Bluegreen's sales team would like Bluegreen Owners to believe that they can get more money out of their Bluegreen points by converting to Choice Privilege points and then exchanging the points for gift cards, etc.. A simple search of the various Bluegreen Facebook Groups will show quite a few hits where the poster mentions the salesperson or closer showing them (usually very rapidly) how they can get more money back doing the Choice Priveleges points conversion. Let us take a look at the process and see for ourselves
How does the Choice Priveleges points conversion actually work?
- Every Bluegreen owner enrolled in Choice Privileges can convert Bluegreen Vacation Club Points to Choice Privilege points.
- Choice Privileges points never expire as long as you have qualifying activity on your choice account within 18 months.
- Bluegreen can also change the exchange rate at any time.
- Premier owners can get an early conversion bonus if they convert points six months or more prior to their expiration date.
- The conversion bonus depends upon the Premier level of the user and is in addition to the standard conversion rate
- The conversion process must be completed over the phone
- There is a $60 fee per conversion
- The standard conversion rate of 2:1 typically appears within your Choice Privileges account the same day. The bonus conversion rate will be processed adding the additional points to your account within 5 business days.
Conversion Rates | Bronze | Silver | Gold | Platinum | Diamond |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Standard Conversion Rate | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Early Conversion Bonus for Choice Priveleges | x2 | x3 | x4 | x5 | x7.5 |
Total Conversion Rate with Bonus | 4 to 1 | 6 to 1 | 8 to 1 | 10 to 1 | 15 to 1* |
Redeeming Choice Reward Points
- Reward nights worldwide are available from 6,000 to 35,000 points (excluding all-inclusive resorts stays, where points required are up to 100,000).
- Most Choice Hotels require 8,000 or more points for a free room.
- Members must make their free night reservation by phone or through their online account no more than 100 days prior to planned arrival for all locations worldwide.
- Members may redeem Choice Privileges points for airline miles or points/rewards in other participating eligible loyalty programs.
- Exchange ratios can be found on the Rewards Exchange online portal.
- Ratios can change from time to time and unless otherwise specified, Members must redeem a minimum of 5,000 Choice Privileges Points when exchanging for airline miles or points/rewards in other participating eligible loyalty program.
- Members can exchange 5,000 Choice Privileges points for 1,000 miles by phone or online with the following:
- Aeroplan®
- Alaska Airlines®Mileage Plan™
- Aeromexico Club Premier®(1,600 kilometers)
- Spirit Airlines FREE SPIRIT™United MileagePlus®
- Members can exchange 6,000 Choice Privileges points for 1,800 Southwest Rapid Rewards points by phone
- Members can exchange 2,000 Choice Privileges points for 800 Qantas Frequent Flyer points by phone
- Members can exchange 2,000 Choice Privileges points for 800 Velocity Frequent Flyer points by phone
- Members can exchange 8,000 Choice Priveleges points for $25 gift cards to various locations
- Limited to 1 gift card transaction every 48 hours
- Limited to 4 plastic gift cards of the same denomination, from the same vendor
- Limited to 2 digital gift cards of the same denomination, from the same vendor
- Cannot be shipped to a PO Box
So let's look at an example of a Bluegreen to Choice point conversion in order to redeem for a hotel room
We have an average of 40,000 Bluegreen points per year. Our maintenance fees in October of 2024 will be around $4492. That comes out to 11.23 cents per point.
We have stayed at the Cambria Hotel Nashville Downtown and it was nice. Say we wanted to go back in September and stay one night before flying out from our trip to Gatlinburg. Looking at the Choice Hotels website today, the rate for a room is 20,000 Choice Priveleges points, or 6,000 Choice Priveleges points and $119 per night. The Best available rate using cash is $213 per night.
Because we are Gold Premier members we would qualify for the 8 to 1 bonus early exchange rate. So 20,000 Choice Privileges points divided by 8 equals 2,500 Bluegreen points needed for the exchange. 2,500 times $.1123 equals $280.75 Add to that the $99 transaction fee to convert points and we just paid $379.75 for a room that we could log into the Choice Hotels website and book for $213.
That is at the early exchange rate for Gold Premier (8 to1). What about Platinum Premier with 10 to 1 or DIamond with 15 to 1?
Let's take the same example from above.
Platinum
20,000 Choice Privileges points divided by 10 equals 2,000 Bluegreen points. 2,000 times $.1123 equals $224.60. Add the $99 conversion fee andwe just paid $323.60 for a room that we could log into the Choice Hotels website and book for $213.
Diamond
20,000 Choice Privileges points divided by 15 equals 1,333.3 Bluegreen points. 1,333.3 times $.1123 equals $149.73. Add the $99 conversion fee andwe just paid $248.73 for a room that we could log into the Choice Hotels website and book for $213.
What about redeeming Choice Privileges points for gift cards?
As stated above the exhange rate for gift cards is 8,000 points for $25. The highest gift card amount I saw was for Delta Airlines and it was $100 for 32,000 points. The same points per dollar.We are limited to 4 plastic gift cards per transaction.
At the 8 to 1 early exchange rate it would cost us 4,000 Bluegreen points to convert for 32,000 Choice Priveleges points and redeem them for a $100 Delta Gift Card. 4,000 Bluegreen points times $.1123 equals $449.20 in maintenance fees. Add in the $99 conversion fee and the total is $548.20, for a $100 gift card!
At the 10 to 1 early exchange rate it would cost 3,200 Bluegreen points to convert for 32,000 Choice Priveleges points and redeem them for a $100 Delta Gift Card. 3,200 Bluegreen points times $.1123 equals $359.36. Add in the $99 conversion fee and the total comes to $458.36, for a $100 gift card!
*I have seen posts where people mentioned that sales told them that there is a new 15 to 1 conversion rate for the new Diamond Premier level. I could not verify this because the "Choice Early Conversion Bonus"link on the Bluegreen Owner Diamond Premier Benefits page did not work.
At the 15 to 1 early exchange rate it would cost 2,133.33 Bluegreen pointsto convert for 32,000 Choice Priveleges points and redeem them for a $100 Delta Gift Card. 2,1233.33 Bluegreen points times $.1123 equals $239.57. Add in the $99 conversion fee and the total comes to $338.37, for a $100 gift card!
I don't know, maybe my math is wrong here...
Does it make sense? If you are in a position where you are not going to be able to travel afar and need to stay at hotels closer to home, maybe. Maybe you will save more by not having to pay for airfare. It is up to you, but just know you aren't coming out ahead on these transactions.