Priority Club Rewards has a promotion ending today November 30 for 20% bonus points when you buy Priority Club points. Priority Club Rewards members can buy up to 50,000 points per calendar year. There is a variable price rate when buying points.

• 1,000 to 10,000 points = $13.50 per 1,000 points
• 11,000 to 25,000 points = $12.50 per 1,000 points
• 26,000 to 50,000 points = $11.50 per 1,000 points
• Must buy in 1,000 points increments.
• Priority Club Rewards members may buy up to 50,000 points per calendar year and receive up to 50,000 points per calendar year.

Loyalty Traveler analysis

The variable rate for Priority Club points purchases means it actually costs less money to buy 26,000 points at $11.50 per 1,000 points ($299) than 25,000 points at $12.50 per 1,000 points ($312.50).

20% bonus if you purchase today means you will receive 31,200 points when buying 26,000 points for US$299.

This might be a good deal if you have a definite plan for points, but it is not a great deal. There are ways to get lower cost Priority Club points.

20% bonus on Priority Club points purchases made November 30.

Choice Privileges launches a winter promotion for earning either Double Points or Miles + Points for stays from December 1, 2011 to February 29, 2012 booked on ChoiceHotels.com or by phone at 800-4CHOICE.

Promotion Registration is required before your stay to earn bonus. This offer is limited to Choice Privileges members with U.S. and Canada addresses. You cannot change your earning preference during the promotion period once you register for Double Points or Miles + Points.

I favor 2x points personally and that is how I registered.

About Choice Privileges

Most Choice Hotels brands earn 10 points per US$1 including Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites and Ascend Collection. Extended stay brands MainStay Suites and Suburban earn 5 points per US$1. Budget hotel brands Rodeway Inn and Econolodge earn 5 points per US$1.

Double Points with the winter promotion earns either 10 or 20 points per $1, depending on hotel brand.

Choice Hotels has the second largest number of hotels globally of any hotel loyalty program with about 6,100 hotels. Only Wyndham Rewards has more hotels globally with over 7,000 properties.

One of the best values in Choice Privileges are hotel partner rewards with Preferred Hotel Group and Barcelo Resorts.

Airline Miles and Points

Choice Privileges has ten North America airline partners and most stays earn 250 miles per stay. This is half the miles earned for stays with Hyatt and Hilton, but your typical hotel will likely be at least half the rate of the upscale chain hotels. Southwest points are a good value at 600 points per stay. This is comparable to other hotel programs.

Amtrak Guest Rewards are also included in this promotion offer for Miles + Points.

Chocie Privileges North American Airline Partners

The international airline partner selection is modest.

Choice Privileges International Airline Partners as of 11-30-11.

Choice Privileges Airline Partners.

Loyalty Traveler Analysis

Double points looks like the best deal here. 20 points per $1 in hotel spend can pick up a significant number of bonus points. Reward nights start at 6,000 to 8,000 points and the website now has a list of these properties. Most hotels in my area of California are more like 16,000 to 20,000 points.

Choice Privileges periodically runs discounts on Preferred Hotel Group and Barcelo Resort awards. 20,000 points can be a free resort night for just $1,000 in hotel spend. Less money if you have elite status and earn points faster.

Choice Privileges Dec 1, 2011-Feb 29, 2012 Double Points or Miles + Points

Hyatt has a promotion for 1,500 bonus points at AVIA, Hotel Sierra and Hyatt Summerfield Suites for stays from November 22 through January 8, 2012. Use Special Offer Code 1500GP when booking rates. There is no higher rate for using this code. 1500GP promotion works with AAA and AARP discount rates too.

There is no list of participating hotels. Every hotel I tried in these brands showed 1,500GP beside the rate code.

Hyatt AVIA Napa AAA discount + 1,500 bonus points per stay.

The Gold Passport Diamond customer service agent didn’t mention this offer when I booked AVIA Long Beach last week and the earliest mention I see of the offer on the web is November 26. I will see if I can get the bonus retroactively?

