ALL Accor+ Explorer Membership Discussion

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Yes, I think Seat0B is correct.

I'm currently Platinum with Accor Plus September expiry and 14 status nights this calendar year. I was going to rely on the old December formula to keep Platinum to end 2026.

As best as I understand If I renew in September, then the 30 bonus status nights will accrue on 1 October (so 44 status nights). A few comments are indicating upon renewal on 30 September 2025, I should get Platinum under the old December rule (to 30 September 2026?) but the text quoted by Seat0B really creates doubt:

"Status will be assessed each year on 31 December..."

In my case on 31/12/25 I will likely be 44 status nights.

Have I got something wrong in my reading? It actually leads me to the conclusion not to renew Accor Plus at all, until I plan to dine a few nights or try to take advantage of RedHotRooms or something similar..

Just by way of update, I asked Accor how it would operate in my situation. They have responded today.

If I renewed, Platinum will be retained until 31/12/25. Then revert to Gold after that.

The inference is if I did not renew, Platinum will be retained until 31/12/25. Then revert to Silver after that.

 

[Anjuru]

It still seems unknown what happens to everyone who stacked status nights from Accor plus China. T&cs state that if a member hits a platinum on year n-1, they retain plat until end of year n. But if the max. 30 nights is taken into account on Dec 31, those additional bonus night would not be counted. Would seem a bit strange to downgrade status like that though.

 

[aikman]

Just by way of update, I asked Accor how it would operate in my situation. They have responded today.

If I renewed, Platinum will be retained until 31/12/25. Then revert to Gold after that.

The inference is if I did not renew, Platinum will be retained until 31/12/25. Then revert to Silver after that.

This contradicts a couple of existing rules which makes me think that Accor Plus help desk staff aren't sure themselves of what is going to happen.

 

[Flyerwin]

Accor helpdesk right now...

 

[serfty]

This contradicts a couple of existing rules which makes me think that Accor Plus help desk staff aren't sure themselves of what is going to happen.

I agree with that.

Under the new rules, if you qualify a status after October 1st this year, you'd have that status at least until the end of next year.

last year I may not have qualified Platinum under the new rules. I had 20 bonus nights from Accor+ and 30 bonus nights from a three night promo in May. That gave me 50 bonus nights and with the dozen or so butt in bed (BiB) nights, I totaled over the required 60 "nights".

From October 1st the rules change and possibly the maximum bonus nights I could accumulate to be evaluated for status will be just 30; if that is the case not all of those 50 bonus nights would be taken into account. That is, if the the same situation had happened this year, it's possible I'd end up with a night tally of the mid 40's.

I'm in the position with the changes where I can cut out all the grey areas. My Plus membership expires at the end of September and by that time I'll have over thirty BiB nights. So with renewal of Plus in October, the 30 night bonus credit will get me to over the 60 needed for Platinum. That will remain, as per the published terms, at least until the end of 2026.

Note the promotion last year worked well for Accor in my case, as since being given Platinum last year I have redirected stays to Accor properties where possible due to the benefits I'd otherwise not have had.

 

[oz_mark]

Under the new rules, if you qualify a status after October 1st this year, you'd have that status at least until the end of next year.

last year I may not have qualified Platinum under the new rules. I had 20 bonus nights from Accor+ and 30 bonus nights from a three night promo in May. That gave me 50 bonus nights and with the dozen or so butt in bed (BiB) nights, I totaled over the required 60 "nights".

From October 1st the rules change and possibly the maximum bonus nights I could accumulate to be evaluated for status will be just 30; if that is the case not all of those 50 bonus nights would be taken into account. That is, if the the same situation had happened this year, it's possible I'd end up with a night tally of the mid 40's.

They may have all counted. The 30 cap is on nights awarded as part of a subscription. Any nights awards as part of a fast-track or similar will all count. See here: https://help.accorplus.com/hc/en-au...ubscriptions-do-I-get-status-nights-from-each

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Overall, I would argue that for the most part the recently announced changes to the Accor Plus program are a net positive to the program.

For one thing you get a discount that applies across the globe, not just in Asia Pacific properties which can be great if you are visiting Europe. This has been a sore point for many here, as we are precluded from signing up for the voyager program to get said discount.

Second, you get 10 extra nights credited to your account which can make it that much easier to get to Platinum (now you need 30 nights instead of 60), which I think most Accor connoisseurs would agree is the status level to attain.

Third, the elimination of the Stay Plus benefit with the 2 buy one get one free voucher is in my mind a net positive. Anyone who has ever used a Stay Plus certificate will tell you the challenge it can be finding a hotel to use those certificates at. For instance, I tended to use the StayPlus at the Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour and would need to book 6-8 months out for any chance of finding availability. I suspect (although I could be mistaken) that these new vouchers can be applied to any property at any time, meaning that I wouldn't have an issue booking a weekend stay at the Sofitel at any time (ideally during a Red Hot Room sale). I would rather have a couple of BOGO coupons I know I can use than one where it is a struggle to get good value from it.

