Accor hotels charging higher prices when logged in as a member with “complimentary” breakfast due to status

MattA

Active Member
Joined
May 14, 2012
Posts
553
Virgin
Platinum
Anyone seen this before… so I’m currently at the Sofitel Noosa, which is a lovely, if expensive, place to be. At breakfast this morning I was idly checking prices for a potential return stay next year.

I’m Platinum, so “complimentary” breakfast should be included as a status benefit. However, I’m consistently seeing prices around $300-$400 higher for a 7 night stay when logged in vs when not logged in. It’s across all, room types and rates around various dates I’m checking. For example, here’s a rate when I’m not logged in:

IMG_0620.jpeg

Now if I log in, this changes to:

IMG_0619.jpeg
Same dates, same guest numbers, same room type, same payment conditions—this is the cheapest, non refundable rate available to me as a logged in member.

I assume this is a glitch—maybe because I’m looking at dates 12 months out that have only just become available??—but it seems pretty deceptive to me to charge a higher rate for a benefit that is supposedly complimentary. And now I’m questioning whether I’ve previously been unwittingly stung…
 
but it seems pretty deceptive to me to charge a higher rate for a benefit that is supposedly complimentary

Looks like a glitch - the property probably hasn't loaded 'Member ALL' rates that don't include breakfast. The "breakfast included" flag means the rate includes breakfast, regardless of the member's status. It's not directly comparable with the rate you see while logged out.

I would call ALL and try make the booking over the phone and be persistent on receiving the $4579 rate for members that is advertised while you're logged out. You could also try making the booking directly with the property.
 
Also just FYI, below are the Accor Plus rates:

1705970341381.png

You might consider signing up to one of the cheaper Asia Accor Plus memberships. I don't have any Stay Plus certs at the moment so I can't confirm whether you could apply one to this stay - but even a Traveller membership would yield good value.

(table nabbed from this article)
1705970563557.png
 
Looks like a glitch - the property probably hasn't loaded 'Member ALL' rates that don't include breakfast. The "breakfast included" flag means the rate includes breakfast, regardless of the member's status. It's not directly comparable with the rate you see while logged out.
Except… if I log in with Mrs MattA’s (no status) account, I get the same member rate that shows when not logged in:

IMG_0574.jpeg

I’m here for another week so will definitely query with the hotel before we leave if we decide to go ahead.

And thanks for the tip on A+. Will look into that.
 
The SPECIAL RATES check box is checked in your logged in screenshot - may be that is causing the price variation? Not that the variation is justified.
It is, but there’s no way to uncheck it: if you click on it it has the member number in the box at the bottom here (clipped from screenshot), and there’s no way to remove it:

IMG_0575.jpeg
 
Seems like a "glitch" broader than Accor.
Used Agoda to book an independant hotel in Bali.
Not logged in i get a "bronze" level discount of -14%
If I log in using my my "silver" profile get discount of -3%
Same room same benefits
 
I think it's a glitch. Try changing the number of people in the room (e.g. remove the children) to see if it changes.
 
I think it's a glitch. Try changing the number of people in the room (e.g. remove the children) to see if it changes.
Well I don’t think the kids would be too happy if we left them at home, but you’re right: they’re the problem. If I change the booking to 2 adults it comes down to the same as the not logged in “member rate” with the “Breakfast included” box when logged in as a Plat:

IMG_0579.jpeg
 
Seems like a "glitch" broader than Accor.
Used Agoda to book an independant hotel in Bali.
Not logged in i get a "bronze" level discount of -14%
If I log in using my my "silver" profile get discount of -3%
Same room same benefits
Have had the same with booking.com and with rental car companies.
 
I'm noticing something odd. Not seeing the Accor Plus discount applied. Sofitel Singapore.

Not logged in
1705989535432.png

Logged in

1705989564678.png

What do others see for these dates?
 
Well I don’t think the kids would be too happy if we left them at home, but you’re right: they’re the problem. If I change the booking to 2 adults it comes down to the same as the not logged in “member rate” with the “Breakfast included” box when logged in as a Plat:

View attachment 367911
Accor's website is pretty useless with adding kids into bookings, especially infants.

I almost never include the kids in the booking as it often only shows you family rooms and not base rooms, that we perfectly fine when you only have one infant in a porta cot.
 
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Accor's website is pretty useless with adding kids into bookings, especially infants.

I almost never include the kids in the booking as it often only shows you family rooms and not base rooms, that we perfectly fine when you only have one infant in a porta cot.
Yep, although in this case I need to include the children as the Platinum status benefit of breakfast is for the member and registered guests. Following the responses above I ran the search again and can now see in the booking terms that the price difference is specifically listed as a breakfast surcharge for the children.

On the one hand, “thanks to your status, enjoy complimentary breakfast all week… served to all guests”

IMG_0657.jpeg

On the other hand, further down, it says this:
IMG_0664.jpeg

And then there are “mandatory child supplements, automatically added”

IMG_0656.jpeg
I’ve double checked and we definitely weren’t charged this supplement for our current stay (as a Platinum member with both children aged 4-11) and it does not appear to be applied to dummy bookings up to the end of 2024, only on bookings in 2025.

The Accor status benefits do say something about “unless otherwise indicated in the Special Terms of the reservation”:

IMG_0665.jpeg

So it’s not clear whether this is just a mistake or if it’s a new policy at this property. Hopefully a mistake given that it wasn’t seemingly applied to the A+ rates in the post above. I’ll try to find out either way before I leave here.
 
Also just FYI, below are the Accor Plus rates:

View attachment 367878

You might consider signing up to one of the cheaper Asia Accor Plus memberships. I don't have any Stay Plus certs at the moment so I can't confirm whether you could apply one to this stay - but even a Traveller membership would yield good value.

(table nabbed from this article)
View attachment 367884
Hi there, is it possible to switch from a HK accorplus membership which I signed up for April last year, to a Malaysian or Indonesian A+ explorer plus membership? Do I just let my membership lapse without renewing and sign up w the Malaysian/Indonesian membership?
 

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