Mercure Johannesburg Midrand: "The welcome drink is over there" *points to fancy water dispenser in the lobby*

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Originally Posted by typical (Post 30873898)

Mercure Johannesburg Midrand: "The welcome drink is over there" *points to fancy water dispenser in the lobby*

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Ah, yes. The new Accor welcome drink dispenser being rolled out with the new loyalty program...

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0e515d0e3e.jpg
(Straw not available at ibis locations or properties in France. Strict limit of two sips per registered guest per stay.)

I wish Accor would just sort this out and do a standard policy.

Stayed at ibis Madrid Calle Alcalá with my husband. We went to go and get a welcome drink (we just wanted 2 cokes) and a huge fuss was made about giving 2 cans instead of 1. I did successfully manage to get 2, but it's getting ridiculous. A can of coke is worth what, €0.20?

Now in Bali, and while they do seem to always give a voucher valid for 2 people, the drinks you can ask for vary significantly via property. At one hotel the only options were 'juice or coffee'. I asked for 2 small bottles of water and was told this wasn't allowed.

In another Accor property (Thailand), the voucher clearly stated it was valid for anything but champagne or spirits. I asked for a glass of red wine. I was soon made to wish I'd not bothered. 4 calls to 'the manager' later, it was agreed I could have the glass of wine, but again, I ended up questioning why they offer it at all if there is no consistency, and the small print on the voucher apparently doesn't mean anything.

That seems unusual to me. I've experienced improvements to consistency in Asia in this regard. By this, I mean that there is still no consistency between different properties, but most properties I've been to have established something specific. What I'm mostly seeing these days is a separate list for silver, gold and platinum members, but that really sucks if you're silver. What if you don't like any of the drinks available? Sometimes they'll let you get something different/better. At one property, I wanted plain juice and it wasn't on the list at any level! (A phone call to reception and they gave permission for me to have a glass of juice.) At one Mercure, the front desk agent just wrote 'gold' on the cards, even though I'm silver at present, and that enabled me to get a cocktail at 2am!

Every Asian property I've been to in the past few years has given me two free drinks, even if I've been staying alone.

We recently stayed at a Novotel in Paris...when I got the welcome drink voucher I asked if it is good for two. The check-in agent said yes. We went to the bar and ordered two beers saying we wanted to use the voucher as payment. The bartender was totally confused. After a couple phone calls and a visit by the bartender to the reception (to apparently fetch another voucher), he finally served us the beers. Complimentary drinks yes but it took some 10 minutes to get them :D

That just seems crazy. To actually have a different selection of drinks available for each membership tier of the program, seems like they're putting way too much effort and complexity into the wrong areas. I'd rather they just focus on getting the important things right, because Accor is an abject failure in many, many big areas. Defining and implementing multiple drink lists? Wow! Sounds kind of like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Which one? I got 2 drink vouchers at check-in as a Plat at Novotel Paris Centre Gare Montparnasse last week.

Recently stayed at Ibis in Amsterdam, didn't realise until after I got to my room that they hadn't put a Welcome Drinks voucher in my key packet. Went back to reception to ask, different person on the desk, reluctantly provided it but made me feel like I was trying to scam a 2nd voucher from them and that they were doing me a huge favour. .

I honestly think that if you get a free welcome drink of any description from an Accor hotel you are doing well.

Took welcome drink voucher to restaurant in one hotel recently, and was charged for the "free" drink at checkout ! ( and it was only a coffee )

I remember once, some 3 years ago staying at the Ibis at Luton airport. Not only did we get free drinks, but they insisted we had double G&Ts. That was epic - awesome bar staff

Sofitel Munich Bayerpost - drinks vouchers for Platinum are goof for any drink up to € 27 each at the (swanky) hotel bar. That covers most cocktails, and very good they were, too.
Travelled in November 2022

Mgallery Vienna Konzerthaus :
Drink voucher for platinum ; valid for everything on the bar menu
Drink voucher for silver : valid for a glass of beer or wine

This is the first time I read this. As Plat or Diamond I’ve always received the lowest level coupon. I hope this is a new development, as even IHG during its least interesting period did so.

