Radisson is one of the major hotel programs that gets less attention than some of the most popular chains like Hilton, Marriott, an Hyatt. But they do have a complete elite status program called Radisson Rewards and there is some good value to be found in their program.
In this article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about Radisson Rewards Gold status.
Table of Contents
What is Radisson Gold?
Radisson Gold is the middle tier elite status for Radisson Rewards. It compares pretty closely to other middle tier elite statuses like Marriott Gold and Hyatt Explorist in terms of nights required and also benefits offered.
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Qualifying for Radisson Gold
Hotel stays
You can qualify for Radisson Gold status by completing 30 nights or 20 stays within a calendar year. Below are the requirements for all of the Radisson elite levels.
| Elite Level | Nights | Stays |
| Club | 0 | 0 |
| Silver | 9 | 6 |
| Gold | 30 | 20 |
| Platinum | 60 | 30 |
Once you qualify for any elite tier, you will maintain that status for the remainder of the then-current calendar year and through the following “Program year,” which runs from March 1 to February 28/29.
This means that if you earned Gold status in May 2021, you would maintain it through 2021, 2022, and then until the end of February 2023.
Credit card
You can get automatic Radisson Gold status with the Radisson Rewards Premier Visa Signature Card.
That card is one of the more underrated hotel credit cards and it offers you benefits like 10 extra points per dollar spent on Radisson hotels and up to three free nights.
Basically, you can get one free night for every $10,000 in spend which is a pretty sweet perk. (I’m not aware of any other hotel cards that offer free nights at such a lucrative pace.) The annual fee is also only $75 which means that you can get a lot of bang for your buck with this card.
Radisson Gold Benefits
- Bonus earnings
- Complimentary room upgrade
- Early check-in and late check-out
- Room availability guarantee
- Discounts on food & beverage
- Complimentary water
Bonus earnings
As a Radisson Gold member, you will earn 25 points per one dollar spent on your hotel stays. Compare that to a basic club member that will earn 20 points per dollar spent.
If you are familiar with other hotel programs, 25 points per dollar for a middle tier elite status is a lot of points. The bad news is that these hotel points hold a small amount of value compared to most of the programs.
In fact, you might value these points around .36 cents per point. This means that 25 points per dollar would amount to somewhere around a 10% return on your spend.
That is still pretty decent but just not quite as attractive as you might initially think it is.
Complimentary room upgrade
You will be entitled to one complimentary room upgrade per Elite member per eligible stay.
The actual upgrade that you receive will be determined by the participating hotel depending on availability at the time of check-in.
This means that the upgrades could vary widely but generally you could expect something like a room in a preferred location, a room with a preferred view, or a recently renovated room.
As a Gold member, I would not have expectations to be bumped to a higher room category since the terms state that those are benefits for Platinum members.
Early check-in and late check-out
Early check-in and late check-out is based on availability and available only when the Elite member is the registered guest.
One thing that is unique and great about Radisson is that they are pretty specific about what they mean by early check-in and late checkout.
They state that, “Early check-in and late check-out means two hours prior to or two hours later than the hotel’s published check-in and check-out time.”
Typically, check in time will be around 3 PM and check out will be around 11 AM.
So if you were able to take advantage of this benefit you would be looking at a check-in time around 1 PM and a check-out time around 1 PM.
This is not to say that you can never check in earlier or check out later. A lot of hotels can be pretty flexible about these times so the trick is to just inquire with the hotel.
Related reading: Ultimate Late Check-Out Guide for Hotel Stays
Room availability guarantee
You can receive a guaranteed room availability up to 72 hours prior to checking in for an eligible stay. (The time is calculated from noon local hotel time.)
The room availability will likely be limited to a standard room at a standard rate. Keep in mind that this benefit is not available for reservations for award nights or Points + Cash nights, and is not available at the Radisson Blu Polar Hotel Spitsbergen, or when a nationally or internationally recognized event is occurring within fifty miles of a hotel.
Discounts on food & beverage
You will receive a 15% discount on food and beverages at participating hotel restaurants. If you would like to check to see if your hotel is available for the discount, check out this list here.
If your state is in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific, you may need to contact the hotel directly to verify that it is participating.
There are some exclusions to the discount so you won’t be able to apply it to things like tips, alcoholic beverages, room service or in-room dining, catering or banquets, or groups or parties of six or more.
You will also be responsible for requesting the discount at the time you settle your bill or some time before. So be sure to bring this up as soon as you take your seat at a participating restaurant because the discount cannot be applied at the hotel’s front desk.
Complimentary water
You should be provided with two bottles of water per stay.
Additional benefits available to other members include:
- Members save up to 10% more when booking directly on our website or mobile app.
- Redeem for Award Nights starting at 9,000 points with no blackout dates on Standard Rooms.
- Use Points + Cash for Award Nights starting at 5,000 points.
- Automatically carry forward eligible nights toward Elite status to get a jump-start on the new program year.
Radisson Gold FAQ
Yes, you will be entitled to an upgrade based on availability. Most likely this will involve a bump to a room in a preferred location such as a room with a better view or a recently renovated room.
Bonus earnings
Complimentary room upgrade
Early check-in and late check-out
Room availability guarantee
Discounts on food & beverages
Complimentary water
You can earn an extra five points per dollar spent for a total of 25 points per dollar spent.
Yes, subject to availability Gold members will receive late check out which will typically be two hours past the standard to check out time.
Unfortunately, no. Gold members do not get a free breakfast.
Final word
Radisson Gold is a pretty standard middle tier elite status level. It is not offered a free breakfast but it does come with perks like upgrades, a decent bonus earning rate, and the potential for early check in or late check out.
Photos via Wiki.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.