How does Accor treat you as an Elite guest?

[Daver6]

Have stayed there many times and walked it. Only 5-10 minutes via the underground air conditioned tunnel.
You go down to basement level and towards where the airport train is and veer slightly left. Go past the capsule hotel and then follow the tunnel to the escalators that bring you up at the hotel

Surprised none of this is mentioned on the hotel website.

 

[jase05]

Surprised none of this is mentioned on the hotel website.

Maybe they think that most people have luggage and prefer the shuttle.
It’s a pretty easy walk but there is half a dozen steps just before the escalators that lead to the hotel

 

[Jstr]

3-year Plat here, and soon Diamond from the extra travels booked for later this year. But I will not be swayed by ALL from here on.

1. I have stayed at 8 different Accor properties on 11 occassions over the last 12 months for my holidays - 90% in premium properties like Pullman and Sofitel. Various locations like Fiji, Sydney, Paris, Madrid, etc etc. Average 4 nights in upper mid or low top room categories per stay.

2. I have gotten early check-in: never (with early arrival rate of 80%)

3. I have gotten late check-out: once, by an extra hour only

4. Plat/Diamond check-in desk: the signs were there at most hotels, but usually noone in attendance and if you try to wait, the staff just redirects you to the ordinary queue with an apology (and sometimes with a look of "why are you lining up where there is no staff" - in the process making me feel like a demanding idiot rather than an elite level loyal customer); with the exception being the two Sofitels in Sydney.

5. Room upgrades: got one-category room upgrades twice (both times in Sydney); otherwise been told it's a "higher floor" in the same category

6. Their phone service line, in Australia at least, is very understaffed - I tried all 3 numbers, 1300, 03 and the Accor Plus 1300, all three numbers eventually divert you to the same queue - 1hr wait on a Wednesday 10AM listening to hold music before being answered

7. Services: Sofitel in Sydney was very good; Sofitel Fiji was good; otherwise, any mid-tier offerings like Novotel or Mercure just treat you like a normal guest, with no acknowledgement of status reflected in the attitude or phrasing of service delivery whatsoever (but the free wine/cake is usually present in the room).

8. But some good also: premium club lounges, where available, were usually pretty good

By comparison, my friend's experience as a Plat at Marriot has been much better - frequent 4PM check-outs, occassional multi-category room upgrades. So I have already decided to switch my allegiance next year to see if the grass is indeed greener over there.

It feels like Accor has been funneled a lot of business from Amex Plat and pretty much tanked its own brand as a result of elite membership dilution.

 

[jase05]

3-year Plat here, and soon Diamond from the extra travels booked for later this year. But I will not be swayed by ALL from here on.

1. I have stayed at 8 different Accor properties on 11 occassions over the last 12 months for my holidays - 90% in premium properties like Pullman and Sofitel. Various locations like Fiji, Sydney, Paris, Madrid, etc etc. Average 4 nights in upper mid or low top room categories per stay.

2. I have gotten early check-in: never (with early arrival rate of 80%)

3. I have gotten late check-out: once, by an extra hour only

4. Plat/Diamond check-in desk: the signs were there at most hotels, but usually noone in attendance and if you try to wait, the staff just redirects you to the ordinary queue with an apology (and sometimes with a look of "why are you lining up where there is no staff" - in the process making me feel like a demanding idiot rather than an elite level loyal customer); with the exception being the two Sofitels in Sydney.

5. Room upgrades: got one-category room upgrades twice (both times in Sydney); otherwise been told it's a "higher floor" in the same category

6. Their phone service line, in Australia at least, is very understaffed - I tried all 3 numbers, 1300, 03 and the Accor Plus 1300, all three numbers eventually divert you to the same queue - 1hr wait on a Wednesday 10AM listening to hold music before being answered

7. Services: Sofitel in Sydney was very good; Sofitel Fiji was good; otherwise, any mid-tier offerings like Novotel or Mercure just treat you like a normal guest, with no acknowledgement of status reflected in the attitude or phrasing of service delivery whatsoever (but the free wine/cake is usually present in the room).

