Nordic Choice Hotels has brought back its “hotel pass” concept for the summer of 2023. While this is definitely a niche offer, there’s significant value to be had for the right kind of traveler.
In this post:
Nordic Choice Hotels selling seven nights for €595
Nordic Choice Hotels (which has around 200 properties in Scandinavia and the Baltics) is offering a promotion whereby you can stay seven nights over the summer for a fixed cost of €595, with breakfast included.
Here are the basic details and restrictions:
- This is valid for stays between June 22 and August 21, 2023
- The cost is €595
- Once you purchase this offer you will receive an email with a “hotel passport” and links to the booking pages by email; at check-in you’ll have to share your unique code
- At most two guests can stay in the room, and the primary guest has to be the person who bought the pass
- You can stay in a particular hotel for as many nights as you want, so you could spend seven nights at the same hotel if you wanted to, or spend one night at seven different hotels
- You can find the list of eligible hotels here
- Nordic Choice Club members can earn points for purchasing the pass, and will earn one qualifying night for every night stayed, though other benefits are not included with stays
Is this hotel pass a good deal?
In past years, Nordic Choice Hotels has offered an unlimited hotel pass, whereby you could stay as many nights as you wanted over a specified travel window. This year we’re not seeing that offer, though I’d say the seven nights for €595 could be an excellent deal. That averages out to just €85 per night:
- Northern Europe isn’t cheap, and there are plenty of Nordic Choice Hotels properties that retail for over $200 per night
- This gives you a lot of flexibility, since you can stay all seven nights at one hotel, or split up the seven nights however you’d like
- The catch is that the list of eligible properties is rather limited, so you’ll want to make sure the list of eligible properties matches up with your travel plans
Bottom line
Nordic Choice Hotels has brought back its promotion offering seven nights in a hotel over summer for €595. If you’re planning to head to Northern Europe this summer and could see yourself staying at one of these hotels, then this promotion could represent an excellent promotion.
This is definitely niche in terms of the portfolio of hotels and geography, but for the right person this is an amazing opportunity.
Anyone plan to take advantage of this Nordic Choice Hotels promotion?
1. As of May 22, 2023 Nordic Choice Hotel rebrands as "Strawberry". They seem to cut ties with Choice Hotels.
2. This offer is limited to standard rooms, which are often cramped, uncomfortable and basic.
3. Nordic hotels seldom have AC (and never good AC), and the summer is projected to be very hot.
(Written as a Swede and a Nordic Choice Gold Member.)
Not necessarily are they cutting ties with choice. But one should not be surprised.
There is a press release from June 2022.
https://www.nordicchoicehotels.com/press-room/#/pressreleases/nordic-choice-hotels-changes-name-to-strawberry-3189854
"The goal is to create an ecosystem of own brands and external partners that offer experiences in the Nordic region."
"The company will formally change its name during 2023, and the hotel group will continue its multi-branding strategy with different hotel chains adapted to different target groups."
Not necessarily are they cutting ties with choice. But one should not be surprised.
There is a press release from June 2022.
https://www.nordicchoicehotels.com/press-room/#/pressreleases/nordic-choice-hotels-changes-name-to-strawberry-3189854
"The goal is to create an ecosystem of own brands and external partners that offer experiences in the Nordic region."
"The company will formally change its name during 2023, and the hotel group will continue its multi-branding strategy with different hotel chains adapted to different target groups."
Buyer beware.
I tried a few US Choice hotels this past summer on a road trip. I was solo and wanted something lower cost (the low end Fairfields, HiExs, etc. were twice the cost in the locales I was staying). The rooms were perfectly fine (in one case newly renovated) and breakfast was not important to me as I needed to be on the road early - perfect for a solo traveler that just needed...
Buyer beware.
I tried a few US Choice hotels this past summer on a road trip. I was solo and wanted something lower cost (the low end Fairfields, HiExs, etc. were twice the cost in the locales I was staying). The rooms were perfectly fine (in one case newly renovated) and breakfast was not important to me as I needed to be on the road early - perfect for a solo traveler that just needed a clean room to sleep. I'll also note that the Best Westerns in those same locales were older properties, but were priced similarly to the Fairfields and HiExs.
But I digress. I did a status match with Choice in anticipation of 2023 travels. I stayed 5 nights in Norway Choice properties this past January. The Choice properties were perfectly fine. But the Nordic hotels do not participate in the Choice loyalty program as I found out. I had been expecting five nights credit and about 40000 points with the advertised bonus.
When booking a Choice hotel in the Nordic countries via the choicehotels site, there is NO MENTION of the fact that those properties DO NOT participate in the loyalty program. When I questioned Choice corporate about it, I was referred to vague terms and conditions. At least Marriott is quite clear that its Design properties are not eligible for certain Bonvoy benefits.
All in all, very disappointing. I am going to be considering Wyndham properties for this summer's road trips.
I agree that it should be highlighted during the booking process that you do not earn points and receive benefits in Nordic Choice Hotels.
