Keyser

Thanks for the answers. I'll easily qualify for top status within the year given my stay patterns but will have to go through the first few months with low/mid tier status so was just wondering if there was a way to skip or speed that up. Will have a look at the PLUS cards.

remymartin

Hey Keyser, been a while!

What're you striving for with Accor, that you felt you didn't receive as Starwood Plat this year? There are some stark differences between the programmes, one of which is the breakfast benefit - even with top tier Diamond you won't have a global breakfast benefit throughout the week.

CanadaDH

I second this. ALL is really not a good program. So if you're switching from another because you were disappointed with it, you might find yourself with an even bigger disappointment.

If ALL has some properties that better suit your travel patterns, then OK. But to switch because of the ALL program? I wouldn't.

IMH

That's an interesting and somewhat surprising thing to read here, especially from a forum (and Accor, or at least Fairmont) regular.

In truth of course it depends on where one stays and what one values. I've certainly had frustrating and disappointing experiences at Accor hotels -- as well as with Accor CS! -- and also 'dry' periods when Accor was either entirely absent from the places my travels took me or only had unattractive properties. But I've also had some great stays and overall -- despite notable exceptions -- good to excellent elite treatment, especially considering how easy it is to earn status with ALL.

If you only travel and spend enough to get status with one hotel group, it probably shouldn't be Accor unless their footprint very closely matches your travel. Otherwise, it's a great scheme.

CanadaDH

It shouldn't be surprising. I don't think I've ever professed any love for the ALL program.

I travel to places and hotels I like to visit, but I don't select a vacation spot because it's part of ALL. I'm a member of the program, because a handful of hotels I like are part of the Fairmont brand. If those hotels were reflagged tomorrow, then my membership status in ALL would lapse and would accrue in the program of the new brand. I stay at other hotels, and my second most frequented hotel chain doesn't even have a loyalty program, but I still stay there.

I learn the ins and outs of the program, so I can get whatever benefits that might come with it. And why not, because they're available. But, the benefits of ALL are pretty weak, when as already pointed out, the top tier doesn't even get you breakfast everywhere or every day! But, as long as I'm staying at a member hotel, I'll happily take the points and whatever other benefits that might come with it.

If Accor wants to build actual loyalty with travellers like me, and get to the point where the program actually steers me to booking with their hotels, then they would need to offer something far better than what they do today. As it is, Accor seems powerless to get many hotels to even honour the program benefits as they are.

Maybe it's a blessing that ALL benefits are weak, because I can happily stay at independent hotels over any ALL options in the same area, without worry that I'm somehow missing out on anything. Once I start skipping the best hotel at my destination, in order to stick with a member hotel, then I am sacrificing the quality of my visit for the benefit of Accor (or whatever other hotel chain you might be loyal to).

Keyser

I'm lifetime Titanium with Marriott so I will continue to receive those benefits even if I don't stay regularly with them anymore. My biggest problem with Marriott now is their dynamic pricing for redemption rates. 90% of my stays are work related but for the remaining 10% where I use points, I'm not seeing good value.

Another reason is my increased travel in Europe as compared to the US earlier. I see a number of ALL properties that actually work better for me, both in terms of pricing & location.

Also, there is a huge devaluation coming up on the main credit card I use & I'm sitting on about a million points that I need to transfer somewhere before the 20th of April. ALL & Bonvoy are both options but I'm seeing much better value for those million points with ALL. For Example, I have an upcoming 5 night stay in Paris in a few months. I'm getting a Sofitel for €2,500, which converts into 125K points for the stay. The cheapest comparable Marriott property is setting me back 363K points for the stay. Similar thing in Amsterdam for a 3 night stay. 45K points with ALL compared to 150K points with Marriott.

allbrosca

I was a Starwood member and after they switched to Marriott the program was devalued and I got so frustrated fighting to use their "guaranteed" late 4 pm checkout that I now avoid them whenever I can. It just shows a general disregard for loyalty. I switched to Fairmont with Platinum status from AMEX and stayed with Accor after the take-over. Even though late check out is now subject to availability it seems easier to get then at Marriott. Welcome amenities are generally better too.

remymartin

For sure, there are weird valuations per property. Whenever I'm using spg points (yes, I still call them like that) I calculate according to 0.84c value, and if I'm not getting that from a property, I use cash or book another chain.

The question is though - will you get adequate benefits with that shocking 125k redemption?

I agree, things aren't as rosy as before. I stay solely at legacy Starwood properties, and have not have any problems getting 4 pm checkout. I do not stay in North America, fwiw.

With Accor, I can't really remember when I've been given 4 pm checkout. It certainly isn't even "guaranteed".

