Accor Gold Membership

[Keith009]

I got a call from Accor this morning trying to hard sell me into buying the membership for A$279. Apparently it's only sold by referral, and a mate of mine bought the membership yesterday and gave them my contact details (she gets a wine voucher in exchange apparently). :-|

Anyway it did seem like a good deal if you're going to stay/dine with Accor a lot in Asia Pacific. Can't remember exactly some of what the woman said now, as she spoke at 300 miles per hour. But it's A$279 for a one year's membership, and you get a free night anywhere in Asia Pacific, big discounts on room rates, discounted food at Accor hotel restaurants, and so forth.

I didn't take her up on the membership, even though she was pretty persuasive. So I did kinda waste her time , but I also did tell her very early in the convo that I'm a Starwood loyalist (with a good few other chains as contingencies) so the Accor card isn't going to do me any good and I believe my mate did warn her about how particular I am - so I don't feel too bad about turning her down I guess. :-|

 

[oz_mark]

Most of the chains have similar schemes all with their own variations on the theme. You'll find there are people on here that are members of the Accor program, the Hilton program (Premium), the ICH (Priority Privilege) and Starwood schemes. (I know Hyatt, Stamford, Rendezvous etc have schemes but don't know of any members). They can be worthwhile for some people.

I don't know that the Accor one is really by referal, but their sales people seem to have ambitous targets to sign people up.

 

[Keith009]

I once thought about joining the Starwood equivalent. But then I figured that I don't dine enough at hotel restaurants to make full use of it even when actually staying at hotels.

 

[oz_mark]

I once thought about joining the Starwood equivalent. But then I figured that I don't dine enough at hotel restaurants to make full use of it even when actually staying at hotels.

In this lies one of the problems I have. If I ate at the hotels I'd get much more value - but I tend not too!

 

[serfty]

How is this different to Accor Advantage + ?

 

[oz_mark]

How is this different to Accor Advantage + ?

I assumed it was (although the name of the program eluded me when I wrote my reply earlier)

 

[Keith009]

How is this different to Accor Advantage + ?

It was sold to me as "would you like a Gold membership card from Accor hotels?"

After you mentioned it I looked up Accor Advantage Plus and the program does look identical.

I did try to end the convo by saying that I'd ponder over it, look up details on the internet and join up some other time. So she lied when she mentioned that one can only join the program by referral and during the phone convo? :evil:

 

[winetraveller]

My PA signed me up for this. She asked repeatedly if the offer covered Europe and North America, as this is where I spend most of my time, and was told it did, obviously to discover that it didn't.

They cancelled no problem, but I just hate these things being pushed. Accor isn't much good to me in the US, although I do like Sofitels when in Europe.

 

[serfty]

I have used this in Oz/NZ/SE A for the discounts for the last 5 years.

I do have enough stays to justify it.

 

[oz_mark]

It was sold to me as "would you like a Gold membership card from Accor hotels?"

After you mentioned it I looked up Accor Advantage Plus and the program does look identical.

I did try to end the convo by saying that I'd ponder over it, look up details on the internet and join up some other time. So she lied when she mentioned that one can only join the program by referral and during the phone convo? :evil:

The sales people (of this and other chains cards) seem to have some failry ambitious sales taregts, and in my experience step over the line between marketing spin and mishandling the truth. They certainly do refer to it as the gold card when they are trying to sell it (and PP do talk about the silver card when they are selling).

One year I had a call a few weeks before my birthday, offering me a special 'birthday deal'. This, of course, was no different to the deal that one could nomrally get.

I have used this in Oz/NZ/SE A for the discounts for the last 5 years.

I do have enough stays to justify it.

I've had the card, but I would describe it more as a break even situation for me. It is quite an individual thing as to whether it is worthwhile.

What I do find interesting is that Rydges go some way to providing the benefits of some of these 'pay for' cards in their free program (No, not the free night, but some of the discounts)

 

[codash1099]

Are the room rate discounts offered by these schemes any better than those you can get by normal internet booking?

 

[MAX_1]

Are the room rate discounts offered by these schemes any better than those you can get by normal internet booking?

