Club Carlson - Now that it's over...thoughts on the CC brand?

Like many of you, I hadn’t really considered Club Carlson until they came out with their BNG promo last year. Now that the U.S. promos are essentially done, I was interested in hearing what other “converts” thought of the brand.

In the last year, I have stayed at:

Radisson Dallas East (2X; Now a defunct property)
Radisson Dallas Central (2X)
Park Inn Love Field
Country Inn Houston Hobby
Country Inn San Antonio Airport
Country Inn San Marcos
Country Inn Austin North
Park Plaza Prenzlauer Berg Berlin
Park Inn Alexanderplatz Berlin

Of these stays, the Country Inn San Antonio Airport was the only property that I was really impressed with. (And it is very new) The reason for this was because the suites had 2 rooms where 5 people could sleep comfortably with a pull-out coach bed. In other words, it was a great family hotel with modern decor. If it came to a choice between similarly priced Hilton, Hyatt or Club Carlson properties, and no promos were involved, unfortunately CC would be third on my list. The Club Carlson properties are just too outdated. In some ways, they feel like an upscale motel or a nice La Quinta.

Oddly enough, I found the Radisson brands to have the least cordial customer service. Country Inn was consistently great. Park Inn was hit or miss. Park Plaza was excellent. (Though, the location I stayed at was more of a 3-star hotel) I either couldn’t work the remotes or never had a functional Sleep Number bed during any Radisson stay so I didn’t see the value with those. The breakfast at Country Inn was impressive with hot offerings such as eggs, sausage and bacon. The suites at the Park Inn were nice enough and felt like a small apartment.

Now, to be fair, I have yet to stay at a Radisson Blu. I have booked rooms at The May Fair in London and the Radisson Blu Berlin for next year. I anticipate that these will be the bread and butter of the brand. It’s just a shame that the U.S. properties aren’t nearly as nice…or at least the Texas properties I stayed at. I have a stay at the Radisson San Francisco Airport and the Country Inn Ventura in September, so perhaps a change of scenery will improve my opinion.

I really wanted to like Club Carlson. They were extremely generous with their promos and are saving me a bundle on my next trip to Europe. Sadly, unless there is an incentive attached, I don’t see them as a viable substitute for my work/personal hotel choices.

I stayed at some of the same properties as you. None of the properties wowed me, but at the price point I found that they weren't a bad value. Certainly for a vacation I wouldn't use the chain but if I were somewhere for work with a Country Inn nearby I would consider it. The Radisson I stayed at (Dallas Central) wasn't nice enough to compensate for the lack of free breakfast I got at Country Inn and Park Inn.

Sadly, unless there is an incentive attached, I don’t see them as a viable substitute for my work/personal hotel choices.

I think that this summarizes it quite well.

Let's see what I am missing when staying at Club Carlson properties:

1. Guaranteed early check in 8AM (IC RA)
2. Guaranteed late check out 4PM (IC RA, SPG PLT, Hyatt Diamond)
3. Lounge access (Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott & SPG sometimes IC)
4. Breakfast (Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott & SPG)
5. Suite upgrades (Hyatt, SPG & IC RA)

The Radisson hotels that I have stayed at have all been fine, but I don't feel that I would have received value for money without the promotion. The situation is totally different IF I wouldn't be top tier with all the other chains. But the program wasn't even on my consideration set previously. I do now check, whether they have properties where I am going to.

I stayed at Radisson and Country Inn for the first time because of the promotion.

Country Inn and Suites was nothing special, reminded me of a Hampton Inn. Clean, free breakfast and comfortable beds.

I always through Radissons were extremely old and ghetto looking(The ones in Canada, especially in AB), and I tried out the one in YEG for the first time. I was extremely impressed, it was clean, modern and a great stay. I am actually one of the few who like the sleep number beds, as I like my bed real firm but my lady likes it very soft. Being able to control separate sides was a huge plus to me.


Because of this promo, I will most likely stay at Radissons, especially in the US, as the price point is much lower than the Hilton's/Conrads which I believe has the same quality of rooms.

Very good promotion IMO, as it converted me over :D

I think this is a typical YMMV situation. If you stay at the absolute cheapest properties to take advantage of the promotions then you really IMHO cannot base your overall assessment of Club Carlson on those properties. I've tried several properties since the first go around of the promotion last year and so far I would consider most of them nice viable options to the other large chains. In Europe they have some very nice high end hotels that rival those of most of the other chains I've used. In the US they still have a long way to go but the CI&S are decent alternatives to Hampton Inns, Courtyards and most Holiday Inns.

Stayed at:

Country Inn Vero Beach, FL. This was a nice hotel for a night and the staff were fine.
Park Inn Stavanger (Norway) This was a dump...old rooms and breakfast staff...rude and unfriendly...only reason we stayed here was because of the points! However the reception staff were always polite and smiling.
Radisson Blu Oslo. Nice hotel and room ok but the shower? I dislike showers that have no divider from the rest of the floor..water goes everywhere! Staff looked like they rather be somewhere else when we checked in and out. A coffee and bottle of water over 100 kr. ($17) O_o !!
I only did these days because of the promotions and will be using the points in Florida next year in Orlando!

she wont be doing her singing till after 8/28! it is over in regards to Rad,PI and CI&S but till 8/28 its a go for a PP (Park Plaza)

she wont be doing her singing till after 8/22! it is over in regards to Rad,PI and CI&S but till 8/22 its a go for a PP (Park Plaza)

With just one PP in US this promo is pretty useless unless you have plans to travel outside US before August 22.

