Radisson Rewards & Radisson Rewards Americas are terrific hotel rewards programs with over 1200 hotels across the globe. Their hotel brands include Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson Red, Park Plaza, Park Inn, Country Inns and Suites, and the Quorvus Collection.
In this post, let’s focus on the Radisson Blu line, a boutique collection of hotels with a modern style. The majority of Radisson Blu hotels are in Europe.
After staying at the Radisson Blu Mercer in London and loving it, I couldn’t wait for my Radisson Blu stays in Prague, Vienna, and Budapest.
Radisson Rewards Hotel Rewards Program Basics
Radisson Rewards and Radisson Rewards Americas are 2 separate loyalty programs. If you haven’t joined yet, you’ll need to join each program individually.
The good thing is points can be transferred between both loyalty programs at a 1:1 ratio and your status can be matched, as well.
The main way to earn Radisson Rewards points is with the Radisson Rewards Premier Rewards Visa and through accumulating hotel stays.
Cardholders get Radisson Gold Status and 40k anniversary bonus points every year the card is renewed. For regular purchases, you’ll earn 5x the points for every dollar spent and 10x the points for money spent at any of the Radisson Rewards hotel brands.
These points earnings are on top of the 20x members earn for every dollar spent on Radisson bookings.
In my opinion, the value of their loyalty program and the 40k bonus points earned every year more than justifies the annual fee on the card.
I’ve also liked the lucrative promotions they’ve run to help members earn a lot of points.
In fact, a large number of the Radisson Rewards points used for this European trip were earned by staying at one of their Country Inns & Suites near Washington, D.C. during a promotion.
On top of all of this, in my experience, Radisson Rewards members are treated very well. I’ve gotten upgraded on nearly all my stays from Europe to Central and South America.
Let’s look at my stays at Radisson Blu hotels in 3 fantastic European cities, Prague, Vienna, & Budapest.
The Alcron Hotel, Prague
UPDATE: This hotel has left the Radisson Hotels family. However, it’s still a fantastic independent hotel in Prague.
From the moment our taxi pulled in front of the (Radisson Blu) Alcron in Prague, a member of the hotel lobby team greeted us with a warm welcome and offered to help us with our bags.
While we were checking in (a bit early, too), the reception team asked where we were from and about our flights. Upon hearing New York City, the man at the front desk started talking Yankees and Mets baseball. We immediately smiled, lamented on the Yankees, and felt instantly at home.
Within minutes, we were handed our key cards and escorted to our gorgeous room.
We booked a standard room and found it to be quite spacious compared to the typical European hotel room.
There was a cozy king-sized bed with a desk and entertainment area. A sitting chair and table were closest to the window, opposite the door to the room. The room had mirrors, chic light fixtures, and a soothing earth-tone palette.
There was a large closet, with a safe, bathrobes, and a for-purchase minibar. A small hallway led to the bathroom.
Inside, there was plenty of counter space on either side of the sink and a standard tub and shower. The room came with a Nespresso coffee maker (which my husband loved!) and complimentary espresso capsules, a bowl of fruit, free on-demand movies, and daily drinking water.
The hotel itself has a wide-open bright lobby. The separate bar and restaurant were busy and, on the weekend, live piano music was playing.
The hotel has a fitness center and sauna where massages and spa treatments are offered. But, since I was too focused on eating Prague’s signature sweet treat, trdelnik, I didn’t take advantage of these amenities. (But, really should have!)
As a city, Prague feels very walkable and pedestrian-friendly. The hotel is located on a side street, just steps away from Wenceslas Square.
From the moment you stepped out of the hotel, it felt as if you were in the mix of the city, yet still nicely situated along a side street to protect against the noise.
The walk from the hotel to Old Town Square took about 7-10 minutes and another 5-7 minutes from there to the Charles Bridge.
There were 2 different metro stations within 2 blocks of the hotel, as well as tram stops for multiple lines, including a connection to the #22 tram up to Prague Castle.
During our stay, the hotel staff helped us arrange dinner after the restaurant we wanted was booked. The staff saw we were looking for a more local experience and directed us to a restaurant filled with locals and, followed up when we returned, to see how we had enjoyed our dinner.
From purchasing tram tickets at the front desk to asking about our stay when we passed through the lobby, the customer service team at the (Radisson Blu) Alcron was top-notch. Yes, it sounds cliche, but we really did feel welcomed and cared for guests.
I highly recommend this hotel and would absolutely stay again at the (Radisson Blu) Alcron.
Check Current Prices for the Alcron Hotel.
Radisson Blu Style, Vienna
Upon arrival at the Radisson Blu Style in Vienna, we were in need of change for the taxi driver. You can always count on an ATM to dole out the largest possible bills! While the taxi waited, the front desk gladly helped us trade in our large bills for smaller ones.
Having settled that, we carried our bags inside on our own and efficiently went through the check-in process with the woman at the front desk. We were surprised and thrilled when we were upgraded from a Standard Room to a Superior Room.