My experience with Starwood Card is no. I checked one of the internet hotel sites for a room in Sydney and then called Starwood to use a "half price" offer only to find it was dearer. So the only use I had was to dine at their facilities to get the 2 for 1 offer. In reality if the card cost $250 and you dine 10 times in a year ( which I didn't ) then the 2 for 1 is really 1 at full price and one at $25. Simple arithmetic for me.......forget the card , stay where I want and dine where I want , and its still cheaper.

 

[Skoogle]

Are the room rate discounts offered by these schemes any better than those you can get by normal internet booking?

I have found in general that membership offers cheaper rate, except where they run a special like a 2 night package.

As with all of these memberships, you need to exploit every avenue to get the most benefit.

 

[oz_mark]

I have found in general that membership offers cheaper rate, except where they run a special like a 2 night package.

As with all of these memberships, you need to exploit every avenue to get the most benefit.

My experience is that the 10% or 20% (depending on package - Advantage Plus is 10%) off part of the deal generally does give some benefit over not having the membership.

You are right, the benefits mostly accrue if yo8u use all the discount features and/or freebies available to you. In the case of Accor, the free night can make up a large portion of the cost of the card.

 

[ric_melb]

Just signed up for my third year in Accor Advantage Plus. Initially I was lukewarm as to the benefits, but now am quite enthusiastic.
One advantage is the larger number of hotels they have in Australia, compared to other chains such as Starwood.

The benefits of the package are:

One free night at an Accor hotel in Asia Pacific. (This can almost pay for
your membership fee).

Dining program. Two people eat, one eats free. Food only.

Discounts on accommodation. For members signing up prior to December 2006, this is 50% off rack rate, or 15% off best unrestricted public rate.
For members joining now it is 15% off best unrestricted public rate.

I have found the discounts to beat internet rates.
For example a room at the Sofitel Melbourne for 11 November is $250 with my discount, or $295 on Wotif.

Program is Accor Advantage Plus - Card just happens to be Gold

Up to each individual to value the package but seems to work for me.

 

[Ric]

I also did signed up for the Accor Advantage +. Mainly, I concluded that the one night free stay would almost give me back what I paid for.......similar to the Plat Amex free domestic flights!

I also find that the card gives a slightly better rate when using online booking compared to a few other internet booking sites.

And of course I join this in Asia (using an asian address) which is cheaper that the joining rate in Oz!

 

[Therma]

I absolutely refuse to stay in Accor hotels if I can help it. In the last few years I have stayed in:
Sofitel Ho Chi Min
Sofitel Hanoi
Sofitel BKK
Novotel BKK
Novotel Bali
Novotel Beijing
Grand Mercure Singapore (6 stays in 3 months)

Do you think these scumbags ever had the courtesy to actually credit me ANY QF or SQ points? Not a single one. Either they had an excuse (corporate rates!) or swore they will credit them any day now (in case of Grand Mercure). Letters to Accor went unanswered. Now that I can choose my own hotels, I will not stay there on matter of principle. And as for coughing up for a "Gold" card when other hotels have free loyalty programmes where you can earn a status! Of course since they never credit miles, I would probaby never reach any status with them anyway. I do not care if it affords extra benefits. I cannot claim it and it ties me in with a dishonest corporate entity.:evil:

 

[serfty]

I found the best way to get QFF points for eligible Accor stays, is to wait 1 to 2 months for the first ans subsequent QFF statement missing the points credit and send an email/fax with copies of the Hotel statements(s). Points normally appeared in about 3 weeks.

I've been an Adv+ member for the last 5 years. Discounted stays are supposed to be ineligible for QFF points, fair enough. However, every so often one of these ineligible stays credits to QFF 'out of the blue'.

As far as value goes; I tend to get it with the free night - last year @ ZQN Sofitel; Cehapest rate I saw for the date I stayed was NZD280+++.

 

[albatross710]

Two weeks ago we stayed at Novotel Twin Waters on the Sunshine Coast. Althought I'm not Advantage Plus member I did notice a sign at the main resort restaurant which said

"Advantage Plus Discount not applicable in this restaurant".
​

I'd hope that the discount wouldn't be at the descretion of the hotel. No doubt covered in the fine print.

 

[serfty]

That's been the case for Saturday Nights as long as I can remember; Lily's is a nice restaurant it is sitting over the logoon.

There's been similar exemption for other places as well. Here is a list:

• Participating Hotels & Restaurants Guide