Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 14,928
Quote:
Originally Posted by starflyergold
Distinct they may be, quality they are not. I recently stayed in the M-Gallery Prague and it was the worst hotel experience in years. No recognition of A-Club Platinum status despite promo material for A-club plastered all over the lobby. Hideously plain rooms and points not properly credited. Having said that I got an immediate response from the manager after emailing my complaint via the A-club website.
The other M-Gallery hotel I stayed in was Geneva and again this had seen better days. M-Gallery appears to be a collection of worn out hotels that they can't pass on as Sofitels or Mercure. I think the M in M-Gallery stands for mediocre
That's strange to hear because the M-Galleries that I have stayed at are superb. The Lord Baltimore is one of my favorite hotels in Paris. The M-Gallery in Amsterdam is quite nice as is the one in Rabat. Did you ask about Platinum benefits at check in? This is one chain in particular where you have to ask to get the benefits.
Believe me I asked, when I requested a late check out at the M-Gallery Prague I was told that that it would cost money, even when I pointed out to the staff that I was Platinum. However I do understand from Tripadvisor that that hotel is plagued with staff problems.
Geneva is very run down unfortunately, while they say it is filled with antiques I'd call it junk from the 70s. Not even a work desk in my deluxe room.
I remember the Amsterdam M-Gallery from when it was a Sofitel. Indeed a nice property and good staff.
Well, so far: no positive experiences with that program. I am on a long-term stay at the Novotel Erlangen (Germany), and they were not able to credit any points yet (after two months). I think that is extremel poor. Hilton, Sheraton and all the others were never a problem.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeBOS
I am an A-Club Platinum member. Overall I would give the program a C...relative strengths and weaknesses listed below:
Positive:
- Upgrades provided consistently at Sofitel properties (upon request)
- Sofitel benefits (free drinks for 2, amenity in room, 4pm checkout) are good
- With Platinum bonus, points accrued per dollar spent seem reasonable relative to other programs.
- The quality of the properties, especially Sofitel, is generally high...better than most competitors.
Negative:
- No benefits other than points earning at non-Sofitel properties (e.g. Novotel)
- Terrible, non-responsive email support (phone support is OK)
- Cumbersome award redemption involving paper certificates that take weeks to arrive
- Points don't post automatically more often than they do (maybe 1 of 3 stays in my experience)
- Requalification criteria is confusing (they don't say what time period is used to measure requalification)
- No credit card option for points accumulation
- Can't use awards on pre-paid rates
Overall, the program is OK but not great. I much prefer SPG Platinum overall.
I had been a Accor Favorite Guest card holder since 2002, paying the €130.00 a year was worth it for the discounted rates. I made Accor my hotel chain of choice for business and pleasure. I enjyed six years for hassle free hotel stays receiving my points in a reasonable time with one or two exceptions which were dealt with, albeit a little slowly.
When my card came up for renewal in November 2008 the price had increased to €220.00, I thought that it would pay for itself over the year so when I renewed I found I had no option and was given the A-Club Gold rather than being given the opportunity to buy the favorite guest version.
By then I was still awaiting points to be added for a stay at the Sofitel in Dubai from February 2008, lost count of the promises and the number of times I sent a copy of the invoice, at one time I was told I was out of time!
I then stayed at the Novotel in Hong Kong in October 2008 and waited two months for the points to be credited and then eventually in January 2009 I got the points from the Sofitel in Dubai.
I lost faith in Accor and felt, like so many others on this thread that they just don't care and pay lip service to its regular guests. The A-Club scheme is so disjointed. Other than one Novotel I regularly stay in, because they know me and I know them and the location is good and the other hotels around are not as good, I don't both. I choose Hilton or IC or Radisson before Accor.
Such a shame, they really ought to have local customer services and look at the scheme again.
Location: HKT ~ Phuket Thailand & YVR Vancouver; UA1K Lightest of the 1KLite's (for'09), BD*Gold, HHonorsGold, SPGPlatinum, Fairmont Plat
Posts: 4,307
The review for this program is in this months issue.
Frankly, reading the review, I'm shocked at how well it did. Mind you, I did learn a lot more about the program too.
I'm suprised by IF's reluctance to be candid, at least with how high customers rated it, The result will have me questioning the accuracy of their future reviews.
Last edited by seanthepilot; May 1, 09 at 2:29 am.
My ten penneth - this is an awful program, overly complicated, not connected to a range of hotels. I was trying the Novotel monaco which looks nice, but in the end the lack of a decent program put me off.
Programs: DL SkyMiles Gold Medallion, Marriott Rewards Gold Elite, A|Club Gold, PR Mabuhay Miles Base Member
Posts: 215
the down thing about this program is more often than not, you need to claim missing points for stay and it seems it doesn't automatically post unless requested. hope this get fixed soon!
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum; UA 1K; Marriott Platinum; Hilton Gold / Premium Club
Posts: 286
Any more recent reviews? All I have is good experiences with A-Club Platinum from a room upgrade experience. Sofitel Queenstown NZ (an amazing property by the way) upgraded me to an enormous suite upon checkin. There was no issue with an early morning checkin, and when I requested a late checkout the operator stated as an A-Club platinum you are able to stay till 4pm (it was so smooth she sounded like she did not even pull up my record).
