Club Med announces partnership with Carlson

Among the first benefits to emerge from the partnership is a dual-destination vacation package that allows Club Med clients visiting its new flagship resort, Sandpiper Bay in Port St. Lucie, Florida, to extend their stay with a visit to Orlando theme parks and enjoy an exclusive 20 percent discount at the Radisson Hotel Orlando-Lake Buena Vista, located only a quarter mile from Walt Disney World® Theme Parks. The Radisson Hotel Orlando-Lake Buena Vista is a president’s award winning hotel and includes complimentary scheduled shuttle service to Walt Disney World theme parks and Universal Studios Orlando.

Club Med Sandpiper Bay is the only all-inclusive family resort in the U.S. After undergoing a $25 million transformation, the 216-acre resort features two new restaurants, four swimming pools including an infinity pool exclusively for adults and certified lap pool, a Kidz Village with a splash park, 21 tennis courts and an on-site 18 hole golf course. Enhanced accommodations include expansive Deluxe Family Rooms with separate bedrooms and one-and-ahalf bathrooms, allowing plenty of space for the entire family. As the flagship of Club Med “premium sports” resorts, Sandpiper Bay boasts elite sports training programs with the new Club Med Academies (tennis, golf and fitness).

"I am very pleased of our partnership with Carlson. I believe that this mutual agreement will give a new dimension to our development of prospects in the United States. We both attach an immense value to our customers and they will be the first beneficiaries of this special relationship. I am very confident in the ability of our mutual teams to make this collaboration be a great success,” said Henri Giscard d’Estaing, chief executive officer of Club Méditerrannée.Refined, generous and personalized, a Club Med vacation at any of our 80 resorts in more than 25 countries, guarantees life long memories. With attention to every detail, Club Med offers activities from award-winning Children’s Clubs and luxurious spa treatments to expert instruction in sports with top of the line equipment. Throughout the experience, guests personalize their vacation with an array of choices including luxury room categories, convenient travel arrangements, international cuisine, flexible dining times and exciting entertainment options. Contact a travel professional, call 1-800-ClubMed, or log on to www.clubmed.us for reservations. Find press information at www.clubmedpress.com In addition, the partnership brings new travel options for members of Carlson’s hotel loyalty program. Effective March 1, 2011, Carlson loyalty members in the United States and Canada can redeem points toward stays at any of the 80 all-inclusive luxury Club Med resorts worldwide. See goldpointsplus.com/clubmed for full program details. Carlson will launch its new loyalty program, Club Carlson SM , on March 31, 2011 with an enriched array of benefits and firstclass redemption opportunities including Club Med.

“Adding a first-class partner like Club Med provides great value and exciting new allinclusive resort redemption options for our members. Club Carlson has been designed to be one of the most rewarding hotel loyalty programs, and supports our growth strategy,” said Hubert Joly, president and chief executive officer, Carlson.

About Club Med
The inventor of the vacation club concept, Club Med is the world leader of all-inclusive vacations. Present in 40 countries, it has 80 Resorts spread out on five continents plus the Club Med 2 cruiser. It has 15,000 GOs of 100 nationalities. Club Med’s packages are sold by over 1,500 travel agencies through its direct and indirect distribution networks. Since 2003, Club Med has been committed to an upscale repositioning strategy to restructure its offering to meet the needs of clients on the lookout for truly exceptional vacations. http://www.clubmed.com

About Carlson
Carlson is a privately held, global hospitality and travel company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. Carlson encompasses more than 1,070 hotels, including Radisson, Country Inns and Suites by Carlson, Park Inn and Park Plaza, more than 900 T.G.I. Friday’s Restaurants, and a majority stake in Carlson Wagonlit Travel, the global leader in business travel management. Carlson operates in more than 150 countries and its brands employ about 150,000 people. http://www.Carlson.com

Find press information at www.clubmedpress.com

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