Mar 9, 2014, 4:07 am
Last edit by: bhatnasx
The Friends and Family rate is intended to be offered to travellers who are "friend and family members" of a Carlson employee. That could be a hotel employee, a travel agent (Carlson Wagonlit) or restaurant employee (TGIF) (TGIF sold to Sentinel Capital Partners as of July 2014).
When you book the rate, you are supposed to have the basic data on your friend available at check-in for the hotel to verify that you are indeed authorized to use that rate. Generally, if they ask, they ask for:
1) Employee Name
2) Work location
Please consider that, as per T&C, only employee name and location can be requested only at the check in time.
The new code is RHGRFNF
NOTE:
Booking a rate that you're not entitled to book may result in rate adjustments and Club Carlson account freezing.
In general, the rate is 80 per night in Europe.
*These stays post as "Ineligible" - non-qualifying, non-stay, non-points earning ... so, in sum, don't associate a F&F reservation with your Gold Points account, unless elite perks you hope to enjoy are worth the risk.
When you book the rate, you are supposed to have the basic data on your friend available at check-in for the hotel to verify that you are indeed authorized to use that rate. Generally, if they ask, they ask for:
1) Employee Name
2) Work location
Please consider that, as per T&C, only employee name and location can be requested only at the check in time.
The new code is RHGRFNF
NOTE:
Booking a rate that you're not entitled to book may result in rate adjustments and Club Carlson account freezing.
In general, the rate is 80 per night in Europe.
*These stays post as "Ineligible" - non-qualifying, non-stay, non-points earning ... so, in sum, don't associate a F&F reservation with your Gold Points account, unless elite perks you hope to enjoy are worth the risk.
Carlson Hotels (Radisson) Family & Friends Rate - 2009 - 2017 Thread
Nov 26, 2012, 9:16 am
#1216
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,914
Recent stay at Radisson Blue Scandinavia Copenhagen: Was asked for name and location and they called the hotel for verification. No problem once verified.
Full breafast buffet included at both properties. Quite good.
Nov 26, 2012, 12:15 pm
#1217
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: EBG, FBG, SPG Gold, CC Gold, etc.
Posts: 126
Edit: Please delete mods, ta.
Nov 26, 2012, 12:49 pm
#1218
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: LHR
Programs: M&M,HH Gold,Accor Plat.,Priority Club Plat. Ambassador,Club Carlson Gold,Marriott Gold,GHA Plat.
Posts: 1,627
2 recent stays. The first: was asked for name and location, no problem once I provided my friend's details. The second: No questions asked.
Recent stay at Radisson Blue Scandinavia Copenhagen: Was asked for name and location and they called the hotel for verification. No problem once verified.
Full breafast buffet included at both properties. Quite good.
Recent stay at Radisson Blue Scandinavia Copenhagen: Was asked for name and location and they called the hotel for verification. No problem once verified.
Full breafast buffet included at both properties. Quite good.
when hotel called to verify, they simply verify the existance of the Rezidor's employee name, or they wanted to talk with the employee?
They called the hotel during your check-in, or after it?
thank you
Nov 26, 2012, 4:55 pm
#1219
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 1
Do you not know if breakfast is included until you check-in? Because I see nothing about it in my confirmation email.
Nov 27, 2012, 4:27 am
#1220
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: LHR
Programs: M&M,HH Gold,Accor Plat.,Priority Club Plat. Ambassador,Club Carlson Gold,Marriott Gold,GHA Plat.
Posts: 1,627
Nov 28, 2012, 10:15 am
#1221
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,914
They called the property from the back office while I waited at check-in. I don't know if they asked to talk to my friend or if the property just confirmed that my friend works there (my friend was away on maternity leave so she could not be reached anyway)
Nov 28, 2012, 10:17 am
#1222
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,914
Nov 28, 2012, 11:47 am
#1223
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: LHR
Programs: M&M,HH Gold,Accor Plat.,Priority Club Plat. Ambassador,Club Carlson Gold,Marriott Gold,GHA Plat.
Posts: 1,627
Damn, i think this could be the worst scenario for those who don't have any "real" friend in Rezidor.
Nov 28, 2012, 1:52 pm
#1224
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: West LA
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 957
Last week stayed in the Radisson Royal Dubai for two nights. They did not ask for anything, nor did they bring it up. The rate did include a rather good buffet breakfast for two both mornings.
Dec 1, 2012, 9:24 pm
#1225
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 437
Anyone use this rate at the Radisson Blu/Park Inn Muscat? I'm looking the Blu rates and it says the 18% tax is excluded from the room, then below it states the rate is inclusive of all estimated taxes and fees.
The Park Inn Muscat is ~12$ per night cheaper and doesn't have the conflicting information regarding taxes, but the Blu seems nicer. Can anyone advise?
Park Inn = 50$ a night discount with the rate
Blu = 150$ discount with the rate. So the Blu is still the better value, but 18% extra they might tack on could eat into our budget for the days we are there.
The Park Inn Muscat is ~12$ per night cheaper and doesn't have the conflicting information regarding taxes, but the Blu seems nicer. Can anyone advise?
Park Inn = 50$ a night discount with the rate
Blu = 150$ discount with the rate. So the Blu is still the better value, but 18% extra they might tack on could eat into our budget for the days we are there.
If you aren't going there until mid-March or later, I'll be happy to answer your question! If you're going before me, I'd appreciate an update!
Dec 2, 2012, 1:57 pm
#1226
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 7
We will be in Melbourne Australia in April. Want to use the F&F. Has anyone ever been denied the reservation if they give a new "friend's" name?
Dec 6, 2012, 8:30 am
#1227
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: YYJ
Programs: Aeroplan,Alaska,Airmiles
Posts: 265
Radisson Blu New World- Shanghai
No questions asked and no upgrades or breakfast.
Dec 6, 2012, 2:16 pm
#1228
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA 1K MM, Hilton Gold, Marriott Platnum
Posts: 39
Dec 6, 2012, 2:58 pm
#1229
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: The KUL city
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat, TK Elite+
Posts: 2,666
Booked a F&F rate at the Park Plaza Baker St. (Sherlock Holmes Hotel), London. Rate was inclusive of breakfast and the check-in agent just asked for the employee's name and location. No further question asked.
Dec 6, 2012, 11:31 pm
#1230
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: The Castro, San Francisco, California
Programs: UA, DL, AA, Aegean Air, Cal Alumni (go Bears!)
Posts: 594
Checking "friend's" employment
I suppose you could make sure you checked in when it was the middle of the night back in the U.S. (if where you're staying is another country), almost assuring that the employee would not be on duty when they called, especially if the employee was something like a events coordinator.