Bits: Starwood adds two Radisson hotels in Paris, inside the BA Cape Town lounge

News in brief:

Starwood adds two Paris hotels from Radisson

Starwood‘s nascent Tribute Porfolio has added two hotels in Paris.  Le Metropolitan and Le Dokhan’s are both dropping their existing Radisson branding.  Previously 70,000 Club Carlson points under Radisson, both are now bookable for 20,000 SPG points per night.  Starwood was not short of Paris options, however, so there is no new ground being broken here.

Tribute is the SPG equivalent of Hilton’s Curio and Marriott’s Autograph, allowing independent hotels to gain marketing synergies from a larger group.

Both are marketed as niche boutique hotels:

Designed by French architect Francois Champsaur, Le Metropolitan’s elegant and modern aesthetic brings the essence of Paris to life in a traditional 19^th Century Haussmann-style building. The rooms and suites feature a soothing color palette complemented by hardwood floors, beautiful local artwork and inspiring views over the city. Guests can relax in the hotel’s pool and wellness center before sampling local and Mediterranean cuisine in the property’s glamourous restaurant.

Originally conceived as a private townhouse, Le Dokhan’s (pictured below) retains the feeling of an intimate Parisian residence. The hotel’s interior design was crafted by celebrated local designer, Frederic Mechiche, who stayed true to the property’s neo-classical style. A treasure trove of antiques, the hotel features an original Louis Vuitton lift cabin, hand painted friezes, custom made fabrics and works of art by Picasso, Klee and Matisse. Le Dokhan’s is also home to the city’s very first Champagne bar, where guests can still choose from more than 200 different varieties of premium champagne.

Details of both can be found on the Tribute Portfolio website.

A look inside the British Airways ‘Slow Lounge’ in Cape Town

I don’t normally run reader reviews, but Dawn sent sent in these pictures of the ‘Slow Lounge’ used by British Airways in Cape Town and I though they were worth sharing.

The Slow Lounge is on the 4th Floor of the terminal in Cape Town and a five minute walk from security.  There is a lot of space – two floors (upstairs is pictured above) and an additional mezzanine (pictured below) – so don’t be put off if the area near the entrance looks busy.

Food was described as very fresh with Greek salads, mini burgers in brioche buns, hot soup and a hot chicken dish.  Wine is plentiful but, oddly, served from dispensers.  There is no champagne available.

A highlight, oddly, is the washrooms.  They are unisex and offer ‘a loo with a view’ as you can see below:

All in all, it is an impressive facility.

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (December 2021)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up, no annual fee and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending ….. Read our full review

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

25,000 Avios and the UK’s most valuable credit card perk – the 2-4-1 companion voucher Read our full review

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points, such as:

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & two airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital On Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios:

Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa

The most generous Avios Visa or Mastercard for a limited company Read our full review

You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus:

British Airways Accelerating Business American Express

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.

(Want to earn more Avios?  Click here to visit our home page for our latest articles on earning and spending your Avios points and click here to see how to earn more Avios this month from offers and promotions.)