I just staid at two venues in Thailand
One had a detailed menu for 4 different levels Silver, Gold and Diamond(Platinum
while Diamond/Platinum could get beer, wine and cocktails (but no champagne and spirits), Silver could not get any alcoholic beverage at all
...and I have experienced this already several times in the past but certainly not at all hotels

That seems a bit crazy. Accor is disorganized with poorly functioning systems at the best of times, and hotels are adding complications like a different menu of authorized drinks by status level? Wow! Leave it to them to overly complicate what should be a simple benefit, of a free drink. Nice way to interrupt a nice dinner at the hotel, than to add the possibility of confusion and arguments with some poor restaurant server trying to keep track of the rules of how to charge for the drinks. But Accor wants us all to "Live Limitless", while they figure out how to surgically add limits all throughout the program....

You can have breakfast anywhere in the world, but only on weekends, the weekdays of which vary according to the region, unless in APAC, in which case it's every day, or if the hotel has a lounge, which then determines where in the hotel you are permitted to have that free breakfast. And, now, you can have a free drink, for all adults in the room (the definition of which probably also varies by region), unless in France, in which case you only get 1 drink, and if you're a Platinum, you can have this drink but not that drink, but if you're a Diamond, your drink can be worth $4 more than the Plat member... who is running this asylum!

Meanwhile, we don't have a properly functioning website to book a room without errors. But, by all means, keep rearranging those deck chairs on the Titanic.

It’s really simple - IHG used to give a physical coupon and checkbox the guest’s status at the back of the card (the size of a business card, by the way) a simple presentation such as
[ ] silver - beer, soft drinks
[ ] gold - all the above, plus house wine
[ ] platinum - all the above, plus prestige wine
[ ] diamond - all of the above, plus house cocktails

It’s already YMMV in Accor when you have literally no idea what the coupon gets you, as at most hotels nothing is described on the coupon.

I prefer the lottery regarding welcome drinks, but clear lounge policy at Accor over the clear welcome drink policy at IHG and lottery re lounge access at IHG!:rolleyes:

Since summer, IHG lounge access is much clearer than before.

Can we have both? :)

Last year at 2 Mgallery in Italy, drink vouchers were supposed to be useable for anything (that's what was written on the drink vouchers), but at the bar, they had a special drink list for the drink voucher (Proseco, wine, beer or soft drink)...

really?
in what regards? guaranteed lounge access for IHG Platinum member in all IHG hotels like Accor?

It's not as generous as Accor (IHG implement it as a milestone reward), but it is 'clearer' than it used to be.

Have only not gotten welcome drink vouchers twice with keys at check-in (once at the Sofitel Montreal and once at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto). Have always redeemed them for cocktails (e.g. Old Fashioned); was later told only once (at Sofitel Montreal) that policy is for wine or beer only, but they let it slide anyway. Otherwise they seem to be consistent in providing the vouchers and letting them being used for any drink without issues.

Have only had multiple rooms booked twice; once (ibis Munich Arnulfpark) they provided vouchers for all people in all rooms; the other time (Fairmont Queen Elizabeth in Montreal) it was just for my room.

Have always gotten vouchers for the number of people booked in my room, including kids. Fairmont Chateau Laurier in Ottawa was especially generous and made a point to say the kids vouchers could be for "grown up" drinks too if my wife and I needed it (we did!). Great team there.

When travelling with the family, having us all go to the bar for the welcome drink is usually not feasible. Have almost always been able to get the welcome drinks "to go", though the bar at Fairmont Queen Elizabeth in Montreal needed convincing, and was reluctant to let me borrow a tray to bring it up to my room, and wanted it back "as soon as you're done". Overcrowding at the hotel bar prevented getting a welcome drink at Fairmont Chateau Frontenac - my wife asked to take them up to go, which would have helped with the overcrowding rather than bringing down a family of 4 at peak hour, but they refused. Maybe it's a Quebec thing about bringing drinks to rooms?

I can't find anymore on Accor site where the detailed conditions for drink voucher are mentioned (like the restriction to one voucher for the member only in mid-scale hotels in France). Can someone point it to me or has it been removed ? Thank you

I suspect them to have amended the benefit page to remove the details about the welcome drink given to the cardholder and replacing it by a minimum description which is very vague.

you can still get 2 drinks for a double occupancy only if the receptionist is nice and only when you beg for it 🙄

we stayed in Caen last month and the girl gave the card, then wrote x2 when I mentioned my wife, at first ignored, then was quite embarrassed when I mentioned my daughter…

this issue was already one when they started with A-Club and still is 15 years later. 🙄

Here is a puzzle for you ....

