Radisson Martinque

Ain’t No Cure for the Radisson Blu(es)

Is it worth it to keep the Club Carlson credit card?
Is it worth it to keep the Club Carlson credit card?

U.S. Bank sent me a letter today thanking me for being a loyal Club Carlson Visa cardholder.

The reward for my loyalty?  7,500 bonus points.

This is an interesting development, considering that in the last few months, Club Carlson has decimated the value of their credit card by eliminating the second night free benefit and by raising the points required for a reward night at all their best properties.

If you did not receive a similar bonus, I suggest calling U.S. Bank, at 800-236-7546.

I was all set to cancel my Club Carlson Visa business card when the $60 annual fee comes due next month.

But after reading an article by Freequent Flyer about how the new one free night annual benefit will work, I am reconsidering.

Basically, you will be awarded a one-night free cert (for use in U.S. hotels only) upon paying the annual fee, if you have spent $10,000 on the card in the prior year.

After checking my account, I realized that I have already met the spending threshold.

In August, if I pay the $60 annual fee, I will earn 40,000 points.  My current balance is 30,000 points.  Thus, I would have enough for one award night, and one free night at a hotel like the Radisson Martinique on Broadway which charges 70,000 points for an award night.  In general, two “free” nights is worth more to me than one “free” night, because reduces the likelihood of having to pay for a second night at the same hotel on  a weekend trip.

Had I not already met the spending threshold, it would not be worthwhile for me to hold on to the Club Carlson Visa card.  That’s because I would rather use a 2 percent cash back card like my Venture card if I were to spend $10,000.  That would get me $200 to spend on travel, and I know I could find a nice New York City hotel on Priceline for less than that.  $200 plus a $60 annual fee is not a good value for one night.

Have you decided what to do?  Are you quitting Club Carlson or hanging on?

My Room Rate Dropped Four Times in Four Weeks

Gotta Love the Thanksgiving Parade!
Gotta Love Hello Kitty at the Thanksgiving Parade!
Joel Shprentz Photo

Do you ever wonder how much the person sitting next to you on the plane paid?  It seems that airfares are constantly changing and totally unpredictable.

The same can be true of hotels.  The room rates go up and down depending on the hotel’s model of supply and demand.

We had a recent hotel stay at the Radisson Martinique on Broadway.  I locked in two award nights well in advance — 50,000 Club Carlson points for a two-night stay.

We decided to add a third paid night on to our stay, so several weeks ago, I made a reservation to extend our stay.  The room rate at the time was close to $300 per night, plus tax, bringing the total to nearly $350.  That’s a lot to pay for a room at a 3 star hotel.

Amazing View from the Empire State Building
Amazing View from the Empire State Building, but Chilly!

It wasn’t worth bidding for a Priceline hotel because it would be really inconvenient to move hotels for one night.  Also, since we were traveling with our teenage daughter, we needed a room with two beds, and Priceline only guarantees that the room will accommodate two adults.  In New York City, hotel rooms are notoriously small, and often cannot accommodate three people.

Check the Room Rate and Call if it Drops

I had booked the room at the AAA rate.  Each week I checked online to see if the rates had dropped.  If so, I called the hotel and requested that they adjust my rate.  I did this four times, and four times, the hotel graciously adjusted the rate downward.  We ended up paying $172 for the room.  With tax, it came to $200.

Great Sales at Macy's
Great Sales at Macy’s
Joel Shprentz Photo

I love the location of the Radisson Martinique, right in K-town in the center of Manhattan.

We took advantage of pre-Black Friday sales at Macy’s, and went up the Empire State Building — both less than two blocks away.

Thanks to the Martinique app, the hotel comped us breakfast each morning.

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Click here to compare current rewards credit card offers.

The Real Reason I Collect Miles and Points

My sister and daughter at Herald Sqaure in NYC
My daughter and sister at Herald Sqaure in NYC

My sister lives in Helena, Montana (HLN) the capital of the Big Sky State.  The population of Helena is less than 30,000 people.

The airport there is really tiny.  Long-term parking is $15 per week; you leave your payment in the drop box when you exit.

