How does Accor treat you as an Elite guest?

[RB001]

Anyone experienced the Clarence Hotel in Sydney since the refurb a couple years back? Not on the radar for lounge/bar experience but markets itself as a small boutique hotel and wondering how quirky it could possibly be.

I stayed there early enough to have a single digit folio when checking out.
I've been meaning to go back to see how it's coming along - back then, the rooms were done, but some of the public areas were still under (re) construction.
The room was functional - everything had its place. At the time, breakfast (for Platinum self) was a card to be used at the Novotel City Centre. Welcome gift was to take a couple of drinks from the mini bar. I would expect both of these might be better managed now.
I found the sofa a bit shallow and firm for proper relaxing, and the windows seemed rather original insulation-wise - quite a bit of street noise came in, but it's not the busiest part of town, particularly the midweek night I stayed.

 

[million_thanas1968]

Property: Sofitel Harbin
Status: Explorer+ Platinum
Room booked: PRESTIGE SUITE CLUB SOFITEL
Room upgraded/type: No
Rate: A$460/night
Early check in/late out: Offered but not required.
Free internet: Yes.
Welcome drink: Yes
Welcome amenity: Wine bottle
Notes: +1 guest to the booking, paid for rollaway bed but given complimentary breakfast for 3. Club Millésime is quite small. The hotel is 20 mins from the city centre and is next to a Wanda mall, sharing the same management. Would recommend the non-Accor chains nearer to the CBD instead.

Property: Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra
Status: Explorer+ Platinum
Room booked: Superior Room
Room upgraded/type: +1 category to Luxury Room
Rate: A$338/night booked through Amex FHR
Early check in/late out: Not required
Free internet: Yes.
Welcome drink: Yes
Welcome amenity: Fruits, sweets, Aqua Panna, scarf and more.
Notes: Very hospitable. Felt very seen and taken care of.

Property: Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort
Status: Explorer+ Platinum
Room booked: Luxury Room
Room upgraded/type: +2 category to Junior Suite
Rate: A$600/night
Early check in/late out: Not required
Free internet: Yes.
Welcome drink: Yes
Welcome amenity: Fruits, sweets, more Aqua Panna, another scarf
Notes: Quite a busy hotel. Alacarte breakfast at the Club is impeccable. The managers were very happy to stop for a chat. Paid roughly A$250 for one way airport transfer in a Hyundai Staria.

Property: Fairmont Hanoi
Status: Explorer+ Platinum
Room booked: Fairmont King
Room upgraded/type: +2 category to Junior Suite
Rate: A$380/night
Early check in/late out: Not required
Free internet: Yes.
Welcome drink: Yes
Welcome amenity: chocolates and coconut water
Notes: Stayed just before the grand opening back in February. Paid A$280 for return transport to the airport in a 5 series. The property was still undergoing final touchup and you could smell the plaster everywhere. During the short stay the staff were very proactive and on point. Upon my departure I left a glowing review to which the GM responded to in a short period of time. He seemed very passionate about the staff behaviour and service provided and was keen to invite me back when they were properly up and running.

Property: Fairmont Singapore
Status: Explorer+ Platinum
Room booked: Fairmont Gold Marina Bay King
Room upgraded/type: None. Hotel policy is 'ALL suite upgrade program is limited up to Signature King Suite or Signature Salon King Suite.'
Rate: A$900/night
Early check in/late out: Not required
Free internet: Yes.
Welcome drink: Yes
Welcome amenity: A large chocolate fudge cake and Japanese grapes
Notes: The check in process seemed very cold, quick and not like a Fairmont. Apart from that, the views and dining in the lounge were wonderful and the staff up there were lovely.

Property: Sofitel Adelaide
Status: Explorer+ Platinum
Room booked: Superior Room
Room upgraded/type: None.
Rate: A$450/night
Early check in/late out: Requested, not available
Free internet: Yes.
Welcome drink: Yes
Welcome amenity: A bottle of wine.
Notes: Not a Sofitel worthy experience. Noisy at night, lounge is understaffed and the location is not the best. We had to wait a good while during happy hour in the lounge before someone was able to serve us. Lovely sunset views of the airport from our room.

