If you are a member of the Club Carlson frequent guest loyalty program, you can now save up to ten percent off the lowest available rate — which is called the Members Only Rate Exclusive or MORE — at greater than 1,000 participating hotel and resort properties simply by booking your reservation directly by one of the three official channels of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group:

• Any of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group brand Internet web sites
• Any of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group brand mobile sites
• Any of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group brand mobile software application programs

The portfolio of Carlson Rezidor brands worldwide includes:

• Quorvus Collection
• Radisson Blu
• Radisson
• Radisson RED
• Park Plaza
• Park Inn by Radisson
• Country Inns & Suites By Carlson

Benefits which you already enjoy as a member of the Club Carlson frequent guest loyalty program include — but are not limited to — the following:

• 20 Gold Points per United States dollar spent on eligible stays — as well as on the purchases of meals and beverages charged to your room
• Free award nights starting at 9,000 Gold Points on standard rooms with no blackout dates
• Valuable redemption options for such items as airline frequent flier loyalty program miles, pre-paid cards, in-hotel express awards, and more
• Elite level status starting at 15 nights or ten stays per year, which offers:
  • Complimentary room upgrades
  • Early check in and late check out of a hotel or resort property at which you are staying
  • Bonus Gold Points
• Retail gift cards
• Redemption opportunities of your Gold Points with a wide range of partners — such as for:
  • Airline tickets
  • Gift cards
  • TSA PreCheck application fee

Terms and Conditions

The Members Only Rate offer:

• Varies by hotel or resort property; and the number of rooms available for this offer may be limited
• Is subject to change; and may be changed or discontinued at any time
• May be different each night of your stay
• Is available for individual bookings only and not valid for existing reservations
• May be offered in conjunction with designated other discounted rates, brand offers or packages
• Is subject to all terms and conditions of the Club Carlson frequent guest loyalty program
• Is not eligible for a free award night with Gold Points redemption; and other exclusions may apply
• Is subject to availability
• Is subject to blackout dates, as they may apply
• Is subject to applicable law and void or not applicable where prohibited by law

Participating hotel and resort properties are subject to change at any time without notice. Cancellation policies vary by hotel or resort property.

Other terms and conditions apply.

Summary

“We want to save our members the hassle of spending time searching around for the best deal at our hotels and know that by booking directly through our sites and apps they will be receiving our very best rate,” said Roger Chacko, who is the chief branding and marketing officer of Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group.

If that sounds familiar to you, it should: Hilton Worldwide introduced its Stop Clicking Around rate exclusively for members of the Hilton HHonors frequent guest loyalty program earlier this year; but unlike that initiative which spells out the varying rates of discounts to be enjoyed, Members Only Rate Exclusive tends to be vague at best pertaining to how much of a discount you will receive — only to be found out when actually going through the process of booking a room rate at specific hotel and resort properties.

Not to be outdone, Marriott International unveiled a similar discount rate for members of its Marriott Rewards frequent guest loyalty program only eleven days later — but the maximum discount is only five percent off of room rates.

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide also offers a similar exclusive rate for members of the Starwood Preferred Guest program; although the rolling expiration date has been quietly eliminated and now seems to be ongoing — similar to that of Hilton HHonors, Marriott Rewards and Club Carlson.

These marketing campaigns may very well be a way for lodging companies to gain as much control over the buying experience of its customers in order to be able to sell additional options — such as upgrades, for example — during the process of booking a reservation. Simultaneously, the lodging companies do not have to pay a commission to Internet travel agencies such as Orbitz and Expedia when a customer books a reservation directly through an authorized official channel of the lodging companies. The lodging companies have every right to do so as businesses while presenting what could potentially be a win-win situation for the companies and their customers…

…but as much as the lodging companies should be lauded for introducing a special discount for members of their frequent guest loyalty programs, do not automatically assume that you will get the lowest price if you use this discount room rate. There may be times where these exclusive rates are indeed the lowest room rates; but you will only know by continuing to check around to find the best room rate whose terms and conditions are right for you — whether it is a corporate rate, a special rate through an association or other affiliated entity; or as the result of a sale.

Source: Club Carlson.