1 Night Nets 55,134 Points In So Go Country Promotion

Share with a friend

On May 15, Radisson launched their Big Night Giveaway (see this post), they also launched the So Go Country promotion for their Country Inns & Suites brand of hotels.  You can register for the So Go Country promotion here. With a little creativity I managed to turn one night into 55,134 points.  Here’s how:

The Country Inns So Go Country promotion awards 44,000 bonus points to the first 35,000 people who register and complete a qualifying stay during the promotion period of May 15, 2012 – July 15, 2012.    The cavet: if you’re the 35,001 person to register or complete your stay, instead of 44,000 bonus points you only get 15,000 bonus points.

Since this could be a slippery slope, I choose to complete my stay sooner vs later. Plus, there’s only one Country Inn & Suites in San Diego. With limited supply and peak travel season approaching, the best rates are now vs later.

I had planned a stay-cation, booking two rooms (I had registered myself and Jeff for the promo).  But Jeff reminded me that he was riding up Mt. Baldy on Saturday for stage 7 of the Amgen Tour of California, the terms and conditions of the  So Go Country promo dictate that you have to be physically present at check-in and check-out, so we only booked one room.

But it wasn’t a loss since my boys were dragged got to experience their first mattress run.

The point breakdown:

I booked into a double Gold Points rate for only $20 more.  This breaks down to $0.07 cents a point (which is the standard rate Club Carlson sells Gold Points), not saving any money but not losing either.

As a Silver member in the Club Carlson program, I earn a 25% bonus.

Booking online as a Silver member gave me another 2,000 bonus.

By using the promo code mentioned in this post, I got another 2,000 points.

There’s a Staples a block from the Country Inn & Suites San Diego North along with a Shell station.  I needed to fill up on gas so I purchased Shell gas cards at Staples using my Ink Bold. (nod to Frequent Miler; I haven’t paid at the pump since February).

I used my Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card for dining to take advantage of the 3x Ultimate Rewards points on dining. The same card was used to pay for the hotel, earning 2x& points.

We had happy hour appetizers at Chili’s across the parking lot from the hotel.  Then stopped by Extreme Pita (part of the airline dining program) since it was only 3 miles away to get a few extra miles and points. Since my Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is also linked to my idine account, I earned 5 miles per dollar spent with American Airlines (my airline of choice).

Here’s how:

Remember to register for the Country Inns & Suites So Go Country promotion here.

Watch for a full review of the Country Inn & Suites San Diego North to be posted soon.

Miles and Points Strategy Consultations

Need help with your miles and points? You can book a miles and points consultation. Whether you're learning how to use travel rewards or have been in the game, this consultation is personalized for your needs. We can discuss credit cards, loyalty programs, anything and everything miles and points related.

 

Includes a summary and a written plan with recommendations on how to achieve your miles and points goals sent within 24 hours after consultation.

 

Note: This is a consultation not an award booking service.

 

Schedule your miles and points consultation now.

---

Traveling Well For Less has partnered with Your Best Credit Cards for our coverage of credit card products. Traveling Well For Less and YBCC may receive a commission from card issuers.

Capital One Venture X Business

With the Capital One Venture X Business the welcome offer is 150,000 mile bonus after spending $30,000 on purchases in the first three months.

 

My favorite perks about this card are free Capital One Lounge access, earning 2X points on all purchases, and transferring miles to over 15 travel loyalty programs.

 

Learn more about the Capital One Venture X Business and how to apply

---

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the best card to get started in the world of miles and points. It is the first card you should get to start traveling for free because the welcome offer is 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first three months.You can get up to $1,050 in Chase Travel value: the 60k points are worth $750 when booked through the Chase Travel portal. And you get up to $300 in statement credits on travel booked through the Chase portal your first year.

 

My favorite perks about this card are earning 5X points on travel when booked through the Chase portal (2X if direct purchase), 3X points on dining, $50 yearly credit on hotels booked through the Chase portal, no foreign transaction fees, and transferring points to 13 airline and hotel partners like Hyatt, United, and Southwest.

 

Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and how to apply