Radisson Flagstaff Gardens is now an EVT hotel

[Mattg]

I booked a stay at Radisson Flagstaff Gardens a couple of weeks ago on the Radisson website. Turned up yesterday to check in and there’s no longer any Radisson branding whatsoever. Turns out it rebranded on 1 January as Flagstaff Gardens Hotel Melbourne and will become a Rydges hotel at the end of 2026 after a refurbishment. There was absolutely no mention of this when I booked and I got no notification from Radisson or the hotel before I arrived.

At check-in the staff told me that Radisson hasn’t exactly been helpful with the transition and that they can’t even contact the customers who booked through Radisson because they don’t have access to any of that info anymore.

I’m a Radisson VIP member - long story short, they’ve honoured my booking but I won’t be able to earn any Radisson points or status nights for this stay, and technically none of the Radisson status benefits apply. However, the hotel staff agreed to honour the free breakfast and late checkout that I would have got as a Radisson VIP member, and offered to upgrade my room. No drink voucher supplied (which I got on my previous stay a few weeks ago) but the restaurant is closed for lunch & dinner anyway until 12 January, because Radisson owned their liquor license and they haven’t got their own one yet.

The reception staff are all super friendly and told me that if I sign up to EVT Stays (their new loyalty program) they’ll match my Radisson status.

 

[AuSammy]

Mmm. I’m booked for a stay in May.

I did get an email yesterday advising change of name.

Not overly keen on staying if they are undertaking a refurb during my booking.

 

[Jacques Vert]

I booked a stay at Radisson Flagstaff Gardens a couple of weeks ago on the Radisson website. Turned up yesterday to check in and there’s no longer any Radisson branding whatsoever. Turns out it rebranded on 1 January as Flagstaff Gardens Hotel Melbourne and will become a Rydges hotel at the end of 2026 after a refurbishment. There was absolutely no mention of this when I booked and I got no notification from Radisson or the hotel before I arrived.

At check-in the staff told me that Radisson hasn’t exactly been helpful with the transition and that they can’t even contact the customers who booked through Radisson because they don’t have access to any of that info anymore.

I’m a Radisson VIP member - long story short, they’ve honoured my booking but I won’t be able to earn any Radisson points or status nights for this stay, and technically none of the Radisson status benefits apply. However, the hotel staff agreed to honour the free breakfast and late checkout that I would have got as a Radisson VIP member, and offered to upgrade my room. No drink voucher supplied (which I got on my previous stay a few weeks ago) but the restaurant is closed for lunch & dinner anyway until 12 January, because Radisson owned their liquor license and they haven’t got their own one yet.

The reception staff are all super friendly and told me that if I sign up to EVT Stays (their new loyalty program) they’ll match my Radisson status.

Unfortunately the EVT stays program is next to useless since the last enhancements; time to look for an alternative option?

 

[oz_mark]

Interestingly, when EVT announced they were taking over (back in August), they were already referring to it as the former Radisson.

 

[markis10]

Yep, well flagged back in August, debranding is never a happy divorce no matter what the chain EVT signs management deal for Radisson hotel in Melbourne - Hotel Management