Bits: Radisson / Park Inn / Park Plaza taken over by Chinese group, Radisson’s new family package

Two bits of Radisson news today:

Carlson Rezidor taken over by Chinese conglomerate

Carlson Hotels, parent of the Radisson, Park Inn and Park Plaza brands, has been acquired by HNA Tourism Group, a major Chinese conglomerate.  HNA, amongst other things, is an investor in Spanish hotels group NH Hoteles.

The acquisition also includes the other smaller or US-focussed Carlson brands – Quorvus Collection, Radisson RED and Country Inns & Suites.

The price was not disclosed.  The transaction is complicated by the fact that hotels in Europe, the Middle East and Africa are technically run by Rezidor, a Brussels-listed company of which Carlson only owns 51.3%.  HNA must now either make an offer for the remainder of Rezidor (the likely option) or sell down its stake to 29.9% or less.

Compared to the alternative – Carlson being swallowed up by a bigger brand, thus reducing competition in the branded hotels market further – I think this is a positive result.  I don’t think that Club Carlson members have anything to worry about, and the programme could well be improved if some of HNA’s other hotel investments are rolled into Carlson.

Radisson Blu launches new family package

And speaking of Radisson, Radisson Blu hotels in the UK and Ireland have launched a new ‘family friendly’ package which aims to make life easier when travelling with children.

The key features of the rate are:

no extra charge for children under 16 sharing their parents room – you won’t pay extra for a rollaway bed (London Portman and Manchester Airport do not participate in this)

free breakfast for children under 12, when an adult eats

free dinner for children under 12, when an adult eats

late check-out

Full details can be found on the Radisson Blu website here.

How to earn Radisson Rewards points and status from UK credit cards (December 2021)

Radisson Rewards does not have a dedicated UK credit card. However, you can earn Radisson Rewards points by converting Membership Rewards points earned from selected UK American Express cards.  These include:

• American Express Preferred Rewards Gold (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 20,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 60,000 Radisson Rewards points. This card is FREE for your first year and also comes with two free airport lounge passes.

• The Platinum Card from American Express (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 30,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 90,000 Radisson Rewards points

• American Express Rewards credit card (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 5,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 15,000 Radisson Rewards points. This card is FREE for life.

Membership Rewards points convert at 1:3 into Radisson Rewards points which is a very attractive rate.  The cards above all earn 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 spent on your card, which converts to 3 Radisson Rewards points.

Even better, holders of The Platinum Card receive free Radisson Rewards Gold status for as long as they hold the card.  It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold and MeliaRewards Gold status.  We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here.

(Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)