FFlash

Radisson Blu Seaside Hotel, Helsinki, Finland


- What is your Club Carlson status?
Gold

- Where did you stay?
Radisson Blu Seaside Hotel, Helsinki

- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Happy as we stayed in 3 rooms as a group and got better upgrades than I have got here in the past

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked standard room 2-4-1 all of the three for a party weekend, got 2 superior rooms and 1 business class. Got upgrades by asking beforehand.

- Did you receive elite benefits?
No in-room gifts, nothing else, neither did we ask other than room upgrades.

- How are the rooms?
The superior rooms were quite large and clean looking, with partial seaview even if facing a sidestreet. The superiors were IMO better than the business class room which was facing the sea, but it was a tad smaller and less nice layout (it looked to be the smalles BC room by the emergency map)
Beds were comfortable, and a small "living room" area adjacent to the bed which was OK.
The pictures on the hotel website give rather good picture of the rooms

- What was good and what was bad?
The superior rooms were better than expected, renovated. I would prefer them over the business class room if not a better BC room with seaviews (even though the seaview here is not much, basically facing a shipyard).
Nothing bad actually, albeit crowdy breakfast.

- Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?
Good for 2-4-1 always! This hotel is often cheap during weekends too. A hint for non-elites: this property has some unrenovated dull rooms too, so better be careful what you book.

ORD-TGU

Radisson Blu Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE

- What is your Club Carlson status?
CONCIERGE

- Where did you stay?
Radisson Blu Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE

- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes, upgraded to high floor, sea view, free full breakfast which was really good, bottle of wine, 20% off restaurant. Free pass to Yas Beach

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked standard room 38K points, 2 nights using last night free, got high floor sea view. (standard room)

- Did you receive elite benefits?
Wine in-room gift, water

- How are the rooms?
Standard, new and modern, great shape, like an IC or Park Hyatt at a 5 star property.

- What was good and what was bad?

All was good, only bad was denied lounge access as concierge.

- Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?

Good value at 38K, could easily be 50K

ORD-TGU

Radisson Blu Deira Creek, Dubai, UAE

- What is your Club Carlson status?
CONCIERGE

- Where did you stay?
Radisson Blu Deira Creek, Dubai, UAE

- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes, upgraded to high floor - 9th, river view, free full breakfast at lounge, , 20-40% off restaurant.

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked standard room 50K points, 2 nights using last night free, got high floor water view. (standard room)

- Did you receive elite benefits?
Small pastry in-room gift, water

- How are the rooms?
Standard, dated but in good shape, did NOT look tired, just old fashioned, all functional, Nespresso Machines, turndown service.

- What was good and what was bad?

All was good, only bad was pool closed, but hotel made arrangement for pool use at other Radisson

- Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?

Good value at 50K, best for tourists or first time visitors, close to airport, free shuttle. Offer 20% off at Radisson's own creek boat, dinner cruise 185AED before 20% discount.

Hotel bar was a dump, windowless, full of smoke, bad music, beer/drinks at 35 AED inclusive of 20% fees/tax, but good service. Got 20% discount.

malkounis

What is your Club Carlson status?
Gold Elite

Where did you stay? (Brand, Location, Country)
Country Inn and Suites by Carlson, Sorrento Valley, San Diego, CA

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked standard, upgraded to 1 bedroom king suite


Did you receive elite benefits?
Complimentary Room Upgrade - Yes
Early Check In/Late Check Out - Yes
In-Room Welcome Gift - No

How are the rooms?
The upgraded room/suite was quite spacious with a folding couch and recliner and had a nice view of the hills nearby. There was a mini refrigerator along with a microwave in the room.

What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Room was clean and comfortable
Recognition for elite status. Two welcome gifts

Did you receive welcome gift?
Yes, received a goodie bag with popcorn and two waters as well as a survey if you liked your stay which gives 500 bonus points. Also received in room welcome gift of 2 premium bottles waters and some chocolates

Bad:
Nothing to say negative

Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?
Yes paid stay at great rate to rack up over 57000 points with all the bonus promotions.

fassy

- What is your Club Carlson status?
Gold

- Where did you stay?
Radisson Blu Hamburg Hotel, Hamburg, Germany

- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes, very nice hotel. Great service and a very good restaurant (more on the pricey side comparing the options around)

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked 2 nights standard room on points (44k/night)

- Did you receive elite benefits?
Upgrades to business room, free water bottle and cashews in the room, free breakfast for two

- How are the rooms?
Recently renovated. Modern rooms with a cool Nordic design. Not exactly my taste but fresh and all in nice condition.