8. But some good also: premium club lounges, where available, were usually pretty good

By comparison, my friend's experience as a Plat at Marriot has been much better - frequent 4PM check-outs, occassional multi-category room upgrades. So I have already decided to switch my allegiance next year to see if the grass is indeed greener over there.

It feels like Accor has been funneled a lot of business from Amex Plat and pretty much tanked its own brand as a result of elite membership dilution.

Sad to hear that as I must say I’m the total opposite and although I do get treated better overseas than in Australia I still find status recognition is pretty darn good. Most properties proactively offer late check out of 1hr as minimum but usually never any issue getting extra. Upgrades are nearly always at least one room upgrades and often to suites at Sofitels, Fairmonts and Raffles especially. The welcome gifts do vary from poor to excellent but that’s not a huge one for me.

 

[eric2011]

Sad to hear that as I must say I’m the total opposite and although I do get treated better overseas than in Australia I still find status recognition is pretty darn good. Most properties proactively offer late check out of 1hr as minimum but usually never any issue getting extra. Upgrades are nearly always at least one room upgrades and often to suites at Sofitels, Fairmonts and Raffles especially. The welcome gifts do vary from poor to excellent but that’s not a huge one for me.

I concur with you, although most of my stays are NZ & AU based, I am fortunate enough to get at least a 1 cat upgrade 95% of the time, I will turn up early nearly every time and get a room straight away, don't use late check-outs but invariably will get asked on check-in if I require one. Don't usually worry too much about welcome gifts but always will receive at least water and a 95% of the time a bottle of the cheapest red wine (they know my +1 and I drink chardonay. I also am Plat with a status change to Diamond next weekend with a stay at BNE airport Pullman, Sofitel Darling Hbr and the Sofitel BNE.

 

[RooFlyer]

Sad to hear that as I must say I’m the total opposite and although I do get treated better overseas than in Australia I still find status recognition is pretty darn good. Most properties proactively offer late check out of 1hr as minimum but usually never any issue getting extra. Upgrades are nearly always at least one room upgrades and often to suites at Sofitels, Fairmonts and Raffles especially. The welcome gifts do vary from poor to excellent but that’s not a huge one for me.

I think you are diamond, though?

As a new Plat (Accor-Plus), with 21 nights over 17 stays booked in Australia and Europe in the next few months, I'll be watching the early check-in, upgrade etc tally very closely.

I was thinking of e-mail each hotel a few days before arrival, reminding them of my room preference and asking for early check-in etc; does anyone thing that will do any good?

 

[eric2011]

I think you are diamond, though?

As a new Plat (Accor-Plus), with 21 nights over 17 stays booked in Australia and Europe in the next few months, I'll be watching the early check-in, upgrade etc tally very closely.

I was thinking of e-mail each hotel a few days before arrival, reminding them of my room preference and asking for early check-in etc; does anyone thing that will do any good?

My experience as above is based on platinum. I've found email isn't really effective, get better service when/if they call a couple of days before

 

[kangarooflyer88]

3-year Plat here, and soon Diamond from the extra travels booked for later this year. But I will not be swayed by ALL from here on.

It’s really a mixed bag when it comes to hotel loyalty status in general as different properties apply loyalty benefits differently. And it doesn’t matter what brand you hold loyalty to, either. With Accor it’s very hit or miss if I am given anything more than an extra hour late checkout as a Platinum. However, my experience at Marriotts as a Gold is I could always get that 4 PM late checkout, often without even having to ask for it. But with Marriott the benefits are inconsistent too. Not all hotels offer free breakfast for elites or if they do offer something it’s a food and beverage credit where you’ll be lucky if you can get something more substantial than a muffin. However with Accor Platinum I could always get free breakfast when I stay at just about any property here.

What ultimately matters, in my opinion, is whether you can actually make the status work for you. For instance, before moving to Australia I’d frequently stay at Marriotts and Hiltons as they were plentiful and relatively inexpensive. However, in Australia that’s unworkable: you’ll be hard pressed to find any Marriott options even in large cities like Sydney. After looking around I found that Accor made the most sense as they had way more options for properties and with the Plus discount it was almost always the cheapest option.

