How does EVT treat you as an elite?

[jackthomas]

Might be speaking into a void here- but figure we could see how other EVT elites are treated per other chains/groups.

To kick things off- 2 recent stays

Property: QT Gold Coast
Status: Gold
Room booked: King Oven View
Room upgraded/type: King Ocean View deluxe
Room Rate: $290 a night.
Early check in/late out: early check in at 11am- no late check out needed
Welcome drink: wasn’t offered despite benefit

Great staff, nice renovations and great views while the air show was on. Gold dining benefits offered, although strictly adhered to needing to be dining per T&C’s - other hotels also given to me with just drinks.

Property: The Oval Hotel (Adelaide)
Status: Gold
Room booked: Parkland King
Room upgraded/type: Parkland King
Room Rate: one night- $320.
Early check in/late out: neither necessary
Welcome drink: Sparkling, red or white. Sparkling was tolerable.

Liked the restaurant, obviously the atmosphere being inside the stadium is great. Nice hotel, good staff, great location being a bit out of the city.

 

[Buzzard]

An EVT Black, I get mixed recognition.
Always get 50% off dining at participating properties. At Kennigo BNE I've had check in as early as 9ish to being asked to pay ($30?). Recently at Kennigo the latest check out I could get was noon, only to get a call to my room at 11 reminding me that it's check out time . Overall I'm happy with how I get looked after.

 

[jackthomas]

Would be interested in your broader experience as black, QT hotels are my favourite, but I don’t dedicate a large percentage of my hotel spend to EVT due to the pretty lazy status recognition.

 

[SYD]

Didn’t most give up on EVT after Rydges exited? Although, QTs aren’t bad.

Ironically, my EVT card and Discovery card both have the same Rydges number.

 

[CaptJCool]

How you get treated begins to be a case of repeatable stays and getting to know the staff there

Lots of mistakes happen at their end

The nightly rate mentioned above are way beyond what I would pay (limit say 200-240 per night) however, regularly looking to pay no more than $140 per night.

Free room nights are pivots to avoid higher weekend rates and heavily booked periods… and I switch and swap between various places to avoid the “loyalty” tax plus it’s a constant cancel and rebook for a lower nightly rate.

So I usually combination
Weekly rates are much better

So given the points earnt as a Black member, somewhere around 4-5 nights paid for a free (150 points stay)

Work the system on this
Rare are the room upgrades
Rarer the early check-ins
Hens teeth of late checkouts (got told in one place the room staff go home at 3pm!)

$25 daily credits
$10 skip the room clean for the night
Welcome drink cards
50% discounts
All this list mean you can eat & drink for next to nothing

If there’s no daily credit, go eat elsewhere

 

[Buzzard]

Black is now by invitation.
When you could earn it, it was pretty easy to get, 5 stays by memory.
I like EVT even without the GHA recognition. EVT have regional properties that suit +1 and I, for example Albury, Bathurst, Armidale and Tamworth. Sydney airport although on the pricey side is also handy for us. We don't live in SYD so it works for us when flying out of or into there. QT Newcastle is brilliant IMO.
Unfortunately free nights are no longer 150 points, it varies by property.

 

[Jacques Vert]

I gave up on EVT when they made the last lot of changes; far lower value than before.