- What was good and what was bad?
Nice rooms, amazing views over Hambug (as the Radisson is one of the very few high rises in the city), excellent restaurant (not that nice seating but really good food), Very nice and friendly staff, great spa.

On the bad side, AC was disabled for the whole property and the air in room got pretty bad. Opening the windows helped a bit but this is no option for sleeping since the trains running by are very loud. The front desk girl was quite apologetic and very nice but couldn't do anything about it. Won't pursue it due to the free breakfast but if I had paid for the rooms I would definitely claim some compensation as it made sleeping quite miserable in the first night. Second was okay since we left the window open all day.

- Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?
Excellent value for points, also the cash rate was quite high for the days. Was considering to stay in the Marriott due to the free breakfast for Golds but then decided for the Radisson and got the same. They told me upgrades to business class always adds in breakfast and they try to upgrade every elite (gold or higher) if anyhow possible which in my experience now is true enough.

PHLisa

- What is your Club Carlson status?
Gold

- Where did you stay? (Brand, Location, Country) Also put in the post title.
Radisson Blu Plaza, Oslo, Norway

- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
2 night stay. Generally happy.

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
I booked a EMEA 2 for 1 rate, which was a queen bed non-smoking room. See below re:upgrade.

- Did you receive elite benefits?
The check-in agent asked me if I was a member , but I did get checked in a few hours early. Initially, I don't think we got an upgrade, but the room reeked of smoke when we walked in and I went down to ask for a different room (this is a non-smoking hotel, btw). They then gave us a business class room with a view of the opera house and harbor on a higher floor.

We were out all day and when we returned there was a fruit plate with a note from the "team" at the hotel, not a manager or anything. Also, about 2/3 of the fruit on the plate was completely unripe - I don't get why you'd put strawberries on a fruit plate in Norway in March Plus they had scattered white chocolate discs all over the fruit, which had melted a bit and stuck to the melon, etc., which was gross. And I hate white chocolate. But they at least made an effort.

- How are the rooms?
Nice enough. The hotel is a bit dated. It was celebrating 25 years and it showed. The rooms on our floor actually had Business Class in script on a gold plate on each door, but from what I saw of the regular rooms, it was the same size, just laid out differently. The hallway on our end of the floor was painted salmon pink with white and red trim. Yes, really.

- What was good and what was bad?
The room was made up for one person (1 skinny comforter, no sheets), which we didn't realize until right before bed, so we dug the spare comforter out of the closet and used that. The next day, housekeeping had properly made up the bed for 2 with matching comforters. They even folded our pajamas and tucked them under the pillows! One of the windows opened a few inches, so it was nice to get some fresh air.

ETA: great wifi - you can see routers spaced all along the hallways so the signal is strong.

Whatever you do, do not eat at Galway Bay on the ground floor. Terrible food and meh ambiance. More of a sports bar than an Irish pub.

- Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?
Bed was comfy, hotel was quiet. Breakfast was included in the rate and was a good spread. Good location near the train station and bus terminal. Would probably try the other Radisson Blu if we returned to Oslo.

PHLisa

- What is your Club Carlson status?
Gold

- Where did you stay? (Brand, Location, Country) Also put in the post title.
Park Inn By Radisson Oslo Airport, Oslo, Norway

- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
1 night. Not particularly happy. Would try the other airport Radisson next time.

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked a queen room. No upgrade as far as I can tell. Check-in agent confirmed it was a 1 night stay for 2 people. Received a room with a mysterious roll away bed already inside.

- Did you receive elite benefits?
No. No elite recognition, no benefits. We did arrive late, around 10 p.m., but I don't think that's an acceptable excuse. We should have had a nicer room blocked with a welcome gift waiting. Not the leftovers of someone else's sticky grease fest and trundle bed.

- How are the rooms?
Room was a weird triangular shape with curtains draped everywhere to make it look... bigger, I guess? Curtains over the wall to help you imagine there is a window even though there isn't? Also, half curtains on each side of the bed. If it was an upgrade, I'd hate to see a regular room. But it was quiet and the bed was comfortable.

Ridiculous shower design ensured water flowed everywhere. The bathroom is one big tile floor with a drain in the center. There is no shower stall, just a half-circle of plastic on a hinge that can be swung forward or back to create a half-wall type thing. But it doesn't extend all the way to the floor, and the floor does not slope toward the drain, so the water quickly runs all over. It seems like it was designed to make the maid's life easier without regard for the guests. Not that the maid cleaned it.

