Norway on a Budget: How I Booked 6 Free Nights With Hotel Points

Traveling to the Arctic Circle requires budgeting for expenses that are higher than most other travel destinations. Although finding affordable airfare wasn’t an issue, I have to admit that I was reluctant to spend $300 on a hotel room, $25 on a bowl of soup, or $50 on a light meal.

Although Norway used to top the list of expensive countries, the Norwegian Krone has weakened by 30% compared to 10 years ago. With that knowledge, along with the allure of great airfare and previous experiences in nearby countries (Iceland, Faroe Islands, and Denmark), I was ready to start planning an adventure to the Arctic Circle area of Norway.

That’s where Choice Hotels played a key role in planning an affordable trip to Tromsø, Norway, in the Arctic Circle. Here’s how I found great value and planned a budget-friendly trip, using Choice Privileges hotel points for my Norway hotel stays.

Overview of the Choice Privileges Program

Choice Hotels has a collection of more than 7,000 hotels worldwide in 40 countries. The brand’s loyalty program, Choice Privileges, allows me to earn Choice Privileges points to redeem for free hotel nights or by transferring rewards earned on select credit cards.

The mid-level hotel tier — known as Travel & Relax — fit my needs for a complimentary breakfast and provided a better chance for a comfortable room than a budget-level brand.

Fortunately, Norway is a sweet spot for booking Choice Hotels, with 110 properties to choose from. The city of Oslo alone has 29 Choice properties.

Earning and Redeeming Choice Privileges Points

The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is my primary card for building up a stash of Choice Privileges points. I love that I can earn 3x ThankYou points per dollar spent at a supermarket, gas station, or dining. The card has additional 3x bonus-earning categories, but these are my primary spending categories for this card.

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card

Welcome Offer

For a limited time: Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $750 in gift cards or travel rewards on thankyou.com.

75,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,200

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.49% to 28.49% Variable APR

Why We Like This Card

The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is a great all-around travel rewards card that allows you to earn big rewards on a variety of purchases like air travel, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, and more, along with flexible redemption options, all for a modest annual fee.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10x points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
• 3x points on air travel, other hotel purchases, restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, and EV charging stations
• $100 annual hotel benefit

Cons

• $95 annual fee

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Card Highlights

• For a limited time: Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $750 in gift cards or travel rewards on thankyou.com.
• Earn 10X points per $1 spent on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
• Earn 3X points per $1 on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas and EV charging stations.
• Earn 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
• $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
• No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card.
• No foreign transaction fees on purchases.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.49% to 28.49% Variable APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Best of all, the ThankYou points I earn on my card transfer to Choice Privileges at a ratio of 1:2. That means 1 Citi point equals 2 Choice points.

Hotel nights in the mid-tier category tend to cost about 16,000 Choice Privileges points. Therefore, earning just 8,000 ThankYou points will result in 16,000 Choice Privileges points. This means I will earn a free Choice hotel night for every $2,667 I spend in 3x bonus categories.

Other Cards That Transfer to Choice Privileges

The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card and the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card earn Wells Fargo Rewards points that can also be transferred to Choice Privileges at a 1:2 ratio.

The cards have powerful earning structures with several bonus-earning categories. This makes it easy to earn rewards, which are essentially doubled when transferred to Choice Privileges.

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A powerful point earning card with access to transfer partners.

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card

A powerful point earning card with access to transfer partners.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s $600 toward your next trip.

60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$900

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.49%, 25.49%, or 29.49% Variable APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey^SM Card is an excellent option for those looking for a great all-around travel rewards card that offers bonus categories on hotels, airfare, travel, and dining, giving you the opportunity to earn points on these purchases quickly.

Plus the card offers flexible redemption options including access to transfer partners, an annual statement credit with airfare purchase, and no foreign transaction fees (rates & fees).

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Earn 5x points on hotels
• Earn 4x points on airfare
• Earn 3x points on other travel and restaurants; 1x on other purchases

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• List of transfer partners is smaller than competing programs

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Card Highlights

• Select “Learn More” to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
• Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s $600 toward your next trip.
• Earn unlimited 5X points on hotels, 4X points on airlines, 3X points on other travel and restaurants, and 1X points on other purchases.
• $95 Annual Fee.
• Book your travel with the Autograph Journey Card and enjoy Travel Accident Insurance, Lost Baggage Reimbursement, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Protection and Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver.
• Earn a $50 annual statement credit with $50 minimum airline purchase.
• Up to $1,000 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
• Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature^® Concierge.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.49%, 25.49%, or 29.49% Variable APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

American Express Membership Rewards points can also be transferred to Choice Privileges. Unfortunately, the transfer ratio is just 1:1.

Booking Choice Hotels in Norway

While Choice Hotels does have some high-end properties, it is generally a more affordable hotel brand. Even in an expensive country like Norway, there were dozens of choices for less than $200 per night and, in some cases, significantly less.

Rather than paying cash, I chose to redeem some of my healthy collection of Choice Privileges points for my Norway hotel stays.

I certainly could have paid cash for a few nights, as prices were reasonable, with the exception of the Clarion Grand Central Oslo, which charged higher rates than normal. However, I was happy with my decision to redeem my Choice Privileges points and have no hotel expenses.

We value Choice Privileges points at approximately 0.6 cents each. Since I received $1,096 worth of hotel stays for 96,000 Choice Privileges points, I received a far greater value — 1.14 cents per point.

Here’s an overview of the properties I stayed at and some of the highlights from my experience.

1. Comfort Hotel Grand Central Oslo, Norway

This hotel was so convenient and Oslo Central Station is one of the most beautiful and functional train stations I have ever been in. Although small, my room was clean, modern, and quiet. Here were the other amenities I enjoyed:

• A quick 20-minute direct train ride from Oslo Airport
• Located within Oslo Central Station
• Oslo city center and the waterfront are right outside the door
• Complimentary breakfast buffet
• Bookable for as little as $100 per night on select dates

2. Clarion Hotel The Edge Tromsø, Norway

This hotel had a hip, modern vibe and a scenic rooftop bar. My room was surprisingly quiet, even though a music festival was taking place in the harbor directly outside the hotel:

• Waterfront location, convenient to tour boats and Tromsø harbor
• Complimentary breakfast buffet, 24-hour complimentary coffee
• Trendy and modern
• Shopping center next door
• Airport Express bus pickup nearby
• Walking distance to attractions and restaurants

3. Clarion Collection Hotel With Tromsø, Norway

This was a traditional hotel with older furnishings and decor in the common areas. My room, however, was bright, very clean, and had modern decor. Plus, I had an incredible view of the harbor:

• Located directly on the Tromsø Marina boardwalk
• Complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea/sweets, and dinner buffet included
• Walking distance to city attractions, restaurants, and shopping
• Bus stop, supermarket, and convenience store are 1 block away

4. Clarion Hotel Oslo Airport Oslo, Norway

The Clarion Oslo Airport is also a conference center, and the Comfort Hotel Oslo Airport is right next door. The hotel shuttle was easy to find at the airport and took me directly to the hotel:

• Direct airport shuttle for a fee
• Complimentary breakfast and 24-hour coffee station
• 10 minutes from Oslo Airport

Final Thoughts

Except for the Clarion Hotel Oslo Airport, which was simply functional, the hotels I chose exceeded my expectations. I would stay at any of these hotels again.

An important takeaway I learned while planning my trip to Tromsø, Norway, in the Arctic Circle, is that situations change. What was once one of the most expensive countries in the world turned out to be a destination I could enjoy on a budget. Of course, points and miles made these trips entirely possible.