Being a Club Carlson member just got even better.  For a limited time, two qualifying stays will earn Club Carlson members a free night at over 1,000 Country Inns & Suites, Radisson^®, Park Inn^® or Park Plaza^® hotels worldwide.

Register for the ‘Stay Twice, Earn a Free Night’ Promotion and then complete two qualifying stays between now and June 15, 2011 to earn your Free Night Award.  Once earned, the Free Night Award may be booked at any participating Carlson hotel worldwide for stays now through December 31, 2011.

To register for this promotion, and to see full terms and conditions, visit http://www.clubcarlson.com/freenight.

Enjoy more points, more partners and more places with Club Carlson^SM

Welcome to a whole new world of hotel rewards.  goldpoints plus^SM is now Club Carlson — the global hotel rewards program from Carlson Hotels.  Members can enjoy an enhanced collection of superior benefits, service and privileges at any of our more than 1,000 hotels worldwide.

Earn Gold Points®. Get rewarded.

You can earn points for every eligible stay at participating hotels worldwide: Country Inns & Suites by Carlson^SM, Radisson^®, Park Inn^® and Park Plaza^®.

Plus, you can redeem your Gold Points for things like:

• Free Award Nights – starting at 9,000 Gold Points® with no blackout dates on standard rooms
• Prepaid Cards and Gift Cards – new retail and restaurant partners provide low point redemption options
• Vacation Savings – redeem Gold Points for savings on vacations from Club Med® (US/Canada members only) or on select CWT Vacations (US members only)
• And more

Learn more about all the exciting redemption options at www.clubcarlson.com.

Club Carlson – you belong here.

If you are an existing goldpoints plus member, you’re already in the club.  Your membership number hasn’t changed – all you have to do is Log-in and start exploring the many advantages that await you as a member of Club Carlson at www.clubcarlson.com.

Not yet a Club Carlson member?  Enroll for free today at www.clubcarlson.com.

Now you can access countryinns.com anytime, anywhere from your web-enabled mobile device. Simply enter countryinns.com into your phone’s web browser, and you’ll be able to enjoy many great features of countryinns.com including:

• Make a reservation – book your next stay directly from your phone!
• Search for hotels – with more than 500 locations worldwide,  you’ll love having somewhere to call home, nearly everywhere.
• Find hotel deals and special offers
• View hotel details including room descriptions, property overview, photos, local area events and attractions and more!
• Check your goldpoints plus^SM account anytime.

We are so excited about this and know you’ll love it too. Visit us on your smartphone today.

~Emily

The end of winter is a great time to recharge with a break from the day-to-day. To help get you on your way, we’re excited to announce our Spring Getaway Offer for March and April that has you covered with great food or great entertainment.

Book a stay under the Spring Getaway Promotion for two or more nights between March 2, 2011 and April 30, 2011 at participating hotels in the U.S. and Canada, and you will receive:

• Certificate code to redeem online for a $30 Amazon.com Gift Card* (or a 30 CAD Amazon.ca Gift Certificate*)
• T.G.I. Friday’s Offer* ($5 off $15 coupon upon check-in)
• 3,000 Bonus Gold Points^®*
• Free Hot, Expanded Breakfast
• Free High-Speed Internet

Spend your spring vacation at Country, and you’ll understand why so many guests are saying, “I love this Country.”

*Visit http://countryinns.com/springgetaway for more details and terms and conditions!

Just in time for the month of romance, goldpoints plus^SM members can save 20 percent on all purchases from FTD.com. From flesh flowers and plants to specialty chocolates and spa baskets, you can receive this great discount by visiting http://www.ftd.com/goldpointsplus2.

Show someone the love with this special deal. Not a member? Sign up for goldpointsplus by visiting http://www.goldpointsplus.com.

I Love this Country!

~Emily

In support of the current “Country Means Business” promotion, Road Warriorette will be featuring a weekly sponsored post on behalf of Country Inns & Suites and has been compensated by Country Inns & Suites for her contribution.

