How does Accor treat you as an Elite guest?

[M@rcoPolo]

Yes I've been to the Pullman Melbourne on Swanston earlier in the year (pre-Covid), love the location being so central and the executive lounge (I'm Platinum so I get free access) but then again the lounge is probably still closed atm

 

[sudoer]

Yes I've been to the Pullman Melbourne on Swanston earlier in the year (pre-Covid), love the location being so central and the executive lounge (I'm Platinum so I get free access) but then again the lounge is probably still closed atm

Thanks for the quick feedback. The location is great indeed - I stayed a few years back when it was a Grand Mercure.

The exec lounge is closed at the moment but I expect will have reopened by October long weekend when I'll be travelling. It seems Pullman have zeroed all room inventory which includes lounge access, be it Superior/Deluxe rooms with the lounge add-on, or exec rooms. The rooms are shown on the hotel info page but they're not bookable via Accor or OTAs.

Have you stayed at the Lindrum also by any chance? Any preference between the two?

 

[M@rcoPolo]

Have you stayed at the Lindrum also by any chance? Any preference between the two?

Sorry I never stayed at the Lindrum, I usually stay at the Sofitel (when they have decent specials) or the Pullman on The Park (not very central but only a quick tram ride to/from the CBD)

 

[samh004]

Property: Sofitel Singapore City Centre (March 2020)
Status: Accor Plus Gold
Room Booked: Luxury Room
Room upgrade: Yes, Luxury Premium Room
Free internet: Yes
Welcome drinks: Yes
Early check in / late out: Late check-out
Exec Lounge: No
VIP treatment: Premium Services included: Complimentary Breakfast, Minibar, WiFi and SGD 20 Laundry Credit, Access to Virgin Active

 

[oliver_adl]

I've stayed at the new Pullman. Rooms are on the smaller side but the lounge is very nice. I probably wouldn't stay there if the lounge isn't open though...

You'd probably only choose it for the location; though I think Quay West Suites or Pullman Albert Park are better value in Melbourne and with a great location and fit out in the former and bigger rooms and restaurant in the latter.

 

[Stuyw]

A few properties over this year combined into one post sorry.

Property: Pullman Sydney airport
Month of stay: June 2020
Status: Accor Plus Gold
Room Booked: Deluxe Room
Room upgrade: Sort of, higher floor but same room type.
Free internet: Yes
Welcome drinks: Yes
Early check in / late out: Late check-out
Exec Lounge: No, offered at $20 a night in email. I miss platinum
VIP treatment: Boxed chocolates
Overall - Covid times at an airport hotel is interesting. Restaurant not open for breakfast but cheaper in room dining. Place was empty.

Property: Pullman Adelaide
Month of stay: March 2020 - Pre lock down
Status: Accor Plus Gold
Room Booked: Deluxe Room
Room upgrade: Yes, Premium Deluxe Room
Free internet: Yes
Welcome drinks: Yes
Early check in / late out: Late check-out
Exec Lounge: No, was previously provided when platinum along with free breakfast
VIP treatment: Boxed chocolates
Overall - Despite loosing platinum still was a decent stay. Lack of lounge wasn't a huge concern as food offerings are limited and only good for the wine/beer.

Property: Mantra on the Quay Brisbane
Month of stay: March 2020
Status: Accor Plus Gold
Room upgrade: No
Free internet: No
Welcome drinks: No
Early check in/late out: No
VIP treatment: None
Overall - Poor hotel experience. I know Mantra is new to the brand but this hotels service was lacking. Receptionist was on the phone all night so you couldn't call down. She also claimed the internet was out which morning staff said was a lie. Cheap and a good view but ordinary stay otherwise.

Property: Ibis Swanston Street
Month of stay: Jan 2020
Status: Accor Plus Gold
Room upgrade: NA (doesn't exist but met all preferences).
Free internet: Yes
Welcome drink: Yes, handed either beer or wine on checkin
Early check in/late check out: Both
VIP treatment: Free breakfast
Overall - Standard ibis experience. Clean and cheerful. Free breakfast was poor and you may as well miss it.

Property: Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
Month of stay: Jan 2020
Status: Accor Plus Platinum recognsied (had dropped to gold)
Room Booked: Superior Room
Room upgrade: higher floor room
Free internet: Yes
Welcome drink: Yes
Early check in/late out: Both
Executive Lounge: Yes
VIP treatment: Chocolates and choice of points or food with alcohol
Overall - Prefer this hotel to the other Sofitel as it seems less snobby. Lounge offerings are a lot better with a large range of foods and drinks. Also great that lounge staff recognise me so I don't have to say my name to check in.

