Radisson Rewards—formerly Club Carlson Rewards—received a major overhaul earlier this year. Platinum elite status is the highest tier of Radisson Rewards and gives members elite benefits at all Radisson properties like Radisson Blu, Park Inn, and Country Inn and Suites.
But is Radisson Rewards Platinum worth it? We’ll dive deep in this article, showing you the pros and cons of the top-tier elite status. However, the only way to know if an elite status is worth it is to assess your travel situation.
Why Radisson Platinum is Worth It
Here are the pros of the new Radisson Rewards program. Use these as reasons why Radisson Platinum may be worthwhile for your travel plans.
Room Upgrades
Platinum members can be upgraded all the way to a standard suite when space is available. This is standard for most top-tier hotel elite statuses.
Free Breakfast
The Platinum elite and one guest receive free breakfast each night of their stay. This does not apply to room service—just the hotel restaurant. Do note that this is only at “participating hotels”, so your mileage may vary.
Earn More Points
Radisson Platinum elites earn 35 Radisson Rewards point per dollar spent on hotel stays. This is a whopping 15 points per dollar more than the 20 earned by standard Club members. These points can be used to book free nights, Points + Cash nights, transferred to airline partners, or used for gift cards.
20% Discount On Food And Drink
Platinum elites receive a 20% discount on food and drink purchased on-site. If you eat at hotel restaurants frequently, this savings can add up quick.
Rollover Qualifying Nights
After re-qualifying for elite status, your stays will count towards the next year’s elite status qualification. So, if you stay 70 nights, 10 will rollover to the next year as Platinum elite status takes 60 nights to qualify.
Early Check-in and Late Check-Out
All elite members are eligible for early check-in and late check-out upon request. This is subject to availability.
In-Room Welcome Gift
Gold and Platinum elites receive an in-room welcome gift upon check-in. There are no details of exactly what this gift is, but some reports say it can range from a box of chocolates and a bottle of wine to chocolate covered nuts.
Dedicated Phone Line
Radisson maintains a dedicated phone line for Platinum elite members. Members can call this line 24/7 for travel assistance.
Why Radisson Platinum Isn’t Worth It
As you can see, Radisson falls short in terms of benefits when compared to other chains like Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, or SPG. Here are a few things we dislike about Radisson Platinum elite status.
No Upgrade Certificates
Hyatt and other major chains offer its top-tier elite members suite upgrade certificates. Radisson doesn’t do this, so your only choice is to book a standard room and hope for the best or shell out the extra money for a suite.
Lack of Premier Properties
Radisson has a few flagship properties like the Radisson Blu Chicago. However, many of the chain’s properties are tired and aging with no “wow” factor. Many of the other nice Radisson properties are in Europe. This means that your options are limited when it comes to using points if you are going for aspirational award stays.
Available Cash Rooms Doesn’t Equal Points Rooms
Like airline award travel, Radisson only makes some of their hotel rooms available for award bookings. So just because you see a room available for purchase doesn’t mean you can use points to book it.
Points Transfer at a 10:1 Ratio
Transferring Radisson Rewards points to airlines comes at a cost: you only get 1 airline point per 10 Radisson miles transferred. It’s a good rule to only use Radisson points for hotel stays.
Is Radisson Rewards Platinum Worth It?
There’s no doubt you’ll get value out of Radisson Platinum status if you frequent Radisson hotels. However, the benefits aren’t as good as top-tier elite status at other hotel chains. We only recommend going for Radisson Platinum elite status if you already stay at Radisson hotels. Otherwise, it may be worth looking at other programs like Marriott or Hyatt that offer more flexible redemptions and better elite benefits.
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