Last Friday I published a post devoted to increased offer on Radisson Premier credit card. I got an interesting comment on it from one of our readers and decided to do a follow-up post.
I told this person that I really appreciated his perspective, and meant it 100%. I LOVE to read contrarian points of view, as long as they are conveyed in a polite manner (and this one was). Plus, it’s kind of rare to see such passion for Radisson chain, right? The thing is, I actually agree with this reader for the most part. The reason I devoted a separate post to this offer means that I thought the card represents potential value. Why else would I spend several hours writing it?
I’m a fan of Radisson program (yes, really!)
I know it will probably come as a surprise to those who have read the post, but it’s true. Radisson has been very good to my family over the years, and I’m very grateful. We’ve taken my parents to Radisson Suite Hotel Oceanfront in Melbourne, Fl using BOGO perk and got a fantastic deal via points.
During hurricane Irma, a nearby Country Inn and Suites has seriously saved my sanity. The staff couldn’t have been nicer. The decor was a bit wacky, but it was clean. Most importantly, unlike our house at the time, the room had electricity and A/C.
When I needed a hotel for a layover near Frankfurt airport, Radisson points once again came in handy. If you are looking for something unique with free thermal pool access, check out Radisson Blu Schwarzer Bock Wiesbaden What a treat!
Got extra Radisson points? Splurge on a premium room that comes with a fancy “old world feel” breakfast buffet.
So, what’s the problem then? The problem is, not everyone travels to the same places I do. As I’ve said in the post (multiple times), you can potentially extract a lot of value from 100K Radisson points. But it doesn’t mean that everyone will.
Credit card offers don’t exist in a vacuum
When someone asks me if a sign-up bonus on a Chase Sapphire Preferred is a good deal, my answer is always Yes. Is it the best offer on the market? Perhaps not, but it’s very lucrative if you can actually get approved for it. At the very minimum, you will be getting $500 and it’s not hard to do much better. A $500 check in my pocket is worth the same amount as $500 check in your pocket, yes?
The same can not be said about miles or hotel points. There is a floor, no doubt, but things get murky when trying to pinpoint true value. It also depends on whether you are accumulating points speculatively or whether you will need them in a near future. If it’s the latter, that simplifies things significantly.
If you are planning to pay $100/per night for a Radisson hotel that otherwise runs at 15,000 points, by all means, get the card. Link to Radisson award chart In that case, 100K points will cover seven nights once you factor in minimum spend. That’s a profit of $625, a solid deal.
Unfortunately, as I’ve mentioned previously, Radisson has a very limited footprint. I was looking to burn points near LAX and San Francisco, and there was nothing. Decent Radisson properties in New York and Chicago run at 70k points, so the bonus won’t even cover two nights. In short, it’s a niche program for a niche traveler.
Any time you apply for a credit card, you are giving up another offer. The banks are becoming really sensitive to the number of accounts you open each year, so it’s prudent to be somewhat picky. When the choice is between 150k Hilton points and 100k Radisson points, I would choose the first offer each day of the week and twice on Sunday.
As the commenter correctly pointed out, getting 40k points in exchange for $75 annual fee is still a pretty good deal for many people. I’ve said it before too. Families who often go on road trips should absolutely consider hanging on to the card. With some flexibility, your $75 can potentially (almost) cover 3 nights at a Category 2 property.
But once again, how many annual fees are you willing to pay? I’m already dropping half a grand each year. We are not planning any road trips for the foreseeable future. Plus, who knows what will happen to Radisson program in the meantime. I’ve enjoyed going to Radisson Suite Hotel Oceanfront in Melbourne, Fl in the past. For 44k points per night (a bit more than $75 annual fee), I felt it was a good deal. However, my husband hates the Sleep Number beds in the hotel, so we are going to skip that one going forward.
Bottom line
This hobby is not “one size fits all.” What works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. I try to write posts based on that assumption. Some offers fall into a “no brainer” category. This card, in my opinion, is not one of them. But it’s worth looking into. That I can’t argue with.
Thanks for your comments, and keep them coming!
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 have the Radisson Business Reward credit card. It’s only $60/year and you also get 40k points upon renewal. For $60, I think it is worth it. I don’t think I would pay $75 for the same 40k points.
I have used RR points to stay at Country Inn and Suites San Diego (38k points). I have also used RR points to stay at Radisson Blu Athens (38k points). Both are really just “meh” properties. However, I will be the first to point out that I probably had used my renewal points as wisely as I possibly could have, considering how limited the footprint is for Radisson properties.
For hotel affiliated credit cards, Amex Hilton Aspire and Chase Ritz Carlton (the later is longer available for new applications) are still my favorite, by far.
Oh yes, I forgot that business version has a $60 annual fee. You know, at that price point I would probably keep the card too. In fact, I really debated on whether to renew my Radisson Card with $75 fee. But I’m determined not to drop more than $500 each year on fees. Even that seems insane considering the whole premise of this hobby is free travel. 🙂 But I feel like IHG, Hyatt and Wyndham cards (with grandafathered annual fees) are still a good deal due to annual perks. Agree with you on Aspire Card. A very good product as long as you can look past the huge initial fee. I plan to apply for it at some point myself.