 

[sudoer]

Property: Novotel Canberra
Month of stay: July 2020
Status: Accor Gold
Room Booked: Standard queen room booked through corporate TA
Room upgrade: Yes, executive apartment
Free internet: Yes although very flaky (~30% packet loss)
Welcome drinks: Yes, 1 voucher for house beer/wine at bar - offered Kosciuszko or Furphy as beer choices
Early check in / late out: Not offered, but also not needed so I didn't ask
Exec Lounge: N/A
VIP treatment: Bottle of red, small can of pringles and a sweet

Super quick check-in. No mention of loyalty or upgrade so I assumed room key was for the category booked. Just a one night stay and given the current state of the industry I didn't mind - but opened the door to find a much bigger room than expected! Very appreciative of the upgrade and welcome gift.

Side note: Foxtel subscription seems to be suspended - all Fox channels show "smartcard not authorised". FTA works fine. No objection here - knowing what Foxtel charge for commercial subscriptions I reckon this is a fair and easy way for a property to save a solid chunk of money at the moment.

 

[sudoer]

Property: Sebel Canberra Civic
Month of stay: July 2020
Status: Accor Gold
Room Booked: Superior room queen bed
Room upgrade: No
Free internet: Not that I could find, the only WiFi network available was password protected and I couldn't find any details on how to connect
Welcome drinks: Kind of... see below.
Early check in / late out: Not offered, but also not needed so I didn't ask
Exec Lounge: N/A - the "Sebel Lounge" was closed, this was my first stay at this property so I'm not sure if this functions as an Exec lounge in normal times?

I booked this through corporate TA very last minute - arriving at 7pm approx 1.5 hours after booking. The guy on the front desk seemed not in the best spirits, but did recognise my status and thank me for my loyalty. He then proceeded to apologise for not being able to offer any welcome drinks as "the bar is closed, the restaurant is closed, and the minibars aren't stocked due to covid precautions"

Once I'd settled into the room I noticed the minibar and snacks were fully stocked. I ducked out to grab some dinner (Garema Place and City Walk nearby have some great options) and on passing the front desk mentioned that the bar was actually stocked. He told me that shouldn't have been the case, but I could help myself to anything I wanted... so a few beers it was

I found the quality of the room very good for the $130-150 rate being charged at the moment. Compared to the Novotel, the bed at Sebel was more comfortable, the bathroom was nicer (walk in shower vs shower over bath at Novotel) and the room had a Nespresso machine with a few pods which was a plus over the usual instant coffee. In general the room felt much newer and had nicer fittings, although it was noticeably smaller than the upgraded room I received at the Novotel.

I've got another 3-4 stays in Canberra coming up so will check out a few other properties - possibly Mantra on Northbourne or Mercure Canberra next.

 

[DC3]

.... on passing the front desk mentioned that the bar was actually stocked. He told me that shouldn't have been the case ...

When I read that, I was expectIng the next line to be:

‘I’m sorry about that, sir. I will send someone up to your room immediately, in order to empty it out”.

 

[sudoer]

Have stayed at the Sebel twice more since my last post - consistently inconsistent!

Property: Sebel Canberra Civic
Month of stay: July 2020
Status: Accor Gold
Room Booked: Superior room queen bed

Stay 2:
Room upgrade: No
Free internet: Yes, for all guests - wifi password is on the phone handset in every room. Wifi speeds are pretty bad (5mbps) but it's usable for web browsing.
Welcome drinks: No, the mini bar was stocked again (in contravention of 'ALLSAFE') but no offer to take a drink, and I didn't ask.
Early check in / late out: Not offered, but not needed.

Stay 3:
Room upgrade: Yes - Exec floor King
Free internet: Yes, speeds still poor.
Welcome drinks: No, and mini bar actually empty this time!!
Early check in / late out: Requested 12pm checkout, reception obliged.

Not much to write home about but the rates at this property are just too hard to pass up, with the last stay coming in at $129 - the same price as the Ibis Styles! For comparison, the Mercure was $139, Mantra was $159, and Novotel and Breakfree both $179.

Rooms have been spotless and very comfortable each time. Internet speeds over ethernet are significantly better than wifi, so bring a cable along if you plan to work from your room. I'm guessing they have a 50/20 residential grade NBN plan shared between all guests (!)



