How does Accor treat you as an Elite guest?

[eric2011]

Don't think so as we had room service for dinner and our tray came with printed receipt.

We said we didn't order it and they said a gift from the hotel, for the choosing to stay with them. Never seen so much attention from a hotel before.

TKWYA.

 

[Denali]

TKWYA.

I think it's my extrovert husband. The valet guys dropped over some Zooper Doopers for him to our room soon after we checked in and reception gave him extra free water and parking before I got to the front desk. It's exhausting being married to an extrovert.

 

[ellen10]

Darling Harbour Novotel.

Lowly silver and we received a phone call about noon, asking if there is anything they could do for our stay, arriving today.

On check in we were given bottles of water, free parking and hubby discovered the Porters downstairs have a stash of Zooper Doopers and has befriended them that they came to our room with half a dozen for him.

We also received the below snacks. We were here a couple of months ago and received no complementary snacks or phone call back then.

I will be gold by the end of this stay and will be staying again in March and April so will be interested if the attention is a one off for Christmas.

View attachment 360326

Are you staying at the Novotel Darling Square. It is a favourite of ours too.

Although a few weeks ago we stayed at the Novotel Darling Harbour, upgrade to a suite and yes we got the delicious snack tray as well.
Half the price of the Darling Harbour Sofitel. So great value.

Enjoy your stay.

 

[Denali]

Are you staying at the Novotel Darling Square. It is a favourite of ours too.

Although a few weeks ago we stayed at the Novotel Darling Harbour, upgrade to a suite and yes we got the delicious snack tray as well.
Half the price of the Darling Harbour Sofitel. So great value.

Enjoy your stay.

This stay is Darling Harbour Novotel but we have Darling Square bookings for the James Taylor concert in April. I would like to try the Sofitel but yes, it's twice the price.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

I went on an Ibis tour of Melbourne CBD as an Accor Plus Gold.

Thank you for taking a tour of the various ibis properties in Melbourne. I have stayed at two of those hotels before (ibis Styles and ibis Hotel & Apartments), but at that time I was either a lowly no status or Gold member. Based on the reviews provided I reckon the ibis Hotel & Apartments would be ideal for a Platinum member to stay at given the possibility of getting a decent upgrade to an apartment (rather than the usual cramped space ibis hotels are known for). In particular I recall ibis Styles Kingsgate being amongst the most cramped ibis hotels I've been to (and I've been to a couple in Asia Pacific). Equally important too would be the quality of the breakfast on offer for those of us with Platinum status. I suspect all of them will be roughly the same in terms of breakfast (i.e. basic scrambled eggs and sausage, bacon, etc.)

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Property: Mercure Welcome Melbourne
Status: Accor+Platinum
Room booked: Standard Room, 1 Queen Bed
Room upgraded/type: No but did get upper floor (11th of 12th)
Rate: $103.35/night average (5 night stay)
Early check in/late out: 1 PM late checkout requested and granted
Welcome drink: Yes (2)
Welcome gift: Box of cakes

I'm in Melbourne this week on a writing retreat for my PhD work and decided to stay at an Accor property given they were amongst the cheapest rates when I was booking. There were a number of options available to me well under $100/night including the ibis Styles Kingsgate and several other such ibis properties. However, I noticed that some more upper end Accor properties, namely the Mercure and Signature collection hotels were showing rates in the low $100 range including the Mercure Welcome Melbourne which I ended up booking. Location wise it was perfect since it was close to where I normally work when doing these writing retreats in Melbourne (i.e. RMIT campus).

The hotel itself is a shared space hotel meaning half of the building is Mercure Welcome Melbourne whereas the other half is the Pullman Melbourne Centreville.

