How does Accor treat you as an Elite guest?

markis10 · Friday at 4:34 PM

bayleet1998 said:
Great hotel in Canberra. New and modern, rooms good size. On-site parking cheap and includes 4 complimentary tesla chargers which adds value for EV drivers.

The attached Labor club was okay, breakfast very poor quality and worth skipping unless it's free. Would look at other food options next time.View attachment 530746

Stayed a couple of times in last few months as a plat, so I did score a nice bottle of wine and was given a 3PM late checkout. The hotel parking is on the 4th floor and offers access by room key to 16 spots undercover including the chargers other wise it’s out side or down on the club levels. I mainly stay here as it’s handy when you’re towing, certainly would agree breakfast is terrible, even when it’s free!

Tlee · 2026-11-07T00:39:03+1100

Status: Explorer+ Diamond
Property: Fairmont Doha
Room booked: Fairmont City View
Received: One Bedroom Gold Suite (3 night)
Welcome Gift: Fruit platter, dates and nuts
Early check-in / late check-out: Arrived an hour earlier than the standard check-in time. The room wasn't ready; Didn't need the late check-out
Comment:

I got a cup of Arabic coffee and dates at check-in. As the room wasn't ready, the guest relations manager gave me a 15-min tour around the hotel facilities.
Fairmont and Raffles are connected via an event hall (in the middle). Fairmont SPA is under renovation and guests were invited to use Raffles' - they are not able to bill the service to my room
The hotel is a popular event destination (e.g. weddings). There were a lot of group guests during my stay.
Two outdoor and one indoor pools. I quite like the indoor pool one. The gym is quite spacious and well-equipped - I also checked Raffles' gym and can confirm Fairmont's is better.
I was a bit disappointed about the Gold Lounge. While the team members were lovely, the service offerings for breakfast and canape hours are limited (apart from the drinks). They prepare three hot plates during the evening hours. For the first night, all plates are fried foods - the chef gave me more fried foods after I made a polite comment about the limited variety of foods. Their lounge is more about drinking and quiet space for conversations rather than food. Only a handful of guests showed up in the evening.
The suite had visible maintenance flaws (carpet stains, dirty windows, disabled toilet controls, housekeeping requests cannot be made through in-room iPad).
The guests staying at Suite can enjoy breakfast either at the Lounge or at one of their F&B outlets, Vaya. Waiting for a table at Vaya might be required during the peak hours (starting from 8 AM) - Suite guests were encouraged to utilise the Lounge.
I saw two broken plates being offered to guests to use. The breakfast hours were chaotic. Kids were running around. One of them even licked sugar cubes and put them back in the jar. The team members were overwhelmed by the number of guests.
I meant to schedule a luggage assistance for check-out but the team member convinced me not to - just give them a call when I'm ready to roll. Funny enough, when I was ready, their line was either busy or no one picked up. After 10-mins trying, I ended up dragging the bags myself.

RooFlyer · 2026-11-07T02:35:31+1100

Property: Movenpick Istanbul, old town
Status: Explorer+ Diamond
Room booked: See discussion
Room upgraded/type: Yes, from Junior Suite to Superior Suite and from base room to same Superior Suite
Rate: For the first stay, standard rate including using points; for the second stay SNU
Early check in/late out: Not needed, but late check out from 12 till 2pm offered
Free internet: yes up to 150 Mbps but a bit flaky, kept dropping out.
Free breakfast: No
Welcome drink: Yes, in the app, only non-alcoholic beverages available
Welcome amenity: No, but I didn’t worry about it
Recommend: Yes

I really enjoyed my stay here and thoroughly recommend it. It’s only about eight months old and in the old town, meaning it’s about a 30- minute walk from the main tourist area.

I originally booked two nights using SNU - that is, to a junior suite. Later, I had to book another two nights immediately before the original booking, and for that I booked a standard room using some points as well.

