The Choice Privileges hotel loyalty program just announced some positive changes that will take effect starting in early 2026. Details are thin for some of these changes, but here’s what we know so far.
Lower requirements for existing elite status tiers
Starting in 2026, each of the existing Choice Privileges elite status tiers will require five fewer nights per calendar year. As such, you’ll only need to stay five nights per calendar year for Gold elite status, 15 nights for Platinum elite status and 35 nights for Diamond elite status.
As a reminder, you can also enjoy complimentary elite status and earn elite qualifying nights with the Choice Privileges® Mastercard® and the Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®.
The information for the Choice Privileges and the Choice Privileges Select has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
So far, Choice Privileges hasn’t announced any changes to the elite benefits at these tiers. Gold elite members are currently eligible for early check-in, late checkout, an elite welcome gift at check-in and room upgrades on a space-available basis, so it may be a status worth earning — especially once it only requires five qualifying nights per calendar year.
: Comparing the best hotel elite status tiers and how to earn them
A new top-tier Choice Privileges status
Choice Privileges will also add a new top-tier status to its program in 2026. Starting in 2026, you’ll be able to earn this new top-tier Titanium elite status by staying 55 nights per calendar year or accruing 110,000 elite qualifying credits per calendar year.
Choice Titanium members will gain access to a compelling perk: the Titanium travel award. With the Titanium travel award, you can book a room for up to seven nights at over 400 premium Choice Privileges properties for half the points.
I expect Titanium members will also get some other perks, such as more bonus points on eligible stays. But we’ll have to wait until Choice Privileges announces all the details of this new status.
: The best Choice hotels in Europe to book using points
Other changes
Finally, Choice Privileges announced several other positive changes that will start in 2026 and beyond. These changes include:
- 1,000 bonus points after a member’s second and third qualifying stays each year
- Milestone rewards, like bonus points and gift cards, for every five qualifying nights between status tiers
- The lack of a points expiration for elite members
- Status soft landing starting in 2027, which means elite members who don’t requalify for their status or higher will only drop a single tier per year
- Introduction of points sharing later in 2026, which means members will be able to transfer points to friends and family
Currently, Choice Privileges points expire if you fail to complete any qualifying points activity for 18 months. Presumably, members who earn Choice Privileges elite status will have some qualifying points activity at least once every 18 months, so this change is relatively minor. However, especially given the status soft landing that will begin in 2027, this could allow upper-tier elite members to maintain decreasing levels of status and their points balance for a few years without any activity.
The bonus points and milestone rewards will offer small perks but will be welcome, especially since it seems the first milestone reward might be available after just 10 nights in a calendar year. Likewise, the points-sharing feature also sounds positive, although we don’t yet know whether there will be a cost or another catch involved.
: Best hotel rewards programs in the world: Which one is right for you?
Bottom line
It’s nice to see a hotel loyalty program making customer-friendly changes.
In a press release announcing these changes, Nandika Suri, vice president of loyalty with Choice Hotels International, said that “What sets Choice Privileges apart is our commitment to making rewards both richer and more attainable —and we’re leading the loyalty landscape by delivering more benefits, more often. These changes are part of our continued journey to evolve Choice Privileges and reflect what travelers today expect from a modern loyalty program.”
However, we’ll have to wait until we see the full details of these changes and the new Titanium status before making a final judgment on just how much more appealing these changes make the Choice Privileges program.
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