I ended up getting into Melbourne on Monday night around 8:30 PM so no need for early check-in. Check-in was prompt and without any worries. I was given my room keys and most importantly 2 drink vouchers which were later redeemed (more on that later). The room I got was on the 11th floor (out of 12 floors at this hotel). One thing that was mentioned to me was that house keeping would only come by every 3rd day at the hotel, however you could request additional linens and supplies as necessary. I'm not a huge fan of this and was surprised a mid-tier property like a Mercure would have such a restriction.

Other than the higher floor, the room provided seemed identical to what I have booked so not much of an upgrade. The room itself was a bit on the small side and somewhat basic too. Don't get me wrong. It has everything you need from a mid-tier hotel: a full sized desk, a comfy bed and showers with decent amenities. In terms of welcome amenity, I was a bit disappointed in that all I got was a box of cakes and a card from the management welcoming me to the hotel. For those worried about encountering the dreaded shub (shower/tub combo) don't be - my room had a proper shower (not pictured):





Breakfast was served on the restaurant on the first floor and consisted of the usual Mercure standard buffet spread which consisted of a number of hot and cold food options including scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, hash, Asian breakfast option, croissants, variety of breads, cereal, yogurt and a variety of fruits. Coffee was provided via a Nescafe machine (i.e. lower tier automated coffee machine) and there were also various juices available too. Breakfast is served Monday to Friday from 6:30 AM to 10:30 AM and on weekends from 6:30 AM to 11 AM. A couple of times visiting the restaurant, I had to mention that I was Accor Platinum and/or show my physical Accor Platinum card to ensure I got the free breakfast perk:


Late check-out was requested yesterday (i.e. on my final night at the hotel). I've learned to always request such checkouts late since hotels aren't really sure whether they can satisfy such a request several days out as the case may be if you have say a 5 night stay at a hotel. Reception asked what time I'd like and I requested 1 PM which was provided without any issue. In other words, if you want to stay at an Accor hotel that provides a decent late checkout option for elites, this may very well be the one for you!

Now on to the last bit, the drink vouchers. So the Mercure doesn't have a restaurant. Well technically, the restaurant on the first floor of the Mercure only provides breakfast to guests in the morning. For all other dining needs you would actually order from the restaurants at the Pullman which would also be how you redeem the drink voucher. The Pullman has two venues you can redeem the vouchers at. The first is Eva's Restaurant and Bar located on the Mezzanine level (i.e. take the stairs up on the ground floor) and that's open most of the day. There is also Blossom's Rooftop Bar which is open from 4 PM to 11 PM and has an outdoor patio.

I ended up using my first drink voucher at Blossom's yesterday:



And today after checking out from my hotel I went to Eva's Restaurant to get a to go coffee:


Overall, I would recommend this hotel provided it is in the $100 range as you are certainly getting more than your money's worth. With that being said, if the hotel was priced say in the $200 range, I'd find it hard to justify, particularly if you could book a Pullman or Sofitel for a better experience and a comparable price.

As an aside, this should, hopefully be my last Accor stay of the year which puts me at a total 95 status nights (75 nights at Accor properties + 20 nights from holding Accor+ membership). As others have pointed out, I earned my status from nights and not status points (that balance is presently 9,732) which I think proves the point that even bottom feeders like I can earn decent status if they are strategic about their bookings. Most of my bookings this year came within the $100/night range, with many of my stays occurring in the CBD of capitals including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

 

[Happy Dude]

Darling Harbour Novotel.

Lowly silver and we received a phone call about noon, asking if there is anything they could do for our stay, arriving today.

On check in we were given bottles of water, free parking and hubby discovered the Porters downstairs have a stash of Zooper Doopers and has befriended them that they came to our room with half a dozen for him.

We also received the below snacks. We were here a couple of months ago and received no complementary snacks or phone call back then.

I will be gold by the end of this stay and will be staying again in March and April so will be interested if the attention is a one off for Christmas.

View attachment 360326

That's a very decent bonus right there! I aspire to be paid as much as a central Sydney car spot.