My AVIA Long Beach hotel review this week shows several photos of a master suite at the property along with the hotel facilities. The pool is a great hotel feature. Checking this 1500GP rate I see AVIA Long Beach has a special December 2011 offer for the master suite room category at $119. This rate also allows 1500GP bonus. That is a deal for this hotel. The lowest advance purchase rate is $171.15 for the Master Suite room.

Gold Passport Suite Upgrade rate AVIA Long Beach Dec 13, 2011.

This looks like a good Winter Hyatt Gold Passport Bonus Offer.

Winter Hyatt Gold Passport Bonus Offer AVIA, Hotel Sierra, Summefield Suites for stays Nov 22-Jan 8, 2012.

The promotion also mentions Hyatt House which is the new 2012 Hyatt brand being created from Hyatt Summerfield Suites and recently acquired Hotel Sierra extended stay properties. Four AVIA upper upscale boutique hotels were also acquired by Hyatt in the Hotel Sierra deal.

Passports with Purpose 2011 Reminder

Hyatt Gold Passport donated a 110,000 points prize to sponsor Loyalty Traveler for the Passports with Purpose raffle.

$10 per ticket can win you some really cheap points (Loyalty Traveler post Nov 30, 2011).

Loyalty Traveler is taking part in Passports with Purpose fundraiser from November 30 – December 16, 2011 in an effort to raise $80,000 and build two libraries in Zambia. Hyatt Gold Passport has donated a high value prize of 110,000 points for this fundraiser. You can buy tickets for $10 each and enter your ticket for the prize of your choice. Passports with Purpose is handling the raffle with this Hyatt Gold Passport 110,000 points prize and about a hundred other travel and travel related prizes.

Passports With Purpose 2011 – Libraries for Zambia

What –

Loyalty Traveler blog announces Passports with Purpose raffle prize of 110,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points, generously donated by Hyatt Hotels for this raffle fundraiser to build two libraries in Zambia with the organization Room to Read.

Purchase of $10 raffle tickets are your entry for the Hyatt Gold Passport 110,000 points prize or other prizes hosted by different travel blogs for this Passports with Purpose fundraiser.

When –

From November 30 through December 16, 2011 11:59pm PST each $10 ticket purchased at Passports with Purpose is valid for one entry to win the prize you select. Hyatt Gold Passport donated 110,000 points for Loyalty Traveler to host as a Passports with Purpose prize. Those can be some cheaply purchased Hyatt Gold Passport points if you win the raffle prize.

There are about 100 other prizes being hosted by different travel bloggers.

Winner of Hyatt Gold Passport points must be a member of Hyatt Gold Passport to receive prize. You can join Hyatt Gold passport at www.hyatt.com for free if you win and collect your prize.

Where –

Raffle ticket purchase website: http://www.passportswithpurpose.org/donate/

Why –

Passports with Purpose has a 2011 goal to raise $80,000 for building two libraries with books and literacy materials in Zambia.

Who –

About Passports with Purpose.

Passports with Purpose (PwP) is a fundraiser organized by a small group of energetic travel bloggers in Seattle. This annual raffle since 2008 for travel gear and travel getaway prizes procured by travel bloggers raises money for
an international humanitarian project. This year the PwP project is supporting the international organization Room to Read to establish two libraries in Zambia.

Pam Mandel – Nerd’s Eye View, Beth Whitman – Wanderlust and Lipstick, Debbie Dubrow – DeliciousBaby.com and Michelle Duffy – Wandermom.com coordinate travel bloggers and businesses through the travel community for a purpose to help save the world one location at a time.

Two years ago I participated in Passports with Purpose and hosted a Hyatt Gold Passport prize of 50,000 points. The goal in 2009 was $30,000 to build a school in Cambodia. Passports with Purpose must be a successful fundraiser. The goal this year is $80,000 for two libraries in Zambia.

Nice thing Hyatt Gold Passport more than doubled their points donation in 2011 since the Passports with Purpose fundraising goal also more than doubled since 2009. I have a feeling this 2011 Hyatt Gold Passport prize will get plenty of ticket entries.

Pam has a way with words and provides Room to Read links and some of her personal reading preferences in her October 19 post – Passports with Purpose 2011: It’s About Reading!