I had only stayed at one Radisson prior to this promotion, and it was the same one year after year for the same conference that I repeatedly attended. I found that the hotels I have stayed at, were for the most part, comparable to those in other chains. Park Inns were comparable to HGIs or Courtyards and the Country Inns were comparable to Hampton Inns. Most rooms in a Radisson would be similar to a Hilton or Crowne Plaza, but the amenities vary by location. I have been pleased overall because I knew what I was getting before I checked in. I did not expect an IC when I checked in to a Park Inn.

Most of the staff were friendly, and they went out of their way to be hospitable. I had an issue at one Country Inn and Suites with the room and the front desk clerk was not at all helpful. I did not push the issue, but I wrote what happened when I received the follow-up survey from Club Carlson. The GM sent an email following up the next day stating that issue would be addressed and comped the stay. I did not feel that this was warranted and told his as much but that is what he wanted to do.

I have been loyal to Hilton for years, but I have started to look at Carlson hotels because of this promotion and the service that I have received. The follow-up surveys and the action taken is also impressive. There are not as many Carlson hotels which limit my ability to use them, but they are on my radar now. I think that I will be considering them as an option from now on.

After staying at a Radisson in one area and becoming familiar with the Carlson special rates, I now use it as my preferred hotel there, staying a total of about 6 nights a year there. Other properties offer a reasonable value if my usual hotels are overlooked, but again only if I use special rates. Overall, the properties are clean, comfortable, and pleasant, all that I need for business travel, and I now check for Carlson properties when traveling to a new area, so I think the promotion has been mutually advantageous. Looking forward to using my points for some nice overseas bookings for vacations, too.

I stayed at some of the same properties as you. None of the properties wowed me, but at the price point I found that they weren't a bad value. Certainly for a vacation I wouldn't use the chain but if I were somewhere for work with a Country Inn nearby I would consider it. The Radisson I stayed at (Dallas Central) wasn't nice enough to compensate for the lack of free breakfast I got at Country Inn and Park Inn.

Perhaps I should have clarified that a little more. The value I received was ok for every hotel but the Radisson Dallas Central. For $72.00, and 5,000 points, I found the lack of breakfast, retro rooms and internet signal unacceptable. (Not to mention the closure of the pool and remodeling) In all other instances, I think that it was fine. The person that said that Country Inn is a lot like Hampton is spot on. If anything, I experienced a good, reliable place to stay on the cheap that I otherwise would not have visited.

My main point was that I wasn't wowed with the brand itself. The chain shows its age and doesn't have the elegant factor of a Hyatt or Hilton, which are in the same price range. Now that the promo has pretty much completed, I'm not sure that the enticement of points is enough to sway me to stick with them. While their points redemptions are stellar compared to the other two brands, I fear that the recent flood in the market will see a devaluation pretty soon.

I'm happy to experience some great Radisson Blu properties while in Europe as a result of the promo. Then again, if I were paying for my nights, I'd probably book another chain at a similar price point.

We would not have stayed at any Raddison properties if not for this promotion. I noticed the promotion while we are on a trip from Ottawa to Vancouver. On the way home through the States we stayed at the Country Inn and Suites in Fargo,ND. It was very nice and we were upgraded to a suite. We were travelling with our dog so were limited wher we could stay. Too bad the Park Plaza didn't have its promo up at the time we went through Minneapolis as we could have stayed there. Never again at the Park Inn in Sault Sainte Marie. It was awful. Then my husband had a business trip to Halifax and stayed at the Radisson there. He was upgraded and got some free small bottles of wine.
We have stayed at the Radisson Blu in Cairo near the airport. That was 2 years ago and
it was a very nice hotel. Will we stay at another Radisson? Hoping to do the Mayfair next May but on points we now have.

I completed the CIS and Radisson promo for the 94,000 bonus points. In the end I think I recieved just a hair over 100,000 points total. I would not have stayed at these properties if not for the bonus. I paid what I felt was a premium to stay at these two properties versus what I could have paid at other major chains of similar brand.

In both instances I was underwhelmed with the property. The CIS was in better shape than the Radisson

Customer service on both was excellent at check in and quite lame which means long at check out.

the Radisson bed may be the worst I've ever attempted to sleep in

Will I go back, only if the price is the lowest or another major promo like this one. Right now I tried it and it was enough of a sell to get me to be a regular customer over the other major chains

Terrific promotion and I thank Club Carlson for the points BUT the hotels I stayed were borderline average/below average. Overall, I found the staff at each hotel friendly, helpful, and efficient.

