50,000 Gold Points For One Stay At A Radisson Hotel

Via the Mommy Points blog and this press release, Radisson's Carlson Club is running a pretty crazy promotion starting next week. In celebration of the Radisson Blu Hotel brand debut in North America (Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel in Chicago), Carlson Hotels is rolling out the Big Night Giveaway. Be one of the first 50,000 Club Carlson members to register for this promotion on November 10, 2011, and then stay at a Carlson Hotel between November 10 and December 30, 2011, and you will earn 50,000 Gold Points, which is enough for a free stay at any Carlson Hotel worldwide!

The exact terms of this promotion is still a bit vague, and I think more clarification will probably come out prior to November 10th. For example, in the press release, it states that the stay can be at a "Carlson Hotel" to qualify, but then in the next paragraph, it says that the stay can be at any "Radisson hotel in the U.S., Canada, or the Caribbean". So will a stay at the Country Inn & Suites (also part of the Carlson Hotels family), which costs significantly less than a Radisson Hotel, count? In addition, do you also need to be one of the first 50,000 to complete the stay, or just to register for the promotion? Regardless, it may be a good idea to book a stay as close to November 10th as possible just be safe.

EDIT: It looks like only stays at Radisson or Radisson Blu Hotels will qualify. Also, from the terms and conditions on the registration link that was just released, it sounds to me like you just have to be one of the first 50,000 to register, and your stay can happen anytime before December 30, 2011.

Club Carlson is one of the less popular hotel loyalty programs out there, but for 50,000 points, it may be worthwhile to take a second look. I've had an account for about 2 years now, but I've rarely ever stayed at a Carlson Hotel, save for my Park Plaza stay in Beijing last year (which was wonderful by the way). Redemption opportunities seem decent, though the hotel tiers skew on the high side. With 6 categories of hotels, points per night run from 9,000 for the lowest category to 50,000 for highest. You can check out more details regarding Club Carlson hotel categories here.

Personally, I am still debating whether or not to take part in this promotion. I tend to stay away from offers where the cost becomes high enough that it outweighs the benefits (hence my apprehension towards the U.S. Airways Grand Slam Promotion). Now I actually think that the Big Night Giveaway is a very good deal, since spending roughly $100 for a one night stay will yield one free night at some of the most expensive Carlson Hotels in the world - upwards of $300-$400. But I suppose the first order of business is to figure out if there is even a cheap Radisson hotel nearby!

If you are not yet a Club Carlson member, sign up here and you will receive an addition 2,000 bonus Gold Points after your first stay. The registration link has now been activated, though actual registration begins on November 10, 2011. Act fast to be among the first 50,000 to sign up!