Property: Novotel Sydney Parramatta
Status: Explorer+ Platinum
Room booked: Executive Suite
Room upgraded/type: None
Rate: A$250/night
Early check in/late out: Not required
Free internet: Yes
Welcome drink: Yes
Welcome amenity: Wine, chocolates, snacks
Notes: It is a Novotel and it is in Parramatta. Better welcome amenities than Sofitel Adelaide.

 

[nancypants]

(Possible rant warning)

Is anyone struggling a bit with elite treatment?
I generally don’t ask for much but finding especially in more developed countries the treatment is quite poor at times

Today’s case in point- trying to check in at the Novotel Darwin CBD. I stay here often and they are usually reasonable although regular missteps like the wrong amenity (which matters not since I generally don’t bother with it)

For today’s stay, I emailed in advance and requested in advance an early check in- I rarely ask for this or a late check out but it would have been really appreciated. In the event I arrived roughly on time. My room is not ready “it’s been cleaned but hasn’t been checked”- checked for what? Oh but I can have a late check out and free breakfast- after I’ve explained the reason I’m asking for an early check in is I’ll be leaving in the small hours of the morning

Do I need to downgrade my expectations??

ETA: 10 minutes after I got into the room, someone from housekeeping let themselves in to look for some lost property (aargh!). Then hung around for 5 minutes looking around

 

[RooFlyer]

Is anyone struggling a bit with elite treatment?

Yes. Latest example. I’ve just made Diamond and have proudly booked the Sofitel in Adelaide coming up.

Got an email from them with the usual what can we do for you and click on this link for services etc to enhance (!) your stay.

Wherein they laid out the charges for early check-in, late checkout ($100), the charge for breakfast and all the other stuff that I entitled to get for free if available. I know they wouldn’t charge me when I’m there but is it really that difficult to match an email with status?

I made the point about laying out charges for things that I wouldn’t be charged for, in a chat they opened up. I anlso asked for my usual quiet room etc. I was looking at the chat for a reply but they emailed me, acknowledging my room request but funnily enough, not the other.

 

[FlyingFiona]

Property: Mercure, La Trobe St Melbourne
Status: Explorer+ Gold
Room booked: Superior Room
Room upgraded/type: +1 category to Executive Room
Rate: A$180/night including breakfast
Early check in/late out: Early check in requested for 11.30am and granted at 11am
Free internet: Yes.
Welcome drink: Yes
Welcome amenity: Chocolate block
Notes: After reading a previous guest's recommendations, I had requested a room away from the lifts and was then upgraded to a room right beside the lifts. I thought I'd give it a go seeing as I couldn't hear the lift when I was in the room during the day and it was fine, I didn't hear a peep the whole stay. I like the location of this hotel for access to Southern Cross Station, the Vic Market, and St Mary's West Melbourne and the relative quietness of the street in terms of foot traffic. What I was very unimpressed with was the table & chairs set up. There's an uncomfortable bench kind of seat (which was also full of dirt and clearly hadn't ever been cleaned properly despite being made up of individual rolls squished together - so extrememly easy to pull apart and put back together for cleaning) and another seat with a curved back/arm rest. Neither were at the right height to work at the table, and the moveable chair was so heavy I nearly did my back in trying to manouver it closer to the table. From the looks of it in the photos all the rooms have those chairs and so if you are wanting to work from a table in your room at this hotel, forget it. It was sufficiently usless for working on anything other than my lap propped up in bed that I'd not return if I had to work while I was staying. (I always think buffet breakfasts are ordinary and this was no exception. There's a Lune bakery a block and a half away - go there instead.)

 

[PineappleSkip]

they laid out the charges for early check-in, late checkout ($100), the charge for breakfast and all the other stuff that I entitled to get for free if available. I know they wouldn’t charge me when I’m there but is it really that difficult to match an email with status?

I thought that was standard practice. I get these regularly from numerous hotels and assumed it was a bait for suckers. Suspect it falls afoul of the ACL offering to get people to pay for something that is free to them anyway.

