Bits: Moneycorp drops currency pre-orders, Radisson / Park Plaza launches 30% off sale

News in brief:

Moneycorp pulls currency pre-order facility

I wrote last week about how you could protect the cost of your holiday this year by pre-ordering currency from Moneycorp.

Moneycorp would let you book order currency at a rate agreed today for collection in one month.  You did NOT need to prepay and there was no penalty if you failed to collect.

With the £ expected to fall by 20%-30% across most major currencies if the UK votes ‘Leave’ this was an ideal option to protect the cost of your holiday currency for this Summer.  Yesterday, however, Moneycorp pulled this offer.  Probably my fault …..!

Radisson / Park Inn / Park Plaza launch ‘Dream Deals’ sale

Club Carlson, the Radisson / Park Inn / Park Plaza hotel group, launched its new Summer Dream Deals sale at midnight last night.  This offers a 30% discount at 350 of their hotels across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Participating brands are:

• Quorvus Collection
• Radisson Blu
• Radisson RED
• Park Inn by Radisson
• Park Plaza

You must book by 19th June. 

The offer is valid for stays between 20th June and 4th September.

Club Carlson has a decent spread of properties in the UK and is especially strong in Scandinavia due to its origins as the (now sold) hotel unit of the airline SAS.  In London it has a number of good hotels including the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge which I reviewed here and is in many ways the perfect London tourist hotel.

It also owns the highly fashionable The May Fair.  This didn’t win me over when I stayed but I know a lot of people do like it and the location is unbeatable for high-end shopping.  There is also the Radisson Edwardian at Heathrow and the Radisson Blu at Stansted if you need an airport hotel this Summer.

You can access the Dream Deals sale via this link.  If you cannot see discounted rates, log in to your Club Carlson account and try again.

If you do book a stay, remember that you can currently request a status match into the Club Carlson loyalty scheme by following the instructions here.

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How to earn Radisson Rewards points and status from UK credit cards (April 2025)

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 cards earn Membership Rewards points:

• 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 four free airport lounge passes.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

• The Platinum Card from American Express (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 50,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 150,000 Radisson Rewards points

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

• American Express Rewards credit card (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 10,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 30,000 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 Premium 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. You can apply here.

Got a small business?

You can get free top-tier Radisson Rewards VIP status with the new Capital on Tap Pro Visa credit card for small business. Clck here to apply.

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review