Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Radisson Rewards

Read It Across Country Inns & Suites

Staying at the Country Inns & Suites Chicago O’Hare South to earn the 38,000 bonus points after three nights at Carlson Rezidor hotels by April 13 promotion reminded me of one of the features I most appreciate about this mid-scale hotel brand.

Read and Return It Lending Library 

Enjoy a book from our  Read and Return It Lending Library.

If you don’t finish it during your stay, take it with you and return it during your next visit to any Country Inns & Suites by Carlson in the USA and Canada.

Thinking back to my hotel stays the past few years, I realize this was only my third stay at a Country Inns & Suites. My first stay at a Country Inns & Suites was in Calabasas, California in 2011. One of the main things I recall about the hotel was its library of books. That was the first time I learned about the Country Inns Lending Library.

The Calabasas hotel rebranded since to an independent hotel called The Anza. Just being in the same city as Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber sent the hotel independently upscale with a $6 million renovation. I also recall our room looked out directly over Highway 101, the main thoroughfare from the San Fernando Valley to the Los Angeles basin.

Country Inn Library

Country Inns & Suites Lending Library

There is something pleasant and trusting about the ability to pick up a book from a hotel and take it with you. I will be staying at another Country Inns & Suites tonight in Iowa. Perhaps I’ll pick up a book to read for my flight home next week. That will be incentive to return to another Country Inns & Suites on my travels this month, even if only to return the book.

Lending Library

Country Inns & Suites Chicago O’Hare South Lending Library in lobby.

Tags:

Share This Post:

12 Comments

  • Kate April 3, 2014

    I have not tried a Country Inn and Suites, but thinking about it. I’m wondering what your experience has been with the bedspreads? Are they the heavy bedspreads that don’t get changed with every guest, or is there a cover that would be washed with every guest? That’s a big issue for me!

  • Ric Garrido April 3, 2014

    @Kate – good question. I’ll look more closely tonight. I think the bedspread at O’Hare was a heavy bedspread.

    As a hotel guest habit, I usually push the bedspread part way down the bed to keep it away from my face when I sleep.

  • Kate April 3, 2014

    Thanks! Will check back for your observations.

  • Carl P April 3, 2014

    An unrelated Club Carlson question…

    I wonder if you did 2 standard nights on points and then two premium nights (no break between) if you would get two free nights from the credit card (ie. just being charged points for two nights. This may be a matter on how smart thier system is.

  • Ric Garrido April 3, 2014

    @Carl P. – What do you mean by premium nights?

    Paid nights? I am not sure what you are asking.

    I think their system is fairly smart since it was just set up in the past 18 months to deal with credit card member reward night redemption.

  • Carl P April 3, 2014

    Say a hotel has STANDARD room nights at 50K points per night and PREMIUM room nights 75K points per night You reserve 2 STANDARD room nights for days 1 and 2. Then do a second reservation for 2 PREMIUM room nights for days 3 and 4.

    You may be right the system catching it sooner or later, even if not immediately in the internet booking process.

  • Ric Garrido April 3, 2014

    @Carl P. – Okay. Now I see what you are saying. I am working on three consecutive nights of five hours sleep.
    I forgot what a Premium Reward night was with Carlson.

    Seems to me these should all count as one reservation for one reward stay since they are consecutive nights.

    Regardless of the reward night points difference for Standard and Premium rewards, I think the Club Carlson system would catch this in the same way it would likely combine two consecutive reservations at the same reward price level.

    If not, count yourself lucky with a free night.

  • soren April 3, 2014

    I just did 3 stays for the 38k + status points.
    One of them was Country Inn and Suites.
    The bedspread was heavy, I don’t think it had a slip cover that gets laundered between guests.
    Miss that 2k online booking bonus points 🙁

  • Ric Garrido April 3, 2014

    I am sitting on a Country Inns & Suites bed right now. The bedspread is the same as the last Country Inn.

    It is a red slip cover with a white duvet inside. The duvet can be easily pulled out of the red slip cover.

    I asked at the desk if the slip cover is washed between each guest and I was told yes. Without seeing a room cleaned, it is hard to say if that is the practice. Unfortunately, I think I will be out of the hotel tomorrow before housekeeping comes to service rooms to actually see or ask a housekeeper.

  • Marek April 3, 2014

    We stayed at a Country Inn & Suites Tucson on March 27-29. The bedspread was heavy (and dirty 🙁 ). This was the biggest problem with this otherwise decent place and we moved to Radisson Suites for better bedding.

  • Kate April 4, 2014

    Thanks everyone for the info on the bedspreads! Sounds like it varies. I’ll try calling a specific hotel before booking.

  • Lyssa April 8, 2014

    I’ve stayed at several Country Inn & Suites over the last year. They are going through a rebranding right now of the logo and décor. I would say the old décor included that nasty, heavy, floral bedspread. They are moving away from that to a duvet with a slipcover, but it really depends at each hotel if they have converted or not.

Comments are closed.

BoardingArea