Same guy on reception as the first time I stayed here - he mentioned occupancy is only 20%, and he's the only staff member in the building until 10pm. After that the property is unmanned until 8am. Sad times for the industry.

 

[Muppet501st]

Have had the busiest year ever- 137 nights so far- moved up to Diamond as well, and not really noticed any difference in recognition.


Peppers Soul Surfers Paradise.
Nov/Dec this week,
Booked base 1 bed unit, upgraded to 2 bed.
Diamond member, bottle of red and some nuts.

But its all about location, location, location.
Wife loves the view.

 

[Muppet501st]

Peppers Broadbeach
November 2020
ALL Diamond
Booked base mountain view, upgrade to ocean view.

Dont think theyve seen many Diamond members, i was given 1 of all the other status levels of welcoming gifts

 

[Pablo]

Finally travelling again and just checked into the Pullman Melbourne Albert Park.
Was only $120 for the night.
benefits included a room upgrade to top executive floor, free breakfast and welcome drink and then this!!

the executive lounge is closed, but they are treating Platinums with a cheese platter and drinks given the lounge is shut.

im impressed. Shame I can’t take full benefit of it - have a client meeting/dinner tonight!!

 

[Dr Bob]

Property; Swissotel Sydney just prior to the Northern Beaches COVID
Status; Gold
Room; Signature Suite 4 nights at the Red Hot Room rate
Upgrade; No / got a downgrade instead. Appears room was doubled booked for the first 2 nights so was put in an Executive Suite for these nights but the whole stay was charged at the Executive Suite RHR rate so a significant saving.
Internet; Yes high speed, well faster than I'm used to at home.
Early checkin / late checkout; Not required but offered
Welcome drinks; Yes, usual beers & house wine
Executive Club; Yes COVID style, came with the room. Everything in the bar area, breakfast, afternoon tea (not taken) and evening drinks With a small plate of canapés. The drinks were still only house wines so pretty poor. Purchased a bottle off the wine list and given a discount.
VIP treatment; A bottle of good wine in the room / not house / more likely due to the room stuff-up. Water in room & more available at reception or bar.
General comments; COVID protocol worked well except for the lifts (2 persons only). We were consistently stopping other guests from joining us. I think the lifts were programmed not to stop on the way down. We were on the top floor & it didn't happen once in our stay. Staff at reception were excellent & were fielding a lot of issues. Staff in the bar area for breakfast, drinks & evening food (small restaurant menu) were unskilled and being trained on the run - very poorly I would add. Wrong order delivered, no drinks, pot of tea but no cup, order not arriving even after 2 requests. They did seem to improve over our stay or maybe they just wore us down. They did introduce an assisted buffet on our last morning which should improve things. Executive Suite very good & comfortable & Signature Suite even better. Don't think we will see these rates again post COVID but liked the hotel & will stay again.
Had to phone guest relations after a week to get my points credited as I needed them to get me to Platinum.

 

[Dr Bob]

Property; Fairmont Resort & Spa Blue Mountains for 2 nights following the Swiss.
Status. ; Still Gold / Platinum not yet recognised from the Swiss
Room; Standard king
Upgrade; No / did ask but told house was near full / plenty of screaming kids
Internet; yes and good speed
Early checkin / late checkout; Checked in at 1100 (room ready) and offered late checkout
Welcome drinks; Yes /beers & house wines both better quality than the Swiss
Executive Club; No / don't know if they even have one
VIP Treatment; no / water in the room & more available at the bar
General comments; COVID protocol was excellent and all staff were a very polished unit unlike the Swiss. The social distancing in all eating areas & bar was strictly enforced. Breakfast (included in rate) was by booking only & guests that just turned up where turned away until the last siting at 10.30. We arrive about 12 minutes early one morning & after checkin were politely told to come back in 10 minutes. The table service was very fast & the assisted Buffet worked very well. Room was spotlessly clean but very old and bed uncomfortable and there was a dank musky odour throughout the room & corridor. Apart from the main reception area screaming & crying kids were not heard. Would stay there again but would like a better room for the rate paid.