Report Card: (based upon cleanliness, decor, and maintenance of facility and equipment).
Raddison Hotel Orlando - UCF C-
Country Inn & Suites - Houston Intercontinental Airport C
Park Inn by Raddison, Houston North, TX C

she wont be doing her singing till after 8/22! it is over in regards to Rad,PI and CI&S but till 8/22 its a go for a PP (Park Plaza)

Please don't scare me! I believe this promo ends Aug 28. I'm booking one for Aug 27.

Well, my thoughts on the CC brand, based on the hotels I had to choose from, is that (at the very least when you can't use 35% off sales) many of their hotels are overpriced for what they are and compared to some of (the subset of) the competition (that I look at), especially given how high an elite level you need in CC to get breakfast and how few of the brands give breakfast free (at least in the US).

And, in turn, I looked at several places in Europe for rewards, and found the CC hotels lacking benefits versus points needed compared to other programs (that I've been in longer), except in Scandinavia (where, per local standards, the breakfast buffet is free typically even in otherwise full-service hotels).

But I only get to Scandinavia once every two or three years, so outside of these big promos, I'll probably stay at CC properties very rarely. The one exception is that, if they're decently priced (compared to other all-included midscale chains), I might consider a Country Inn & Suites somewhere in the US occasionally.

In the meantime, I shouldn't have problems keeping up some activity in my CC account as long they keep up those lavish car rental promos! :)

Please don't scare me! I believe this promo ends Aug 28. I'm booking one for Aug 27.

sorry I had written 8/22 down on a pice of paper I corrected the Date you are correct its 8/28

Did a generic CI&S stay, it confirmed why I was avoiding the brand. The oak and green scheme with central stair case reminds me of a bad retirement home and the guest population seemed to mirror that. My Radisson stay was Austin, TX. The property was nicer than my previous Radisson stays many years ago but nothing special. I picked it based on location prior to the promo and as such my 50k points are still waiting to post.

I had some problems with the bonus points posting and customer service provided moving dates, they did eventually post though. That aside I learned how lucrative the earn/burn rate is and may be more apt to stay at Radisson over the other 3.5 star brands if location and price are roughly equal. I am signed up for the PP bonus and live 15 miles from the only US property, no real expectations for that beyond my points posting.

I have burned the the majority of my posted points on a single night Radisson on a high demand weekend, got about $7 of value per 1000 CC points. I suspect the rest of my points will be used to fuel single night stays using the cash+points rate. ~$65/ night is a better revenue gain than if I went to the Holiday Inn on the opposite side of the interstate so in is win/win for Carlson and I.

I jumped on the CC boat due to the promotion but they really hooked me. I had 7 stays so far and due to my travel patterns (Western europe) I find the program a new benchmark for my needs.

I stay mostly in Radisson Blu which I would compare to Crowne Plaza with the added benefit of the internet and upgrades (so far, 100% success to rooms which had breakfast included).

Hotels in which I have been were modern, new and almost no drawbacks. It is true that I don't find Park Inn up to the program, but my experience so far has been good.

Of course the program lacks of stated benefits, but I suppose that they will keep coming.

Stayed in several Radissons and Parkinn across Europe and a few Country Inns in the US. The European ones are pretty consistent 4 star hotels.
The customer service help desk is great and resolve issues promptly. You get a feeling they really want you to be satisfied.
As gold I get upgraded at about 50% of the stays and for the rest I usually get room with a nice view etc in the same category.
The weekend 2 nights for the price of 1 (or 4 for 2) is an excellent benefit of the gold elite level and one of the strong points of the program IMO which none of the other big brands give to mid-tier members.

Overall this as a great value program with good elite recognition and benefits and valuable point earning/redemption opportunities.

I think that this summarizes it quite well.

Let's see what I am missing when staying at Club Carlson properties:

1. Guaranteed early check in 8AM (IC RA)
2. Guaranteed late check out 4PM (IC RA, SPG PLT, Hyatt Diamond)
3. Lounge access (Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott & SPG sometimes IC)
4. Breakfast (Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott & SPG)
5. Suite upgrades (Hyatt, SPG & IC RA)

The Radisson hotels that I have stayed at have all been fine, but I don't feel that I would have received value for money without the promotion. The situation is totally different IF I wouldn't be top tier with all the other chains. But the program wasn't even on my consideration set previously. I do now check, whether they have properties where I am going to.


What I am missing is are very basic things: free breakfast and free Internet. Both benefits are not given in all hotels. The Park Inn Dusseldorf South didn't provide any of the two mentioned benefits. Needless to say that there was also no room upgrade provided.

Then, there are also hotels with an outstanding service orientation, e.g. the Radisson Blu Centrum in Warsaw. I got an executive suite upgrade which included breakfast and pay tv. The hotel is nice and comes with a swimming pool, sauna and steam bath. That was a very positive experience.

I'm not going to pass judgment on the brand based on my stays at some airport hotels that I specifically chose because they were cheap. I tried PDX, SEA, and NRT, and they were all ok and generally comparable to peers (HI, CP, etc). One thing I did notice is a relative scarcity of upscale hotels in downtown areas (in the US, and specifically on the West Coast). I really don't want to stay at the airport when I travel to a city. Elite treatment was minimal, but it would have been the same at comparable properties.