Lastly, the change on the discount on dining is mixed. Under the old system, yes having dinner with your partner was always a great deal with the 50% discount. However, if you were dining by yourself or were dining with several people you are likely better off under the new system. Certainly this new system is easier to understand than the old one where you need a degree in Applied Math to figure out what the discount would be at various group sizes.

Will there be some people negatively impacted by the change? Absolutely! If you are the type of cheapskate who bought Accor+ just for the dining discount with your partner and to use the StayPlus at a super expensive hotel, then you are absolutely losing out on those changes. But I suspect Accor has done their research and realize this impacts a tiny fraction of their clientele.

-RooFlyer88

 

[GrahamBRI]

Absolutely! If you are the type of cheapskate who bought Accor+ just for the dining discount with your partner and to use the StayPlus at a super expensive hotel, then you are absolutely losing out on those changes. But I suspect Accor has done their research and realize this impacts a tiny fraction of their clientele.

A bit tough on your summary of us cheapskates here . We use the StayPlus for one night in-transit stays at premium hotels staying the free standard room......... All our multiple day, holiday stays though, are in premium suite rooms (with lounge access where available). As I understand it the new buy one get one vouchers, cannot be used for these suites, so they are junk for us - not usable for intransit or for our holidays (unless we downgraded our room preference). The extra 10 nights not much value to us either, as we cannot stay in premium suites for 30 days a year. We have only ever got our higher status from our high spend on suites, so extra nights also junk.

 

[SYD]

Bit of a Newbie question (as someone who’s finally signed up to A+). What is the actually constraint on checking stay plus availability? The explanation here is a little vague.

B

Thread 'Check Accor Plus free night availability'

Aug 19, 2019

Accor Members can make requests in this thread for other members with an active Stay Plus to check availability for use.

---

Is there a way to check availability for the Accor Plus Stay Plus (free night) while currently holding a reservation for the same? It seems to disqualify you from searching for potential better options before it's used.

• bernardblack
• Replies: 526
• Forum: Accor Hotels | ALL

I assume if you’ve used a stay plus for a future booking you can’t then check if there’s a better deal elsewhere or at the same place?

If I have an existing non-stay plus booking in the system I can still check if the stay plus is a better deal (which seems to be what I can see)? Or am I missing something?

 

[muppet]

Bit of a Newbie question (as someone who’s finally signed up to A+). What is the actually constraint on checking stay plus availability?

The only way to check if a Stay Plus night is available is by attempting to redeem one. Once you redeem it for a future booking, you can no longer attempt to redeem it for another booking.

So say you redeemed it for a night that would cost $400 and you have a new booking that will cost $600, there’s no way to check if you should cancel and redeem it for the new booking instead.

 

[Flyerwin]

Second, you get 10 extra nights credited to your account which can make it that much easier to get to Platinum (now you need 30 nights instead of 60), which I think most Accor connoisseurs would agree is the status level to attain.

The problem is they cap it at 30 max for “free status nights” so you can no longer stack other programs like Accor China to get up to the 60 nights.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

A bit tough on your summary of us cheapskates here . We use the StayPlus for one night in-transit stays at premium hotels staying the free standard room.........

Yes but that assumes that there is availability at the property you are interested in to use the StayPlus certificate. While that may be easier to do with something like a Movenpick, for certain properties like again the Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour it was very tricky indeed. For instance, we have a whole thread on Australian Frequent Flyer where would be Accor+ members could ask members to check if there is availability.

One other thing to consider, and perhaps I am somewhat being a broken record here, is that you get 15% discount on Accor hotels around the world now. So if you are travelling a lot (particularly to Europe) you've now got the opportunity to save even more at Accor.

All our multiple day, holiday stays though, are in premium suite rooms (with lounge access where available). As I understand it the new buy one get one vouchers, cannot be used for these suites, so they are junk for us - not usable for intransit or for our holidays (unless we downgraded our room preference).

You are correct that the Stay Plus coupons (if we can call them that) can be used for a standard room booking. However, just as is the case with the current Stay Plus program, some hotels will allow you to book into a premium suite room for a small supplement (per the T&C's). Interestingly, and something I haven't seen anyone discuss thus far is some hotels may require a stay of 3 nights to use the certificate.

Again, what will matter at the end of the day is how this is implemented. If I can look for a stay at the Sofitel Sydney Harbour and book one right away without having to check months in advance, I would see that as a win.

The extra 10 nights not much value to us either, as we cannot stay in premium suites for 30 days a year. We have only ever got our higher status from our high spend on suites, so extra nights also junk.

The problem is they cap it at 30 max for “free status nights” so you can no longer stack other programs like Accor China to get up to the 60 nights.

I would make the argument, and perhaps I am the outlier in this thread, that the people who benefit from an elite status like Accor Platinum are people who stay regularly at Accor properties. What benefit is there in holding Platinum status if you only spend 5 or 7 nights a year at Accor? This year, I am on track to stay between 30 to 40 nights at Accor properties and have gotten decent value from the program both in Asia Pacific and now in Europe. The only reason I could see for pursuing Accor Platinum status if you don't stay regularly at Accor hotels would be the Qatar Gold (OneWorld Sapphire) status match.

