As reported on several blogs, the sign-up bonus on Radisson Rewards Premier card was recently increased to 100,000 points, up from 85,000 points. The annual fee of $75 is not waived.
Non-affiliate application link
So, is this a major development? Not really. Radisson points are the least valuable in this hobby, at least in my opinion. In fact, after much deliberation, I decided to cancel my Radisson card in January and forego 40,000 annual points upon renewal. I went back and forth, but just didn’t want another annual fee to worry about. These annual fees can get out of control, you know. It’s good to stop now and again and take stock of how much your “free” travel really costs you.
That being said… I absolutely think this offer is worth considering if you happen to be the right type of traveler. Namely, you like to go on US road trips and don’t mind staying in less desirable locations/properties in order to save money, points or both. There are good Radisson deals internationally as well, so take a look at their award chart
Rest assured, 100,000 points can go a long way if you use them strategically. Here are just a few examples (I’m taking points earned from minimum spending into consideration):
1) Spend two nights in Radisson Suite Hotel Oceanfront in Melbourne, Fl during spring break when rates on beachfront hotels are through the roof
The cost is 44,000 points per night. We’ve been to this property several times. While not fancy, the view from each suite can’t be beat.
2) Spend seven nights in Park Inn Radisson Resort Orlando
The cost is 15,000 points per night, and the property is located very close to Animal Kingdom. The reviews are somewhat mixed, but one of our readers has stayed here and enjoyed it. Keep in mind that there is a resort fee of $16 per night, though you may be successful in asking the hotel to waive it due to Gold status that comes with the credit card.
3) Spend seven nights in Country Inn and Suites Savannah Gateway
It costs 15,000 Club Carlson points per night, or a total of 105,000 points for seven nights. Nancy has gifted me her Radisson points, and I was able to burn them on this location for a stay next May.
4) Spend seven nights in Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Washington, D.C. East – Capitol Heights, MD
The property runs at 15,000 Club Carlson points per night. The hotel is located 10 miles from downtown DC.
5) Spend four nights in Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Newark Airport
The cost is 28,000 Club Carlson points, a bit steep. Use this hotel as a base to visit NYC by taking Uber or some form of public transportation. We did something similar in 2017
There are many more examples, of course.
Other hotel cards to look into before settling for Radisson Visa
Aside from niche redemptions here and there, I consider Radisson chain to be subpar, at least compared to Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt and IHG. The reason is twofold. First, the properties are rarely in the best location when it comes to sightseeing needs. Plus, there are just too few properties, so you are extremely limited by chain’s footprint.
More often than not, you will be staying in a Country Inn and Suites, somewhere where no man has gone before. The hotels themselves are usually adequate, on par with Holiday Inn Express. Sure, there are some duds, and Nancy had a misfortune of staying in one of them. And occasionally, you will even see a TripAdvisor review that goes something like this:
This is a card for someone who is basically running out of options. Someone like me! And even then, you should probably look into other offers, like Terps Visa I wrote about a few weeks ago. If you are determined to apply for hotel card right now, there are much better options on the market. Two (with a relatively low annual fee) come to mind:
1)The World of Hyatt Chase credit card
Leana’s personal referral link
Nancy’s personal referral link
2) Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card
Leana’s personal referral link for Hilton Ascend card
Nancy’s personal referral link
I wrote a post on this topic where I compared these two offers, so won’t repeat myself. The bonus on both cards is the highest it’s ever been, so it’s a good time to at least investigate them if you haven’t done so before. Keep in mind that Hyatt card is now subject to 5/24 restriction. Whether you should actually apply for either of these offers, that’s something only you can answer.
If you already have those two cards, look into Choice Privileges Visa that currently offers 64,000 points. Non-affiliate link Choice hotel program has a much better footprint compared to Radisson, and many properties near national parks cost only 8,000-12,000 points per night. But you can’t be too picky if you choose to stay in them.
Bottom line
When it comes to Radisson Rewards Visa, I absolutely believe there is value to be had. Back in the day, I had cards in both mine and my husband’s names. Then again, it was the golden era of Club Carlson (program’s former name) when you could redeem points for the first night and get the second night free.
Not surprisingly, most of our points were burned in that manner. I kept renewing the cards for few years after the death of BOGO perk, but eventually let them go. My in-laws are hanging onto theirs, so I can always dip into their stash in the unlikely event we need it.