Given two drink vouchers ( unprompted )

Bar has a list of what they can be used for according to your status.

Wanted a Virgin Mary. Was told that could not be used for cocktails. However bar provided all ingredients and I made it myself ! ( he could not ) Fruit Juice was on the list for Silver / Gold etc ..

Just love the Accor Hotel silly rules !

The only thing I could find on Accor site is "Different beverages are offered, depending on the hotel brand (further details at the hotel)"

in Asia, they seem to be rather generous regarding welcome drinks
several times I used the voucher for 2 pax for two drinks for myself when my wife was not up to a drink....

Had good experiences with the welcome drinks at the Fairmonts Banff Springs, Jasper Park Lodge and Chateau Lake Louise.

4 adults and 2 youths travelling. At each hotel, 6 drink certificates were automatically included in the room upon arrival next to the welcome amenity. Jasper was the only hotel of the three to cap the drink at $25, but you could get anything you want, and they'd take the $25 off.

At Chateau Lake Louise, I had split the stay into 4 nights in my account and 4 under my wife's, to even out our points earning. While it was a seamless transition, with the bookings linked so no change of room or resetting of room keys was needed, it was a nice surprise when they gave us 6 more welcome drinks with the name change on the room (along with another welcome amenity and a couple more bottles of wine)!

I am still amazed by how these hotels handle the welcome drink benefit, for something at cost price is pence/pennies - once the slippery slope starts of cutting corners, then guests are more inclined to point out other issues. I find it embarrassing how they try evade giving this benefit.

i guess they do not think in terms of costs but missed revenues.... they probably think all guests would purchase their drinks they get for free

indeed, cost price is extremely low, i.e. in France, a soft drink is sold between around 4 euros in economy/midscale properties and above 5-6 euros in upscale ones, meaning substantial revenue for drink vouchers not given to the second or other guests over a year.

Others have said it, and I will say it again

How does it feel to the "other" person in the room who does not get the drink ? not good.

Better to give two vouchers, both guests to the bar, and maybe they will spend more time / money there for the sake of a few pennies ( cost of a soft drink or coffee ) against the false hope of the "other" buying a drink to go with the free one ....

I once asked for 2 straws to highlight how mean the hotel was. She asked why and I said it was for us the share the single welcome drink.

Guess what : she did not bulge and started to look for straws. :D I stopped her and told her we were going out to a bar where both of us would be welcome so we can have a drink together. It did not impress her. She said it was Accor policy and they were obligated to offer one drink only.

i would have simply stopped the conversation when she asked why as this is none of her business 🙄

It happened to me recently, I asked for straws for my daughter and our friends’ kids.

when the bartender asked what for, I was in the good mood, instead of saying to stick them in my nose (or somewhere else of his body) I nicely said it was for the kids.

Questioning guests goes sometimes too far while they are supposed to provide us a very simple service.

it’s like when you nicely ask for ice cubes and the waitress tells you the drink is already cold 🙄

guests are not supposed to justify themselves when they are asking for something.

Well, in this case I was waiting for the question hoping (in vain) to educate her somehow. I obviously failed miserably. :D

I'm not sure what you were hoping to accomplish. A bartender or restaurant server is not exactly in a position to change the hotel policy. The policy may be petty and customer-unfriendly, but how does trying to make a point with the front-line service staff accomplish anything?

1) she was the manager of the hotel.

2) some hotels empower their employees to do the right thing. I otherwise sometimes ask which one of us two is welcome in the hotel and which one is not.

I have experienced different reactions : "sorry, but..." in which case I do no insist. But have heard as well "you are right" and he pours another beer.

I do not aim at changing Accor way of thinking, but at the local level, owners/managers should be more sensitive to customer remarks.

I don’t agree with the stingy policy and agree people need to question it and provide feedback to management, but the way you go about it here just seems unnecessarily confrontational to bait an argument or reaction.

But I might be biased, I worked a frontline customer service role for almost 10 years, starting way too young, and it’s still hard to believe the amount of abuse I copped from adults who seemed to believe I had complete control over all aspects of the company’s operations and policies as a 14 year old earning minimum wage.

I can also fondly recall, while I was still legally a child, being threatened with violence by middle aged adults who said they’d be waiting for me outside after my shift. Because we didn’t have an item in stock that they wanted.