I have reservations coming up in Paris-Ambassador, Nice, London-Mayfair, and St Gallen, and to me, those will be the true test. ^

If anything, this promo showed me why Carlson has to offer such enticements to get people to stay at their hotels.

I stayed at all four brands, and while Park Plaza was the most consistant (European hotels), it seems that the Carlson brand is in need of some serious work in the USA. The Radissons (at which I've stayed at a few) were either "good" or just "ok"...lacking in quality customer service, consistant amenities, and rooms that were consistant (in many hotels, some rooms had flat screens, others did not...some were refurbished, others not....definitely the sign of a lower tier brand). Country Inn's were probably the most reliable in terms of quality, but again, varied more so than your average Hampton Inn would.

And customer service from a corporate standpoint was dissapointing. They continually FAILED at responding to my Best Rate Guarantee within 48 hours, and the few times they did, they were incorrect in denying it, which to me speaks about bigger problems within their company. How can I trust a company to take care of an issue (if one should arise), if they cant simply respond to an e-mail within 2-3 business days?

If Club Carlson runs another promo, I'll probably stay with them. But since their properties are roughly the same price as some of their more established, proven competitors (Hilton, Starwood), I'd only stay with them if this promo came up again. They still have a lot of work to do in really making the chain stronger. If they fail to live up to that challenege, they'll end up the hotel equivalent to K-Mart.

I think it really depends which continent you mostly look at. Hilton, Marriott, etc. are ridiculous in Europe while the Radisson Blus usually give you a fair deal (price/service). In the US however, competition and establishment of the more settled brands make Club Carlson not look so attractive!
I am sure however that CC will rise and become more similar to Hilton etc. so it can't hurt to jump on that train now.

Here ins the US it seems to me that CI are identical across the board, with similar amenities as Hampton Inn. Radisson is a mixed bag, having stayed at the Blu Chicago, and also Radisson near ORD there is a huge difference. Park Inn looks tired and could use a overhaul. Having said that, and reading what others have mentioned, it looks that Radisson, Park Plaza and PArk Inn are strong in Europe. Had it not been for the promo I would not have tried the brand. I will certainly try for it on Europe on future time. I've already done several non-promo bookings for future travel here locally. I can say that the C&P does add value to the program in comparison to what others charge.

I personally think all if not most of the Radisson Blu hotels in Europe are very ok. I have heard that the ones in the US are not up to that standard. I have stayed at Radisson SAS/Blu before the promos and I am very satisfied - at least the ones in Europe. The promo has successfully attracted me more to the brand & I did sign up for CC membership looking forward to a continued business with them.

For now, I will have to check carefully with other hotels I used to frequent and compare accordingly before I reserve a room. I would however place Radisson Blu/Park Inn? hotels on my top list of hotels when looking for where to stay.

Unlike say Hyatt, not every property is up to snuff while some are outstanding. It seems to be a collection of nice motels and elegant hotels, even within each brand. The Country Inns seem the most consistent and they are a lot like Hampton Inns.

The only Park Inn I stayed at was Harrisburg and it seems at the level of Country Inns but since it's older can't have the distinctive CI architecture. The Radisson in Charleston, SC was more nice enough motor hotel near an airport than a hotel. The Radisson Lord Baltimore is more a dumpy hotel while the Radisson Warrick in Philly is nicer and the Radisson Lexington in NYC is wonderful. The Lexington is often a great bargain and it's location is A+++.

I guess what I can summarize is that when looking at a Radisson I'll check it out first online to see reviews.

I can say that the C&P does add value to the program in comparison to what others charge.

For all the flaws CC has, their points program is perhaps the best in the business. Very fair redemption rates, great ROI for cash bookings, C+P rates are a great way to save and the ability to transfer points to someone else free of charge is outstanding. Not to mention, they match and give 25% off for BRG claim. (Although they are slow on responding)

As a Silver Elite, I can pretty much earn a free night at a Cat 1 hotel after one stay at a top tier Radisson. (I.E. 2,000 for online booking + 7,500 for a $300.00 rate)

I think that they are running the best promos in the industry.

I stayed at a Radisson and CIS for this promotion. They were both nice, fairly new properties. I didn't request a status match, so was a no status at CC. Both hotels were next to major roads and by default, they both gave me rooms facing the busy major road, which was a bit noisy. But I am sure this happens at all hotels for guests without status so no big deal. I would like to redeem at a Radisson Blu and see how they compare to hotels from other major brands.

So far I've stayed a 2 Radissons, 1 Country Inn, 1 Park Plaza and 1 Park Inn.
Radisson DCA - OK convenient location near Metro and Airport. Good for the $$$$
Radisson Nashua, NH - 6th Floor Rooms were nice. Good Value.
Park Plaza Bloomington, MN Good staff, OK
Country Inn Millville, NJ - booked because it was cheapest around. Hated it. Nice Staff though.
Park Inn, Mechanicsburg, PA (near Harrisburg) a huge tired Motel. Again really nice staff but really needs new beds and a refresh.
So did they acccomplish their goals? I'd definitely consider staying at the Club Carlson family again on the strength of the rewards program and price/value proposition but it'll be highly subjective and dependent on property reviews etc. If they refreshed their properties in the US and had a more consisent product, It would be a far easier decision.

