With almost 1,400 hotels in operation or under development, the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group isn’t the largest of the hotel chains. But with six brands in more than 100 countries, it’s big enough to accommodate the needs of most travelers. That makes its Club Carlson loyalty program a contender.
Offer Details
Between January 18 and March 31, Club Carlson members can earn a one-time 5,000-point bonus for completing stays at any two of Carlson’s six hotel brands, including Radisson Blu, Radisson, Park Plaza, Park Inn, Country Inns & Suites, and Quorvus Collection.
Registration is required.
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This offer is combinable with Carlson’s current targeted offers, also in effect through March 31: 10,000 bonus points for two stays or 20,000 for three stays, for non-elites; and 20,000 bonus points after seven nights for elites. Again, these are targeted: Check your Carlson emails to see if you’re a candidate.
Deal or No Deal
Club Carlson members normally earn 20 points per $1 spent. Assuming a hypothetical stay of one $150 night, you’d earn 3,000 bonus points, and 6,000 points for two one-nighters at two different brands. In that scenario, a 5,000-point bonus amounts to somewhat less than double points. Meh.
If, on the other hand, you’ve been targeted for one of the other Carlson promotions, adding in that extra 5,000 points makes for a substantial total bonus for staying at two different brands.
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After 20 years working in the travel industry, and 15 years writing about it, Tim Winship knows a thing or two about travel. Follow him on Twitter @twinship.
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To the list of hotels that offer discounted rates to members of their loyalty programs—Starwood, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, InterContinental, Choice—can now be added the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group (Quorvus Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Park Plaza, Park Inn, Country Inns & Suites).
Starwood’s systemwide “Triple Up” bonus-points offer ends on July 31, and to date there’s been no word of a successor campaign for late summer and early fall stays.
Best Western isn’t known for its generous loyalty-program promotions. The rewards tend to be low value, and the offers have been hobbled by niggling restrictions.
Likely in response to JetBlue’s systemwide double-points promotion, in effect through February 29, Virgin America is also offering double points, but only on select routes.
It’s a basic premise of savvy loyalty-program participation that the best return-on-investment is to be had by redeeming points for the program host’s own services. Airline miles are best redeemed for flights, and hotel points are best redeemed for free room nights. Sure, all major programs offer alternative award opportunities—consumer electronics, clothing, event tickets, and on and on—but when you do the math, it inevitably turns out that such options offer very poor value.
Judging by their load factors, U.S. airlines are doing just fine. For June, Alaska Airlines filled 86 percent of its seats; Delta flew 87.7 percent full; other carriers’ results are expected to be similarly robust.