Best use of Suite Night Upgrades?

[Zanzaid]

Well first of all congratulations. It's not easy getting to Platinum (well it's not easy supposing you don't stack up a dozen different paid Accor membership programs as some people do). It should be noted that while you do earn 2 SNUs for acquiring Platinum status, you have the opportunity to earn additional SNUs for each additional 4,000 status points you earn in a given year, up to a maximum of 12 SNUs that can be earned.

Thank you! Yes i did take good advantage of Qantas fast track and Accor Plus but it will pay off big time! I did see that, not quite sure i'll reach it but there's a chance.

Sofitels tend to be a good place to use these SNUs from my experience. In particular, if you have Accor Plus (which is one of the paid Accor programs that offer discounts as high as 50% off room bookings) you can sometimes find Sofitels reasonably priced (now not the $100 I'm used to paying staying at ibis Styles but maybe $250-$300/night) making this whole thing work out. And the thing about Sofitels as a Platinum, is you'll have access to their lounge meaning you'll have a-la carte breakfast in the morning plus hors d'oeuvres and high tea during the day. Oh and you don't have to check-in with the riff raff downstairs either, instead you head straight for the lounge and check in discretely there.

If you want a guideline on how much to value these upgrade certificates I'd say conservatively $200 AUD per certificate in value. Remember too that these certificates can be used globally be it at a Sofitel in Sydney or a Fairmont in Montreal. In my case, I ended up using 4 SNUs (more on that in a moment) to upgrade a stay at the Sofitel Melbourne to a Junior Suite, netting me a savings of $250/night:

Thank you for the conservative value! At least it gives me a good understanding of what to try aim for. The Pullman in Tokyo was about $300-$350 a night saving, bringing it down to about $400 a night (with the current promo). Though checking again tonight, this price has gone up so thinking it's a bit too far from our usual budget now... haha

I have definitely studied the platinum perks though! We're looking to stay at the Mercure in Tokyo this time round, instead of the Ibis Styles East, so that should be a nice upgrade.

In my case I earned Platinum status in 2022 but like you couldn't find a use for the SNUs. However, in 2023 circumstances changed, I was travelling more and consequently found a use for them at the end of the year just as I re-qualified for Platinum status. Hence, I could use the 2 SNUs earned in 2022 plus the 2 SNUs earned in 2023 to book a stay in January 2024 for 4 nights at the Sofitel Melbourne using those certificates.

Ah yes, good to know that. We were looking at using them soon but stacking them makes it quite enticing. My Accor Plus renews in November so have to think about it closer to that time, in case we don't use it on this Japan trip.

I'd say start looking at Accor properties now as they're running a promotion where it's up to 25% off I believe at many Accor properties. This might be enough cost savings whereby you can both afford to stay at a luxury hotel in Japan whilst getting excellent value on the SNUs. Certainly, the Sofitel Melbourne is a good candidate for using the SNUs as that was where I used the upgrade certs and wasn't disappointed in the upgrade.

Was this close to booking Pullman Tokyo, being the only option in Tokyo that allows the use of SNU. Unfortunately with the price up again, will need to reconsider this. It's a struggle choosing between the non-refundable promo and flexible price.

One final parting shot: ensure you familiarize yourself with the perks of Platinum. The main ones that you'll be using regularly are the free breakfast when staying at properties in Asia-Pacific and secondly access to hotel lounges (aside from those at Fairmonts) globally. You'll notice a few other things, like better strike rates at upgrades (I've personally been double upgraded), better welcome gifts and more likely to get a late checkout.

Thank you for your detailed response! I'll be sure to report my experiences in the thread in the coming year/s!

 

[markis10]

Thank you for the conservative value! At least it gives me a good understanding of what to try aim for. The Pullman in Tokyo was about $300-$350 a night saving, bringing it down to about $400 a night (with the current promo). Though checking again tonight, this price has gone up so thinking it's a bit too far from our usual budget now... haha

I have definitely studied the platinum perks though! We're looking to stay at the Mercure in Tokyo this time round, instead of the Ibis Styles East, so that should be a nice upgrade.

Which Mecure? The Haneda property is a favorite of mine re cost, locale is good for food and has a Lawton’s/7-11 nearby as well as a good drug store with the train just up the road. No suites here so SNUs are not usable, at circa $150 a night I suspect it’s better than the $400 Pullman option.