Escape Cabin Fever with the Choice Privileges Rewards Program

No matter what the weather, the travel bug is on the loose. Weekend getaways, long-awaited vacations and last minute trips all have one thing in common...travelers on these excursions still need a place to stay. For those looking to score some free hotel nights, your prayers have been answered. A rewards based credit card will award free rooms to its faithful borrowers as they reach certain benchmarks in spending.

The Choice Privileges® Visa® Platinum Credit Card is a joint venture of Choice Hotels International® and Bank of America. Corporate travelers, vacation fanatics and the rest of us can all enjoy the benefits of free night's stay, earned merely by applying for a credit card account and spending as we normally would.

Just for opening an account and making an initial purchase, cardholders receive 6,000 points toward their first free night at a participating Choice Privileges hotel location. Those 6,000 points alone, without spending any other money, are enough to book a free room at one of more than 1,000 hotels involved in the program. Some free stays require more than 6,000 points, depending on location.

Approximately 3,000 Choice Privileges locations await travelers' arrivals.

Participating hotels include Comfort Inn®, Comfort Suites®, Quality®, Sleep Inn®, Clarion® or MainStay Suites® throughout much of the United States and the Caribbean.

When cardholders use their card at participating United States Choice Privileges locations, they are awarded 15 points per dollar spent. Those points do add up quickly...think about it in general ballpark figures. A $60 room reaps 900 points for just one night, as long as consumers follow all the rules to ensure they earn the full 15 points per dollar.

Reading the fine print online reveals that 10 points per dollar spent is the standard payout, but "15 points per dollar is based on 10 points per dollar earned through Choice Privileges membership for eligible stays plus 5 points per dollar earned when paying for stays with the Choice Privileges Visa Platinum card linked to the same Choice Privileges membership." (See www.choicehotels.com for more details on the terms and conditions of the Choice Privileges® Visa® Platinum Credit Card.)

Consumers should be careful to read all of the fine print involved with any credit card accounts they may open. Knowing the terms of the account and what is expected of the cardholder will reduce the number of fees and unnecessary charges incurred over the lifetime of the account.

Cardholders can triple their rewards by booking their lodging at www.choicehotels.com. For those who prefer not to make purchases over the Internet, booking lodgings by phone will still rake in a double reward. Consumers can also earn two points per dollar spent on any purchases made elsewhere. Despite the near-immediate nature of spending money, points may take four to six weeks to show up in one's account.

Consumers will be happy to learn this card poses no annual fee for cardholders, and a low fixed intro APR may also be an enticing element. Just be forewarned that the tempting 1.9 percent APR is only applicable for the first six billing cycles or even shorter if a payment is missed.

Applicable fees and percentages:

Over the credit limit fee: $35

Introductory APR: 1.9 percent

Standard rates: 15.24 - 19.24 percent

Cash advance APR: variable 21.24 percent

Cash advance fees: 3 percent of the transaction, minimum is $10

Foreign currency fee: 3 percent of foreign transaction

Minimum finance charge: $1.50

Late payment fees:

Balances less than $100 = $19

Balances $100 - $1,000 = $29

Balances greater than $1,000 = $39

Special benefits may also apply to Choice Privileges members, such as complimentary room upgrades, extended stays (free until 2 p.m.), special room rates, express reservations and express check-ins. Cardholders can also advance to the Choice Privileges Elite membership levels within a calendar year by staying in just 10 rooms to become an Elite Gold member, or 30 rooms to become an Elite Platinum member for the next year. Additional benefits come in tow with these enhanced memberships.

In addition to free nights at select hotels worldwide, cardholders can redeem points for airline miles, donations to the Armed Forces Relief Fund or gift certificates to more than 100 retailers or restaurants nationally.

Applicants can apply online or by phone at 1-888-770-6800. They will receive their account numbers immediately while their memberships will be activated overnight. For more information, visit www.choicehotels.com.