CanadaDH

If you're not too concerned with good program benefits, and really just care about the redemption of points earned on your business stays, then maybe it works. Assuming you make top status, then you will basically get back 10% of the pretax value of your business stays to use against your personal stays. The value is predictable. If that's what you care about, and 10% is an acceptable value, and if they have properties you want to stay at, then I guess ALL might work for you.

Keyser

What benefits would you consider adequate? I've booked a junior suite & my rate includes breakfast. I'm assuming wifi is complementary. Fortunately I don't need a late checkout as my flight on my check-out date is at 11am so will leave for the airport after breakfast.

Keyser

When traveling for work I don't really care about program benefits. My clients pay for a suite, breakfast & lounge is included when available & early or late checkout is paid for if required.

When traveling for leisure I definitely care about benefits but the way I look at it, ALL seems to have much better redemption value than Marriott. So even if I have to pay for things like breakfast & late checkout, I still come out ahead as compared to spending more points with Marriott.

I get that benefits with Marriott are better defined & probably more consistent but the much better redemption value with ALL makes it hard to ignore them.

beachmouse

Think of Accor as the Southwest Airliens of hotel programs. Benefits typically top out at a nice chocolate bar and a note from the manager. The strength of the program is the ‘any qualifying room rate that isn’t deep discount, any time without blackout dates, any room type’ redemption options. Want a ‘free’ breakfast? Book a breakfast included rate and throw some points at it. Want an award stay when the circus/Tour de France/Formula 1 race is in town? Just book a room and throw a whole bunch of points at it. Want a suite on an award stay? Throw a bunch of points at it.

Yeah, the only way you can really arbitrage the program has to do with how strong or weak the Euro is compared to local currency. But the other big players except Hyatt seem to be all going toward floating award redemption rates too and unlike Accor, those award nights are typically capacity-controlled.

It’s just so very useful in specific circumstances and I dig that.

I also like their tight airlines partnerships that will randomly generate some Flying Blue points on every stay in addition to Accor points because I linked my accounts. (IIRC, you can alternately link to Qatar and get some random free Avios from stays.)

sfvoyage

I redeemed 1,000 points for a 20-euro credit towards a flexible reservation. If I cancel the reservation prior to the free cancellation deadline, the 1,000 points are automatically refunded to my account - is that right?

nrouxel

you are right

orbitmic

You don't really explain which programmes you think are so much better than ALL and on what grounds (apart from mentioning breakfast).

I either was or am high tier (ie top or second from top like ALL Plat) on various hotel programmes (Hilton, Accor, Marriott, Intercontinental, Hyatt, Shangri La, etc). I certainly wouldn't consider ALL the worst of the lot.

- Marriott: I really found was badly devalued and I have now dropped to Gold. The benefits of Gold are of course negligible but frankly, I didn't find that Platinum was particularly good, redemptions are poor value;

- Hilton: the breakfast and lounge access I get with diamond are very nice, but Hilton lounges tend to be of poor quality compared to Sofitel, upgrades have really been hit and miss - from great to refused altogether) and I have found many Hilton properties (notably in North America) really stingy on late checkout which is a benefit I value/

- Hyatt can have a lot of good offers but I can't say I felt special with them. Redemptions vary greatly in value

- Shangri La, I really like in some ways, but it's really only good value if you want to use your points for f&b rather than free nights. Obviously, coverage is also limited especially outside of Asia, and also they are far from generous with upgrades - in some properties I have had to face repeated "we are full" claims and unpleasantly insist to have the benefit honoured.

- MO - the weirdest programme of all, only works if you book direct (not on TA bookings even where flex and paid at the hotel, which qualify elsewhere), perks are choices from a menu, and you do not actually earn anything nor have status except for a small number of invitees.

- IHG: Status is quite easy to achieve but very poor perks below diamond and really, in some ways, they try to sell ambassador more than focus on the loyalty programme. Redemption value is not great

- Accor: To me, it's neither the best nor the worst. I find that redemptions are convenient and good value, upgrades really depend on the hotel, some have been stingy but others quite excellent. Where lounge access is provided, they are typically of a much higher standard than Hilton or Marriott groups (though of lesser standard than Shangri La and MO). Late check out is usually ok to get without needing to insist too much. Annoyances include exclusions/differences across regions.

Now I'm not saying that I find ALL wonderful or anything, but frankly, by today's hotel loyalty standards, I sort of struggle to see what makes it worse than others. For sure, I don't see enough in Diamond to want to earn it, but I'd say that is in fact true of the top tier of most other hotel loyalty programmes too.