Bit of a Newbie question (as someone who’s finally signed up to A+). What is the actually constraint on checking stay plus availability? The explanation here is a little vague.

Basically the hotel needs to open up availability for StayPlus stays. It is all completely at the discretion of the hotel and not transparent in anyway. For some properties it may not be much of an issue (ibis Budget Sydney Olympic Park), but for more highly coveted properties such as the aforementioned Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour it can be a challenge.

I assume if you’ve used a stay plus for a future booking you can’t then check if there’s a better deal elsewhere or at the same place?

If I have an existing non-stay plus booking in the system I can still check if the stay plus is a better deal (which seems to be what I can see)? Or am I missing something?

The StayPlus system as it currently stands offers fully refundable bookings. So in theory yes if you found a cheaper rate or no longer needed the stay you could cancel and get your StayPlus credit back (indeed I did that back in 2022). As for the other way around, you would need to check if there is StayPlus availability, and provided you have a fully refundable cash booking, could cancel out the booking then use the StayPlus credit to make the booking. How this works on the new system remains to be seen.

 

[comehither]

I think it's a huge positive to remove the hacks to get Platinum

 

[ksthommo]

Going to miss the Platinum Status earned back in 2015, and has continued on since
thanks to Accor Plus renewals.

 

[SYD]

Going to miss the Platinum Status earned back in 2015, and has continued on since
thanks to Accor Plus renewals.

They’re following IHG closing the AB hack for continuous Diamond… But you can still get continuous IHG Plat if you pay the annual fee.

Basically the hotel needs to open up availability for StayPlus stays. It is all completely at the discretion of the hotel and not transparent in anyway. For some properties it may not be much of an issue (ibis Budget Sydney Olympic Park), but for more highly coveted properties such as the aforementioned Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour it can be a challenge.

The StayPlus system as it currently stands offers fully refundable bookings. So in theory yes if you found a cheaper rate or no longer needed the stay you could cancel and get your StayPlus credit back (indeed I did that back in 2022).

You didn’t actually answer my question. From what I gather and confirmed by @muppet above, you can’t currently search for a Stay+ if you have used your single allowance for a future booking. Hence the other thread requesting others to check availability.

As for the other way around, you would need to check if there is StayPlus availability, and provided you have a fully refundable cash booking, could cancel out the booking then use the StayPlus credit to make the booking.

As far as I can see, this is possible and I’m pondering doing it - albeit for an Ibis! Mainly because I booked it while I had ALL Ibis (15% discount on a Flex B&B rate booked months ago and I’m now concerned they’ll quiz me a checkin given there’s no active ALL Ibis subscription - SYD+1 had that issue at the same hotel 2yrs ago).

How this works on the new system remains to be seen.

Probably no different to now if you have an existing Flex booking.

If I’m booking months out, I rarely book non-Flex - not just for the obvious reasons ie plans can change. But a Flex rate 6+ mths out is probably still cheaper than a non Flex rate 1 or 2 mths out (other than if you luck in with a good Sale promo - which I’m hoping for!).

 

[jase05]

For one thing you get a discount that applies across the globe, not just in Asia Pacific properties which can be great if you are visiting Europe. This has been a sore point for many here, as we are precluded from signing up for the voyager program to get said discount.

Yes, that is absolutely handy for stays worldwide.
Be nice if Europe had more decent properties though

 

[markis10]

Watch out folks, gamification is next according to the view from the top:

Exclusive: how Accor is repositioning travel subscription to tap into $2 trillion opportunity - Hotel Management

Accor Plus CEO Emilie Couton introduces a revamped loyalty subscription set to take effect in October.

www.hotelmanagement.com.au

 

[RooFlyer]

Watch out folks, gamification is next according to the view from the top:

Well, good luck to them on that. Sounds like an early veering away from being a hotel to being some sort of, well, not hotel.

And with comments like this

Our Accor Plus members seek value, yes, but more than that, they’re seeking meaning.

I guess they’re trying to be an alternative to religion or spirituality..

 

[comehither]

Don't you think 450K members is pretty incredible?

 

[oz_mark]

The StayPlus system as it currently stands offers fully refundable bookings. So in theory yes if you found a cheaper rate or no longer needed the stay you could cancel and get your StayPlus credit back (indeed I did that back in 2022). As for the other way around, you would need to check if there is StayPlus availability, and provided you have a fully refundable cash booking, could cancel out the booking then use the StayPlus credit to make the booking. How this works on the new system remains to be seen.

This is not completely true. If a Stay Plus is booked as a standalone night, then yes it is cancellable, and you get your Stay Plus back
However, if you book it with a non-refundable rate (such as, for example, a Red Hot Room), the free night takes on the conditions of the paid night. That is in the existing rules (section 5.3(d)).