On check in, they immediately said that they had put me in the same junior suite for my entire stay. However after me finding the junior suite very noisy (contrary to my emphasised request to be in a quiet room, - the hotel is on Atatürk Boulevard, which is about four lane each way very busy road), they upgraded me for all four nights to a superior suite on the back of a hotel. I was also greeted by a very effusive guest services manager who kept in touch my entire stay.

The superior suite was very comfortable and well appointed, and everything worked properly. There was no welcome amenity when I arrived, but I put that down to me changing the room. However, nothing arrived, but I didn’t want to ask for it as they had been so generous and flexible on check-in.

The staff were very good for the entire stay. They reacted very well to my using some Turkish - like hello, thank you, good morning, etc. There was a big boss who was always around, not just supervising but chipping in and helping, if a guest was waiting for something.

As far as I can tell, there was no grog available. There’s an indoor heated pool, a sauna, a steam room, which is really, really hot, a self-service hammam, and a frigidarium. And gym somewhere, but I didn’t indulge.

Breakfast was okay, naturally catering for a wide range of tastes, and so the Western one was nothing special. I had dinner in the restaurant when it was raining and it was okay but a bit pricey.

Just behind the hotel is a row of local style restaurants and a market, which was very pleasant wandering around, especially if you have no objection to great slabs of meat on display. There’s also a newly renovated hammam next door, which I used and which was very good.

The major flaw with the hotel, (not including the lack of grog, if that’s an issue), is the great use of polished marble flooring. In the shower it’s lethal and on the terrace after rain, it’s also very dangerous. I pointed this out to them, and it seemed a bit of a surprise to their thinking.

There are a number of mosques nearby, but none very close, and thanks to modern double glazing, the calls to prayer were not really intrusive.

It was about an hour by taxi on the drive in (A$82) but only 30 minutes on the drive out (A$60) thanks to lighter traffic and Fangio being behind the wheel, in some of the most aggressive taxi driving I’ve ever been in.

A small terrace there.

Polish marble floors in the shower and outside was problematic for me. In the end, I wore some of their slippers in the shower.

View from my room with the hammam on the left.

Front of the hotel

Top floor terrace with the restaurant behind the glass

bussyboy · 2026-11-07T17:13:17+1100

Property: Novotel Hong Kong Citygate
Status: Explorer+ Gold
Room booked: Superior Room with 1 queen bed
Room upgraded/type: Yes, Executive Premier Room with 1 queen bed
Rate: ALL Accor+ Explorer - 15% OFF FLEXIBLE RATE - part-paid redeeming reward points
Early check in/late out: Early check in - 9:30am
Free internet: yes, suitable for wi-fi calls
Free breakfast: Yes
Welcome drink: Yes, not used
Welcome amenity: Unsure
Recommend: Yes

So I dragged my feet to try and book a day-use room here just a couple of days out from arriving early October into HKG at 9am, and flying out 18 hours later around 1am; reservations team suggested I book for the night before, check in late, seek a late check out.

Instead, I ended up booking for the day of arrival, and relying on early check-in, thinking I'd probably crash by the pool otherwise.

[I'll note here that I was really ill likely with rhinovirus and some unknown thing I got in India - cold/flu symptoms, fever, high BP and HR - yeah that guy on the plane. Was another 4 weeks of recovery at home and many Dr visits...]

I requested early check-in - google maps tells me I arrived at 9:30am, usual check in is 2pm - and I made it clear I'd planned to check out that evening around 9pm, and this was no problem at all from the front desk agent who had me sorted and my key in what seemed less than 5 minutes. He went through the usual information and I asked if I could instead have my included breakfast immediately - again, not a problem and I was escorted to the restaurant and the host advised I was on comp breakfast.

