Radisson Hotels Group Launches “Radisson Collection”

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It’s all change over at Radisson with what was once the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group now rebranded as “Radisson Hotels Group” and with the Club Carlson loyalty program now rebranded as Radisson Rewards and slightly tweaked at the same time too.

Now Radisson Hotels has announced the Radisson Collection which, according to the hotelier, is a premium collection of hotels in landmark locations.

At first I thought the chain was announcing a series of genuinely new properties but, instead, it appears to be cherry picking properties from its existing portfolio and elevating them up to “Radisson Collection” status.

Image courtesy of the Radisson Collection

According to Radisson:

Each hotel feels authentic to its location and offers the ultimate model for contemporary living. Radisson Collection hotels are united by exceptional design and experiences across dining, fitness, wellness and sustainability. All hotel properties are situated in prestigious locations, close to prime leisure attractions and boast an individual and locally authentic atmosphere.

Interestingly, this is how Radisson is selling the idea to its hotel owners:

Radisson Collection will benefit from the power of the Radisson Hotel Group with a strategic market positioning and scale of a global brand. The collection will give hotel owners an opportunity to join an international network while maintaining the identity and authenticity of their hotels and resorts through a flexible framework for affiliation and endorsement. The member hotels wanting to build market recognition can choose to lead with the brand or lead with their hotel identity. The collection affiliation provides member hotels with international brand services, operational expertise, infrastructure and loyalty program, designed to optimize the owner’s return on investment.

Put simply: Hotels can choose whether to play off their existing reputations with a tip of the hat towards branding or they can choose to rely on the Radisson Collection name and put the branding front and centre.

So far 14 hotels will be joining the new collection and they are as follows:

Radisson Collection Brand Led Properties:

1. Radisson Collection Strand Stockholm, Sweden
2. Radisson Collection San Marco Venice, Italy *
3. Radisson Collection Ukraina Moscow, Russia
4. Radisson Collection Paradise Resort & Spa Sochi, Russia
5. Radisson Collection Royal Copenhagen, Denmark
6. Radisson Collection Royal Mile Edinburgh, Scotland
7. Radisson Collection Warsaw, Poland
8. Radisson Collection Ikoyi Lagos, Nigeria
9. Radisson Collection Agra, India

Image courtesy of the Radisson Collection

Hotel Identity Led Collection Properties:

1. The May Fair London, United Kingdom, A Radisson Collection Hotel *
2. Old Mill Belgrade, Serbia, A Radisson Collection Hotel
3. Symphony Style Kuwait, A Radisson Collection Hotel
4. Hormuz Grand Muscat, Oman, A Radisson Collection Hotel
5. The Emerald Grand & Spa Lagos, Nigeria, A Radisson Collection Hotel

*Pending final legal agreement and approval

Image courtesy of the Radisson Collection

So, what will make these hotels stand out above the rest?

Well, Radisson says that a combination of “exceptional” hotel rooms, luxurious amenities as well as high-speed wi-fi and TV streaming will be what these hotels offer. Guests will “always feel welcomed and personally recognised” and the properties will provide “spontaneous surprises and thoughtful gestures” whether guests are at the property for a multi-night stay or just for a meal.

That’s a bold set of offerings Radisson is promising but, while I have no doubt that training and effort would make most of those deliverable, I’m not so sure the “exceptional” hotel room will be that easy to provide.

A lot of the properties in the list are European and, in Europe, space is limited and rooms are rarely as spacious as the ones you’ll find in many other areas of the world. Space goes a long way to making a hotel room feel “exceptional” and, no matter how hard you try (or decorate) a small room will never match up.

Still…it’s good to see a hotel chain attempting to set itself high standards and I’ll be one of the first to congratulate Radisson if the Radisson Collection pulls it off.