- What was good and what was bad?
The hotel is a looooong hike from the terminal. Like, when they say covered walkway, you think it's not that far, but it's like walking to overflow parking or something.

The red curtain near the bed was gross, actually had something white and greasy smeared on it at the level of the side table. Tried not to think about it! The bathroom floor had a large sticky patch that I accidentally stepped in barefoot - fortunately, just before my shower, so I threw a washcloth over it and we stepped around it. It was late and we had an early flight, so that was the best solution. I mentioned it to the front desk at checkout and she apologized and said she'd make sure housekeeping knew.

Best thing about this hotel was the breakfast. They even have a fancy orange juicer for fresh juice and better smoked mackerel than at the hotel in town. Still would not return.

- Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?
No. I was too grossed out by the state of our room. I've stayed in Red Roof Inns that were cleaner. The other airport Radisson was something like $30 or $40 more, which would be worth it for a clean room.

bk3day

What is your Club Carlson status?
Gold

Where did you stay? (Brand, Location, Country) Also put in the post title.

Radisson Blu Milan

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?

Yes.

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?

Booked Deluxe on 2-4-1 rate. Total: 110 euro for 2 nights.

Upgraded to a (jr.?) suite. #708

Did you receive elite benefits?

Received all the following without needing to ask: Complimentary Room Upgrade, In-Room Welcome Gift AND free breakfast buffet

Welcome gift was a note with a plate of cookies and large bottle of still water

Asked for and a bit grudgingly received 2PM late checkout

How are the rooms?

Good sized separate living room and separate bedroom. Huge master bathroom and separate guest half bathroom off living room.

What was good and what was bad?

Good: Front Desk Staff were top notch and seemed to enjoy their work. More than once I was greeted by name upon entering hotel.

Nice sized room with windows that open. Huge bathroom and nice large bathtub with bath salts.

Emails sent to general info addy both before and after stay were promptly and substantively responded to.

The night after I checked out I realized had left something at the hotel and called. I was instructed to email the general info addy. A few hours later I receive acknowledgment that my left item was found and that gave me enough time to arrange to pick it up the next morning. As promised, my left item was waiting for me at the front desk, allowing me to quickly be on my way.

Bad: Location. Despite being a relatively short walk away from 2 different train stations, both are walks I would rather not need to take.

The path to Milano Villapizione is through a graffiti strewn path . The longer walk to Milano Bovisa takes you through an underground tunnel and overgrown suburban field. Both paths can seem pretty deserted depending on the time of day.

Signage is minimal but Google maps will be your friend. On the upside, both stations had an elevator or a ramp so there was no need to also haul luggage up/down stairs.

The Villapizzione trains run @ 3x an hour. Plan on a minimum of 30 minutes to get to the center of Milan. Trams, buses or connections will make the trip longer.

I was grateful to be offered free breakfast but the found the buffet a bit lacking.

The hot items never changed, lukewarm industrial style steam table scrambled eggs with rubbery bacon, sausage and roast potatoes. Luckily there were also hard or soft boiled eggs. The cold options were a bit better: various cheeses, some sliced meats and smoked salmon.

Huge shower but the rain shower head lacked adequate pressure and with a such a large shower, I would've appreciated multiple shower heads.

Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?

Excellent value combined with great staff/service, The only reason I might not return is location.

eefor jfp

What is your Club Carlson status?
Gold

Where did you stay?
Radisson Blu Beke, Budapest

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
I had three bookings: cash and points--standard room, 2 for 1 weekend, and biz class room redemption. Upgraded to suite for the whole time.

Did you receive elite benefits?
Besides the upgrade to a suite I received two bottles of water during my stay. I was also given breakfast once (on the second day of the 2 for 1 weekend rate). Breakfast was part of the rate for the biz class room redemption.

How are the rooms?
The room was good--very large with a nice living room and a very large bedroom. As others have said, the furniture is old fashioned but other than that it was fine.

What was good and what was bad?
Wifi was really slow in the bedroom but better at the desk in the living room. Street noise (trams, sirens, etc.) was very annoying but I got used to it after the first night. Disappointed in the breakfast; in general the selection is just OK and the juices are not fresh squeezed. Pastries were cold. They do have an omelet station which is nice but the first morning I tried to order the cook gave my omelet to someone else and I didn't have time for him to make me a new one. Didn't get to try the pool. Location is best of the three Budapest properties for restaurants.

Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?
The hotel is great value for the money or for the points, especially on the rates I booked (2 for 1 weekend, second night free on points redemption, cash and points). Adding it all up my average cost per night was less than $30 plus 4000 points. I would definitely return if I could get rates like that.

berlinflyer83

What is your Club Carlson status?
Concierge

Where did you stay?
Radisson Blu Hotel Champs Elysées, Paris

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Standard room, points booking (70K). No upgrade per se, but got requested room facing Arc de triomphe

Did you receive elite benefits?
Early check in - yes, 10am
Late check out - yes, 3pm
Breakfast - yes

How are the rooms?
Good, no major complaints. It would've been nice to have a proper chair at the desk, but I didn't spend much time in the room anyway

What was good and what was bad?
Location is great, hotel felt small and personal. Staff was friendly enough.

Note, there's no breakfast buffet but instead they bring continental to the table automatically if concierge. IMHO, a bit inconvenient - as there was no time to express a dietary preference until after food was on the table.

Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?
70K, but for 2 nights with card is great value.

ROKNA

What is your Club Carlson status?
Concierge

Where did you stay?
Park Inn Alexanderplatz, Berlin, Germany

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Happy, some updates since last visit, new TV's with 100+ channels, RFID keycards

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked standard room, got corner room

Did you receive elite benefits?
Fruit basket, bottle of water and bottle of Germany Sparkling wine
Early check in

How are the rooms?
Corner room is bigger than the regular with a great view, new large HD tv in room with much improved channel choice

What was good and what was bad?
Good, in room gifts and no need to prompt staff for breakfast entitlement
Bad, only Carlson property I have seen in 3 years which continues to charge for WIFI

Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?
Reasonable value this time, return for pleasure yes, but not for business until the WIFI is free

ROKNA

What is your Club Carlson status?
Concierge

Where did you stay?
Park Inn Heathrow, London, UK

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Happy, hot water issue on second day. Letter from manager slipped under door later that day, free drink in bar.

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked business friendly room (was same price as a regular), got same

Did you receive elite benefits?
Free drink at bar, thats it

How are the rooms?
Generous size and recently refurbished, very quiet even with LHR outside the front door

What was good and what was bad?
Good, free beer is always good, wifi was good, no limit on devices
Bad, service is still a bit random, has improved but can still take ages to get served in the bar

Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?
Business class room with breakfast for 80 GBP/night is a great deal and vastly better than some other hotels in the area for same price

ROKNA

What is your Club Carlson status?
Concierge

Where did you stay?
Radisson Blu Scandiniva, Oslo, Norway


Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Neither happy or unhappy, certainly wasn't special

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?Booked regular room got business class room

Did you receive elite benefits?
Upgrade to business class room
No in room gift

How are the rooms?
Good size and nice view but tired and outdated, felt more like a Park Inn than a Radisson Blu

What was good and what was bad?
Good, great breakfast spread, bar on top floor has a great city view, wifi was good
Bad, room needs an update. Appears work is ongoing but I was not offered a refurbished room

Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?
For Oslo price was good, location is easy to get to from Airport (bus or train) probably stay again if in Oslo but will look at other properties first.

babiemindy

- What is your Club Carlson status?
Gold

- Where did you stay?
art'otel budapest, Hungary

- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes, hotel was conveniently located within walking distance of the metro and Chain Bridge.

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked 2 nights standard room on points (28k for both nights)

- Did you receive elite benefits?
Upgrade to room with Danube view, fresh fruits in the room.

- How are the rooms?
Recently renovated, in a nice condition. Modern rooms with a trendy design.

- What was good and what was bad?
Nice rooms, gorgeous views of the Parliament building across the river.

Fitness room has a water dispenser that can be used to refill water bottles if you prefer not to go out in search of drinking water.

Although we didn't interact with them much, the staff could have been friendlier.

- Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?
Excellent value for money during off season, the location is wonderful right on the Danube and walking distance to the Metro and Chain Bridge. We walked to most places during our stay and wouldn't hesitate to return.

ROKNA

What is your Club Carlson status?
Concierge

Where did you stay?
Radisson Blu, Hamburg, Germany

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Happy but recognition of staff of status is non existent.

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked regular room got regular room on 23rd floor (got 24th last time)

Did you receive elite benefits?
Room on high floor
Water + nuts * 2

How are the rooms?
Modern, clean and quiet. Not very big though

What was good and what was bad?
Good, Great view out window, train station seconds away, staff seem friendly and helpful
Bad, refused to charge to room on second night at bar (had worked fine first night) bar staff had to do some voodoo to fix. Breakfast was asked to sign to pay despite concierge status, again took some time to resolve


Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?
Only there due company requirement. A bit pricey but ok value on cash+points basis.