With the level of service I received from the hotel staff, and the convenient free shuttle bus to and from HKIA, I'd have no problem recommending and staying at this property again. Next time I'd properly enjoy the pool, restaurants, facilities and adjacent shopping mall and sights around Tung Chung.

cityfan · 2026-11-08T14:01:05+1100

Property: Novotel Brisbane City Centre
Status: ALL Explorer+ Diamond
Room booked: Standard twin bedroom. Was cheapest rate on website.
Room upgraded: Not really. Asked for and received a king-sized bed instead.
Rate: ALL Accor+ Explorer - 15% OFF FLEXIBLE RATE - part-paid redeeming reward points (0therwise about $330 per night).
Early check in/late out: Not needed.
Free internet: Yes. Also good for casting to TV (but not Apple TV). No Foxtel TV channels.
Free breakfast: Yes
Welcome drink: Yes, vouchers not in app. Had to request paper vouchers at reception
Welcome amenity: None, not even water.

Stayed for 3 nights last week. Solo booking. The hotel had only just be rebranded as a Novotel on 1st November, previously Capri by Fraser. Good central CBD location. There is still Capri branding inside the rooms (eg soap and shampoo dispensers) and outside on the top of the hotel building. I believe all rooms come with a small kitchenette (sink, microwave, cutlery, Nespresso machine with milk frother). Fridge is empty except for UHT milk cartons.
I was disappointed by the lack of recognition of loyalty status. Perhaps this is because they are new to Accor. No welcome amenity, l had to ask for drink vouchers, no complimentary barista-made coffee at breakfast (there is not even a pod machine - just stale filter coffee out of a push down dispenser like you are at a conference). Also no egg station at breakfast.
The king bed is actually two single beds joined together with single sheeting. I found that particularly annoying. Shower pressure good.
They rather sneakily had the no room service button activated outside the door as default so I missed out on one night of it.
There is a South American style steakhouse/grill in the lobby which I didn’t try. Not sure if it accepts ALL + dining discounts yet.

RooFlyer · 2026-11-08T20:16:51+1100

Property: Athens Capital Hotel, MGallery
Status: Explorer+ Diamond
Room booked: Superior with 1 King (standard room)
Room upgraded/type: No. They had me down as Plat, so maybe thats why no upgrade?
Rate: Standard explorer rate plus using some points. Its expensive - but Athens marathon on, so probably contributed.
Early check in/late out: Not needed, but late check out from 12 till 2pm offered
Free internet: yes up to 250 Mbps
Free breakfast: Yes, via Diamond status, on weekend
Welcome drink: Yes, in the app, full range on their menu except Champagne and premium spirits. I even got a top-up!
Welcome amenity: Yes. Bottle of nice local red wine, choccies in a MGallery box and large cheese and nibble platter delivered chilled after I was in the room - exceptional!
Recommend: Yes, but a bit pricey. Expect A$400 minimum/night incl member discount.

A great stay here. The hotel is almost on Syntagma Square, so just a few mins walk from the metro line, coming in from the airport (9 euro). My request for a quiet room was honoured, with an internal looking room, very quiet. Its Athens marathon weekend, so outside there is really loud music playing almost all day and into the evening.

A good room; aircon is a floor-mounted unit, a bit odd, but worked efficiently and reasonably quietly. Well stocked minibar, but pricy (natch). I especially appreciated the shower - see here. Lights had bright and dim functions, separate buttons, but soon got the hang of it. Electric blinds, total black-out.

Breakfast excellent, buffet and menu of eggs-to-order (brought to the table); bars looked excellent (only took my welcome drink there), as does restaurant. Cafe and bar in the lobby as well. Service uniformly very good; room service several time knocked and asked if I needed anything.

In many aspects the service and amenity is what you might expect from a good Sofitel, and better than several Sofitels I have stayed at.

One issue. Its the weekend of the Athens Marathon. I was told repeatedly that the road in front of the hotel would be closed the Sunday of the marathon (my departure), and on the Saturday for 10km race. Emphasised that I would have to walk a block away to get a taxi, but they would assist with luggage of course. I planned to leave 1.5hrs early, to drop my bags off at the cruise port, before boarding at 3pm.

The morning of the Marathon, when I observed the road to be open, the doorman said the race had finished. In fact this year's Marathon at least passed closest 2 blocks away (maybe 700m, and front runners then were 15 mins away from finishing!) and the road in front of the hotel was open, but sparsely used due to other closures. Not a biggie, but influenced my departure planning.