Update: Choice Hotels has completed its acquisition of Radisson Hotels Americas.
Formerly known as Club Carlson, Radisson Rewards is the loyalty program of Radisson Hotel Group. The hotel chain has more than 224,000 rooms in over 1,400 hotels worldwide. So you’ll have plenty of choices when it comes time to book your award nights.
Personal credit cards
| Redemption options | Hotel nights Points + Cash In-hotel express awards Radisson gift cards Retail gift cards Prepaid Visa cards Priority Pass membership TSA Precheck application fee Airline miles Charitable donations |
| Value per point | $0.004 average |
Radisson Hotel Group Portfolio
Radisson Rewards came about after the merger between Radisson Hospitality Inc. and Europe’s Rezidor Hotel Group. Relaunched as Radisson Hotel Group, Club Carlson became Radisson Rewards. Its brands include:
- Country Inn & Suites
- Park Inn
- Park Plaza
- Radisson
- Radisson Blu
- Radisson Individuals
- Radisson Collection
- Radisson Red
Radisson Rewards Elite Status
Radisson Rewards has four levels of status:
| STATUS | REQUIREMENTS | HOTEL STAYS | F&B DISCOUNT |
| Club | 0 nights / 0 stays | 20x points | 5% |
| Silver | 9 nights / 6 stays | 22x points | 10% |
| Gold | 30 nights / 20 stays | 25x points | 15% |
| Platinum | 60 nights / 30 stays | 35x points | 20% |
At the Club level, you’ll get members-only rates, free WiFi and two complimentary bottles of water per stay (at United States properties).
As you move up in elite status, you’ll unlock more VIP benefits:
| STATUS | BENEFITS |
| Silver | Complimentary room upgrade (where available) Early check-in Late check-out Rollover elite nights |
| Gold | Welcome gift 72-hour room availability guarantee |
| Platinum | Complimentary breakfast 48-hour room availability guarantee Access to a dedicated Platinum member service line |
Elite status expires on February 28th of the year after you earned it, unless you hold a credit card that grants you automatic elite status (more on that later).
*For updated information, click here for our source.
Earning Radisson Rewards Points
As mentioned above, the amount of points you’ll earn for Radisson hotel stays depends on your elite status – ranging from 20x points to 35x points on eligible rates.
For an eligible rate of $200 per night, you could earn:
| STATUS | # OF POINTS |
| Club | 4,000 points |
| Silver | 4,400 points |
| Gold | 5,000 points |
| Platinum | 7,000 points |
Eligible rates exclude:
- Employee rates
- Friends and family rates
- Complimentary or barter rooms not booked on points
- Rates booked through an online travel agency
- Rates booked through group or tour operator accounts
*For updated information, click here for our source.
Radisson Rewards offers two credit cards that earn Radisson points. Both cards will reward you with a free night e-certificate for every $10,000 you spend in one year. You can get up to three e-certificates every membership year.
Radisson Rewards has seven rental car partners that give you Radisson points. Some even offer rate discounts and free upgrades.
| Alamo | 300 Radisson points per rental per day |
| Avis | 750 Radisson points per rental Up to 25% off base rates |
| Budget | 750 Radisson points per rental Up to 25% off base rates |
| Enterprise | 300 Radisson points per rental per day |
| Europcar | Up to 1,800 points per rental |
| National | 300 Radisson points per rental per day Up to 25% off base rates |
| Sixt | 750 Radisson points per rental Up to 15% off base rates Free upgrade for Radisson Rewards Gold members |
*For updated information, click here for our source.
Earn 5x Radisson points on events. That includes small meetings, large conventions, dinners, weddings and more. You’ll have to join Radisson Rewards for Business before you can earn points this way.
Treat someone special and earn 1,500 Radisson points on every FTD purchase. Choose from flowers, plants, gift baskets, treats and much more.
Earn up to 12,500 Radisson points when you join the American Cellars Wine Club from Vinesse Wines. Get 5,000 points with your first wine club shipment and 7,500 points with your second shipment.
Earn 10 points for every Euro or Pound spent at any of the eleven Bicester Villages in Europe, and 10 points for every 10 Yuan spent in China. Browse more than 1,000 big fashion and lifestyle brand boutiques – all offering savings of up to 60% off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price.
You can purchase up to 80,000 points every calendar year, in increments of 1,000 points for $7. However, we generally advise against buying points because the purchase rate ($0.007 per point) is much higher than their average value ($0.004 per point).
Redeeming Radisson Rewards Points
Before we jump into all the ways you can use your Radisson points, keep in mind that your points do expire if there is no account activity within a 24-month period. Account activity includes earning and spending points.