 

[ms1]

Staying at Movenpick Melbourne for 5 nights this coming week. Anybody has any experience on what I can expect as a platinum? They made a pre-arrival call to me yesterday and when I mentioned complementary breakfast for platinums she ummed and ahhed bit. She also mentioned parking is $45 a night which I guess I don't have any other option or will street parking be possible on public holidays/weekends?

 

[sudoer]

Property: ibis Styles Jakarta Airport
Status: Accor Plus Platinum
Room booked: Family Suite
Room upgraded/type: No, already top category
Rate: Accor Plus Flexible ($75pn++)
Free internet: Yes
Free Breakfast? Yes but didn't partake
Early check in/late out: N/A
Welcome drink: Redeemed for some bottles of sparkling water
Welcome gift: All branded cake in room, free private transfers

One night stay connecting between a QF DSC cash ticket and another itinerary (IYKYK!)

The property isn't far from CGK but definitely not walking distance with luggage. We'd planned to catch a Grab to/from the hotel, but I was contacted via WhatsApp on the day of arrival offering a private complimentary airport pickup. The car wasn't anything fancy, but fine for the 1-2km drive.



The room itself was fine, nothing to write home about. The bed was fine for 1 night. Aircon worked well but wasn't silent.






Pool area in the middle of the property adorned with a Accor Live Limitless sign


At check-in we were offered the same private transfer back to the airport for our departure. I asked, and was told this was a complimentary service for Accor Plat and Diamond only - everyone else can use the (fairly infrequent) shuttle bus. It saved us $15 or so in Grabs - so a tangible benefit.

Great value considering the rate. There's a very new looking Fairfield by Marriott directly next door which I suspect is keeping this property on their toes.

 

[SYD]

Property: ibis Styles Jakarta Airport
Status: Accor Plus Platinum
Room booked: Family Suite
Room upgraded/type: No, already top category
Rate: Accor Plus Flexible ($75pn++)
Free internet: Yes
Free Breakfast? Yes but didn't partake
Early check in/late out: N/A
Welcome drink: Redeemed for some bottles of sparkling water
Welcome gift: All branded cake in room, free private transfers

One night stay connecting between a QF DSC cash ticket and another itinerary (IYKYK!)

The property isn't far from CGK but definitely not walking distance with luggage. We'd planned to catch a Grab to/from the hotel, but I was contacted via WhatsApp on the day of arrival offering a private complimentary airport pickup. The car wasn't anything fancy, but fine for the 1-2km drive.

View attachment 360971

The room itself was fine, nothing to write home about. The bed was fine for 1 night. Aircon worked well but wasn't silent.

View attachment 360965
View attachment 360966
View attachment 360967
View attachment 360968

Pool area in the middle of the property adorned with a Accor Live Limitless sign
View attachment 360969

At check-in we were offered the same private transfer back to the airport for our departure. I asked, and was told this was a complimentary service for Accor Plat and Diamond only - everyone else can use the (fairly infrequent) shuttle bus. It saved us $15 or so in Grabs - so a tangible benefit.

Great value considering the rate. There's a very new looking Fairfield by Marriott directly next door which I suspect is keeping this property on their toes.

Booked to stay there next year. But expect to be only ALL Gold.

We stayed in town this year at the All Seasons Thamrin (basically an Ibis Styles level hotel) - which was comfortable and close to the airport train line station but don’t feel the need to do that again.

 

[jase05]

Property: Mercure Mildura
Status: Accor Plus Diamond
Room booked: Standard Queen
Room upgraded/type: Yes, Privilege King with Spa
Rate: Accor Plus Members App, $179p/n
Free internet: Yes
Free Breakfast? No
Early check in/late out: N/A
Welcome drink: 2 mini bottles of Sauvignon Blanc
Welcome gift: Nil

