Hey there, Thanks for the detailed review - sounds like a pretty terrible experience!

I'm also Accor Platinum and thought I'd pick up on this comparison. Both programs don't seem to have much connection between promised benefits and actual delivery. But I have found the Langham Hotels in Asia very good > excellent in delivery of membership recognition, particularly with Welcome amenities and service perks... But you're very right about personal relationship. I'm a very regular guest and have done some business with the brand, so perhaps I red flag when staying there.

The Langham's in the US are a different story altogether. Although I love the retreat out of LA with Pasadena, they pretty much do their own thing. Member benefits are a side business there, as occupancy is high and they [Langham] are purely operating a brand positioning exercise. Similar to the New York and Chicago properties. So they have quite some work to do in brand experience consistency and member recognition.

As for membership points (airline points) and retaining Langham 1865 status, it's all handled by a team in Hong Kong (When I say team, I mean 2 people) So it's no surprise that it's easier to retain your membership at Gateway level than risk losing potential customers.

They are a privately owned company, and very (very) conservative when it comes to new ideas and investment in innovation (as much as they say it's part of their DNA)

lcpteck is right, it'll be interesting to watch how things go with the announced expansion plans... I'm not entirely convinced they have the right structures in place to handle it myself.