Do Radisson hotels have lounges?

We have only stayed at Radisson Blus in Scandinavia - it's nothing special. Marriott and CP are better than them IMO. We got lounge access at CP CPH as IHG Plat and internet is free anyway.

Park Inn is a hit and miss - I think the newer properties is nicer. I stayed at Hamburg Nord and Malmo, Malmo is nicer - even though I only got half upgrade. PI Hamburg is several grade worse than CY Hamburg. Their breakfast was one of the worst I have tried and internet is not free (CY Hamburg is free).

Like many of you, I hadn’t really considered Club Carlson until they came out with their BNG promo last year.
agreed, I would have never considered them w/o the promosNow, to be fair, I have yet to stay at a Radisson Blu. I have booked rooms at The May Fair in London and the Radisson Blu Berlin for next year. I anticipate that these will be the bread and butter of the brand.I don't think you mean to say bread & butter but that the May Fair & Radisson Blu will be exemplary/pinnacle examples of the Radisson brand. (at least I've never heard bread & butter being used in the context you state)The follow-up surveys and the action taken is also impressive.I've appreciated the surveys but the one major problem I had at the Radisson Blu Chicago was only followed up with the boiler plate reply that they are working on it, blah blah blah. I would have been pleased if the property had comped/partially comped my stay like you had happen.
Overall, the properties are clean, comfortable, and pleasant, all that I need for business travel, and I now check for Carlson properties when traveling to a new area, so I think the promotion has been mutually advantageous. Looking forward to using my points for some nice overseas bookings for vacations, too.+1 on both statements. Seeing as the other chains have been offering terrible promotions for awhile now, Club Carlson properties are my primary chain I reserve with.

If Hyatt brings back stay twice, get a free night (doubtful), then I'll leave Club Carlson (or any chain) but I'm quite pleased now.

The big drawbacks for me with CC:
1) lack of front desk awareness with treating elites.
2) a number of the US properties are overpriced

I don't think you mean to say bread & butter but that the May Fair & Radisson Blu will be exemplary/pinnacle examples of the Radisson brand. (at least I've never heard bread & butter being used in the context you state)

Sort of. I think that the Radisson Blu is the "bread and butter" because it drives the bus of the brand's reputation. I think that most people view Radisson Blu in the same ilk as they would a Park Hyatt, IC, Fairmount, etc. Therefore, people can justify paying a premium to stay there. This translates into people trying out other properties within the brand and assuming that they will have a smaller taste of the experience. I have not found this to be the case with Club Carlson.

For example, a Park Hyatt and a Grand Hyatt are pretty similar. If you downsize to a Hyatt House or Hyatt Place, you are still getting a decent hotel but there is a noticeable drop-off. As they are cookie-cutter models, you know that a Hyatt Place in Dallas will be like a Hyatt Place in Orlando and what you’re going to get for your money. However, I’ve found Club Carlson to be all over the map. There is no uniformity to the hotels beyond catering to local flair. This is especially true with the Country Inn. I stayed at 4 of them and 3 out of 4 were astronomically different in look, feel and size. In some cases, it was like they slapped a Country Inn logo onto a property that went defunct and didn’t bother to covert it to their theme. None of them were particularly bad, but I’m not sure that I want to wager my personal funds on it. I shouldn’t have to research a property to find out whether or not it’s one of the “good ones”. Otherwise, I’d just stay at a Best Western or La Quinta.

Along those lines, I found that a lot of the U.S. properties I looked at are located in undesirable places within a city. You will either be staying near the airport or in an area of town that’s a little shady. (Or both, in some cases) Take Los Angeles, for example. There’s really not an attractive property to be had. There are only properties that suit particular needs of the occupant. (I.E. Have an early flight so want to stay by LAX, visiting someone south of LA so stay in Redondo Beach, etc.) The Radisson near USC is probably the most “tourist friendly” property but it’s located in a seedy area and not really a nice hotel. For the price they charge I could stay downtown or near Hollywood Hills, at a more established brand, and receive both a better location and experience.

I’m hoping that the Radisson Blu, which has a good reputation, will redeem the brand for me. However, as I do not live in Europe or travel there annually, this won’t do much to win me over as a customer…unless there’s an incentive attached. The person who said that Radisson is becoming the K-Mart of hotels is spot on. Excellent promo, short term financial gain for them, but I’m not sure that it had the intended effect. Once someone doesn’t pay you to take them to the prom, you’ll find something else to do.

The second definition of bread and butter is what I was referring to:

Bread & Butter 
noun
1. bread spread with butter.
2. a basic means of support; source of livelihood; sustenance: The automobile industry is the bread and butter of many Detroiters.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bread+and+butter

So I'm still not buying the use of bread & butter but I do understand your point:)

I have had 4 stays at 4 different Carlson properties. They have run from-"NEVER again"(Park Inn Fresno) to "Ok for the money if my regular chain is sold out/ too expensive"(Radisson Costa Mesa) but none of them seemed really nice to me or were hotels that I would choose over my regular choices.