However, it is clearly stated in the T&Cs. I was aware of it as soon as I started engaging in the programme.
https://www.choicehotels.com/choice-privileges/rules-regulations
"Earning Choice Privileges Points
Participating Choice brands
You can earn Choice Privileges points for any point-eligible stay at any participating Cambria®, Clarion®, Clarion Pointe®, Comfort®,...
I agree that it should be highlighted during the booking process that you do not earn points and receive benefits in Nordic Choice Hotels.
However, it is clearly stated in the T&Cs. I was aware of it as soon as I started engaging in the programme.
https://www.choicehotels.com/choice-privileges/rules-regulations
"Earning Choice Privileges Points
Participating Choice brands
You can earn Choice Privileges points for any point-eligible stay at any participating Cambria®, Clarion®, Clarion Pointe®, Comfort®, Econo Lodge®, Everhome®, MainStay Suites®, Quality®, Rodeway Inn®, Sleep Inn®, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel®, and Ascend Hotel Collection® location, in the U.S., Canada, Europe (excluding Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden), the Middle East, Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Guyana, Central America, the Caribbean, and Asia-Pacific region, including China, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and India. You can also earn points through staying at one of our partner programs. [WoodSpring Suites® locations are not currently participating.]"
While it sucks for you, and happen to a lot of people on other programs as well.
Your ignorant or entitlement (common to take US based for granted) made you unaware of what IS MENTION, with nothing vague.
T&C are very very very very very clear about this.
"Earning Choice Privileges Points
...Participating Choice brands
.......location, in the U.S., Canada, Europe (excluding Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden),......"
While it sucks for you, and happen to a lot of people on other programs as well.
Your ignorant or entitlement (common to take US based for granted) made you unaware of what IS MENTION, with nothing vague.
T&C are very very very very very clear about this.
"Earning Choice Privileges Points
Participating Choice brands
.......location, in the U.S., Canada, Europe (excluding Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden),......"
Live and learn. Blame yourself not the company.
Let me clarify. This is not about entitlement.
Most loyalty members do not read all of the terms and conditions as the expectation is one earns and uses points as is published on the program's main loyalty page. Lesson learned on my part, granted.
My point is that when booking those properties when logged in under a loyalty number, a consumer has a reasonable expectation of benefits from the loyalty program unless explicitly stated otherwise....
Let me clarify. This is not about entitlement.
Most loyalty members do not read all of the terms and conditions as the expectation is one earns and uses points as is published on the program's main loyalty page. Lesson learned on my part, granted.
My point is that when booking those properties when logged in under a loyalty number, a consumer has a reasonable expectation of benefits from the loyalty program unless explicitly stated otherwise. Henceforth my example of Marriott's 'Design' properties. In the top left corner of the page for any of those properties, the Bonvoy benefits, or lack thereof, is explicitly stated. I am simply suggesting that Choice do the same. And the Choice exceptions are a huge number of properties. (In fact, thinking back to my example, the reservation included the points to be earned.)
Would I stay in the same hotels again? Actually very likely as the rooms served the purpose, the price was right, the staffs and breakfasts were fantastic.
I should also point out that in each case, when speaking with each property's management person, i was told that this is a common situation and they also would like to (and have asked) see this spelled out more clearly as it is the property that has to deal with the customer. In fact, I was complimented because apparently I was much more pleasant than many guests in this situation.
Let me clarify. This is about entitlement even without demanding entitlement or pulling ranks.
I'm not suggesting you're demanding anything other than sharing your experience.
Problem these days are entitlement issues without realizing it, you're not alone.
Per your statement:
Most loyalty members do not read all of the terms and conditions as the "expectation is"
a consumer has a reasonable "expectation"
You expect something that in writing wasn't offered but...
Let me clarify. This is about entitlement even without demanding entitlement or pulling ranks.
I'm not suggesting you're demanding anything other than sharing your experience.
Problem these days are entitlement issues without realizing it, you're not alone.
Per your statement:
Most loyalty members do not read all of the terms and conditions as the "expectation is"
a consumer has a reasonable "expectation"
You expect something that in writing wasn't offered but you think it should be offered. That's entitlement.
I paid $5000 for airfare, I should never be overbooked. That's entitlement.
I am a Bonvoy Ambassador I expect free breakfast everywhere. That's entitlement.
Which by the way, Bonvoy doesn't say breakfast benefit "in the top left corner" and is buried in a very confusing chart. But it's very well written about breakfast. However, property not honoring those and you demanding it, that is NOT entitlement since your expectation is clearly written.
We all agree to the one sided T&C when we are their customer. If you don't think it's fair, bring your business somewhere else.
Is it wrong to have expectation, no. But in this case the problem isn't the hotel but the customer.
Don't take this personally, it's not just you. Like you said you are much more pleasant than "many guests" in this situation. No one who follow the T&C should be in this situation.
I don’t understand why Nordic Choice remains the Choice local incensed partner. All those hotels for the most part are 100% better than anything in the mainline Choice portfolio.
Probably to capture guests from the US.