties; therefore, points transferred to your membership are equivalent in value between the two programs. From a redemption perspective, the number of points required for redemptions, whether for a hotel booking, airline miles, or a gift card, is roughly half the amount. So, although the rewards are transferred at 2:1, the value remains the same. We appreciate your time and understanding. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
  
  Regards,
  
  *********
  Choice Hotels International
  CID ********

  Customer response

  11/30/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************************
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  11/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Choice Hotels advertises stay twice, get a free night. (See their advertisement I am uploading.) However, they DO NOT honor that ad. Instead, they put some points in a rewards account and the amount of those points is not enough for a free night at their cheapest hotel let alone the one's I stay at. According to them, that's what they meant, that if you stay enough times you'll get a free night. But that IS NOT WHAT THER AD STATES. They should provide me and everyone else a free night for every two stays AS THEIR AD STATES and if they don't want to do that in the future they should change the ad.

  Business response

  11/14/2023

  Dear ***,
  
  We appreciate you getting in touch with us regarding our Fall promotion.
  
  After carefully reviewing your account, our system shows that you earned a total of 8,000 points for the two separate stays during this promotion. Please note that all our seasonal promotions are based on points, and our previous Fall Promotion 2023 was based on 8,000 points that can be used for a free night at over 1,000 hotels, depending on the arrival date, hotel location, or even the season of the year. 
  
  Since our customer satisfaction will always be our top priority, one of our representatives awarded you additional reward points to your account in an attempt to resolve your concerns. Thank you again for bringing this to our attention. 
  
  *********
  Choice Hotels International
  CID ********

  Customer response

  11/15/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  The attached ad CLEARLY states, "stay twice: get a free night."  The hotel I stayed at requires 16,000 points for a free night.  Initially, for my stays, they added the number of points to my account they normally would.  When I inquired about the free night, they added 6,000 points to my account.  When I told them that was not a free night, they said they would add 2,000 more points to my account.  Instead of doing that they added a few more points to bring the total to 8,000 INCLUDING the normal number.  As they are doing now, then they claimed that amounts to a free night because they have a few cheap hotels that will take 8,000 points for a night.  However, I went to their site and checked for what was available for several trips I have coming up and they showed no hotels that could be booked for 8,000 points.
  
  This is a great example of a much more significant problem with Choice Hotels.  They don't actually own the hotels; they franchise them.  And when it comes to an issue like this, they protect themselves to the detriment of their franchisees.  In this particular case, they saved themselves a few bucks with their spin and lies but cost their franchisees considerably more because I'll never stay at one of their hotels again and I suspect that is true for many others as they learn the truth about the Choice ad.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  10/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My ***** ***** credit card is literally the only credit card I have on my choice membership account. So, not sure how it could not be linked as stated in an email I received from you. I was hung up twice by choice hotel to, then transferred from choice to ***** *****. ***** ***** said they do t deal with this issue and the transferred me back to choice. Choice hung up on me again. 4th time I requested to talk to a level 2 rep, placed on hold for 18 min and then, yep they hung up on me. Called backed again #5, no luck. What a joke. The ***** ***** choice card should be on my account. I want my points, that is the reason I got the card. If my ***** ***** choice card is linked to any other account, I want my points back and also file a complaint as to why MY credit card would be linked to any other account that was not MINE! That is a serious breach of information to link a card to the wrong account. Now I get an email saying my ***** ***** privilege card is not linked to any account. So which is it? I’ve got multiple emails saying it is link to the wrong account and one that says it is!! I spent almost 3 hrs on the phone today getting the run around. At this point I don’t think choice hotels is worth this hassle.

  Business response

  10/28/2023

  Dear *****,
  
  Honestly, it's hard to imagine your frustration regarding this situation, and we recognize that anything related to the Choice Privileges credit card is a pressing matter for any member. So, your concern is more than reasonable to us. Please know my team has requested more details from ***** ***** directly. Please allow us 7-10 business days for an answer. Thank you.
  
  ***
  Choice Hotels International
  CID ********

  Customer response

  10/28/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I do not want to close out complaint until all points have been added to my account. This includes all points earned from spending and also the promo points. Nothing else will be excepted. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************

  Business response

  10/31/2023

  Dear *****, 
  
  We can understand your frustration with this situation after the time it has taken to be solved. After carefully reviewing your details with ***** *****, they mentioned that your Choice Privileges credit card and the points will be updated by the next billing cycle. In the meantime, we will keep working with the internal parties involved for any updates. 
  
  On the other hand, your concerns are important to us, and as appreciation for your loyalty and an apology token, I have deposited 8,000 points in your Choice Privileges account. Remember that free nights start at 8,000 to 35,000 points, depending on the hotel's location, season, and arrival date. We sincerely hope you can take advantage of them and give us another opportunity. We appreciate your patience, and for further questions, don't hesitate to reach out. 
  
