Originally Posted by
Nick Art
Invite only status at an elite Hotel with no fix benefits >> Platinum status at a mediocre program with fix (mediocre) benefits*.
*based on availability&you have to sometimes fight for.
I bet at the Raffles the invite only status was regarded higher in comparison to the now Accor Platinums, of which there are a lot more. Not to forget the prestige of an invite only program, in comparison to a platinum status that my 5yo sister would achieve with only one stay (if I had a 5yo sister that is).
At least that's how I see it.
Disclosure: I was never member of the Raffles Invite Only Club and only judge based on the (second hand) information that is available to me.
It doesn't really matter how much 'prestige', whatever that means, the Raffles program had, or that it was invite only. It was basically useless in terms of its published benefits. I'm not sure what the OP is actually losing here. Qualifying for LeClub Plat will be dead easy for him, and as crappy as LeClub and its benefits are, I don't think they're any worse than what Raffles Ambassador provided. Now, if being a regular guest at Raffles meant individual hotels provided benefits outside of what the program published, they very well may continue to do that.