The best use for your Radisson points is toward free award nights. There are no blackout dates on standard rooms, and award pricing starts at just 9,000 points.
| HOTEL CATEGORY | STANDARD ROOM | PREMIUM ROOM |
| 1 | 9,000 | 13,500 |
| 2 | 15,000 | 22,500 |
| 3 | 28,000 | 42,000 |
| 4 | 38,000 | 57,000 |
| 5 | 44,000 | 66,000 |
| 6 | 50,000 | 75,000 |
| 7 | 70,000 | 105,000 |
You’ll be hardpressed to find a more valuable way to spend your points than for hotel nights.
*For updated information, click here for our source.
If you don’t have enough Radisson points for a hotel night, you can still enjoy a discounted rate by using a combination of points and cash. The minimum amount of points you’ll need is 5,000.
| HOTEL CATEGORY | POINTS + CASH NEEDED |
| 1 | 5,000 + cash |
| 2 | 5,000 + cash |
| 3 | 5,000 + cash |
| 4 | 10,000 + cash |
| 5 | 10,000 + cash |
| 6 | 15,000 + cash |
| 7 | 20,000 + cash |
*For updated information, click here for our source.
Redeem your Radisson points during your stay for hotel amenities like food and beverages, local experiences, in-room movies, parking charges, spa services and more.
Transfer your Radisson points to over 35 airline partners:
- Aeroflot
- Aeromexico
- Air Astana
- Air Baltic
- Air Canada
- Air China
- Air France/KLM
- Asiana Airlines
- Avianca
- British Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Czech Airlines
- Delta Airlines
- Emirates
- Ethiopian Airways
- Etihad Airways
- Finnair
- Frontier Airlines
- Gulf Air
- Hainan Airlines
- Japan Airlines
- Jet Airways
- Kuwait Airways
- LATAM
You have three transfer options:
- 2,000 Radisson points for 200 airline miles
- 50,000 Radisson points for 5,000 airline miles
- 100,000 Radisson points for 10,000 airline miles
*Log into your account for more information on redeeming for miles.
| Retail gift cards | 7,000 points for $10 18,000 points for $25 34,000 points for $50 |
| Prepaid Visa cards | 20,000 points for $25 35,000 points for $50 67,000 points for $100 |
| Radisson gift cards | In British Pounds or Euros Only available in certain countries |
| Priority Pass | 125,000 points for one-year membership ($299 value) |
| TSA Precheck | 65,000 points for the $85 application fee |
| Donations | 1,000 points for $1.60 Minimum 3,000-point donation |
*For updated information, click here.
Radisson Rewards Tips & Tricks
Ready to make the most out of your Radisson Rewards membership? Below are some tips and tricks to earn bonus rewards and maximize your Radisson points:
With the Radisson Rewards app, you can easily:
- Find hotels near you or any city
- Book a stay (or view/cancel a stay)
- View your current point balance
- Redeem for award nights
- Add your member card to your wallet
You’ll find the best value in Category 1 and Category 2 hotels located in small cities and developing countries. These hotels – like Category 7 ones – can cost up to $150 per night, but they only require a fraction of the points needed to reserve an award night.
Earn extra Radisson points by booking Radisson Rewards promotional offers. Past promos included:
- Bonus points on your first stay booked via the Radisson Rewards app.
- Double points on eligible rates at participating hotels.
For a list of current promotions, click here.
Virtuoso is an exclusive network of luxury travel companies that work together to customize vacations for high-end travelers. They create deluxe itineraries and enhance your travel with valuable perks, including:
- Rate discounts
- Room upgrades
- Executive club
- Breakfast
- Cocktails
- Early check-in
- Late checkout
- Bottle of wine
- Resort activities
- Hotel spa treatment
With all these VIP benefits, booking through a Virtuoso travel agent may end up being a better deal than a points redemption.
Alternative to Radisson Rewards
If you’re seeking luxury – instead of convenience – then you’re better off joining World of Hyatt which has more premium hotel offerings. The easiest way to earn free hotel nights with the World of Hyatt brands is to signup for their credit card.
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THE WORLD OF HYATT CREDIT CARD
The World of Hyatt Credit Card from Chase has an offer for up to 60,000 Bonus Points. Earn 30,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months. Get another 30,000 bonus points with 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent on purchases that earn 1 Bonus Point up to $15,000 in the first 6 months of account opening. Our valuations put 60k points at around $1,020 in value.
You’ll earn up to 9 points total per $1 spent at Hyatt with this card. That’s 4 bonus points per $1 with the card and 5 base points per $1 as a World of Hyatt member. The card also earns 2 bonus points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets bought directly from airlines, on local transit and commuting, and on fitness club and gym memberships.
This card has a $95 annual fee.
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Bottom Line
Radisson Rewards is best suited for budget travelers with its decent return rate on hotel stays and great deals through its redemption structure (but you’ll have to look for them).
READ MORE: SEE THE BEST BANK BONUSES HERE AND THE BEST INVESTING BONUSES HERE.
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