Time to make room in your wallet for a new program -- Radisson Gold Rewards.

Apparently this program started today. Details are as follows:

1. If you want airline miles, you must sign up. You will get 500 miles per stay.

2. If you choose Gold Points, you will earn 2000 per stay plus 5000 point for every fifth stay.

3. You can also earn points from Fridays, Friday's American Bar, Front Row, Italianni's, SkyMall, Country Inns and Suites, and MCI. It does not indicate how many points will be earned from partners

4. Depending on the Hotel type, you get a free night from 20,000 points:

The tiers were not defined in the material I received:

Tier I -- 1 free night = 20,000 points
2 weekend nights = 35,000

Teir II -- 30,000 points
55,000 points

Tier III -- 60,000 points
110,000 points

Buy one meal, get one of lesser value free = 10,000 points

Free breakfast per person 10,000 points
Free movie -- 5,000 points

Website: http://www.goldpoints.com

There exists the ability to transfer points between accounts as long as the transfer is amoung menbers of the same household (having the same princpal address).

You are supposed to get your card upon signup. Program started 3/1.

This hotel program is downright pathetic. I usually stay 4 nights a week at the properties I visit. For a "Tier III" property, I would have to stay 20 times, or 80 nights, for -1- free night!

For one of their "Tier I" hotels (and Lord, I've had to endure more than one of these), it will take 8 stays (or 32 nights for me) to vacation at one of their tiny, flea-ridden properties.

Or for 3 stays (12 nights = $1200), I get a $5 movie. Yippee!!!

Pathetic doesn't even come close to describing this program.

First let me say I stayed about 40 nights at radisson's last year and I like them alot.

If you earn 6250 points, over three stays, you can get a $10 gift certificate. Wow $3 per stay. This is like Buy 100, get one free. No bargain at all.
You are much better off with the airline miles. At a business rate they give you 1000 miles per stay, economy rates get you 500. Much better than the points.

The folks at Carlson(Radisson parent and owner of TGI and the other merchants in the program) really blew this one.

Better to have no program, then one that insults your customers.

To paraphrase the late Gene Siskel this one gets 2 thumbs down.

BTW: if you do the math, on the "rewards" its even worse.

20000 pts could get you 2 free breakfasts, or $30 in gift certificates and 1250 pts left over. Maybe to buy a pack of gum.

This will get my vote, not in the freddies of course.