When deciding where to stay for a business trip, there are multiple considerations. Sometimes you just feel lucky to get a hotel within 20 miles of the office, as was the case when I was in a tiny town in Georgia last year. But when you have options, sometimes it can get overwhelming. Here are a few things to look for when deciding on your hotel.

Location. Different locations are important for different reasons. Obviously, proximity to the office can make things a lot easier. Commute time is shorter, and possible delays due to traffic are minimized. Sometimes, however, you want to be close to other things, like downtown, shopping, or the airport. This December I went to Pensacola, and the office I was visiting was as far away from the beach as you could get.  But I figured if I’m going to be in Florida, I’m staying at a beach. Even with the thirty minute drive, it was totally worth it.

Food. Will you be working late? Do you need to have room service available? Or is it enough to have good restaurants nearby? And what about breakfast? Do you enjoy the traditional continental option, or or will you build your own waffle?

Hotel amenities. Do you need a hotel with a gym or a pool? What about a fridge in your room? Will you need to print, copy, or fax anything while you are there? Do you need a universally accessible room? And of course, what about beds? Do you prefer a king, or two queens? Does bedding matter? Other amenities to consider are free breakfast and high-speed internet.

Reward programs. I highly, highly encourage you to try to stay at the same family of hotels whenever you can. Free trips are one of the best rewards for all of your business travel. The Home Warrior and I have taken many flights on American Airlines and Southwest from rewards points, and have been able to stay in hotels across the country for free. Another benefit? Once you attain Elite status you will often receive bonuses at check in, such as room upgrades, bottles of water, a free movie, or extra reward points. It doesn’t cost anything to sign up, and most families of hotels have multiple price points. (Check out the Carlson family, which includes Country Inns & Suites by Carlson, Park Inn and Radisson hotels.)

Hi everyone,

If you’re like me, you’ve become increasingly dependent on your mobile devices.  Technology is a wonderful thing, but it often means you’re working places other than your office. And for those times you’re not near the comforts of your cubicle—riding in a cab, standing in line at airport security, waiting to go into a meeting—mobile options need to be easy and fast. Here are a few tips I’ve found to help you keep things moving:

Sync your devices

Most of your mobile devices can be synced to each other. For instance, there are easy ways to read your email on your mobile phone, which helps a lot when using one over the other. Learn more about how to sync devices from About.com.

Know your work style

Are you better at working in short bursts or when you have a few hours to dedicate? Knowing your work style can help you make better use of the time you spend completing tasks. Take this fun workstyle quiz from Monster.com to see how you work best.

Double-check everything
Mobile working can be hectic; you’re always on a deadline and the work is never done. Double-check those emails for typos and grammar, make sure you attach documents, and keep your calendar organized.

As fun as it can be to get out and see the Country, it’s easy to lose a little connection with home. Fortunately, the web has you covered with some great services and applications that make it easier for you to keep in touch. We’ve picked the best of the best to consider the next time you’re away from a familiar zip code.

Skype

Skype is useful tool for face-to-face time with loved ones, as the primary feature is video-based chat. Phone calls are great, but they can mean so much more when you can actually see the other person. There’s also an option to download a mobile application for quick connections on the go. Sounds like the cab ride from the airport just got a whole lot more enjoyable.

Path
For fans of Facebook, Path is a personal network that invites you to set up a personal network of up to 50 people, giving you greater comfort in sharing your travel details. Path offers features like status updates, photo and video sharing, and with a smaller reach, you can share with people who mean the most to you.

TextPlus
TextPlus is a group chat option for users of the popular Apple devices, like the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad; send group messages and share pictures without having to manually enter individual name. The service is available over Wi-Fi, or 3G from locations within the U.S. and Canada.

Country Inns & Suites Free High-Speed Internet
Of course, when you’re looking for ways to stay connected, remember that we’re focused on re-creating the experience you’re used to at home. Enjoy free, high-speed Internet access at our more than 500 locations across the U.S. and Canada.

