Hello!

So, I've been a member of Accor for several years now and was a gold member mostly (my wife and I even went and did a tour of Vietnam for our honeymoon and did our itinerary according to where Accor hotels are ).

Then Covid started and then my wife got pregnant and then my daughter was born, so we did not travel that much (or at all) and I ended up now as classic member with zero points.

Since we feel ready to start travelling again soon, I started looking at Accor website and then I realised that I am not sure it is worth chasing points and status anymore.

What got me thinking was when I had issue with my flight on Qatar airways and on Lufthansa, and the difference between them in resolving the issue was unbeliveable (Qatar was amazing while Lufthansa proving it was a total a piece of s...t that I am actively avoiding flying with Lufthansa group carriers unless I can pay the entire trip with miles).

So, I realised just how important and good it is to be a part of a loyalty programme that has a good customer service and which really honors their obligations.

And I have a strong feeling Accor doesn't give a damn about us.

At my age (44) and with a baby, I will easily get to platinum or even diamond status within a year as I now prefer (and can afford) travelling to upscale venues, I like comfort and I value customer service and to be appreciated and have my membership status honored.

Also, if I hold up to my end of the deal by actively looking to stay in Accor hotels, I expect my status and perks to be honored by all hotels in Accor. And I like to feel as if I got a good deal. We all like that feeling when you get a nice upgrade or a better price or a free breakfast.

What do we actually get now as Accor members? Upgrades that are not honored by hotels, welcome drinks which end up as a nonalcoholic drink and very often only one drink for me as a card holder while my wife gets nothing (I know she is not entitled to, but c'mon, we are both in the same room, offer a beer or a glass of wine and we'll buy another one or two most likely), problems with early/late checkouts most often than not, we don't even get complimentary breakfast at high tiers, lounges are rare (and useful only for tier Platinum and Diamond), special offers and discounts are usually laughable and non-refundable, you need special excel spreadsheets just to track which property/brand is participating in what, there are more and more paid subscriptions and plans popping right and left and offering status (thus watering down status rewards and maybe even giving priority to those with paid subscriptions), etc etc.

I was looking at all different hotel loyalty programes (Hilton, Marriot, GHA, etc), but as a European I find Accor does have much batter coverage of Europe and SE Asia and Australia&NZ, which are easier to visit from Europe, and some ok cheaper but comfortable properties for weekend city breaks in Europe (Ibis Styles, Novotels, etc). But I might be wrong, so if anyone thinks some other chain also has a good footprint in those areas, please feel free to give me your advice.

On the other hand, I noticed some hotels (boutique or independent) are usually cheaper, so you get better room for the same price (aka "upgrade"), usually offer better service and give welcome gifts without you being a member of any loyalty program and you can book a hotel where you want to, without having to compromise on location to get into Accor hotel to squeeze some points/status nights out of it.

This is not a rant, it is just that I am really in doubt if hotel loyalty programmes are still worth doing in general, especially in some areas of the world that are cheaper than Europe, North America or Australia & NZ (and even in these more expensive areas some boutique hotels are often cheaper).

So, could some platinum&diamond members tell me, is it worth it spending so much in Accor hotels compared to perks and treatment?

If not, which hotel loyalty is considered as most consistent with honoring status and perks and has the best customer care&service?

Or should I just go and book boutique luxury hotels and villas and forget about point chasing?