I suppose it's only fair that I post the follow up to my claim:
We are currently experiencing a higher than normal email volume and answer emails in the order they are received, that is why it took longer than expected to reply to your email.
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The Best Online Rate Guarantee is not meant to make our members frustrated or contempt and I apologize if you feel that way.
In addition, booking directly with Radisson allows you to earn loyalty points, your room type is guaranteed, and we are able to assist in making adjustments to your reservation.
As a goodwill gesture for the delay in our response, I have awarded your Radisson Rewards account
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Even ignoring the errors such as getting my name wrong at the top of the email, this still leaves Radisson at the bottom of my list.
If I can get the same room significantly cheaper, and if I can't confidently book direct without having to check prices elsewhere, and given that there are no guaranteed benefits for a gold member other than a bottle of water and 15% off F&B, then Radisson is at the bottom of my list.
I _may_ get an upgrade by booking direct, but in my experience this rarely happens. If I can get a better room cheaper at a 3rd party then I can easily beat the value of that free water and a few points.
Knowing that you will not pay more by booking direct should be the bedrock of any hotel loyalty scheme, especially when the benefits of direct booking are mostly not guaranteed.