tl;dr – Yet another hotel chain is entering the points on safari fray.
We are living in ‘Pax Points-ana’ (I’m working on it) when it comes to redeeming rewards to go on a bucket list African wildlife adventure.
Marriott’s been far and away the leader here, but there are a slew of other players (Hyatt through Mr and Mrs Smith, Preferred Hotels, Accor) that have African safari properties within their portfolios bookable on points.
Enter Choice Hotels.
In a recent press release, Choice Hotels revealed it will open a property in the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Details are few and far between, but here’s what we know:
“The Kenyan portfolio will feature an Ascend Collection property in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, one of Africa’s most visited safari destinations. The hotel will offer boutique, upscale accommodations for travelers seeking an immersive nature experience.”
Notably, Marriott already has the JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge as well as the newly opened The Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara Safari Camp.
As part of the Ascend Collection, the presumption is that the property will also be part of Choice Privileges, Choice’s loyalty program. Redemption rates within Choice Privileges start as low as 6,000 points per night but can be as high as 100,000 points per night for all-inclusive properties. That said, Choice frequently runs point sales, so there could be a good opportunity to buy points and redeem them to save significant dollars off the cash rate.
I’ll be excited to see what this safari property offering looks like, and if it becomes a certified value-gem.
