How to Spin One Gift Card into a Four Night Holiday

The Radisson gift card that I was lucky enough to win in an online contest arrived in the mail last week.  150 Euros to spend at any Radisson hotel in Europe or the Middle East.

Maybe you can win one of these gift cards too, as Radisson is running an ongoing contest.

With hundreds of hotels to choose from my imagination went wild.

I don’t have any trips to Europe in the works, and I have two years to use the gift card, but what if . . . ?

Of course you’d have to be half crazy to fly to Europe just to get a free night at a hotel.  But what if you were looking at not one night, but three or four free nights?  

I just happen to hold the Club Carlson credit card and one of the benefits it confers is “Gold Elite” status with Club Carlson hotels.  Club Carlson includes some upscale chains such as Radisson Blu, Carlson Rezidor and Park Inn, and more pedestrian chains such as Radisson and Country Inn & Suites.

The chain also includes Hotel Missoni, with interior design by Rosita Missoni.  Their hotel in Edinburgh looks like a blast.

Thanks to The Deal Mommy, I learned about one of the biggest deals in hotel loyalty programs.

Members of Club Carlson’s Gold Elite program are eligible for a “Weekend Extend” offer at hotels in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

There are two promo codes available:

• Stay 1 night, get 1 night free
• Stay 2 nights get 2 nights free

Fabulous.

Here are the particulars on the Weekend Extend deal.  

• Two days advanced booking required.
• Valid for up to two rooms.
• Breakfast and taxes inclusion depend by hotel and local policy.
• Dates must be consecutive and include a Friday or Saturday.
• Offer subject to availability and valid at participating locations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa except at Radisson^® Edwardian Hotels.
• Offer must be booked on ClubCarlson.com or the Member Service Center; ask for the 4 for 2 Weekend Extend Offer.
• You must present your Elite Gold card upon check-in.

The kicker here is “offer subject to availability.”  

I did some checking for a few locations around Christmas break.   I didn’t find anything in Paris — my dream destination.  But here’s what the tab looked like for a hotel in Lisbon and one in Budapest — two cities on my bucket list.

After subtracting the 150 EUR gift card, I potentially could have a four night holiday in Budapest for 11 Euros, or in Lisbon, for 60 Euros.

 

There is also a terrific deal for that allows Club Carlson credit card holders to pay for one night with points and get a second night free.

I have about 100K points from opening the credit card, enough for two two-night stays at most any Radisson hotel.

Is this the best deal ever?