  *****
  Choice Hotels International
  CID ********

  Customer response

  11/02/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  Once ALL points are added to my  account (promo and purchase points) I will except the resolution. Please forgive me for this action, but with the varying responses I have been given by ***** ***** about this, I do not yet trust it will be resolved correctly. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************
  

• Initial Complaint

  10/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Early this morning, I purchased points to continue staying in my hotel, which is in the “Choice Hotels” chain. However, unbeknownst to me, the points for my hotel had significantly increased from just. 8000 points to 25,000! I was shocked! I called customer service to amend the situation, which was a waste of time. I was told that the purchase for the points was non refundable, which is horrible. I requested a stay at another hotel, but all of them are above 12000 points! The customer service supervisor I spoke with was going to give me half of the points to stay at another hotel. However, at the other hotels, there is a deposit of. $100 that is required at check in, which is ridiculous! The deposit at the hotel I stayed in was only $50, but that was bad enough. Most other hotels I stay in don’t charge this deposit unless I have a dog! I asked her to please reverse the charges, as it is still in the “pending” stage, and would be easier to do. She refused! Most merchants can and will do this! This is unacceptable, and I’d like a refund please! Or perhaps another solution! I’ve always been pleased with this chain of hotels in the past. The hotels I stayed in prior to coming back to south Florida-the Quality Inn and another in St Augustine, didn’t charge me that ridiculous deposit! I’m going through a hard enough time as it is, and I don’t need this inconvenience and aggravation. Your response on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

  Business response

  10/28/2023

  Hello, *****. Thank you for contacting us and bringing this situation to our attention. My team and I regret to hear about your dissatisfaction with our customer service representatives. Unquestionably, room rates and points requirement for a reward night are important when deciding where to stay. Kindly note that every hotel under the Choice Hotels umbrella is independently owned and operated. Due to this partnership, policies such as deposits, the number of points required for a reward night, and room rates are set in place by the ownership and management of the hotel directly. Moreover, reward points requirement changes depending on the season and day of the week, among other factors. Furthermore, 
  
  On the other hand, we recognize the importance of receiving a refund. However, the points have been posted to your account, and Choice Hotels and its partners handle different billing systems. Therefore, a refund for the 5,000 points is out of our possibilities since the points purchased come from ******.com, one of our partners. Nevertheless, we are committed to all of our guest satisfaction. For this reason, we credited the remaining 15,970 points to your account to make you reach a new balance of 25,000 points, which was the number requested by the hotel on 10/26/23. As you might know, our members earn 10 points for every $1 spent at Choice Hotels, so 15,970 points are equivalent to what you would earn after spending $1,597 at the property before taxes. These points can be redeemed for a free stay at selected Choice Hotel locations since our properties range from 8,000 to 35,000 points per night. We hope you take advantage of them and allow us the opportunity to welcome you soon to our franchisee hotels. If my team and I can be of any additional assistance, let us know. 
  
  ***
  Customer Care
  CHSM@choicehotels.com
  Tel: ************
  CC: ********

  Customer response

  10/28/2023

  Though I appreciate the extra points, it still doesn’t solve the issue of the $100 holding deposit.  This is so ridiculous and not necessary, especially if a guest has no pets with them!  As for the refund, I’ve already disputed the charge with my bank.  assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  10/25/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I went online on October 22nd and made a reservation for Woodspring Motel at **** **** ***** ******, Richmond, VA *****. My reservation was supposed to be one week there, from October 22 to October 29. When I arrived at Woodspring Hotel, my reservation could not be honored due to not having a valid ID. Since Sunday, I have sent two emails to Choice Hotels customer service with no luck. I called Choice Hotels Corporate Office Customer Service three times and finally called Woodspring Suites Motel in Richmond, only to get the run around four times. I want my reservation canceled and a refund sent to the card on file with no more excuses. I will include the information below. The reservation confirmation number was ********.

  Business response

  11/06/2023

  Hi *********, 

  
  We feel disappointed to hear about the billing issues encountered at the Woodspring Suites and the service received from the staff. On behalf of Choice Hotels, we apologize for this matter. Kindly note that I contacted ******, the Front Desk Clerk on duty, and after verifying this information with *****************, General Manager, I was told to call back tomorrow morning by 8:00 a.m. Eastern time, when he is going to be available to further discuss this issue. We will keep you posted on the outcome. Thank you in advance for patiently waiting. 