After reading Pam’s piece I decided to withhold my story for this post about reading Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings when I was 15 during an overcast summer beach camping holiday near Barcelona, Spain.

Over the next two weeks on Loyalty Traveler I’ll remind readers about $10 raffle prize tickets for the Passports with Purpose fundraiser and share some of my stories on libraries, books and my days working as an elementary school reading teacher.

Loyalty Traveler Hyatt Prize Analysis

110,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points is enough points for

• 5 hotel nights are 110,000 points at the best of the best Hyatt Hotels worldwide for 22,000 points per night. Hotels like Andaz 5th Avenue, Hyatt Regency Maui Resort, Park Hyatt Paris Vendome, Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill.
• 6 nights are 108,000 points at category 5 hotels for 18,000 points per night. Hotels like Park Hyatt Toronto, Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort, Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa, Florida.
• 7 nights are 105,000 points at category 4 hotels for 15,000 points per night. Hotels like AVIA Savannah Georgia, Hyatt Regency San Francisco, Hyatt at Olive 8 Seattle.
• 9 nights are 108,000 at category 3 hotels for 12,000 points per night. Hotels like Hyatt Regency Denver, Grand Hyatt Altlanta.
• 13 nights are 104,000 at category 2 hotels for 8,000 points per night. Hotels like Grand Hyatt Santiago, Chile; Park Hyatt Mendoza, Argentina; Hyatt Regency Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Hyatt Regency Lexington, Kentucky.
• 22 nights are 110,000 points at category 1 hotels for 5,000 points per night. Hotels like Hyatt Place Raleigh-Durham Airport North Carolina; Hyatt Regency Kathmandu, Nepal; Bali Hyatt Indonesia.

This prize will buy from 5 to 22 free hotel nights globally with Hyatt Hotels in the brands of Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Summerfield Suites, Hyatt Place and Andaz.

Enter raffle at Passports with Purpose.

Our kitten Theron sleeping in the "For the Love of Reading" book bag.

Club Carlson Gold Points promotion madness:  Earn Gold Points, Buy Gold Points and Redeem Gold Points.

Act Now!

I don’t want to overhype Club Carlson.

But why not?

My brain is reeling from the iterations of ways to play several offers from Club Carlson.

Even though I have been around Club Carlson and Carlson Hotels managers this past month, there was no leak of two back-to-back program offers and enhancements unveiled this past weekend.

1. Club Carlson members can buy up to 40,000 points in a calendar year at $7.00/1,000 points. You can also gift someone up to 40,000 points in a calendar year. The maximum limit is 40,000 points per account through purchased points, so you can’t buy 40,000 points and also receive 40,000 points in your account. The term “calendar year” means you can buy 40,000 points in December 2011 and another 40,000 points in January 2012 for your own member account.

2. Earn 9,000 points for every Club Carlson hotel award stay redeemed from December 1, 2011 through January 31, 2012. Points & Cash stays are not eligible for this points rebate offer. You must register for the award stay rebate promotion. This can be earned five times for up to 45,000 points rebate.

3. Earn 50,000 points for a single Radisson stay in the U.S., Canada or Caribbean by December 30, 2011 by registering for RadissonBigNightGiveaway.

Basically you can pay for one hotel night at a Radisson and earn 50,000 points. Rates were as low as $49.50 for December weekends with yesterday’s cyberMonday special offer at Radisson Sacramento, California.

You can buy 40,000 points in December 2011 for $280. You can redeem points for one night stays and get 9,000 points back for each award stay up to five times. With 50,000 gold points from the Radisson offer and the ability to buy 40,000 points in December and 40,000 points in January, you can accrue the points to book five single night award stays and get a maximum rebate of 45,000 points for five award stays in December 2011 and January 2012.

Buying Club Carlson points when the cost is less than the room rate is a Club Carlson member opportunity. Here is a table showing the cost to buy points for different Club Carlson hotel award categories.

You can buy 40,000 points for yourself for $280 and buy 40,000 points for another person, say your spouse or adult child for $280. The other person can book a hotel award stay in your name. Essentially you can play around with 80,000 purchased points a calendar year in addition to other points you may earn from hotel stays. You and a spouse/partner can buy 160,000 points over the next two months and plan for big savings on hotels stays.

