Well since you asked so nicely, let me explain it to you.

Each hotel makes a certain number of rooms available each night at the F&F rate, which can be booked months ahead. On some of those nights, the hotel will subsequently sell out and could easily sell the room for 2 x $80, or 3 x $80, or ...

And there are many Radisson Plazas and Radisson Blus (and Hyatts and Marriotts and Sheratons and Hiltons) that you will NEVER get on Priceline for $80. These are the hotels that are at issue. No one would give a flying crap if you got some Country Inn in Boonsville whose regular rate is $90 for $80. (And by the way $80 is tax inclusive, so it's more like an equivalent of $60 on Priceline.)

Hotels manage occupancy rates along the same lines as the airlines do.They only release certain space at the discounted prices...they won't make much of a profit from those rates but hope the occupants will spend their cash on meals, extras etc. If those cheap rates boost the hotel occupancy levels then the manager will be more than happy.
By the way it is possible to get $80 rooms at the big named hotels...I got one last year at the Sheraton Skyline. ;)

I am looking for a Carlson employee to be a "friend". I have confirmed with Carlson corporate that no form is required, just be a friend or family oaf any Carlson employee.

I can always use more 'friends"... maybe a facebook friend request?

Dear all,

is there anyone who would be willing to give me his/her "details" so I can use the Friends rate?


Thank you very much in advance!!

Would be willing to provide good corporate rates of my company to you as well.

Happy about any pm!

Thanks a lot and regards,
SebFra

Family & Friends Availability
 

Fellow FTers,

I am relatively new to Club Carlson and plan to use Family & Friends (F&F) rate over the summer (June or July) in major European cities.
From what I see places like Paris and London are not available.
Do they ever open F&F rate in major cities in peak season such as summer?
If they do, do I need to wait say till May and see whether there is anything available?

friends, i am looking to book radison in los angeles and was looking to use friends/family name, can anyone share this information, it will be highly appreciated...

Guys, Carlson has also restaurants, so you can just say that your friend, John Doe is a temp waiter at your local TGI Friday's.

Some properties don't even know what this rate is. I was greeted at one Radisson checkin "I see you're working at Radisson!" to which I said, no, I'm not, but I am friend of one. That was it.

There are http://www.linkedin.com/search/fpsea..._deg_connected 6719 Carlson Wagonlit Travel employees on LinkedIn.

do you actually need to have a friend working there?

looking at the below: saying you are a fan/friend of carlson hotels would be sufficient

-No points/miles awarded
1 night minimum stay required.
Special rate offer is available to all employees, affiliates, partners, franchisees, friends and family of the entire Carlson organization including, Carlson Marketing, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Carlson Restaurants Worldwide and Carlson Hotels Worldwide

I am a great guy and looking for new friends. I love to travel, love CC properties and people intimately familiar, perhaps even working experience at these great properties.
Please let me know if you want to be my new BFF.
PM if you are shy...

Just an update - Park Inn, Muscat, on F&F rate.

Friendly welcome, room upgrade, free wi-fi, no questions. Saved about 160€/night ^ - it's such a good deal that I booked an extra night so that I wouldn't need to check out at noon on my last day but can keep it without issues until it's time to leave for the airport (10 pm-ish)

Hi folk,

Need a hotel for the night at Zurich and like the idea of the "wine angel" display for my wife (who does trapeze for fun)

Missed the advance booking window, and don't really want to take chances (on holiday with my wife!).

So, anyone know:

a) is TGI Fridays in the UK part of Carlson's group - or are UK operations a separate franchise?

b) Rather than tipping the staff at TGI's, anyone want to pm me so we can get to know each other and become "friends".

Many thanks,

FG

Some people really do need to be told to wipe their bottoms afterwards don't they :D

I've used this rate in Europe before, but haven't run into this situation...

Booking Tbilisi for mid-June, I see a rate of "$84.00 USD" and this rate is repeated in the calendar display under "rate details", but there is also a line in the "Features" section:
I suspect the Euro rate might be standard boilerplate, copied from another property, but wanted to check with other FTers.

As I've suggested over on the big thread about this on the Hotel Deals board, where the moral issues have long since been settled: Stay once at a higher rate at a CC property during one of the great promos (to bring your break-even more into line), chat with a front desk staff person, a front desk manager is better*, or leave out the chat part, pick up a couple of the manager's cards that are likely in a card holder on the counter, and voila. Remember this at every stay.


* Because managers know the value of occupancy to Carlson. As they do up the line. As it's been mentioned in that big thread, there are some Carlson/Radisson top executives' names floating around who are fine with their names being used, although they are rarely contacted by front desk staff.