Coming Soon: Radisson Rewards Program Changes

I have a hard time getting excited about changes to the loyalty program since they are for the non-Americas program.

What we know about Radisson Rewards changes

In the future, Radisson Hotel Group will provide special experiences that will make members feel even more appreciated, while also making it easy to access a world of exclusive advantages.

Radisson rewards is promising quicker access to exclusive perks.

Our new program will be created with a completely new approach to loyalty in mind. The enhancements are meant to make it easier to earn and redeem points, improving upon traditional loyalty programs. Existing members will benefit from a simplified tier structure, which will be reduced from four to three tiers so you can elevate your tier status more quickly and unlock benefits faster. Members will be able to use their points exactly how and when they would like with a new dynamic redemption model. Enjoy more flexibility—choose how many points to spend on an Award Night, combine any amount points with cash to use for room bookings acting as a discount, or even use points to pay for hotel services during your stay at check-out.

Radisson rewards is promising even more generous benefits.

Radisson Rewards aspires to be the most generous and rewarding program in the industry, providing its members with benefits such as our Member Only Rate, room upgrades, and discounts on food and beverages in hotel bars and restaurants making each stay even more rewarding. Top tier members receive additional benefits such as free breakfast, access to exclusive VIP areas, early check-in and late check-out, as well as complimentary free nights.

My take on upcoming Radisson Rewards changes

It sounds like we should expect the following from Radisson rewards.

• The number of membership tiers will be reduced from four to three
• Dynamic award pricing will be introduced, replacing the current award chart
• Beyond generally dynamic award pricing, points will become much more of a currency, and will be redeemable for more Radisson related purchases
• Elite benefits will be refreshed, though it remains to be seen what that looks like

I can't say I'm excited about the introduction of dynamic award pricing, but that's the direction many programs are headed nowadays

I can't seem to get excited about RadissonRewards.

• In the summer of 2021, we saw Radisson Rewards split into two, with a separate loyalty program for the Americas; this was because the Chinese government essentially owns Radisson, and the United States has restrictions around data the Chinese government can access
• In the spring of 2022, the Radisson Rewards Visa was discontinued in the United States
• In the summer of 2022, Choice acquired Radisson Hotel Group Americas; while Radisson Rewards Americas continues to be a separate loyalty program, I imagine at some point we’ll see some changes there

For those of us in the Americas, there are limited ways to engage with the program since it is only available for Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. RadissonRewards is not a global program.

Bottom line

There will be changes to the Radisson rewards program soon. On the surface, there isn't much to be excited about, especially with RadissonRewards no longer having a presence in the Americas.

What do you think about the new Radisson rewards?