Very short stay on drive to parents, arrived 10pm and left at 7am. Arrived after reception had closed so phone to get code for key safe. Room upgraded to King spa but no other real acknowledgment of status. 2 mini bottles of wine in fridge and that was it. Pretty basic room but comfortable bed, great shower and decent sized room with basic amenities. Decent enough stay and have stayed here previously when I finish work late and drive over to visit my folks.
One more stay at the Pullman Adelaide next weekend and thats another year done. Retained Diamond comfortably for another year and will finish just shy of 32k status points.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Staying at Movenpick Melbourne for 5 nights this coming week. Anybody has any experience on what I can expect as a platinum? They made a pre-arrival call to me yesterday and when I mentioned complementary breakfast for platinums she ummed and ahhed bit. She also mentioned parking is $45 a night which I guess I don't have any other option or will street parking be possible on public holidays/weekends?

I don't think free parking is a perk of Accor Platinum (at least it's not listed here), however free breakfast is a published perk at least in hotels in Asia-Pacific region. Looking at the following website which lists hotels with an executive lounge/complimentary breakfast, this hotel does indeed offer complimentary breakfast for Platinums! One thing to note is that you should have your Platinum card ready (either physical or via the Accor ALL app) in case you are asked to show it. The last hotel I stayed at in Melbourne (Mecure Welcome) asked me to produce that card since their sheet for that date didn't list me as having free breakfast. Remember, if they try charging you just state I'm Accor Platinum and that should be it.

-RooFlyer88

 

[aikman]

I assume that the OP was a cheapskate like I am and would be relying on nights

Indeed I am. I must be one of Accor's least profitable new Platinums. Now that I have reached Platinum I guess I'll have to upgrade to Sofitels and Pullmans in 2024 to see for myself what I have been missing out on.

One thing to note is that you should have your Platinum card ready (either physical or via the Accor ALL app) in case you are asked to show it. The last hotel I stayed at in Melbourne (Mecure Welcome) asked me to produce that card since their sheet for that date didn't list me as having free breakfast.

I take it it is always best to confirm at check in if free breakfast is included instead of simply assuming that it will be.

Lots to remember now when checking in:
- Did I get a room upgrade?
- Where are my welcome drink vouchers?
- Can I get a late checkout tomorrow?
- Do I get free breakfast?

Then enter the room and look for the welcome gift.

This is a lot more fun than airline status.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Indeed I am. I must be one of Accor's least profitable new Platinums. Now that I have reached Platinum I guess I'll have to upgrade to Sofitels and Pullmans in 2024 to see for myself what I have been missing out on.
View attachment 361894

Congratulations on earning Platinum status with so little spend. No doubt you must have stayed at a number of ibis and ibis budget properties in Asia to achieve this feat?

I take it it is always best to confirm at check in if free breakfast is included instead of simply assuming that it will be.

Accor has a website which lists which hotels provide the free breakfast benefit and which hotels provide lounge access:

List of hotels with an Executive Lounge

List of hotels with an Executive Lounge

all.accor.com

Generally, most Accor hotels in Australia will provide free breakfast for Platinum (aside from perhaps ibis budgets). Generally you'll want to know when the breakfast is served, then when you head down to the restaurant tell them your room number and they'll look it up. If they can't find you on the list, tell them you are Platinum trying to use the free breakfast benefit.

Lots to remember now when checking in:
- Did I get a room upgrade?

Sometimes. Usually you'll get a room on the top floor, and a corner room which is further away from elevators.

- Where are my welcome drink vouchers?

That should be given at all properties aside from perhaps ibis budgets anywhere in the world. I must warn you the drinks you can redeem these vouchers for are things like house wines and beer, soft drinks and coffee.

- Can I get a late checkout tomorrow?

Depends where you are requesting. From my experience as a Platinum in Australia, you are lucky if you get anything past noon. In Asia they tend to be more generous (i.e. at the ibis Styles I stayed at in Seoul, 3 PM late checkout was offered without me even asking).

- Do I get free breakfast?

