Ideas & Suggestions for Accor for Platinum & Diamond
 

Was thinking we could use a thread with some suggestions for Accor as to create some more distinction between lower and higher status levels, and add some more competitive benefits like Marriott, Hilton and other chains do. Here are some ideas already:

1) Welcome drinks to include cocktails or better welcome drinks/higher-end drinks for Platinums and Diamonds. I find it quite surprising that at certain high-end hotels a Platinum or Diamond member is not offered a cocktail but only "up to a wine" (at the Raffles Warsaw for example). This whilst every type of status level gets any cocktail choice at many Accor properties (some valued at 20+ eur when bought separately). Also, there should be some distinction between Silver/Gold, and Platinum or Diamond no?

2) 2 levels room/suite upgrades for Platinum, 3 levels for Diamond.

3) Complimentary breakfasts for Platinum and Diamond (at least worldwide for the duration of the full-stay for Diamond?

4) Complimentary minibar for Platinum and Diamond? Perhaps complimentary non-alcohol for Platinum and full-complimentary for Diamond?

5) High-quality welcome gift: a bottle wine or preferred non-alcoholic drink with sweet treats and fresh fruits, at least in luxury hotels without lounge.

6) Guaranteed late check-out until 6pm for Diamond. Guaranteed early check-in?

7) Complimentary laundry or laundry credit.


Updated the thread with some of wkndtraveler 's suggestions too.

I don't want to be snarky to someone for putting thought into how Accor could make their programme better, in their interests as well as ours, but the sad truth is that you've probably now put more thought into this than the people who run the programme. (It's something many of us here are guilty of.)

Here's a novel idea, look at what the competition is doing. Frankly as Platinum I am broadly fine with what they offer as long as that is indeed what is being delivered which we all know is not happening. Accor for as long as I can remember falls flat on its face when it comes to consistency. Hotels make up their own rules and find "innovative" reasons not to deliver. It is just not in Accor's culture to deliver on loyalty. And I believe this comes from the top. CEO Bazin talks about all sort of things (he's quite the vocal CEO and has managed to make Accor a much more important global player) but he is not running this ship effectively and when faced with hotel owners' opposition just caves in. This is the same CEO who does not believe in executive lounges....

Two things that are clearly missing at Platinum level and upwards: breakfast at all hotels every day (again see competition) and recognition for long term loyalty. In retrospect if I had put my loyalty into Hilton I would have been a lifetime member a long time ago. More than 10 years of Accor loyalty (from day one) and I have nothing to show for. I find this increasingly disrespectful.

To be honest I tend to value loyalty more than I rationally should. I will often forego a more unique hotel or even pay a premium to book with the brand I'm loyal with than something else of equal quality, admittedly at least half-expecting in the back of my mind a usual high/higher quality service for that loyalty. It's a win-win for both the service provider and the buyer. However if the providers and sellers don't think of it in the same way then I will start looking elsewhere and build loyalty elsewhere (as I am doing with Hilton now).

Totally agree with what you've written thestarflyergold

I believe the complimentary non-alcohol from the minibar benefit is still listed, however, I can't remember the last time I was in a room with a stocked minibar. The hotels I frequent tend to have mini-fridges in the room, for guests to use to store their own food and drinks, but I've not seen any items offered for sale in them. I typically find them stocked with water by the staff each day, but they generally leave them mostly empty for guest usage (which I completely prefer).

I'm not sure that Platinum has been devalued. I don't think it was particularly valuable before. And the addition of Diamond hasn't really devalued Platinum, since Diamond offers very little beyond Platinum, to the point there is really little incentive to bother trying for Diamond at all.

I like your suggestions of making multi-category upgrades a benefit of higher statuses. That's something worthwhile.

I'd be happy if they could just get the confirmed Suite upgrade awards to work like the old Fairmont system. Those had value, and were easy to use. They weren't just for a measly single night, which is almost useless. And you could just apply them to any existing booking, at virtually any rate, and simply confirmed the suite against the booking. The crap that Accor created is so convoluted and full of exceptions, and usable almost exclusively against inflated rack rates, that what little value they could have had, is basically removed.