Spending $1,020 $1,120 for 160,000 points might not seem sensible until you realize that you can get up to 90,000 more points for free through award stay rebates if you travel with a plan.

Why you should consider buying 40,000 points in December 2011.

Club Carlson announced a promotion last weekend that each award stay worldwide from December 1 through January 31, 2012 earns 9,000 points. This is a 9,000 points rebate on every hotel award stay.

From the table above you see a category 1 hotel only requires 9,000 Club Carlson points per night. Essentially you can redeem points for a free category 1 hotel night and get those points back after a few weeks. The only drawback is there are relatively few category-1 hotels after the hotel category shifts earlier this year. Currently there are 48 out of some 1,100 Carlson Hotels in Club Carlson category-1.

Loyalty Traveler Analysis

The two-night two person (or family) getaway strategy

There are numerous possibilities to consider. One hotel award night at a Category-2 hotel will cost 15,000 points. If you go with someone else you can book separate awards and each get a 9,000 point rebate on a 15,000 points expenditure.

Net result: Two night hotel stay for $210 in purchased points (Each person spends $105 per room night to buy 15,000 points x $7/1,000 points).

You spend $105 for 15,000 points, redeem for a free Category-2 hotel award night and get 9,000 points back. Your hotel night ultimately cost $42 for the 6,000 spent points.

You and second guest both receive 9,000 points back since you both booked an award night and you can stay in the same hotel for two nights.

This is a strategy for Club Carlson members with no points currently. You can always wait for the 50,000 point Radisson bonus and then do this strategy without buying points, but we don’t know when the 50,000 points will post. Buying points allows you to take advantage of the rebate offer right away.

Living it up in Lubbock

If you want to live it up at the Country Inn & Suites in Waco or the Radisson Lubbock Texas this deal can work out into some cheap hotel stays. Here is just one example to illustrate how good a deal these offers can be if you live or travel somewhere with a good Club Carlson hotel deal.

Buy 9,000 Club Carlson points for $63.

Redeem 9,000 points at Radisson Lubbock for an award night on Friday, December 16 for a free $199 night.

Buy 9,000 points for $63 and earn 9,000 points rebate on Radisson Lubbock $199 room.

Of course the Radisson Lubbock may not be your destination. This offer works well in many places.

Apparently Club Carlson is on a strategy to inundate the US and a large part of the rest of the world too with back to back, and in many ways combinable promotions and opportunities. And this is a good strategy for Club Carlson in my opinion as someone who likes to earn free hotel nights while traveling. Hyatt Gold Passport turned itself into a major player prior to the launch of its credit card. One thing I did learn from a presentation during my Chicago press trip to the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel is Club Carlson will launch a co-branded credit card in 2012.

AVIA Long Beach captivated me right away. The place felt refreshingly modern after hanging out at expensive luxury Orange County beach resorts. AVIA Long Beach along with three other AVIA properties in Savannah, Georgia; Napa, California and The Woodlands, Texas signed on with Hyatt Hotels September 1, 2011. This past week I stayed at AVIA Long Beach and absolutely loved the hotel value I received. I stayed at convention size Hyatt Regency Long Beach last year and the boutique AVIA Long Beach hotel is the upper upscale preferred property choice in my opinion.

Don't wake me up.

The junior suite we stayed in had a swivel TV for facing either the sitting room or the bedroom. The curious feature of the TV cabinet is the backside had mirror image writing.

Don’t wake me up.

Don’t wake me up if I’m dreaming

California dreams

Just let me lay here in the sun

Until my dream is done

Palm trees, ocean breeze

Let’s go cruising ……..

I added the “e” to breeze. Not really sure if that is artistic freedom or a screw up.

AVIA Long Beach

Long Beach had clear skies in the day and colored lights at night.

Long Beach pedestrian bridge, city lights and port

The Queen Mary can be seen in the background of the photo. There is fixed-platform viewing binoculars for gazing around the hotel vicinity on the 8th floor rooftop pool deck.