  *** 
  Social Media Team 
  CHSM@choicehotels.com 
  Tel: 
  CC: ******** 
  
  *Share your experience on social media by tagging us @ChoiceHotels* 

• Initial Complaint

  10/22/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Dear Choice Privileges Customer Service, I am writing to bring to your attention an issue I recently encountered regarding missing Choice Privileges rewards points for a stay I had at the Country Inn & Suites Asheville River Arts District from October 5 to October 7, 2023. My confirmation number for this stay is ********. Upon reviewing the terms and conditions of the Choice Privileges rewards program, I could not identify any reasons why I would not receive rewards points for this particular stay. Specifically, my post-email confirmation stated that the following exclusions do not apply to my stay: Rooms booked at rates below $40 per night Complimentary rooms, including rooms booked with Choice Privileges points Rooms paid for as part of a convention or meeting Rooms booked through a travel agent or third-party online retailer as part of pre-paid wholesale rates, wholesale packages, or senior tours My stay at the Country Inn & Suites Asheville River Arts District certainly did not fall into any of these exclusion categories. Furthermore, my receipt from checkout explicitly states, "Congratulations, you are earning Choice Privileges Points for this stay. "Given the information provided and the fact that my stay clearly met the program's eligibility criteria, I am writing to request that you investigate this matter and ensure that the missing rewards points for my stay are credited to my Choice Privileges account as soon as possible. I appreciate your prompt attention to this issue and look forward to receiving the missing rewards points for my stay. Thank you for your assistance, and I look forward to your prompt response. Sincerely,******************* Member #*********

  Business response

  10/25/2023

  Hello ****,
  
  Thank you for contacting us. Your concern is understandable since we know the importance of being credited your hard-earned points in every qualifying stay. We regret the system did not post the points automatically. Please note that since the rate plan was a special one, the system did not recognize it as eligible, so we added the stay manually. 
  
  You received 3,310 points for the stay at Country Inn & Suites Asheville River Arts District, including your Diamond and Welcome Bonus Points. Therefore, now, your account balance is 24,441 Choice Privileges points. 
  
  To avoid this from happening again, we strongly recommend you make any future reservation online at www.choicehotels.com, through our mobile app, or by calling our Reservations department at ************. Alternatively, you can also feel free to confirm with the front desk clerk if your stay would be eligible to earn points at check-in time. We appreciate your time and understanding. Take care.
  
  Regards,
  
  *****
  Choice Hotels International
  CC ********

  Customer response

  10/25/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************
  

• Initial Complaint

  10/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  October 19 2023, we were advised that we do not qualify for the stay two nights get one free promotion. Despite the fact the site states the stay we had did qualify. it was advised that we needed a separate stay which was not in the small print and it was stated the system generated it that way indicating a system error.

  Business response

  10/20/2023

  Hello, *****. Thank you for contacting us and choosing Choice Hotels as part of your travels. We regret to hear about your dissatisfaction since your expectations with our customer services were not to your expectations. My team and I recognize the importance of getting rewarded with our promotions while staying at our affiliate hotels. With the details surrounding it, we can understand how some clarification would be helpful. To qualify for our 2023 National Fall Promotion, members must complete two separate stays between 09/12/2023 and 11/06/2023 properties to be eligible for 8,000 bonus points to redeem a free night at participating hotels. Also, it's important to mention that a "stay" is considered any number of consecutive nights at one hotel regardless of check-ins or check-outs. Also, members can register and reserve stays via www.choicehotels.com, the Choice Hotels® mobile app, or the general reservations line at ###-###-####. For more detailed information about the promotion, click the link *********************************************************************************.
  
  On the other hand, regarding your request for a billing adjustment. Kindly note that every hotel under our umbrella is independently owned and operated. Due to this independent ownership, every hotel handles its billing system separately from ours. Therefore, a refund or adjustment to your credit is not an option for us. Furthermore, upon checking your profile, we can see one stay at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago, IL, arriving on 10/15/23 for two nights, which qualifies as one stay. However, since Choice Hotels cares about our member's satisfaction, we've credited your account 9,730 points. Kindly note our members earn 10 points for every $1 spent at Choice Hotels, so 9,730 points are equivalent to what you would earn after spending $973 at the property before taxes. These points are enough to redeem a $50 gift card of your selection. We hope you take advantage of it. If we can be of any additional assistance, let us know.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***
  Choice Hotels International
  CID: ********

• Initial Complaint

  10/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I tried to get in touch with the corporate office regarding my rewards for my stays in their hotels but their customer service said there are no locations within the United States. They are all located outside of the United States. They owe me 5 - $50 gift cars. When I go back to use my points they are worth less than half. They are worth a third value now. from what was promoted. I would like my gift cards.

  Business response

  11/03/2023

  Dear *****,
  
   understand the importance of redeeming the promotional points for the promotional $50 gift cards. Kindly keep in mind that every promotion has its terms and conditions, and I found that members had 30 days after the promotion ended (09/05/23) to redeem the bonus points for the promotional gift cards. As it turns out, the $50 gift cards for 8,000 points are no longer available; however, due to the inconvenience experienced, I have credited 24,000 points to the account so you can still redeem points for regular gift cards. Note that $50 gift cards cost 16,000 points. 
  
  On the other hand, I found that the phone number on file does not match the one provided. We encourage you to update it online at ******************** or the Mobile app. Alternatively, you can reply and verify which one you would like to use from now on. 
  
  Once again, thank you for reaching out to us. We hope you have a wonderful day.
  
  ********
  Customer Care
  *****************************************************
  Tel. ************
  CID: ********

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