Generally yes. But remember for the free breakfast benefit, that only applies to hotels in Asia-Pacific. Meaning yes, you'll get free breakfast in Japan or Australia, but if you stay at an Accor property in Europe, no such luck.

Then enter the room and look for the welcome gift.

Mixed bag here. I've gotten everything from a couple of bottles of water or a box of cakes to bottles of wine and elaborate fruit platters as a Platinum. Really depends on the property.

This is a lot more fun than airline status.

Yes but airline status has the advantage of benefits applying to partner airlines whereas with hotel status you are stuck with one chain. Accor meets my needs here in Australia but it's absolutely useless in North America. The same cannot be said of my precious Platinum status with QF.

There are a couple of other things to look forward to as a Accor Platinum:

1. Suite Night Upgrade awards which let you book a (relatively) inexpensive standard room at an Accor property like a Sofitel and upgrade it to a suite room. As a Platinum you get 2 suite night upgrades (i.e. you can upgrade 2 nights to Suites). For instance next month I am staying at the Sofitel Melbourne and applied my suite night upgrades to the stay which takes me from a pedestrian superior room up to a Junior Suite which brings about $250 in value for each of those suite night upgrade coupons I used
2. Lounge Access: worldwide at hotels which have executive lounges (excluding Fairmont Gold lounges). Note: these lounges are mainly found at higher end hotels like Sofitels or Pullmans. The lounges provide snacks, light refreshments and sometimes meals (I am told).

 

[austgap]

Property: Movenpick Hobart
Status: Accor Plus Platinum
Room booked: Classic Room with King Bed
Room upgraded/type: Superior Room
Rate: $216/night via Amex GBT
Lounge: N/A
Early check in/late out: Not requested.
Welcome drink: Drink voucher. For a pot of beer
Welcome amenity: Chocolate plate, which had been left in the sun.

Decent hotel in HBA, upgrade was not overly noticeable. Breakfast is à la carte and included some great options, the lobster addition to the eggs benedict was not added to the bill - not sure if just forgetful staff or a plat perk? No barista coffee tax either. Good option with work, for my own $ I'd stay at the ibis in HBA

 

[TheRealTMA]

Interesting. Wanted to book Sofitel Brisbane for Jan 2-3. Logged in connected to local telstra internet and my Stay Plus benefit was not available for the suite I wanted. Connected to a VPN and tried again and low and behold, the Stay Plus benefit was now available to be used. Very strange. Saved $285.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

I've got the Sofitel Melbourne booked next week (Junior Suite upgraded from a Superior room using SNUs) as an Accor+Platinum and have a couple of questions for those who have visited the property:

1. How does check-in work? Do you check in at the lobby or is it like some Sofitel hotels where you check in at the Sofitel lounge as a Platinum?
2. How does the lounge and breakfast work for Platinums? Specifically what is on offer and for the lounge, what are the hours of that?
3. Does Accor provide upgrades to those booked into a suite? For instance, could I get upgraded into a Prestige Suite?

-RooFlyer88

 

[Daver6]

I've got the Sofitel Melbourne booked next week (Junior Suite upgraded from a Superior room using SNUs) as an Accor+Platinum and have a couple of questions for those who have visited the property:

1. How does check-in work? Do you check in at the lobby or is it like some Sofitel hotels where you check in at the Sofitel lounge as a Platinum?
2. How does the lounge and breakfast work for Platinums? Specifically what is on offer and for the lounge, what are the hours of that?
3. Does Accor provide upgrades to those booked into a suite? For instance, could I get upgraded into a Prestige Suite?

-RooFlyer88

You can check-in either the lobby or the lounge. I'd just use the lobby unless you turn up and see a queue. Then just go to level 35. You do need to got down a few steps to enter the lounge, so it's annoying if you have bags.

As a platinum one sits down and puts the food in your mouth. It's how breakfast generally works More seriously, you can eat in the lounge or restaurant. They're next to each other. Lounge breakfast is one of the better ones. I once considered trying the restaurant but there was a queue and I've always enjoy the lounge.