AVIA Long Beach binoculars on 8th floor pool deck

The lobby has several relaxing elements…

AVIA Long Beach reception desk

from the blue colored bar…

AVIA Long Beach lobby bar

to the bare lobby tree.

Bare tree lobby

We stayed in the 532 square feet Master Suite which is basically a studio suite or junior suite since there was no door between the bedroom and sitting room. The room was comfortable. My only complaint is the electronic mini-bar and ice machines only on odd number floors (and I was on the sixth floor).

AVIA Long Beach room 616

A glass divider separates the room entrance from the desk workspace. I was surprised to see I never took a good photo of the glass. I kept thinking I was going to walk into it as I moved from the desk to the front door. Pretty design etched in glass.

Glass panel separates front door from desk area.

The sitting room had a couch, chair, coffee table and lighting.

Sitting room of Master Suite at AVIA Long Beach

The desk area had mini-bar, coffee maker, ice bucket and glasses.

Bedroom

Avia Long Beach bed

The bathroom was the standout feature of the room.

Walk-in shower of AVIA Long Beach suite

There is an immense parking garage across the street from the hotel where self-parking through the hotel was $7 per night.

AVIA Long Beach uses parking garage across the street.

Unfortunately that was our primary room view, but the real views are from the rooftop of the hotel.

AVIA Long Beach rooftop pool

AAA Breakfast rate

This hotel was $98.10 on a AAA rate with breakfast. As a Diamond member who already receives complimentary breakfast I could have booked the AARP or Costco rate and received an additional $25 hotel credit.

AVIA Kitchen

Hyatt is sometimes unbeatable. $98 for the room and I received a Coppola 2009  Chardonnay 375ml with cheese plate and a $40 breakfast at the AVIA Kitchen restaurant where we both ate crab omelettes. I needed a fix of crab since Dungeness crab season started two weeks ago in California, but the fishing is just starting today after a 12-day strike as wholesalers and crabbers split the difference between $2.00 and $2.50 per pound. News is $2.25 per pound and crab in the stores tomorrow.

There is a fitness room and outdoor deck off the lobby area. A couple of computer terminals were also available here.

AVIA Long Beach lobby deck

AVIA Long Beach fitness room

AVIA Long Beach computer center

AVIA Long Beach lobby chairs

AVIA Long Beach bar seating

The area surrounding the hotel is the revitalized waterfront with loads of residential buildings, entertainment and dining, and tourist areas across Shoreline Drive along the waterfront. There really is a Long Beach here near the hotel, however, Kelley and I spent time walking the beach last year and oil tar is present in the sand. She was scrubbing her feet in the hotel room last year. It is not like our feet turned black from tar – just a little sticky. Oil rigs are just offshore here, but cleverly disguised with concealing artwork and palm tree island structures.

The beach at Long Beach

Long Beach is a major city of nearly 500,000 people and there are plenty of activities available in the tourist area like the Queen Mary, the Aquarium of the Pacific, boat cruises to Catalina Island, museums and water sports.

Queen Mary historic passenger ship retired in Long Beach, California.

AVIA Long Beach provides a good base for a stay in Long Beach.

Hyatt’s AVIA Long Beach is a Gold Passport category 3 hotel at 12,000 points per night. The rates currently tend to be lower than Hyatt Regency Long Beach. One advantage of Hyatt Regency Long Beach is a Club Lounge.

Take advantage of AVIA Long Beach while the rates are low. I have a feeling they will be inching up once more Hyatt guests realize the value here.

Daraius Dubash at MillionMileSecrets.com has published a number of interviews with travel bloggers on his website and now glimpses of me are online in his post “Earn and burn your miles and points.”

I guess I should have talked up hotels more. Being in new places and seeing how people live and work in different environments and cultures is still my primary objective for travel. Nice hotels are a bonus.

My favorite question from Daraius was “What would your readers be surprised to know about you?”

Here is another thing I realized is characteristic of my travels. I spend a lot of time in grocery stores wherever I go. I buy most of my food at stores and prepare it myself when traveling. That keeps travel expenses way down.

While I generally can’t talk much about fine dining and hotel restaurants, I have extensive experience with grocery store shopping in many countries.

Grocery shopping in Australia.

