Chris' Newbie Hotel Choice: Join the Club

Important Note: JD and I may talk about the loyalty credit card for our particular airline and hotel in these posts. Credit card sign-up bonuses are an important part of the “game.” Any credit card links in this post will be public application links taken from the issuer's direct website. We do not earn income from you applying from the links. Similarly, please take an extra minute or two before applying for credit cards. If you do not pay your credit card balance off every month then you should stay away from this aspect of the game. Credit cards can lead to major long-term problems if not used correctly. I encourage you to read JD's post on Young People and the Chains of Credit Card Debt for more details. 


Now that we have round one of our "newbie challenge" out of the way (read each of our airlines of choice here and here) we will wait for the judges to tabulate the scores and move onto the next round. 

This time it's....hotels! Since JD got to start off the airline round, it's my turn to start off the hotel round. My favorite hotel chain for newbies in the points game is.....Club Carlson.

Club Carlson is the loyalty program for the Carlson Rezidor hotel group which features brands like Radisson, Radisson Blu, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson and Country Inn & Suites by Carlson (Details on each here). They have over 1,000 hotel locations around the world and are currently expanding heavily. I previously wrote about Club Carlson as a possible alternative for Hilton users who were looking to take their loyalty to another hotel after their most recent devaluation. I think that recommendation is something still to consider, but if you are just starting to look for a new hotel program to join, well join them all, but a focus on Club Carlson is a good move. 

The main reason I recommend Club Carlson for newbies is just how easy it is to earn their points, and in turn spend them. Just by signing up you become a "Red" level member and you will earn 20 points per dollar spent on your reservation and you get an extra 1,000 points by booking on Club Carlson's website. If you stay more times at Club Carlson you can move up their elite level to Silver after 15 nights or 10 stays, Gold after 35 nights or 20 stays or Concierge after 75 nights or 30 stays per calendar year.

If you are a Silver or Gold member you earn 2,000 points by booking on the website and 3,000 points at the top Concierge level of status. In addition to the extra points you are eligible for other benefits such as room upgrades, late check-out and points bonuses. When free nights start at 9,000 points per night...that adds up quickly.

Club Carlson Award Chart

Club Carlson also allows you to book awards with a combination of Cash and Points. It depends on the Category of the hotel you are booking, but these are often very reasonable.

 Club Carlson has regularly also offered points earning opportunities just by staying a few nights. Last year during their Big Night Giveaway you could earn 50,000 points just by staying one night at a Radisson and 40,000 miles for staying one night at a Country Inn & Suites or Park Inn. This past fall they also offered the opportunity to get one night free in the United States after staying one night at any property. Through these promotions Kelsey and I earned enough points to secure two nights at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Mercer Street in London (Category 6 Hotel) and the Radisson Blu in Amsterdam (Category 6 Hotel) for two nights for free.

Recently Club Carlson also introduced a set of Visa Cards with some amazing bonus opportunities. Note that the issuer is US Bank who is notorious about denying applications or downgrading to lower cards upon application. So...double-check your credit levels and make sure you know which card you are offered after applying and as always...be a good steward of your credit and don't take on more than you can spend. 

If you are approved for the Club Carlson Premier Rewards card, the top card, you are eligible to get 85,000 Club Carlson points (50,000 after the first purchase and an additional 35,000 after spending $2,500 in the first 90 days) which will almost get you to two free nights at a Category 6 hotel, their top level. But where you really get the bang for the buck is in the earning potential. Beyond they normal points bonuses you get 10 points per dollar spend at Club Carlson hotels and 5 points per dollar spent at other merchants. You are also gifted Club Carlson Gold Status for as long as you hold the card. But...in my opinion the best feature is the Bonus Award Night feature which means that if you redeem points for two or more consecutive award nights, the last night is free! 

The great rewards program, the large number of locations worldwide and the potential to earn points easily for free nights to dream locations, or just around the corner from home, make Club Carlson the perfect choice for a newbie looking for a good hotel chain to start with!
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