More than 90,000 books will help promote learning and literacy in Greater Kansas City.

I’m so excited to tell you about some great news from Country Inns & Suites and how we have extended hospitality beyond the four walls of our hotel and out into the community.

If you’ve taken advantage of our Read It & Return Lending Library^SM, you know we see reading as a vital everyday activity – either by yourself, or with the family. So we’re thrilled to be able to share our surplus books last week – all 90,000 of them! – with the United Way of Kansas City, for distribution to its more than 50 partner agencies.

The donation, which was announced at an event last Tuesday, included selections of fiction, non-fiction, mystery/suspense and self-help, and titles including Moon Over Manhattan and Show Boat, along with family books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Nancy Drew Mysteries. But the key was seeing how grateful the partner agencies were to receive the donation and to hear stories of how the books will be used.

You can read more in this story by the Kansas City Star.

I Love this Country!

In support of the current “Country Means Business” promotion, Road Warriorette will be featuring a weekly sponsored post on behalf of Country Inns & Suites and has been compensated by Country Inns & Suites for her contribution.

When you travel for work constantly, you practice a lot of skills; packing, unpacking, navigating airport security, and checking into hotels quickly come to mind. But perhaps the most important thing road warriors practice is staying productive. It is so tempting to stretch out on that comfy hotel bed, reach for the remote, and zone out while waiting for room service. Unfortunately, that means that the hundred emails that built up during your meetings go unanswered, and you have to suffer through the backlog when you get home. Over the years, I’ve developed strategies for getting my work completed without making myself into a crazy workaholic. It’s not a perfect system, and is always evolving, but I get way more done than I used to.

• Get your mind in the game. A lot of being productive is mindset. I don’t want to work right now! I want to catch up on Grey’s Anatomy! Whenever I travel on a Thursday, I inevitably think this when it’s time to work. Sometimes the only thing that gets me going is a reminder that by watching TV now, I will have to work more at home, leaving less time to hang out with my husband, dogs, and friends. Plus I DVR my favorite shows, which means they will take even less time to watch at home.

• Set up wherever you can work. What does business mean to you? When I am at home, I don’t work at a desk, but in my favorite armchair. I have discovered that in a hotel, my most productive workplace is the armchair, with my feet up. If my room has no chair, I will try the bed or desk, but will often end up in the hotel lobby. For that matter, if you get tired or distracted in your room, the lobby can be a great place to work. And there is often never ending coffee. (Check out the great lobby areas at Country Inns & Suites! Armchairs and fireplaces make a great place to work.)
• Make a list. I know, it’s standard advice, but I love lists and find they solve all sorts of problems. I can motivate myself more when I see the progress I’m making, and what I have yet to do. As I cross items off, it gives me a great feeling of accomplishment, and I am that much more productive moving forward.
• Take advantage of any downtime. As road warriors, we all know that our office is anywhere we set up our laptops. Take advantage of “found” time to get your tasks done. If you arrive at the airport earlier than you expected, rather than flip through Us Weekly you can go through your emails. If your meeting starts late, it’s a great time to fine-tune a presentation. And for those of you can work while flying, you can get much done en route to your next destination.
• Reward yourself. Once you’ve completed everything, give yourself something nice. Indulge in a bath, eat a great meal or finally watch that show. You’ve earned it!

One final reminder: don’t make yourself crazy. Yes, we all have work we have to do, and it is easy to get sucked in. But working non-stop can do more harm than good. Just step away from the computer for a few minutes and clear your mind. Walk around the building, talk to a friend, eat a chocolate, or just zone out. It’s important to be productive, but not work so hard that you make yourself sick!

About Road Warriorette

Road Warriorette is a twenty-something professional who travels for work.  A lot. At her blog Road Warriorette, she shares advice, observations, and insights for women who travel for work, or for fun, or who would like to travel more.