What is putting bees in my bonnet is nagging pre checkin emails demanding aspects of my life history when I know they already have that detail on file from numerous past stays. I received this last time I failed to respond to checkin demands at Brisbane Airport Pullman

Important! Second reminder - Hello Pineapple Skip your booking in Pullman Brisbane Airport…

 

[Stealthflyer]

Hotel: Novotel Devonport
Status: Explorer+ Gold
Room upgraded to a river view room.
Rate: $156
Welcome drink: Yes
Welcome amenity: three biscuits on a plate and a handwritten card
Notes: Central location in one of my least favourite Tasmanian towns. When I got to the bar it was happy hour and the welcome drink wine list looked pretty ordinary so I took advantage of the $10 Tasmanian wines on the happy hour list instead. The vast room was very comfortable with nice views. The staff were exceptionally polite and friendly. The hotel’s paid parking wasn’t cheap, but on-street parking outside is free from Saturday 2pm- Monday 8am, so good for a weekend visit. Breakfast buffet was $35 and I’m not a big breakfast eater so I went for one of their “grab and go” breakfasts for $12 (no membership discount), which at least included barista coffee (unlike the buffet). Unfortunately, the toastie was terrible. They put a third piece of bread in the middle of the toastie so the central cheese and relish was fridge cold. So bizarre. Should have gone to Banjos instead. Will definitely stay here again next time I have a Devonport commitment, but I’ll skip the breakfast.


Hotel: Mercure Sydney Paramatta
Rate: $195/night
Upgrade: yes, to a room with two double beds (not sure what a solo traveller can do with two beds though)
Welcome drink: Yes
Welcome amenity: half bottle of wine and some bushwalking-style snacks
Notes: stayed at the Mercure due to its proximity to a conference at Rosehill nearby. There’s no other reason to stay there. It’s a hotel that hasn’t seen any love for a long time and the staff are super grumpy. Room overlooked the highway and vast McDonalds carpark. It was pretty grubby. The wall was sticky when I plugged in my charger. Morning one, there was no cold water. Tradies were in the hallway with a wheely bin to catch the waterfall coming out of a hole in the ceiling. I had breakfast on morning one but skipped it after that. The cutlery in mass containers on each table was dirty, with food build up between the fork prongs. The fruit had a fizzy tang. Redeeming my welcome drink convinced me to go elsewhere for my next beverage. The sole bar staff member seemed to have the utmost loathing of customers.

Ibis Styles Sydney Central
Rate: $150
Upgrade: not sure. Automated kiosk check in.
Welcome drink: yes
Welcome amenity : no, although on previous stays I’ve been given Meiji Hello Panda Strawberry so I wasn’t too worried.
Notes: cheap, clean and cheerful. Close to public transport and restaurants, and good for those who spend most of their time outside their hotel room. I’ve always arrived too late to redeem my welcome drink at Ibis Styles Central so it was nice to finally experience the bar. The bar staff were friendly and accommodated my request for a g&t.

 

[QfHrGr]

Hotel: Mercure Sydney Paramatta

Rate: $195/night
Upgrade: yes, to a room with two double beds (not sure what a solo traveller can do with two beds though)
Welcome drink: Yes
Welcome amenity: half bottle of wine and some bushwalking-style snacks

Sounds like they might have been busy. You probably booked a classic room which are not refurbished and assigned you a classic twin bedded room. If there's a next time, insist on the king bedded room and request an upgrade to a superior room, which are refurbished rooms.
I stayed here in May, booked a classic room and was upgraded to a superior as a then ALL Plat. For the welcome amenity, they asked me what I wanted at check-in. I asked for red wine (choice was white or red, no varietal) and cheese platter. You might have met this reception staff on a bad day. The 3 different front desk staff I encountered were all very pleasant and polite.
As a plat, with my free breakfast, I had an otherwise chargeable barista coffee. I couldn't drink it on either morning because I could smell coughroach from it. No, I didn't report it
BTW, if the cutlery looks less than expected, it's a good option to get a mug of hot water to sterilise them with. Ask for one from the barista machine if the buffet hot water is not particularly hot.
I would stay here again if the need to arise. Parking was free for me as a plat. You register you car detail at check-in. Entrance is up through the hotel driveway not a separate one fronting the street, not observable from the street. The bustop up to and from Parra cbd is right outside the hotel and the new light rail stop is a short one street corner walk.