 

[Daver6]

I think you are diamond, though?

As a new Plat (Accor-Plus), with 21 nights over 17 stays booked in Australia and Europe in the next few months, I'll be watching the early check-in, upgrade etc tally very closely.

I was thinking of e-mail each hotel a few days before arrival, reminding them of my room preference and asking for early check-in etc; does anyone thing that will do any good?

I've found Accor hotels pretty good at pro-actively reaching out to me a few days prior as a platinum. They've generally been pretty good with my requests. Only had one poor experience once at the Sofitel City Centre where it was a pointless interaction.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

I've found Accor hotels pretty good at pro-actively reaching out to me a few days prior as a platinum. They've generally been pretty good with my requests. Only had one poor experience once at the Sofitel City Centre where it was a pointless interaction.

This has not been my experience at all. Then again, I’m known to frequent ibis, ibis budget and the occasional Mercure properties. But you do raise a good point, if you are an elite and are staying at a high end property like a Pullman, Sofitel or Fairmont, then yes they do tend to be more proactive in service and treat you better. With that being said I do have to wonder how much of that comes from being an elite versus staying at a much higher quality property? For instance if I was an Accor Silver or heaven forbid no status, would I get such proactive treatment staying at a Sofitel?

 

[Daver6]

This has not been my experience at all. Then again, I’m known to frequent ibis, ibis budget and the occasional Mercure properties. But you do raise a good point, if you are an elite and are staying at a high end property like a Pullman, Sofitel or Fairmont, then yes they do tend to be more proactive in service and treat you better. With that being said I do have to wonder how much of that comes from being an elite versus staying at a much higher quality property? For instance if I was an Accor Silver or heaven forbid no status, would I get such proactive treatment staying at a Sofitel?

That's actually a fair point. My experiences are based mainly at Sofitel, Pullman, Banyan Tree and Novotel. So perhaps it's property tier more than status tier.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

That's actually a fair point. My experiences are based mainly at Sofitel, Pullman, Banyan Tree and Novotel. So perhaps it's property tier more than status tier.

Having stayed at a few Novotels I’m not convinced that they provide the same level of proactive service as a Sofitel. For reference I’ve stayed at the Novotel Montreal Airport, Novotel Perth Langley, Novotel Florianopolis, and Novotel Sydney Airport in the past year and don’t recall any proactive calls or anything. Indeed when I stayed the Novotel Montreal Airport the check-in agent didn’t even recognize my status and I had to point it out to her to even get a free drink voucher. However, when I got to my room there were a number of goodies (Novotel water bottle and socks, chips and water) so I guess there was that going for it. So yes I suppose the gifts were a bit better than the usual ibis or ibis budget I stay at, but nothing crazy.

-RooFlyer88

 

[RooFlyer]

But you do raise a good point, if you are an elite and are staying at a high end property like a Pullman, Sofitel or Fairmont, then yes they do tend to be more proactive in service and treat you better. With that being said I do have to wonder how much of that comes from being an elite versus staying at a much higher quality property? For instance if I was an Accor Silver or heaven forbid no status, would I get such proactive treatment staying at a Sofitel?

My expectation (being new to 'elite ) is that if experience for mug punter at Novotel is 1, then elite at Novotel would be 2, mug at Sofitel 3, and elite at Sofitel 5 , Fairmont 7 & 10 etc. Non linear.

I do like Accor, and I booked most of my upcoming stays before I contemplated going for Plat, but with their 'zoo' of brands you never know quite where you are going to land. M Gallery seem to be the worst for consistency - often its a basic place in a nice old building whereas others its a great place in some 'quirky' architecture.

By the way, do Plats etc check on check-in: 'is that an upgrade' - or isn't that couth?

 

[Human]

By the way, do Plats etc check on check-in: 'is that an upgrade' - or isn't that couth?

I'm happy to be uncouth. Sometimes I'm told that I've been upgraded without asking, sometimes I'll forget to ask, but when I remember I'm more than happy to ask.

I'm Gold and I reckon I'm not upgraded 40% of the time, I'm "upgraded" to the same room class but in an allegedly better location 40% of the time, and I'm upgraded to a higher class of room 20% of the time.