 

[M@rcoPolo]

Property; Fairmont Resort & Spa Blue Mountains for 2 nights following the Swiss.
Status. ; Still Gold / Platinum not yet recognised from the Swiss
Room; Standard king
Upgrade; No / did ask but told house was near full / plenty of screaming kids
Internet; yes and good speed
Early checkin / late checkout; Checked in at 1100 (room ready) and offered late checkout
Welcome drinks; Yes /beers & house wines both better quality than the Swiss
Executive Club; No / don't know if they even have one
VIP Treatment; no / water in the room & more available at the bar
General comments; COVID protocol was excellent and all staff were a very polished unit unlike the Swiss. The social distancing in all eating areas & bar was strictly enforced. Breakfast (included in rate) was by booking only & guests that just turned up where turned away until the last siting at 10.30. We arrive about 12 minutes early one morning & after checkin were politely told to come back in 10 minutes. The table service was very fast & the assisted Buffet worked very well. Room was spotlessly clean but very old and bed uncomfortable and there was a dank musky odour throughout the room & corridor. Apart from the main reception area screaming & crying kids were not heard. Would stay there again but would like a better room for the rate paid.

They usually look after elite members very well when it comes to upgrades, although during school holidays the whole place is often fully booked. Make sure you go back with your newly minted Platinum status during a less busy period of the year and you'll definitely notice the difference!

 

[Stewey]

Property: Sofitel on Collins Melbourne for 2 nights (27 - 29 Dec)
Status: Gold
Room: Standard King
Upgrade: Yes to Corner King Suite on a higher floor
Internet: Yes
Early Checkin / late checkout: Yes, offered a late Checkout but did not use it
Welcome drinks; None offered as all bars were closed when we stayed but instead I was offered welcome gifts instead
Executive Club; Not open when we stayed
VIP Treatment: Status acknowledged and friendly smiling staff as always
Always feel welcomed and at home at the Sofitel on Collins even if the executive lounge and restaurant and bars were all closed at the time of the visit and will definitely be back again

 

[jase05]

Finally got around to adding stays from our trip to QLD in Oct/Nov

Property: Ibis Styles Mt Isa Verona
Status: Platinum
Room: Standard Queen
Upgrade: Yes, Superior Queen
Internet: Yes, seemed to work fine
Early Checkin/Late Checkout: Offered late checkout but not required
Welcome Drinks: Yes, offered 2x drinks vouchers plus bottle of wine in fridge.
Executive Club: N/A
VIP Treatment: Customer service was amazing. We phoned ahead to say we would be arriving between 8-9PM and the kind lady on reception told us they had an Italian restaurant on the property that stopped meals at 8pm but she could email and text us a menu if we wished and she would organise it. On arrival we checked in and about 10 minutes after getting to our room our meals and free drinks were delivered. Overall for a Ibis property I was impressed with the room which was comfortable and service was great. Free outdoors car park on premises with security cameras so can’t complain.

Property: Mercure Townsville
Status: Platinum
Room: Superior King
Upgrade: No, already had highest room
Internet: Yes, worked fine
Early Checkin/Late Checkin: Offered late checkout but not required
Welcome Drinks: Yes, 2x drinks vouchers plus 2x Beers in fridge and fruit plate
Executive Club: N/A
VIP Treatment: Staff were really good and made us feel welcome. Restaurant and bar had great service and food and overall a good stay

 

[Captain Halliday]

Property: Mantra Mooloolaba Beach
Status: Gold
Room: One Bedroom Apartment
Upgrade: Not initially. We checked in on day one of the BNE three day lockdown and it was all a bit chaotic. So I accepted the room as booked. After two nights things settled down and I asked about an upgrade and was moved to a One Bedroom Ocean Superior for remaining 14 nights.
Internet: Yes, though it required the code to be entered every 24 hours.
Early Checkin/Late Checkin: Requested late checkout, granted 1200.
Welcome Drinks: Bottle of red wine in room with welcome note.
Executive Club: N/A
VIP Treatment: Two small chocolates in room on arrival.

 

[jase05]

Property: Mantra Portsea Port Douglas
Status: Platinum
Room: 1 Bedroom Superior Studio
Upgrade: Offered upgrade to 2 Bedroom but declined
Internet: Yes, seemed to work fine
Early Checkin/Late Checkout: Yes, 12pm checkout
Welcome Drinks: Yes, selection of drinks in minibar
Executive Club: N/A
VIP Treatment: Very good service and staff were excellent. Only 12 of us in hotel at the time and unfortunately no meals or pool bar due to Covid. Was great having free run of the pools and very relaxing. Have stayed there several times and always good