In the past, I've been upgraded from a one above base room to a prestige suite as a platinum. Having said that, I've been a regular there which I think probably played a bigger role.

I really like this hotel. Just a pity it doesn't have a pool.

 

[forevadelayed]

I've got the Sofitel Melbourne booked next week (Junior Suite upgraded from a Superior room using SNUs) as an Accor+Platinum and have a couple of questions for those who have visited the property:

1. How does check-in work? Do you check in at the lobby or is it like some Sofitel hotels where you check in at the Sofitel lounge as a Platinum?
2. How does the lounge and breakfast work for Platinums? Specifically what is on offer and for the lounge, what are the hours of that?
3. Does Accor provide upgrades to those booked into a suite? For instance, could I get upgraded into a Prestige Suite?

-RooFlyer88

Stayed there in December for a stay free night. It's a smashing hotel! They seem to have everything up and running for elite status. I received an email confirming my booking a few days prior to arrival. It detailed what was available at the lounge and was handy to know if you wanted to maximise use of the lounge.
Here is the text below:

We are pleased to confirm that you have booked a Superior Room including Club Sofitel Access for two adults.
The Club Sofitel Lounge is open from 7:00am to 8:00pm daily and you are welcome to access the lounge from 12:00pm on the day of your arrival and have access until 12:00pm on the day of departure.
Personalised express Check-in and Check-out is available within the Club Sofitel Lounge on level 35.
Please find of our operating services and facilities as per below:
1. Breakfast: From 7:00am to 10:30am, Served in the Club Sofitel Lounge daily.
*Please be advised that peak times are 9:00am to 9:30am and we encourage guests to come slightly earlier to avoid this busy period.
2. Le Goûter: From 1:00pm – 3:00pm, Sofitel’s French inspired afternoon tea experience.
3. Canapés: From 5:00pm – 7:00pm, Servings of a selection of alcoholic beverages along with Antipasti, Charcuterie, and Hot Canapés.
4. Sweet Dreams: From 7:00pm – 7:30pm, Selections of sweets along with coffee and tea.
Please note, bringing extra guests for Canapés is subject to availability and incurs a charge of $80 per person. Please confirm with our Club Sofitel team for availability.
5. Car Parking: Valet parking available for $75.00 per vehicle, per night with an unlimited number of entries.
6. Dining in No. 35 Restaurant: Prior reservation is required if you would like to dine in the No.35 Restaurant by sending an email to Restaurant Reservation: [email protected]

Please advise us prior to arrival if you have any dietary requirements.
Please let us know if you have any special requests or require further assistance, we look forward in welcoming you to Sofitel Melbourne On Collins!

From memory the booking said checkin was 3pm. On the day of arrival, we checked in on Level 35 a little earlier than 3pm, had afternoon tea then went to the room. No issues at all. We received an upgrade from standard to superior with a bay view. I was happy enough with that for a stay free night.

Enjoy your stay!

 

[knagelli]

Property: The Sebel Brisbane
Status: Accor Plus Gold
Room booked: One Bed Apartment
Room upgraded/type: Premium One Bed Apartment
Rate: Members rate booked via app ( used one stay plus night)
Lounge: N/A
Early check in/late out: Request 1 PM late checkout and provided.
Welcome drink: Drink voucher.
Welcome amenity: Cheese Platter , with no so great selection of items.

Overall it was an okay stay but couple of things that did not work. One of the additions of premium apartment are balcony access and one of the locks to enter balcony was broken. Also the dishwasher was from stone age which was broken all through the stay and they could not replace it.

I brought this to the attention of the floor manager and was provided with free parking and free breakfast for 3 days in lieu of the above issues.

I am not sure if that is an okay benefit to be provided for missing utilities in the apartment or could the hotel have done more ?

Looking for any feedback/suggestions as we have few more upcoming stays with different accor properties.