I was hoping to replace Marriott with Carlson but I just see the value unless there is a point promotion. And this presents another problem-if the property is nasty I do not really care what a bargain it is using points.

Until Carlson puts a real effort into refreshing/improving their properties and strengthening the benefits granted to elite members I am going to have to give them a pass.

Sort of. I think that the Radisson Blu is the "bread and butter" because it drives the bus of the brand's reputation. I think that most people view Radisson Blu in the same ilk as they would a Park Hyatt, IC, Fairmount, etc.

IMHO Radisson Blu is about the same level as lower quality Sheraton hotels, Hyatt Regencies etc.

radisson airport nashville (BNA) and country inn and suites alcoa (TYS).

upgraded to nice suite in nashville. only problem was there were several things in the room that haven't been fixed in a while. it's obvious the room wasn't rented out that often. i filled out the survey and manager emailed me back roughly 2 hours later apologizing, personally, and offered me a future comp'd night. A+ customer service.

just stayed at CI at TYS and it was abismal. already wrote a report on tripadvisor. no recognition of status and i had to have received the worst room there. just way too many issues to ever consider staying there, again.

the Radisson points posted within a day or two. It's been over a week since CI and I've received nothing.

Based on my experience, Radissons are from ok to good, I was not wowed.

My experience is that they have been very inconsistent in Gold benefits, from simply frugal to generous. After my wife and I completed the 4 promos, we have a combined balance of 450K points, we will be staying in european radissons in the future, and CC will be there after HH/SPG.

I guess if I can't find a good deal, lounge or breakfast, uprgrade HH/SPG property in a city, I will go with CC. And always check here or tripadvisor for comments. I may even email manager or call ahead and ask what the benefits are.

Disappointing would be my sum up of my experiences so far. Have only stayed at 2 Radissons (San Juan and CHS). Thanks to the promotions I want to like CC seeing as how they try to reward their members, as opposed to SPGs very avg. promos this year, but so far they're making themselves too difficult to like.

From poor elite recognition to stay credits taking up to and over a week to post I feel customer service in any area isn't one of their priorities. I also find that they take far too long to answer emails and like to fall back on the "we're so busy" excuse.

I won't not stay again but they'll take their place behind SPG and HH in my book unless I'm wowed by some of their hotels in the near future.

Disappointing would be my sum up of my experiences so far. Have only stayed at 2 Radissons (San Juan and CHS). Thanks to the promotions I want to like CC seeing as how they try to reward their members
You're not cynical enough. :) Could it not be instead that they're thowing big points at us not to "reward" us, but to "bribe' us (into staying at hotels normally not that worth staying in)?

You're not cynical enough. :) Could it not be instead that they're thowing big points at us not to "reward" us, but to "bribe' us (into staying at hotels normally not that worth staying in)?

+100000

That's EXACTLY why. Which is fine - because it works for both parties. People get rewarded with points that they may or may not use (which is what the Carlson is banking on), and Carlson also takes in revenue that they wouldnt have normally gotten. This was an extremely intelligent promo on their part, and no doubt had some effect on their competition. Between my better half and myself, we stayed at all four chains each for a total of eight nights that we would've spent elsewhere simply because these Carlson properties only offer value when there's a promo attached to them. .

I could see them doing this yet again - but am kinda confused as to why they opened this up internationally. Their international Radisson's are not the ones that need one to be bribed to stay in. Their North America ones are, however...and perhaps the next promo will again be targeted to stays there only.

I could see them doing this yet again - but am kinda confused as to why they opened this up internationally. Their international Radisson's are not the ones that need one to be bribed to stay in. Their North America ones are, however...and perhaps the next promo will again be targeted to stays there only.

Having stayed only in US CC properties, I would hope the European properties are nicer because I'd really like to have an opportunity to use my points on a property that I will actually enjoy. The Park Inn and Country Inn properties I stayed at were airport properties, and the Radisson (Dallas Central) was being renovated.

I would never stay at CC before this. I tried all 4 brands (in US and Europe) and was most impressed with Country Inn (factoring in the low price) and Park Plaza. Will consider them as a no. 2 or 3 program behind *wood if there are competitive promos in future.

+100000

That's EXACTLY why. Which is fine - because it works for both parties. People get rewarded with points that they may or may not use (which is what the Carlson is banking on), and Carlson also takes in revenue that they wouldnt have normally gotten. This was an extremely intelligent promo on their part, and no doubt had some effect on their competition. Between my better half and myself, we stayed at all four chains each for a total of eight nights that we would've spent elsewhere simply because these Carlson properties only offer value when there's a promo attached to them. .

I could see them doing this yet again - but am kinda confused as to why they opened this up internationally. Their international Radisson's are not the ones that need one to be bribed to stay in. Their North America ones are, however...and perhaps the next promo will again be targeted to stays there only.

I stayed in Park Inn and Radisson Blu in Europe. I don't like the prices of Radissons, and the only way I stay there was the BNG and 241 promo.

