MileValue is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Note: Some of the offers mentioned below may have changed or are no longer be available. You can view current offers here.

The Club Carlson Premier Rewards Visa Signature Card offers 85,000 bonus points after spending $2,500 on the card in the first 90 days. After meeting the minimum spending requirement, you have enough points for up to 20 free hotel nights as I explained in my review of the card.

The points themselves would only be enough for 10 free nights, but the Club Carlson Premier Rewards Visa Signature Card has the killer benefit that cardholders get the last night free on all award stays of 2+ nights.

That means you can book 10 two-night stays with all your points (20 total nights) to maximize them.

• How does the last-free-night benefit work?
• Can you get two free nights on a four night stay?
• Can you book multiple rooms at the same hotel and get the benefit multiple times?

The last-free-night benefit is automatic. Once you have the Club Carlson Premier Rewards Visa Signature Card, the fact that you are a cardholder is stored in your Club Carlson account online. When you make award bookings, the price reflects the last night being free.

I recently booked myself a two-night stay in Dubai. On clubcarlson.com, select Book with Points and perform your search.

Dubai has six Club Carlson properties open and two more in the works.

Each property lists its points price, cash price, points + cash price (which is never a good deal in my experience), and a direct link to TripAdvisor reviews.

Hotels in Dubai ranged from 38,000 to 70,000 points for a free night. They are all Radisson or Radisson Blu brands, so perhaps the Park Inns that are set to open this year will be cheaper.

I selected the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira creek because it is close to the airport, close to a metro station, and the Deira area looks interesting. (Let me know in the comments if I made a big mistake and should stay at a different Club Carlson property.)

After selecting the room, the initial screen does not reflect the discount.

But right below the undiscounted price is a red-box indicating that the discount is coming. (You only see this box if signed in. If not signed in yet, you’ll still get the discount once you sign in.)

On the first screen, you review the hotel’s cancellation and other policies. I learned that I’ll arrive just after Dubai institutes a $4 per room per night tax.

You also select your room type on this first screen.

On the next screen, the discount kicks in. The price dropped to 50,000 points total for two nights, and I booked.

Considering a paid two-night stay is $400, I’d say 50,000 points is a great deal especially since the cheapest cash rate is fully pre-paid, and my award can be cancelled until the day of arrival without penalty.

More Value

If you want a four night stay at the same hotel, can one person book two nights with one free and then the next two nights with one free?

No.

From the terms:

• Only one Bonus Award Night will be available for a stay of two or more consecutive nights at the same hotel (early checkout with one night stay not eligible), regardless of the total length of stay, the total number of reservations or the number of check-in/check-outs, is subject to availability and all other terms and conditions and cancellation policies regarding Award Nights apply

And the computer follows this rule. If I try to book the two nights before or after my current Dubai stay at the same hotel, it prices as 100,000 points total for those two nights–no free night!

But if you have a travel companion and you both have the Club Carlson Premier Rewards Visa Signature Card, you can get two out of four nights free. Book the first two nights from one account and the next two from another. At check in, note that you have both booked a two night stay to split costs and would prefer one room for the entire four nights instead of having to check out and check back in.

And if you’re solo, you can still get two free nights on a four-night stay in the same city. You just have to change hotels. I am offered the last night free at another Dubai Radisson for the two nights after my stay at the Radisson Deira Creek:

Also a solo traveler can get two free nights out of five at the same hotel. Imagine I want to stay April 1 – 6 (five nights) in one hotel.

• I could book April 1 – 3 as one award: two nights with one free
• then April 4 – 6 as one award: two nights with one free
• then April 3 – 4 as a cash stay or an award: one night with zero free

The computer would price that out as five nights with two free. This pattern works infinitely, and can be stated like this:

A solo traveler, at a single hotel, can get his second night free and every third night free thereafter by booking two-night award stays interspersed with one-night award or cash stays.

If you want to book multiple rooms in the same hotel, will each room enjoy the last-night-free benefit?

No.

From the terms:

• For multiple night/multiple room bookings, only one room will receive the Bonus Award Night

Your Take

How have you maximized the last-night-free benefit of the Club Carlson Premier Rewards Visa Signature Card?

And where would you recommend I stay on my first trip to Dubai?