MINNEAPOLIS (Feb. 5, 2010) – Members of the Carlson Hotels goldpoints plus^SM hotel rewards program will benefit from two changes in 2010: decreased award point levels at many of our hotels worldwide and a simplified award structure.

Carlson Hotels today announced year-end 2009 results, which include the addition of a total of 92 properties under its five brands worldwide during the year and systemwide sales of USD 5.8 billion. Carlson Hotels also signed 66 new properties adding to its contracted pipeline of 249 properties.

Carlson Hotels Worldwide has appointed Kaaren Hamilton as vice president, global sales – North America.  In this new position, Hamilton will report to Thorsten Kirschke, executive vice president and chief operating officer for The Americas. She will oversee the company’s global sales office, based outside Manhattan in New Jersey. Situated in the nation’s top business travel market, the global sales office is focused on generating outbound sales from the United States to Carlson’s hotels in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific and will contribute to increasing the volume of inter-theater business among the regions.