Not sure if it is just the great staff at Sofitel Queenstown -- but overall -- I am very satisfied.
Upgrades appear to get better now that the system has bedded down. Recent stays at the Sofitels in NY and Lisbon all had been upgraded before I even arrived, same is true now at the MGallery Geneva (and they kindly give me the same room every time I stay there).
Sofitel NY went one better when I bemoaned the fact that they do not have tea/coffee making facilities, so they went out and bought a coffee machine and real coffee for my room. Nice touch.
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Just checked in to the Hythe Mercure. Platinum A-Club card obtained instant upgrade to a pleasant & spacious sea-facing corner room. The upgrade was part of the Platinum deal, but the free broadband connection (that I am using now) that I was able to blag must be considered a bonus.
Programs: LH Sen, EK G, A-Club Diam, HH Diam, RZGP G, Leaders Club, Vertu Concierge
Posts: 283
A-CLUB: Accor's "Infuriated Guest Bogus Program"
I have just founded the Accor "Infuriated Guest - Bogus Program". So much trouble, so much hassle, so much illogic with this program. Bureaucratic, disorganized, complete waste of time.
My experience:
1. Many Accor hotels "forgot" to register my bonus points (Intended? System is not on central computer or automatic on check-out)
2. Log-in on Accor website often fails. You have to reenter a member number that is twice as long as your passport number. (Why so complicated?)
3. Accumulated points have to be changed into vouchers, which are denominated in Euros. You lose some of your point's "change". (Purposely?)
4. Bonus point vouchers are then sent by post. This takes time. Maybe you are far from your mailbox. (No flexibility - intended?)
5. Bonus point vouchers are only valid for less than 6 months. This is not visible upon booking. Or in the cover letter. Only - possibly - when it`s too late and you stand at the hotel check-out desk with worthless "bonus points". (Intended?)
6. If Bonus point vouchers are less than 1 week "expired", they will not be accepted any more by any Accor hotel. It happened to me. Because it is an "external service provider who has nothing to do with Accor". (Instead of enhancing customer loyalty, these outsiders have an incentive to squeeze the "Accor Favourite Guests". How stupid.)
7. Bonus points are only valid on weekends. (No flexibility - intended?)
8. Total chaos if you have been a member of Accor Favourite Guest and / or Sofitel Gold before - and now you must change to "A-Club". I still don't have a proper new card in my hands.
9. Other hotels react on criticism. For example Hilton once gave me back all my points, after a bad experience - good customer management at Hilton. Or Marriott: perfect CRM. But Accor does not react at all! Neither at the individual hotel level, nor at the headquarter (Group CEO Gilles Pellisson).
Just check-out from the Sofitel New York yesterday and they have already posted the correct number of points to my account including the elite bonus.
I made the reservation thought the A-Club site and was ready to show my card at check-in. The lady at the front desk told me that my account number was attached to the reservation and therefore my points will post automatically. I was a little skeptical considering all those experiences narrated here but everything turned right.
As a platinum, I was also told that I have been upgraded. I guess my upgrade consisted of a classic queen bed room on a higher floor. The room was very nicely appointed and was the most quiet room I ever had in New York city. Overall, a very nice experience.
I have just founded the Accor "Infuriated Guest - Bogus Program". So much trouble, so much hassle, so much illogic with this program. Bureaucratic, disorganized, complete waste of time.
My experience:
1. Many Accor hotels "forgot" to register my bonus points (Intended? System is not on central computer or automatic on check-out)
2. Log-in on Accor website often fails. You have to reenter a member number that is twice as long as your passport number. (Why so complicated?)
3. Accumulated points have to be changed into vouchers, which are denominated in Euros. You lose some of your point's "change". (Purposely?)
4. Bonus point vouchers are then sent by post. This takes time. Maybe you are far from your mailbox. (No flexibility - intended?)
5. Bonus point vouchers are only valid for less than 6 months. This is not visible upon booking. Or in the cover letter. Only - possibly - when it`s too late and you stand at the hotel check-out desk with worthless "bonus points". (Intended?)
6. If Bonus point vouchers are less than 1 week "expired", they will not be accepted any more by any Accor hotel. It happened to me. Because it is an "external service provider who has nothing to do with Accor". (Instead of enhancing customer loyalty, these outsiders have an incentive to squeeze the "Accor Favourite Guests". How stupid.)
7. Bonus points are only valid on weekends. (No flexibility - intended?)
8. Total chaos if you have been a member of Accor Favourite Guest and / or Sofitel Gold before - and now you must change to "A-Club". I still don't have a proper new card in my hands.
9. Other hotels react on criticism. For example Hilton once gave me back all my points, after a bad experience - good customer management at Hilton. Or Marriott: perfect CRM. But Accor does not react at all! Neither at the individual hotel level, nor at the headquarter (Group CEO Gilles Pellisson).
10. Bonus point vouchers are only valid for flexible rates (which are generally much more expensive than advance prepaid rates)
I have just founded the Accor "Infuriated Guest - Bogus Program". So much trouble, so much hassle, so much illogic with this program. Bureaucratic, disorganized, complete waste of time.
[snip]
