Accor second room family rate booking

[medhead]

This could almost belong in the Accor rant thread. But...

Has anyone had experience with the Accor second room for 50% rate? I'm trying to book for 3 adults and 2 children at the Auckland Pullman. This will involve 2+1 in the first room, and oldest child (over 12 so sort of an adult for Pullman) with her aunt in the second room. If I search for that combination of 2 rooms, I am offered a family rate for 50% off the second room for the children. But, and this is the tricky bit, the second room can only be used by the children who can be upto 16 years old, exceeding the 12 restriction to be considered a child when booking a room outright. That means that I could book a room for 3 adults, and then get the second room at 50% off and still be within the terms and conditions.

So going back to my search combination if I take the 2 room family rate for the "first" room I've actually satisfied by accommodation needs. Except it then wants me to select the second room for aunty and daughter. Meaning I end up with 3 rooms. If I search for 3 adults in one room, no family rate is shown. If I search for 3 adults plus 1 child, it demands a modification to search for 2 rooms - meaning I go back to ending up with 3 rooms. Overall the only effective way to get the family rate is to search for 2+1, book the 2 room rate, and don't tell them about the extra 2 people.

I'm happy to pay for 3 adults in a room with the second children room at 50%. But I can't find any way to actually book this on line. The obvious answer is to call them. But I wanted to first ask if anyone had some experience with achieving such a booking.

ps Yes I know Accor is pretty ordinary, But I've just got Silver with them

 

[medhead]

To report back. Accor are useless. Auckland Pullman cuts off children at 12 years of age. No issue with that.

But then when I search for 2 rooms for 4 adults and 1 child, as per that cutoff, with 2A+1C in the first room they offer a 50% off second room rate. This rate is for the children to stay in the second room. But the terms and conditions clearly say that children for the purpose of this rate are upto 16. So my fourth Adult becomes a child in the second room.

Now if I book the 50% second room rate as per my search for 2 rooms above, I'll end up with 3 rooms, one for 2 adults, one for an 11 year old (that could also take the 14 year old for free) that gets free breakfast for the children in the room, and one for the 3rd adult and 14 year old adult.

But the rooms I'm booking are suppose to have a maximum of 3 adults. In theory, I could book a 3 adult room and then have 50% family room in which both children really are children. Except that option doesn't show if doing a search.

Needless to say calling Accor was a completely pointless exercise. When I pointed out that the terms and conditions said children were up to 16 in the second room they claimed that is went on the hotels rules. That would be fine if their website actually correctly stated the rules. They also claimed that the second room rate was for 2 adults and 2 children - trouble again that this isn't reflected in the terms and conditions for the second room.

Couldn't tell me why I couldn't search for rooms for 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children, combinations within the published room maximums. Also couldn't explain why the 2 bedroom apartment didn't show as an option, except if I searched for 2 adults (I think). Major website problems - Hence I'm staying at the hilton, paying more than the rate that I was trying to get for 2 rooms total at the Pullman.

 

[OzEire]

I can sympathize. Accor customer service is hopeless, Le Club is worse. Thank goodness most of their AU hotel staff are pretty good when something goes wrong (but depends on property).

These stupid rules just create hassle and extra problems for both guests and staff. I wish Accor could sort out these things, IMHO it could be a really good program.... Alas, they do not seem to want any feedback, or to make changes.