Club Carlson Double Points or Double Nights: Which to Choose?

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You can earn either double Club Carlson points or double nights towards elite stay credit when you stay at Club Carlson hotels through December 30, 2014.

Earning double points or nights at Club Carlson hotels Traveling Well For Less
Should you pick double points or nights?

 

2 Easy Steps to Earning Club Carlson Double Points or Double Nights

1. Register for the Club Carlson Points or Nights promotion here.
2. Stay at Club Carlson hotels through December 30, 2014.

During Club Carlson's Points or Nights Promotion you can earn double points or double night credit towards elite status at Club Carlson hotels through December 30, 2014.

You have to choose between earning double points or double nights before checking out on your first stay.

Choose carefully because you can't change your choice once it's made.

Should you choose points or nights?

You should choose points instead of nights, no ifs, ands, or buts.

Here's why:

  • You can earn an unlimited number of points (choosing nights limits you to a maximum of 20 nights)
  • You'll earn 40 Club Carlson points per $1 spent (50 points if you have the Club Carlson credit card)

Let's look at an example of why choosing Club Carlson double points is better than earning double night elite stay credit.

Choosing double points

One night at the Radisson Hotels Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco on November 27, 2014 (Thanksgiving) costs $176.81.

Choose Club Carlson double points vs double nights Traveling Well For Less
Choose double points means you earn 6,080 Club Carlson points for 1 Night at the Radisson Hotel Fisherman's Wharf

You'd earn 6,080 Club Carlson points (40 Club Carlson points with double night promo x $152).

And if you have the US Bank Club Carlson Premier credit card, you'll earn an additional 10 Club Carlson points per $1.  So you'd earn 7,600 points (50 Club Carlson points with double night promo and credit card x $152).

A free Club Carlson Category 1 hotel night starts at 9,000 Club Carlson points.

As a Club Carlson credit card holder, you get the second night free when you redeem Club Carlson points for 2 award nights.  So 9,000 points gets you 2 free nights at a Category 1 hotel, like the Radisson Blu Resort, El Quseir in Eqypt.

Radisson Blu Resort El Quseir Eqypt Traveling Well For Less
2 nights on the beach in Eqypt

 

And remember, there's no limit to the number of points you can earn with the Club Carlson Points or Nights promotion.  So the more times you stay at Club Carlson hotels, the more points you'll earn.

Choosing double nights

Whereas if you chose nights, you'd earn 2 nights towards elite stay credit.

Choosing double nights only makes sense if you're close to reaching a elite status with Club Carlson by nights vs stays, because you can only earn 20 bonus nights.

Stays are the total times you've checked in and checked out of the same hotel in a consecutive period.  Nights are a 24 hour period.

One night at the Radisson Hotel Fisherman's Wharf on November 27, 2014, earns you 1 night and 1 stay.

If you stayed at the Radisson Hotel Fisherman's Wharf on November 27, 2014 to November 29, 2014, you'll earn 2 nights and 1 stay.

Silver

You can reach Silver status with the double nights promotion after staying 8 nights:

  • Free room upgrade
  • Early check-in and late check-out
  • 15% Club Carlson points bonus on paid hotel stays
  • Unused qualifying nights rollover (nights 16 to 34 count towards earning elite status next year)

But if you stayed 8 nights and choose double points, using the same $152 rate from our earlier example, you'd earn 48,640 Club Carlson points or 60,800 Club Carlson points with the credit card.

60,800 Club Carlson points gets you:

And this doesn't include the free award night you get with the Club Carlson credit card.

Radisson Aquatica Resort Barbados Traveling Well For Less
44,000 Club Carlson points gets you 1 night at the Radisson Aquatica Resort Barbados

 

Gold

After 18 nights you could reach Gold status:

  • Free room upgrade
  • Early check-in and late check-out
  • Welcome gift
  • 35% Club Carlson points bonus on paid hotel stays
  • Unused qualifying nights rollover (nights 36 to 74 count towards earning elite status next year)
  • 72 hour room guarantee (you're guaranteed a room when you book within 72 hours of arrival)

Staying 18 nights and choosing double points gets you 109,440 Club Carlson points or 136,800 Club Carlson points with the credit card.

With 136,800 Club Carlson points you can get:

Radisson Martinque on Broadway New York Traveling Well For Less
You can stay 2 nights at the Radisson Martinque on Broadway in New York for 100,000 Club Carlson points

 

Concierge

You can't reach Concierge status with the double nights promotion UNLESS you have already stayed 55 nights with Club Carlson, because you can only earn up to 20 bonus nights.

Concierge status gets you:

  • Free continental breakfast
  • Free room upgrade
  • Early check-in and late check-out
  • 75% Club Carlson points bonus on paid hotel stays
  • Unused qualifying nights rollover (nights 76 and on count towards earning elite status next year)
  • 48 hour room guarantee (you're guaranteed a room when you book within 48 hours of arrival)

With 20 double points nights you'll earn 121,600 Club Carlson points or 152,000 Club Carlson points with the credit card.

152,000 Club Carlson points gets you:

Radisson Blu Le Metropolitan Hotel Paris Eiffel Traveling Well For Less
140,000 Club Carlson points gets you 2 nights at the Radisson Blu Le Metropolitan Paris Eiffel and a view of the Eiffel Tower

So unless you're a few nights short of Gold or Concierge status, it makes more sense to choose double points instead of double nights for Club Carlson's Points or Nights promotion.

I choose points, which did you choose?

Disclosure: The link to the US Bank Club Carlson Premier credit card is provided as a courtesy. I do not receive a commission on credit cards.

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