Although this is listed as a perk (when available) of having Radisson Rewards Gold Status, it’s always nice when it happens! We were given some basic information about the hotel and given a city map of our location. After this, we carried our bags to our room, excited to check out our upgrade!
The Superior Room had a comfortable king-sized bed, a desk, and an entertainment area. The seating area was larger than the standard room in Prague. It had an inviting chaise lounge with a throw blanket, pillows, and a side table.
I absolutely loved the dramatic floor-to-ceiling window dressings!
The bathroom, though, was where the upgrade was most noticeable. It had a more luxurious feel, with its tiled shower and rainfall showerhead. A seat was situated at the other end of the stall and a large glass door made it easy to step in and out of the shower.
As with Prague, there was a Nespresso machine with complimentary capsules, a selection of on-demand movies, and a for-purchase minibar.
No complimentary water was provided, but little chocolates were given daily as part of the turn-down service.
Sweet dreams for sure!
The hotel is tucked away on a quieter street. It’s within a 5-minute walk to the popular “Ring Strasse” and near sights like the Albertina Museum, Parliament, and the Spanish Riding School.
St. Stephens Cathedral and its surrounding upscale shopping pedestrian promenade is also a 5-7 minute walk in the opposite direction.
There was a metro station less than 2 blocks from the hotel’s entrance that provided easy access to Schonbrunn Palace.
Tourist and local trams run along the Ring Strasse and carry you around the city center. The popular Cafe Central was just outside of the hotel and the famous Cafe Landtmann was 5-minutes by foot, both serving delicious Viennese cakes!
The railroad-style lobby showed off the chic, upscale, modern style of a classic Radisson Blu. The restaurant and bar were on either side of the lobby and seemed very quiet, despite the front desk kept busy with guests checking in and out.
Throughout our stay, the hotel staff answered the questions we asked and helped us make a dinner reservation at a delicious Viennese/German restaurant.
Our check-out was smooth and we were helped in getting a cab to the train station. The staff responded perfectly to all our requests and left us feeling terrific about the value we were getting from using our Radisson Rewards points.
Overall, we loved our stay and would certainly look to stay at the Radisson Blu Style on our next visit to Vienna.
Check Current Prices for the Radisson Blu Style.
Radisson Blu Beke, Budapest
UPDATE: This hotel has undergone a significant renovation and upgrading. The information is based on my experience but some of the photos have been updated to show what the hotel looks like today.
Our arrival at the Radisson Blu Beke was a bit rocky, though no fault of the hotel. Our train was significantly delayed, which created an extra hassle for the hotel and the taxi driver attempting to pick us up.
Needless to say, it was quite impressive the hotel and the driver persisted in finding us despite the train debacle and our inability to send updates from our nonworking cell phones.
Finally arriving at the hotel, the front desk greeted us with a smile, checked us in quickly, and helped us take our bags to the room.
There was a bit of confusion with the price of the taxi I was quoted in an email from the hotel compared to what I was told on arrival. It made little difference, though, because we were planning on paying a bit extra to compensate the sweet taxi driver who diligently and patiently worked on collecting us from the train station.
The hotel’s lobby is big, bright, and open like the Alcron in Prague. Outside the lobby, there’s a vestibule with a small gift shop to buy souvenirs and other essential items…like umbrellas which came in handy for 1 of the days we were in Budapest.
Once in our room, it was clear this Radisson Blu was the most basic of the three hotels. At the time of our stay, this hotel required far fewer points per night than the hotels in Prague and Vienna.
While the room was comfortable and clean, the decor was dated and basic. The hotel has since been upgraded with a gorgeous renovation.
After settling in, we returned to the front desk to ask for a city map marked with our location, as we forgot to get one upon check-in.
The front desk staff was very helpful when we asked to arrange a couple of tours and activities. On our last night in Budapest, the man at the front desk even called to make us a reservation at a restaurant we’d chosen.
For most of our time in Budapest, we chose to explore the city on foot. The hotel is a 10-minute walk from the stunning Parliament building along the banks of the Danube and just 5-7 minutes to Andrassy Street. The nearest metro stations were a few blocks away.
Once at Parliament, the #2 tram ran along the Pest side of the river and provided easy access to the piers, Vorosmarty Square, the Central Market Hall, and the city’s many bridges that led to the funicular up to Castle Hill or the famed Gellert Spa and Bath.
Overall the location of the hotel was really convenient. We easily walked to many sights throughout the city.
Our stay at the Radisson Blu Beke was pleasant and I’d love to stay there on my next trip to Budapest to see the renovations first hand.
Check Current Prices at the Radisson Blu Beke.
If you’re planning a trip to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest, these hotels are chic, upscale, and conveniently located. Whether you have Radisson Rewards points or plan to book with cash, you’ll be happy you based yourself in any of these hotels.
Have you stayed at a Radisson Blu?
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