There are only about six flights per day out of HLN.  The flights are not only scarce, they are also expensive.

My sister wanted to come east for our Mom’s 90th birthday and our Uncle’s 95th, so I offered to buy her a ticket.

Well there was no way she was going to let me buy a ticket.

But she would allow me to pay for her ticket with frequent flyer miles — miles that I had accrued largely through credit card sign-up bonuses.

That’s the reason I collect miles and points!

Extreme Travel Hacking for the Sandwich Generation

When I attended my first frequent flyer meet-up a few years ago, one of the old timers informed me that frequent flier miles should not be used for domestic flights.  Excuse me?

I was told that I could get a much higher value if I redeemed points for international first class travel.

Over the past several years, I have redeemed hundreds of thousands of miles for flights — and all of these flights were economy class domestic travel.

Most people think of family travel as traveling with children.  Our family travel is traveling to see family, or flying family members in for a visit.  To me, that is maximizing the value of frequent flyer miles!

I don’t care whether I have to spend 25,000 miles or 50,000 miles for a roundtrip ticket.  The “point” is that we use the miles to get where we need to go.  

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eStandby Upgrade Options at the Radisson Martinique on Broadway

Original Mosaic Floor in Lobby of the Radisson Martinique
Original Mosaic Floor in Lobby of the Radisson Martinique

We recently spent a delightful weekend at the Radisson Martinique on Broadway in New York City.

This hotel is part of the Club Carlson chain, and I was lucky enough to secure a two-night stay for 50,000 points with their “second night free” option for Club Carlson credit card holders.

I earned the points as a bonus when I opened the Club Carlson credit card, and paid the annual fee of $60 for the business card.  Thus technically speaking, two free nights cost me $60.

Are the eStandby Upgrades Worth It?

When I booked my stay online, I was offered the option of several eStandby upgrades.

  1. High Floor:  Enjoy your stay about the streets of NYC, $30 extra per night ($40 value);
  2. Martinque Club Level – 1 King bed, includes a complimentary breakfast and access to the Executive lounge, $0 extra per night ($75 value); or
  3. Executive Suite – 1 King bed, separate living room area with sofa bed, complementary buffet breakfast and access to the Executive lounge, $69 Extra per night ($100 value.)

The deal is that you find out at check-in if you are awarded any of the add-on offers, and if so, you are obligated to pay the up charge.

I chose option 2, which had no added cost.  I didn’t particularly care about being on the Club Level, because I had heard they didn’t serve refreshments there like at many other hotels, but the notion of free breakfast seemed worth a try.

Free Breakfast Vouchers at the Hotel Martinque in NYC

Ad things turned out, I was not offered the upgrade when checking-in.  But I had a back-up option:  the Radisson Martinque App!  The iPhone app contains a coupon that you can redeem for a free breakfast buffet.

I was surprised when the front desk clerk provided vouchers for the full breakfast buffet for two mornings.  I was traveling with my sister and my daughter, so we received 6 free breakfast vouchers in total.  The regular price of the breakfast buffet is $29.95 per person.

Because I had Gold status (a perk of holding the Club Carlson credit card) I received a welcome gift of a small box of Belgian chocolates.

The breakfast buffet offered lots of choices, including fresh fruit, tomatoes and cucumbers, cheese, bacon, omelets, home fries, french toast, pastries, cereals, juice and coffee.  It wasn’t the best breakfast buffet I’ve ever seen — I certainly wouldn’t pay $30 for it — but it offered a nice selection, and it enabled us to get an early start on our day.

What I Loved About the Martinque on Broadway

  • 1.5 block walk from Penn Station
  • Clean, comfortable rooms, and fairly large for NYC
  • Free wifi
  • Literally on top of the Subway station and an easy walk to midtown or SoHo
  • A park across the street
  • Belgian chocolates on your pillow at night
  • In Korea town, across the street from Macy’s, and near many cheap jewelry stores
  • Beautifully preserved historic hotel with gorgeous mosaics in the lobby and a 15-story marble spiral staircase
  • International clientele including many airline personnel
  • Genuinely friendly staff and good service
  • Free bottled water in your room and a Keurig coffeemaker

What I Didn’t Like

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