Bohemiana

I've searched through blogs but they are all very outdated in regards to best redemptions in the U.S. So many properties that I've found don't cost much money per night (well under $80 per night) but cost 28k+ points per night. The few properties that sort of make sense have blocked out award availability in high season (such as late spring & summer in Europe). Maybe the Middle East and India are the regions where using Radisson points makes sense now.

We have 115k pts and could get another 40k if we renew our Radisson Visa card. Are there any good value redemptions in the U.S. for 2019 & 2020?

christianj

Your question really is to broad to give you a good answer. Maybe the Radisson Blue in Chicago or a visit to NYC where there are two new converted properties and a new build Radisson coming on board next month.

dimon84

Which properties in Europe have no availability in the summer? There are dozen reasons I do not like this program but availability was never a problem.

Bohemiana

I didn't try everything but I tried any London property (although I really wanted under 70k redemptions), Madrid BLU, props in Edinburgh and Glasgow in mid June and found nothing. I tried Madrid BLU the entire month of June but you must have a 7-night stay at 70k per night. (I stayed in BLU Madrid using e-certs before change--not worth 70k now IMO.) I called customer service and the rep confirmed that London has no point availability in May, June, July, etc.

I'd say regarding the U.S.--I'm looking for good redemption. There's lots of availability of Country Inns in small cities that cost under $80 but those cost 28k points. I stayed at BLU Chicago and it was nice but it's 70k. I'd love to find something where I can use 115k points (38k per night or less) for three nights that really costs $200+ per night.

dimon84

Well, you are trying to book more than 9 months ahead. I see point availability is loaded until 13 june 2020 for most of the cities in Europe. PS. Agree with Edinburgh and Madrid in the summer, but London will definitely open up.

craz

[QUOTE=Bohemiana;31525724

I'd say regarding the U.S.--I'm looking for good redemption. There's lots of availability of Country Inns in small cities that cost under $80 but those cost 28k points. I stayed at BLU Chicago and it was nice but it's 70k. I'd love to find something where I can use 115k points (38k per night or less) for three nights that really costs $200+ per night.[/QUOTE]


I never understood this about the game, I couldnt care what the rate on a hotel is , lets say the rate is say $500 or 28k, but I have no reason to go there,Im not about to go simply to max out what Im getting per point. Same with the airlines I wont fly to XYZ simply to get a 6 cent value per mile

What I do is assign a certain amount to each point or mile and if I can get the hotel/airline for that amount then bingo I use my stash. I couldnt care if say the hotel is $79 as long as Im getting my price point on the points value I use my stash. Where I wouldnt was eg a Hampton was 40K or $84 not about to use $200 of pts when the rate is $84, if the rate was $184 I would since its close enough to my value of the pts. Now theres a hotel in Seattle tahts going for $450 or 40k if I dont need to be in Seattle Im not gonna go there to max out my using the pts

I just dont get 1st finding a hotel to max out the pts value and then going there, Id rather get less value and be at a place I want to be at

sdsearch

1. You have to look at the hotel rates including taxes (not just the "raw" rate), since you skip all those when doing a reward redemption.

2. In another thread in this forum someone just posted that they got good value when using cash + points but not when using points alone. Have you looked at that?

3. The one Radisson Group (back then it was Club Carlson) redemption I did was in Capetown, South Africa, for a nice hotel for 30k a night that was about $200ish a night including all taxes. There was another hotel down a ways which was slightly nicer at 70k, but I found the 30k hotel to be just fine. And that made it a good value.

I don't expect to find good value every year. I just expect that maybe once every so many years. I just expect that when I'll find a good value, I'll need multiple nights, rather than every year I'll need one night, so I keep accumulating, and only redeeming when I do find good-enough value.

This I trust that there's value some places, but I don't where I'm going years ahead, and so I don't yet know where I'm next going to use these points. I just trust that I'll get a good use of out them someday somewhere.

vincewy

It's called forced spend (with regards to hotel, airline, and credit card spend). That's what hotel chains, airlines, and banks are so good at.

When I do need to stay and/or fly, here's another angle I look at, it's the alternatives if I don't have/use the points. ie Holiday Inn in Heriopolis, Egypt has revenue rate of $200, while the redemption rate of points is 20K a night. To me, the value of point isn't 1 cent, because I can find another decent hotel nearby for $80, so to me the value of those points is 0.4 cent. The cost of not using points and paying cash instead (actually even a little less when you factor in opportunity cost of earning points otherwise but you get the idea).

Anyway, OP will need to be specific, I find good use of points in North America alone, you can use 15K a night during the summer when most properties charge $100 USD a night in the following metro areas

Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Toronto, Niagara Falls, etc. You have 45 properties to choose from

https://www.radissonhotels.com/en-us...-nights/hotels

MisterMechE

I've seen a few blogs value Radisson Rewards around 0.3-0.4 cents per point. I consider the booking I just made for MLK weekend for the Country Inn & Suites Anaheim (short walk to Disneyland) a good redemption, I got over 0.8 cents per point. Granted, the price may have been inflated because it's a holiday weekend and the new Star Wars ride is supposed to open that weekend. But odd holiday high rates and the like are often a great chance to get outsized hotel point value.

kenban

There are 43 category 2 hotels left in the US, and only 2 cat 1 hotels. If you have a reason to stay in those cities then there is often still some value to be found because you are getting hotels at 15k points or less a night. But I find the Cat 3 and higher hotels are only worth it in specific locations or use cases.

I am still finding enough cheap redemption's to justify keeping the card but its getting more difficult to justify every year.

christianj

Hotels in large US cities with high rates like NYC and Chicago can still be a decent use of points even at 70k. I booked an award in NYC for December for 70k per night and the going rate is $500 for the nights I need....so 0.71 cents per point.