So, my ask for a useful benefit, would be to bring back confirmed upgrades like the old FPC system. Maybe make the Diamond ones confirm into a double-upgrade. Say, Platinum SNU goes from base room to junior suite. Diamond SNU goes from base room to 1-Bed Suite. And make them applicable to any existing booking. If you want to exclude things like crappy OTA bookings, fine, but if the rate booked is available right off the hotels' own website, it should be eligible for a confirmed upgrade.

It would be in Accor's best interest if they would realize that loyalty does go both ways. Shortly after the Accor/FRHI merger, when I could clearly see what a mess the Accor organization is in and how they don't understand loyalty or even know how to manage their own way out of a paper bag, I made the deliberate decision to divert my spending. I had quick a trip to Mauritius for 2 weeks, where I had some Accor options. Instead, I was quite happy to spend in excess of 1,000 Euros per night at the Four Seasons. I'm just one guest, but that was close to 20k EUR that Accor could have had from me, but they basically gave me no reason to give them my business. I'm probably not alone in the customer universe in directing my money away from Accor as a direct result of their own decisions. Of course, they're probably too stupid to know about the business that is being directed away from them. Smart businesses take the time to understand both their customers and their competitors. Alas, Accor is not a smart business run by smart people. People like the FT community do a good job highlighting opportunities, if they would only choose to listen. But, again, it comes down to a group of stupid people who don't know what they don't know, and probably believe they are doing everything right. Unconscious Incompetence is the most dangerous of the four phases of ability awareness, and they are firmly stuck in that quadrant.

Not sure where the Platinum devaluation comes from. As a member in Australia and one who travels mainly Asia Pacific, we get free breakfast at all properties for the entire stay. As I don’t usually stay 5*, this would be hard to achieve with all but Marriott. The problem with Marriott being APAC coverage. I stay with Accor for that reason (biggest chain in APAC) despite their crazy IT and all their other unique peculiarities. I know on this forum I’m somewhat alone, but I’m happy enough with ALL.

I have been a loyal Accor customer and held platinum and gold status of Le Club for several years. I have been mainly satisfied.

After the introduction of Accor ALL and reaching diamond level, I have been mostly disappointed. For the first time, I’m seriously considering moving my loyalty elsewhere. Maybe it’s too early to say this but after spending well over 10,000 euros at Accor hotels last year I have found the diamond treatment identical to what it was as a platinum member and thus very disappointing.

I have a few suggestion on how to improve the diamond benefits:

1) Consistency first of all (I would like to have all the listed benefits at every hotels without negotiations).

2) Room upgrade to the best room category, suites included, subject to availability (SNUs to be used only when one wants confirmed suite upgrade prior to arrival).

3) Complimentary breakfast every day and worldwide.

4) High-quality welcome gift: a bottle wine or preferred non-alcoholic drink with sweet treats and fresh fruits, at least in luxury hotels without lounge.

5) Guaranteed late check-out until 6pm.

6) Complimentary laundry or laundry credit.

I have shared my thoughts with one of the SVPs of Accor and the reply I got was this:

Please let me clarify your question regarding the free breakfast.

1/ In Asia Pacific, both Platinum and Diamond members benefit from free breakfast every day.

2/ In the rest of the world, only Diamond members benefit from the free breakfast on week-end days (which may be different from one region to another).

To benefit for the free breakfast offer, the booking needs to be done via all.accor.com, or the all app; the exclusive Diamond member rate including the free breakfast will be directly displayed for you to do the booking; they can also be booked via our reservations offices.

Some hotels do not participate to this offer for the moment, but we are working strongly to onboard the as soon as possible.

I hope I have answered your questions, and hope you will enjoy being a Diamond member.

I didn’t only ask about the free breakfast. My ideas of the improvements were totally ignored. That tells a lot.

No 2. Needs serious effort from corporate to enforce as somehow Bonvoy manage to Bonvoyed that even at legacy SPG hotels.

No 3. Agreed!

No 5. Bonvoys 4pm guarantee somehow are the most consistent one albeit there are some non resort/non conference rogue properties that refuse.