BoardingArea.com is awash in travel deals this morning.

Accor Hotels A|Club instant Platinum elite

Gary Leff reveals a link for instant Accor Hotels A|Club Platinum status. That elite status has limited usefulness for the USA since there are only a handful of Sofitels in a few major cities, but A|Club elite can be quite nice for international travel. I tried the offer and my account now reads platinum. Although, I guess I should have verified what status I already had with A|Club since I might have received an instant Platinum upgrade from a different offer earlier this year.

Here is an article I wrote in September 2011 giving some basics of A|Club hotel loyalty program.

Cyber Monday Travel Deals

I was thinking of writing a post for Omni Hotels Cyber-Monday deal, since that looked to be the best hotel rate discount offer I have seen this past weekend, but Deals We Like already has a popular post (according to USA Today statistics) listing several hotel discount offers available today. Readers interested in shopping for hotels today should check out “Cyber Monday Travel Deals” on Deals We Like.

Gaylord Resorts $109 rates in December

Gaylord Resorts has a $109 hotel rate deal not mentioned on Deals We Like. Gaylord Resorts have four large convention properties in Gaylord Palms Orlando, Gaylord Texan near Dallas, Gaylord Opryland Nashville and Gaylord National at National Harbor, Maryland (near DC).

I have stayed at two of these hotels and what I like about the properties is they are self-sufficient hotels with a Disneyland-like environment of attractive atrium interiors and waterfalls and play areas and pools. There are several restaurant choices and multiple bars. I have always thought these hotels make a great family destination since there is so much to do without leaving the hotel property. The food is a bit expensive though.

The availability of $109 rates are easy to find over multiple dates at the different properties.

There is also a DreamWorks Experience Family Package if you want to splurge.

Gaylord Resorts Cyber Monday Sale

Radisson Big Night Giveaway is one of the best value hotel loyalty promotions of 2011.

The Club Carlson loyalty program offer is 50,000 Gold Points for one stay at a Radisson hotel in the U.S., Canada or Caribbean by December 30, 2011. The first 50,000 people to register for Radisson Big Night Giveaway qualify for 50,000 points. Promotion registration has been live since Thursday, November 10 and the first 50,000 registrants threshold apparently has not been reached yet since the sign-up page is supposed to change once the 50,000 points offer changes to 15,000 points for one Radisson stay.

Loyalty Traveler advice

Sign up for the Radisson Big Night Giveaway now and get in on one of the best hotel deals of the year.

50,000 points is good for one night at the highest Club Carlson hotel tier for category 6 properties around the world. Some of these hotels regularly run standard room rates over $300 per night. For example, Paris, France is one of the most expensive cities globally for an upper upscale hotel in the central city zones. There are five Radisson Blu hotels in central Paris and one hotel at each of the major airports Charles De Gaulle (CDG) and Orly (ORY).

Radisson Blu Ambassador Hotel, Paris Opera room rate is 470 EUR on June 6, 2012.

50,000 points from this promotion can be used to stay in downtown Paris at a hotel where the lowest room rate for June 6, 2012 is 470€ or US$622 per night. One hotel night in Paris isn’t going to make much of a vacation so if you have a spouse or friend to accompany you, then both persons can sign up and earn 50,000 points from the Radisson Big Night Giveaway and earn the points for two free nights. You can even have friends sign up and pay for their $100 room night at a U.S. Radisson hotel and have them gift you free nights with their point bonuses.

Radisson Blu Ambassador Paris Opera category 6 award night = 50,000 points.

Four nights at the Radisson Blu Paris Opera for $400 is a $2,000 discount on the prevailing rates and truly makes a luxury vacation stay. And your two friends get two free hotel nights in the U.S. at your expense.

I urged my extended family to sign up for this offer. And you don’t need to be in Paris to get good value from this offer.

Since this offer is 50,000 points and not a free night, Club Carlson members also have the option to use points for longer stays with more free nights at lower category hotels or conserve points with Club Carlson Cash & Points awards.

A Category 1 hotel at 9,000 points per night will provide five free hotel nights after your one Radisson hotel stay. Radisson Hotel Orlando, Florida is a Category 1 hotel and you can get a five night stay for 45,000 points.

