After I got bait & switched by Choice Hotels with their status match offer last week, Club Carlson lifted up mine head by doing…what they said they would do–matching my elite status with Hilton.

Live From A Lounge tipped me off a few days ago to Club Carlson’s offer:

I submitted the required info, and two days later, done. I’m Golden.

Though TPG valued Carlson Club Gold status at $456 (woah), I’ve read mixed reviews from members.

Some say Carlson’s elite status is worthless because it’s tough to get each individual hotel to follow through on the perks, but at a minimum this would get me a 35% points bonus on any stays with them. The “weekend extend” benefit mentioned in the email for Europe, Africa and the Middle East also caught my eye.

Here are some details on Carlson’s loyalty statuses, including the free Red level:

I may or may not get the opportunity to try out these benefits, but it was worth a quick email just in case.

I’d love to hear about your experience with Club Carlson or any other hotel loyalty program. Do these benefits seem worth any effort?

Have a great day!