PI are ok, I prefer Marriott and possibly IHG. Radisson Blu in Denmark is nothing special and they receive pretty poor reviews on TA. You have to do some research on which property to stay, as they are not consistent in quality.

CC does have to bribe people for international properties too because there are competition everywhere.

IMHO Radisson Blu is about the same level as lower quality Sheraton hotels, Hyatt Regencies etc.

That’s disappointing to hear. Though, the reviews I’ve seen on the Radisson Blu in Berlin and The May Fair look to be somewhat promising. I don’t expect 5-stars, but definitely a (European Standard) 4.5-star. Nice clean rooms, good location, free wifi and I’m set.

On average, I think my nights in Berlin/London will be $67.00 by using points and the cost to obtain them. In that sense, I feel that I am getting a good deal.

Don't worry, Radisson Blu Berlin is a fine property and definitely not "about the same level as lower quality Sheraton hotels, Hyatt Regencies." A shame the Regent is no longer bookable with points; that was easily the best (chain) hotel in Berlin.

The area where I am for the business does not have new/nice/modern hotels.
One Radisson, 3-4 CI&S and 1 PI.
They all old, not upgraded and poorly managed.
If no Carlson BRG I would def. stay at Hilton/Starwood brand hotels.
Since I travel on my own dime the price one of the main reasons for the hotel choice.

I've stayed at several Radissons in Europe and due to the BNG also threw in some nights at Park Plaza and Park Inn. The Radissons I stayed were very good, solid 4* some of them even 5*

The Park xxx properties were good for their price range - no use of comparing them to the local Marriotts or the ICs

I like their F&F and the 2-4-1 rates - very good value for money.

So whereas CC will not be my primary hotel chain, they certainly put themselves on my map!

---

PS - BNG, what a clever marketing ploy! The blogosphere was full with it, even made the mainstream media, I think. And with minimal costs, if one looks at it from behind the marketing manager's desk ^

I've stayed at several Radissons in Europe and due to the BNG also threw in some nights at Park Plaza and Park Inn. The Radissons I stayed were very good, solid 4* some of them even 5*

The Park xxx properties were good for their price range - no use of comparing them to the local Marriotts or the ICs

I like their F&F and the 2-4-1 rates - very good value for money.

So whereas CC will not be my primary hotel chain, they certainly put themselves on my map!

---

PS - BNG, what a clever marketing ploy! The blogosphere was full with it, even made the mainstream media, I think. And with minimal costs, if one looks at it from behind the marketing manager's desk ^

... and in much of Asia and parts of South America they are pretty good too and decent business class hotels even if not true luxury hotels.

Club Carlson has got me thinking of staying in their properties in a way that was not the case -- largely due to being too familiar with the low-end poor value properties Radisson had become notorious for in the US in a way that happened with Howard Johnson hotels: see the name, avoid it. No longer.

For my Asia, Europe and South America travels, Carlson hotels is in the picture in a way that was not the case before. The promotion has worked me over.

... and in much of Asia and parts of South America they are pretty good too and decent business class hotels even if not true luxury hotels.
.

You got me thinking here - until your post it never came to my mind to check CC properties in Asia ^

Radisson Crystal City (outside of DC) - Inconsistent but a good deal so close to the city. Not a place I would prefer to stay at but for the price, not bad.
Radisson Decapolis PTY - Good recognition of a gold member. Decent location and except for the concierge, a good staff. Neat pool too.
CI&S Richmond south/east/something, VA - I am glad it was a point run only.
Nice staff but a poor quality hotel.

I wanted to be converted too but that hasn't happened yet. If the higher end hotels in Europe come through for award bookings, there still may be hope

Cheers -

I can't speak about foreign CC properties because I haven't stayed at one yet. Reviews of some of those properties here on FT made me figure it was worth getting a stash in the last two promotions that I can use in Europe and South America over the next year or so. But, other than the Crystal City Radisson, which is a property I'll add to my DC rotation (but to be honest, is not as good as some other properties in the near DC suburbs that can also be had for less than $100/night), I saw nothing about the properties themselves that would pull me away from SPG/Choice/Hilton/Priority Club, the four other programs I use (more or less in descending order).

I think CC's big issue in the US is figuring out what it wants to be when it grows up. I know that at one time, Radissons aspired to some Hilton/Sheraton (and I mean those names as independent hotels rather than parts of the groups of which they now are) level, but I've seen too many dated properties and not enough newer hotels flying the Radisson brand to meet that aspiration. Park Plaza has one location in the entire country. Park Inns have about a dozen, and I don't know how many of them are like the Fresno location where I stayed three weeks ago--a converted Four Points Hotel. I can't tell what image CC wants these three chains to meet, and without that determined, I think it's difficult to present an appealing brand that can attract targeted customers or meet/enforce brand standards.

Country Inn & Suites has a defined identity although it does not necessarily appeal to me. You generally know what you're getting there, and I suspect it's easier to maintain brand uniformity. Nevertheless, it seems in my general research on the brand's properties that their rates fluctuate all over the board, in ways not totally explained by location, seasons, or special events. In some places and at certain times, they appear to want to compete with Comfort Inn prices. At other times and in other locations, they seem as expensive or more so than Holiday Inns, Hilton Gardens, and Hampton Inns.