 

[Cutty]

I'm happy to be uncouth. Sometimes I'm told that I've been upgraded without asking, sometimes I'll forget to ask, but when I remember I'm more than happy to ask.

I'm Gold and I reckon I'm not upgraded 40% of the time, I'm "upgraded" to the same room class but in an allegedly better location 40% of the time, and I'm upgraded to a higher class of room 20% of the time.

“60% of the time, it works every time”

Sorry, couldn’t help myself to quote Anchorman.

 

[RooFlyer]

I'm Gold and I reckon I'm not upgraded 40% of the time, I'm "upgraded" to the same room class but in an allegedly better location 40% of the time, and I'm upgraded to a higher class of room 20% of the time.

In the course of 'regular' hotel stays (that is, not while staying with 'status'), over long experience I've gotten used to turning down 'upgrades', as it is usually (or seems to me) the coughpiest room in that higher class - near an elevator or subject to ambient noise etc. The punter is flattered and the hotel gets a good room to please someone else. Will see what happens now ...

 

[Captain Halliday]

I’m also Plat and have only once had a call in advance. (Mercure Gold Coast).

I’m typically in Novotel/Mercure/Pullman with the occasional Sofitel. So perhaps only the top tier brands call.

Upgrades, if any, have been marginal in my experience.

My most recent stay (Novotel Sunshine Coast) was actually a downgrade.

Booked a base room Queen + Single.

On checkin was told I’d been upgraded to a renovated room with two double beds.

Going from a single bed to a double may have been an upgrade for Miss H… but I generally have to fight Mrs H for my share of the bed even in a King.

So Queen -> Double was absolutely a downgrade no matter how recently the room was painted.

 

[bits]

I've found Accor hotels pretty good at pro-actively reaching out to me a few days prior as a platinum. They've generally been pretty good with my requests. Only had one poor experience once at the Sofitel City Centre where it was a pointless interaction.

I've had similar experience. On my recent trip to Asia, stayed at the following and they all provided the expected upgrades/amenities (early and/or late check out), and most reaching out in advance recognising my status and generally asking expected time of arrival, so I've got no complaints.
- SO Bangkok (suite)
- Sofitel Bangkok (suite)
- Banyan Tree Bangkok (suite)
- Ibis Sathorn
- Novotel BKK airport (might have been a suite)
- Ibis Budget Osaka
- Novotel Nara (premium room)
- Pullman Hanoi (Suite)
- Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi (premium room)
In Aus, usually do staycays at Sofitel Darling Habour, but I think they're a bit more tight and usually just offer next category upgrade. Have a staycay coming up in the renovated Sofitel Wentworth, so let's see what they do.

 

[Daver6]

I've had similar experience. On my recent trip to Asia, stayed at the following and they all provided the expected upgrades/amenities (early and/or late check out), and most reaching out in advance recognising my status and generally asking expected time of arrival, so I've got no complaints.
- SO Bangkok (suite)
- Sofitel Bangkok (suite)
- Banyan Tree Bangkok (suite)
- Ibis Sathorn
- Novotel BKK airport (might have been a suite)
- Ibis Budget Osaka
- Novotel Nara (premium room)
- Pullman Hanoi (Suite)
- Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi (premium room)
In Aus, usually do staycays at Sofitel Darling Habour, but I think they're a bit more tight and usually just offer next category upgrade. Have a staycay coming up in the renovated Sofitel Wentworth, so let's see what they do.

Agree, Sofitel DH do the absolute minimum in my experience. Made up for by the plat free drinks including champagne though.

Looking forward to hearing your review of the Sofitel Wentworth post renovations. I believe they didn't update the bathrooms though which is disappointing.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Agree, Sofitel DH do the absolute minimum in my experience. Made up for by the plat free drinks including champagne though.

You’ve clearly never been to the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth!

Looking forward to hearing your review of the Sofitel Wentworth post renovations. I believe they didn't update the bathrooms though which is disappointing.

I was there back in Easter. Made the Sofitel Darling Harbour seem like the Ritz Carlton.