How does Accor treat you as an Elite guest?

[PineappleSkip]

Stayed at the Sofitel Adelaide once back in September last year, and the three nights were fine, even the lounge wasn't too bad. Burned our suite night upgrades and two fine dinners at Garcon Bleu, enjoyed breakfast. It all went to pieces after we checked out and were credited with three nights, no points, and no tax invoice. Considerable correspondence with various people about the tax invoice and points including someone claiming to be a Guest Services Manager which yielded pieces of an invoice and endless delays and excuses, including something along the lines of "I didn't get back to you [for a week or two] because I was on leave" after "I will manage this personally" a few weeks before. It took about two months to get awarded enough points to maybe cover one of the Garcon Bleu meals. I could have taken it further but didn't need the points or nights to requalify so wrote it off to bitter experience. We won't be back.

Recommendation: Avoid like the plague.

 

[goldenhorn]

As a follow up to this
Le Gouter we received good service and the scones were great but very small selection of offerings.
Went for a swim and came back at 1720 for coughtail hour and place was heaving. Nowhere near enough seats to the point they were going to turn people away. I did remind the manager that as Diamonds I would hope some Plats got moved out to make way for us. Thankfully they managed to find us a table. Later on I saw them opening up the boardroom area as an overflow area to cater for the ones still arriving. Nowhere near the capacity required for the number of status or high level room guests at the hotel.
Had a fire alarm go off at 1830 and started to evacuate but was false alarm and they did extend the hours by 30 minutes as a gesture of goodwill and much appreciated.
Service was very slow though and several people commented on that plus the poor food selection.
After the poor breakfast showing yesterday we thought we would chance our arm at Garçon Bleu this morning. As soon as we exited the lift that’s where the line up started, absolutely full house. Thankfully the restaurant manager noticed us and we skipped the queue. He escorted us to our table and took our coffee order and enquired as to why we weren’t up in the club lounge. Told him about the poor offerings and he did say that had been a common complaint and he had brought it to attention with his superiors. Who knows if it will be addressed. We have another 4 days there in a few weeks time but lounge isn’t open for breakfast during the week so won’t get to see if it has changed

Oh dear. I booked the Sofitel Adelaide for the AFF gathering in October because I'd heard so many good things about the lounge in the Accor Plus FB group. I also have a backup booking at the Pullman, which is $450 cheaper. Sounds like it might not be worth the extra $.

 

[goldenhorn]

Terrible to hear that.
We have stayed there several times albeit the last visit was 2022 and have always found it excellent and their treatment of status holders as exemplary. Always received upgrades to corner suite and the EL had fantastic F&B, they would constantly be around topping up our spirits or wine and a huge selection of food.
Sounds like it it has declined into a shadow of what it once was.
I wasn’t impressed with the Grand Mercure last time but after seeing more recent reviews I might go back there next visit and give it another shot

Yes, it was a big disappointment. In retrospect, we should have let them know we were unhappy with the small room as soon as we saw it and not wait until the next afternoon. An "influencer" checked in at the same time as us and got one of the corner suites

I think a major issue is the overcrowding in the lounge due to so many ppl getting Plat status with subscriptions. They just can't provide a personal service when the lounge is packed. The staff seemed stressed and harried. But we only stayed the one night, so it may have improved on the other nights. We couldn't say.

The Grand Mercure was fantastic, and we didn't regret our decision to leave (even though it cost us an additional $300, plus we lost the $220 from the nights we lost at the Novotel).

The lounge was a peaceful oasis, and all the wonderful staff members from a year ago were still working there and remembered us. coughtails were nice and strong, and the lounge food had improved with some yummy hot food offerings. They seem to have taken on board some of the feedback we had given (and heard others say) from the last. visit Coffee was also fabulous and the best of any hotel we'd had in our travels there.

The old manager, David Coyle, has left the GM and is now managing a Krabi Accor hotel, and there's a new female GM. We didn't get to speak with her, but she was in the lounge with her husband once.

 

[jase05]

Oh dear. I booked the Sofitel Adelaide for the AFF gathering in October because I'd heard so many good things about the lounge in the Accor Plus FB group. I also have a backup booking at the Pullman, which is $450 cheaper. Sounds like it might not be worth the extra $.

