Country Inn & Suites is the most prevalent hotel brand of Carlson Hotels in the USA. Carlson Hotels is the chain behind Goldpoints Plus, the hotel loyalty program for the hotel brands of Radisson, Country Inn & Suites, Park Inn, and Park Suites. The Carlson Hotels chain has around 1,000 properties globally with Radisson Hotels being the chain’s upscale brand in many major US cities and cities around the world.
The Offer: Complete a two night stay at a Country Inn & Suites using the “FREESTAY” promotional rate between October 1 and November 30, 2009.
Promotion link and terms:
http://www.countryinns.com/Fall2009
The promotion actually works out to require a minimum of three non-discounted paid nights over two stays at Country Inn & Suites to receive one free night.
1. Complete a two-night or longer stay at a Country Inn & Suites hotel using “FREESTAY” promotional rate between October 1 and November 30.
2. Register your completed stay by December 9, 2009 at website link: www.freenightregistration.com
3. Country Inn & Suites will send a free night voucher valid for one free night at a Country Inn & Suites on a future stay of two nights or longer hotel stay between December 15 and February 28, 2010.
4. Redeem free night voucher at www.countryinns.com/freenightreward or by phone at 1-800-596-2375. Minimum 3-day advance reservation required.
Compared to other free night offers like Hyatt Gold Passport’s “The Next Big Thing” or Starwood Hotels’ Free Weekend Nights offer last summer, this is a cumbersome offer from Carlson Hotels requiring an unnecessary middle step.
Why isn’t the voucher automatically sent to the person who books a stay using the “FREESTAY” promotional code?
Requiring after-the-stay registration to receive the free night voucher is so retro – and not in a good sense.
This Country Inn & Suites Free Night promotion is a decent offer if you have travel plans that fit with two 2-night or longer stays at a Country Inn & Suites hotel within the dates of this promotion. This promotion does not provide sufficient incentive to go out of your way for this offer.
If you have the option of a Hyatt brand hotel during this time period, the terms are much more lucrative for the hotel frequent guest with a free night at any Hyatt worldwide after two stays (no 2-night minimum required) between October 1 and Jan 31, 2010. Link: http://goldpassport.hyatt.com/gp/en/index.jsp
Loyalty Traveler Hotel Loyalty Promotion Key Ranking = 2 Keys out of 5 for Country Inn & Suites free night offer.