That looks very much as though the SVP to whom you reached out simply passed your message on to "customer care". Explaining how something should work rather than addressing issues or answering questions is something they can do quite well..

Although, there is a consensus to say that Diamonds benefits are very disappointing so far with meager extra benefits above Platinum and a huge numbers of hotels excluded of those benefits, I totally disagree with the Platinum devaluation. There hasn't been a single Plat benefit removed system-wide. The examples given in the Raffles Warsaw thread are just wrong : free minibar and free BF have never been Plat benefits. The former is a guaranteed benefit in MGallery hotels only and the latter is only in APAC hotels, and this is still true post 01/01 with Diamonds existence. And you can even say that Plat benefits have been enhanced with the SNU, even if there's a lot of room for improvement for those when we read what's reported in the SNU thread. So we can have wishes about Plat and Diam improvements, this is needed and healthy, but it is neither true nor fair IMO to say that Plat has been devaluated and is now the new Gold.

I fully agree with you.

I will certainly not follow you on that page. Accor people run a business and they make business decisions having the full picture and and having to take into account tons of things, including legal terms with hotels and directives from the board of directors. They may of course make mistakes and take wrong decisions, or some customers may be unhappy about this or that, but Accor people are certainly not stupid. If it was the case, the company and their hotels would have gone bankrupt. Insulting Accor employees will not help to improve ALL which is what we are trying to do.

very good list.
As said multiple times, priorities should be the consistency from one hotel to another, guaranteed benefits (especially at Diamond level) and stop all those exclusions that are not acceptable.

IMO when you start a loyalty program
1 make a survey what your clients and more important your would be clients should like
2 check your contracts with your hotels
3 if you have a program
4 send it to al your hotels about their opinion
5 meaby let it check with a group clients
6 Make sure that every part is accepted and every manager and staff know how to deal with the program
7 check your concurrents programs on the market
8 never let your clients think that they cant trust your words about the benefits of your program
9 never show that your hotels make their own rules and not accept your loyalty program
its never to late to make corrections on your program
greetings cornelis

If they took a look at the loyalty program from Fairmont before it was merged, it was one of the least understood but best on the market. As a former platinum member, it is very sad to see it go! Only Gold level now with Accor, and that is only as a result of spending $$$$ at a fairmont hotel.

I agree. I know for a fact that there are many dedicated staff in Accor, including at senior level dealing with loyalty but they are running up against a culture of indifference and possibly ignorance from the highest level. Being held hostage by property owners is another problem. I have yet to see something similar at other hotel groups.

How can we send this forum thread to Accor??? So many good points above.

I have been Platinum for 2 years, combination of gold and platinum for the 3 years before. I've stayed in Novotels, Sofitels and Pullmans in Asia, Australia and Europe. US to come in the next month.

1. My first complaint is the lack of consistency. Free breakfast in Asia and Australia - nothing in London. Inconsistent Executive Lounge presence. No lounge - no alternative perk.
2. Inconsistent treatment of preferred status guests - I all but walked out of Novotel Canberra after rude treatment. I did escalate that one to hotel and Australia Accor management. I have doubts that anything came of the documented complaint. Hong Kong and Siem Reap couldn't have been more welcoming. Bangkok somewhere in between no recognition and effusive welcome.
3. Welcome gifts are fine, but the difference between properties on what is considered a true thank you are laughable. I did appreciate the Novotel on Collins Melbourne with multiple simple thank you notes and chocolates for a multi-night stay. Seemed quite sincere. Other places has felt an uncovered bowl of peanuts and a bottle of beer (I don't drink beer) was adequate.
4. Upgraded room in Asia and Australia to true improvements from the standard. The London "upgrade" at Novotel Paddington made me question what happened. Auckland Pullman upgrade to a "sea view" was in reality a view of the buildings blocking the sea and a very noisy construction site. Would have preferred the street facing deluxe room I had earlier in the year.
5. With my Asia/Oz visits probably winding down, I am switching my loyalty. Even the manager at Pullman St Pancras London expressed surprise at my Platinum status - few Americans with that status, most prefer Marriott. I think I'll be joining them.