We stay 30+ nights per year at the Sofitel Adelaide and 10-15 nights per year at the Pullman Adelaide and the service in the lounge is chalk and cheese.
During the week the Sofitel can be ok but it turns in to a bit of a mess at weekends especially when there are events in town. Feels like they only employ the same number of staff whether it’s midweek in the lounge for half a dozen guests or weekend when the place is 100% capacity. During the week the attention and service is good but on weekends if you don’t go and proactively order drinks you might go thirsty for an hour. Afternoon teas aren’t too bad as the coffee is good and many types of teas plus yummy scones and a small selection of fruits, cheeses, pastries, sandwiches plus a soup and a couple of other warm dishes such as sausage rolls. The coughtail hour offerings have definitely been downgraded and it’s only a similar small selection. Breakfast as mentioned is a massive downgrade in the lounge now and service is poor.
The Pullman has a much smaller lounge but usually 2 or 3 staff on and although the food selection is very basic consisting of two hot snacks such as sausage rolls, arancini balls, spring rolls etc and a small selection of cheeses but your drinks are proactively topped up or new ones poured promptly. No breakfast in lounge anymore though.

 

[goldenhorn]

We stay 30+ nights per year at the Sofitel Adelaide and 10-15 nights per year at the Pullman Adelaide and the service in the lounge is chalk and cheese.
During the week the Sofitel can be ok but it turns in to a bit of a mess at weekends especially when there are events in town. Feels like they only employ the same number of staff whether it’s midweek in the lounge for half a dozen guests or weekend when the place is 100% capacity. During the week the attention and service is good but on weekends if you don’t go and proactively order drinks you might go thirsty for an hour. Afternoon teas aren’t too bad as the coffee is good and many types of teas plus yummy scones and a small selection of fruits, cheeses, pastries, sandwiches plus a soup and a couple of other warm dishes such as sausage rolls. The coughtail hour offerings have definitely been downgraded and it’s only a similar small selection. Breakfast as mentioned is a massive downgrade in the lounge now and service is poor.
The Pullman has a much smaller lounge but usually 2 or 3 staff on and although the food selection is very basic consisting of two hot snacks such as sausage rolls, arancini balls, spring rolls etc and a small selection of cheeses but your drinks are proactively topped up or new ones poured promptly. No breakfast in lounge anymore though.

Thanks for the information. That's very helpful. I'll always prefer a place that proactively tops up your drinks, especially if it saves me $450.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Property: The Brighton Hotel Sydney, M Gallery Collection.
Status: Accor+ Explorer Platinum
Room booked: Superior Room 2x Queen City View
Room upgraded/type: Yes
Rate: ALL Accor+ Explorer - 15% OFF STAY LONGER AND SAVE RATE $416/night
Early check in/late out: Early check in not required. Late check out declined.
Free internet: Yes
Free breakfast: Yes. Coffee tax applies.
Welcome drink: Yes, valid for tap beer and house wine. Accepted at pool bar.
Welcome amenity: The usual De Bortoli red and fruit plate.
Recommend: No, unless you want the Ibiza / Greek islands vibe.

Was emailed by the guest relations manager a few days before the stay and was asked to call her. Email said they no longer call status guests because very few answer unknown number.

When we spoke she offered a damned if you do, damned if you don’t upgrade choice.

On offer was an ocean view room. But she also warned that there would be a DJ on the pool deck to midnight Friday & Saturday and to 10pm Sunday. The city view rooms would be unlikely to hear the DJ, but ocean view rooms would.

We took the upgrade and packed earplugs.

The DJ is ongoing and wasn’t a holiday once-off. Ned to the main book the have some smaller plunge pools and a fancy bar “the beach club”. They are clearly going for the Ibiza / Greek islands vibe and it was packed with people. No issues with the economy here.

“Beach Club” on a Sunday night around 9:45pm as seen from our room.



I’ll keep the rest brief:

Pros

• Nice refurb since switching from Novotel
• Upgrade in terms of the room was generous. Large room, semi-separate lounge.
• Large bathroom separate short and bath
• Website says Accor plus not accepted, however is accepted at the street side bar.
• Breakfast was above average for a mid-tier Accor, noting the one issue below.

Cons

• Soft service was poor throughout the hotel.
• One of the “clean” towels when we checked in had a large brown stain on it. The bath towels were rolled and placed on a shelf so it should have been easily spotted by housekeeping.
• Housekeeping left dirty cups and glasses, did not replenish tea/cofffee/sugar and did not remove pool towels from the bathroom.
• Cold breakfast items inc salmon, cheeses, ham etc were on a table at the breakfast buffet not in a chilled section, nor resting on ice.
• Breakfast coffee tax applies if you don’t want to queue for the one and only auto coffee machine.
• No amenities provided at the bath. You have to get out and walk to the shower for body wash etc.
• Bathroom had just one towel rail in a room that could accommodate six.

Room:









This is as far as the cupboard will open due to the bed placement:



“That towel”:


The view:



Bathroom amenities inaccessible from the bath.