Radisson Hotel Orlando 5-night award stay for 45,000 points April 11-16, 2012.

Radisson Hotel Orlando may not be an aspirational hotel destination, but the ability to stay five nights in Orlando for $50 as you tour the area is certainly a great hotel option for a family budget more interested in saving money for park admission fees for the family.

Radisson Hotel Orlando 5-night paid rate is $485.38 for April 11-16, 2012.

This rate comparison for Radisson Orlando shows you can stay five nights for 45,000 points + $50 in fees or five nights for $485.38. The ability to earn 50,000 Gold Points with the current Radisson Big Night Giveaway promotion shows the points are worth over $435 for this hotel stay. You can certainly earn the 50,000 points for far less spend.

Radisson Santa Maria, California was my $107.10 qualifying stay for 50,000 points.

Review of Radisson Santa Maria Airport (link will be added once I complete this hotel review post)

The high value of the Radisson Big Night Giveaway is a combination of the ability to earn 50,000 points with a Radisson stay of just one night and the flexibility of redemption options from earning a large points bonus rather than a free night credit.

Sign up quickly. I am surprised to see the offer has not reached 50,000 registrants yet. This is a great hotel loyalty program opportunity for big hotel savings with Club Carlson.

Related Loyalty Traveler posts:

Radisson 50,000 points promotion revisited and clarified (November 7, 2011)

www.radissonbignightgiveaway.com registration page for 50,000 points

Update: Sunday, November 27 – 9:00am California time. 

Just as I posted this piece I see from several BoardingArea posts there is a new Club Carlson offer for 9,000 points for each award stay redeemed from December 1, 2011 to January 31, 2012 at any Carlson Hotel worldwide. The bonus may be earned up to five times for 45,000 bonus points. This is valid at all brands including Radisson, Park Plaza, Park Inn and Country Inn & Suites. I’ll write up a full post on this new offer in the next 24 hours.

All the more reason to sign up for the 50,000 bonus points Radisson stay offer ASAP. This offer won’t last much longer now before it changes to 15,000 bonus points.

Earn 9,000 bonus points with a Club Carlson award stay Dec 1-Jan 31, 2012

Dana Point is a beach town in Orange County, California offering travelers luxury hotels, fine dining, golf and surfing in a southern California climate. Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel sits atop the bluff overlooking Monarch Beach.

Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, Dana Point, California

Watching hundreds of surfers and California brown pelicans cruise the waves below the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel is timeless enjoyment. I’ll post more about Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel and St. Regis Monarch Beach this next week.

California brown pelicans flying along bluffs below Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel.

I wondered if there were more surfers or pelicans on the water. Amazingly I am pretty sure the pelicans outnumbered the hundred or more surfers by a fair margin. And while I saw some good wave rides by surfers, the pelicans typically glide just a few feet over the water with unmatchable grace.

Ritz-Carlton Laguna Beach surfing morning waves.

The beaches of Orange County are a beautiful place to see – especially when viewing from the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel.

Powerful lens for viewing Monarch Beach from Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel.

RewardsCanada.ca has a 10th anniversary contest offering prizes of 125,000 Aeroplan miles, 100,000 Starpoints, Sheraton Robes and Etihad Airways miles. You must be a Canadian resident to win a prize. Entry deadline is 11:59pm November 30, 2011.

Patrick Sojka also runs FrequentFlyerBonuses.com which is a great resource for airline, hotel and car rental loyalty promotions. FFB has been on my go to list for finding deals many years now and a site you should bookmark too.

frequentflyerbonuses.com

Happy (U.S.) Thanksgiving to all my Canadian readers.

Hey all you Americans, go back to eating, drinking, talking to friends & family, watching football and planning your points and miles earning for the next month of shopping.

I am heading to Spa Gaucin for coffee and a paper. We are resorting for Thanksgiving thanks to the May-July 2011 free resort night after three Starwood stays. Yesterday was 73 degrees here in southern California.

Thanks for being a Loyalty Traveler reader.

And closing my laptop…now.

St. Regis Monarch Beach, Dana Point, California