Some of the redemption levels for awards within the brands seem whacky as well. The International Drive Radisson property in Orlando at 9K is well known (and is currently available even during the summer tourist season for Disney and Universal). In my area, there's a CI&S on the oceanfront at Virginia Beach where redemptions are 44K all year long, even in January. Let's see kids, five days in Orlando during summer vacation or one day in (probably) cold Virginia Beach in January?

CC's made a big splash with these two Big Night Giveaway promos. I'm sure they have some converts, but I think they have a long way to go in the US to make their brands more competitive both in image and in standards.

Before I had Hilton status, I used to stay regularly at the Victoria Park Plaza, but got fed up of them adding on service charges to everything, even if I went up to the bar to get a drink. I used the Riverbank too when that opened, slightly preferred the rooms there. A couple of stays at the Radission LAX, but I wont judge them badly on the basis of the airport hotel - not many of them are great. And a couple of stays at the Radisson Nice which I like a lot due to the rooftop pool and location on the Promenade d'Anglais.

Thats been about it. But this year I got Gold via Amex Plat and then the giveaway promos came up. Pre promo I stayed at the Radisson Blu Jersey and got a suite upgrade when I enquired it they had managed a space available upgrade for me - but I did have to ask. The food in the restaurant was just so-so, but otherwise this hotel was Ok and I probably would use it again.

Then for the promos:

- Radisson Blu Manchester, upgraded to a business class room with breakfast but only after asking and the Front Desk made a hugh faff about it. The meal that night was a disaster and I have been promised a suite upgrade next time by way of compensation - but that would mean paying for a room and I'm not sure I want to go back. I had previously spent almost three weeks here (in 2005 when it was a Radisson SAS) and I think its not as good now on every level as it was then.

- Park Inn, Leigh (near Manchester) - upgraded to a business class room with breakfast, room same as any other but with free internet, movies, breakfast etc. Pleasant property in a very urban surrounding and obviously favoured as an overnight stopping off point for large travel groups.

Evening food was quite poor. Room service breakfast failed to arrive and then failed to arrive again after I had phoned down. By the time I got down (around 10ish) there was very little left, not being replenished, the tables were being set for lunch and I was made to feel like I was in the way. No apology by the restaurant, they blamed the night staff! Receptionist comped me a glass of wine from the night before by was of service recovery.

- Park Plaza, Leeds - apart from zero elite recognition - a list of small problems summing up to a complete lack of attention to detail - like a safe that didn't work (probably just a battery but not sorted), phone didn't work, no nespresso cups, water in kettle from previous guest, housekeeping ignoring the DND, old CRT TV, no room decoration, amenties not as advertised. Weird system of putting an empty water bottle in room and you have to contact room service to have it filled. Breakfast truly awful and limited selection. Pre booked car parking space not available. Public areas very gloomy and tired looking. And there was more, but you should get the picture by now......

So 5 stays since I got the elite status and only one (Park Inn) recognised this by providing room upgrade before arrival. Service issues in 3 of the 5. The other constant seems to be their F&B offerings are not that great.

I'm hoping for a better result when I use my points, but would not go out of my way to choose a Carlson brand for paid stays.

Just completed my last promo stay, at the foourth brand - Park Plaza....overall mixed feelings, inconsistency in both properties and elite treatment have been present...but overall CC is "good"....with more than 400K points, and opting to get best value with cash and points, I see many stays to come, I hope more posts and reviews are generated on excellent properties so I can seek them and burn my points there. I do like that CC has a lot of flexibility in terms of rates, paid, points, cash and points, 241, 442, many discounts, recently half points, 30% off, so I see this promo as success, I now have that wild card under my sleeve when all else fails.

The only consistency I have seen is very friendly staff and very poor breakfast, terrible coffee.

We used our points from the first BNG and stayed in Amsterdam, Berlin, and Paris Le Metropolitan. All 3 were excellent properties and the points saved us over $3000.

for a lot of the park plazas ,rads in europe location seems to be excellent but building itself a bit old-budapest is one example of this.
i actually quite like the country inns as they seemed uniformly ok and bright,but didnt like the park inns at all which seemed dark and musty.
as for the promotion , it was as others said a great and cheap way to get them on the map which they were well off in terms of brand recognition..
(dont think many people did the first BNG)
i do agree with others that they will need to do the promo again to keep driving recognition up though and i dont think 2 nights for 25,000pts will do it

I also had not considered Carlson, until I had a gold card (courtesy of Amex Platinum) and the BGN (courtesy of Flyertalk). Half a dozen stays, upgrades every time, 300k points, and CC are definitely "on the map" for stays in UK and Europe.

Being a bit dim, I have only just found the 442 and 241 offers - £35 - £40 per night for a Raddison Blu in Berlin or Budapest seems pretty good - nice hotels at YHA prices!

So all in all, a good promotion. Expensive for Reinor Hotels, though.

dont think expensive for them at all.
you have to think that they were so far off the map before that any revenue is good.
this is a very cheap way to get publicity and brand recognition.
normal advertising would cost a lot more