Keep in mind that US Bank is very strict when it comes to approvals. If you are going to apply for one of their offers, might as well go for Altitude Reserve Visa. Now that’s a card worth burning an inquiry on. Alas, US Bank told my husband to pound sand. Several times. I might try again at some point, though. I’m persistent (stupid?) like that.
Readers, are you tempted by increased bonus on Radisson Visa?
(Hat tip to DoC)
Click here to view various credit cards and available sign-up bonuses
Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
I often forget about this card, and I even used to hold it just a year ago. This may make me consider picking it up again (if churning with USB is a thing? I’m so unfamiliar with them).
Often, I’ve found they are the last chain I check, and then I’ll happen to find a Country Inn for 15,000 or 28,000 points where we are going, suddenly making it the best deal out of all the points options on the table.
@Ian In the past, as long as you got approved for USB card, you would get the bonus. Not sure if it’s still that way, but I imagine so. And yeah, I consider Cat.2 properties to be a very good deal at 15,000 points per night. To me, it’s an equivalent of paying $30 since I personally value Radisson points at 0.2 cents apiece.
DRATS! We just got approved a few days prior to this new 100k offer so I can get enough points to go to Reykjavik someday soon. *cry cry cry* Do you think they might match the bonus?
@Army That stinks! I certainly think you should contact US Bank and ask for a match. It won’t hurt, that’s for sure.
I get kind of tired of this chain and card getting no respect. Yes, we lost the 2nd night free, but that moved it from fantastic to good. I’ve stayed in a few Country Inn & Suites, and I think they are pretty nice. Much better than most other near the-interstate-interchange chain. Yes, each point isn’t worth much, but you’ve always earned 5 pts/$ on all their CC spend (going back to when there weren’t so many spend bonus categories around). I cancelled mine because I had enough points for now, but you don’t have to even try to get more than $75 value out of the 40000 annual points. Especially given this blog’s focus on family travel, if you’re a road tripping family, a CI&S is a great place in the US. And the Radisson Blus in Europe are all pretty nice.
@Flyernick I totally understand what you are saying and actually agree for the most part. In fact, I’ve devoted quite a few posts to Club Carlson Card long after they did away with BOGO perk. Here is just one example of me saying that renewing the card makes sense for many people https://milesforfamily.com/2016/04/05/why-renewing-us-bank-club-carlson-signature-visa-could-still-be-worth-it-for-some/ I still feel that way, in fact. I just had too many annual fees, and something had to go.
I’ve also used points on some very nice hotels, like one in Wiesbaden, near Frankfurt. As I’ve said in the post, there are Radisson gems out there. I happen to like Counrty Inn and Suites, actually.
But the fact remains that Radisson is inferior to other hotel chains when it comes to US travel. Not for everyone, obviously, but the selection is simply lacking. I was looking to stay near LAX and use Radisson points. Nothing. Ditto for San Francisco. Sure, if you are going on a road trip and plan to string together one-night stays, it’s possible to do quite well. The program certainly has value, hence this post. I just think there are many other(better) options out there. But you are right that there is no sense in complaining about the death of BOGO perk. It certainly wasn’t my intention. I always try to adapt and recommend readers do the same.
Thank you for your comment! It is much appreciated.
I think Choice and Radisson have good options in Europe if somebody is looking to travel there (especially families)
@Tammie Yes, absolutely! I’ve mentioned Choice program on my blog before and highlighted ability to redeem points on suites at the same cost as regular rooms: https://milesforfamily.com/2018/04/09/why-daily-getaways-choice-packages-deal-is-hot-for-some-families/
Radisson came in handy for treating my family to trips in nearby Poland and Lithuania. Unfortunately, the best options in cities American families are likely to visit cost a lot via points. But there are definitely gems here and there, which is why I’ve linked to Radisson award chart. Ultimately, it depends on your travel plans. We were able to redeem 90,000 Radisson points on three hotel rooms for a two-night stay near Savannah. That’s a great deal in my book.
I cancelled my card too but am considering getting it again after my stay at Park Inn, Orlando. If I like it, will consider it for a longer Disney trip.
@HML I really debated on canceling it because Radisson has come in handy for me more than once. But these annual fees are seriously getting out of control!