escape4

If I am not mistaken, it's currently an Autograph Collection (Marriott).

margarita girl

CanadaDH

I wish it were EUR300, and a few years ago before prices spiked up, it probably was. Average nightly rate for 2018 will be EUR735 at today's FX rate, after upgrade certs applied, but before free night certs, taxes, food purchases and services. The free night certs will bring that down to about EUR640 average paid. That's blended with half the nights in winter and half in summer. What I don't yet know, is how much will I stay in 2019. My upgrade certs and free night certs probably work out to close to a 20% discount, which is awesome. Accor points are only really worth about 8%, no matter where you use them. So my future stay pattern at Banff and LL may yet change as a result. On the other hand, there are some other Fairmont properties I stay at where I don't/can't use any certificates, where today I'm getting 0% out of the FPC, but will still get that same 8% out of Accor points. My initial math says I'm still not coming out ahead under Accor. Time will tell. One thing is for sure, I'm going to make the most of the certificates I have left until Feb 28, 2019!

You're absolutely right, my stay pattern wouldn't not qualify under many other programs. No way can I hit anywhere near 60 nights anywhere. 30 nights is probably what I'm able to stay anywhere in a year, with some years a bit more and some a bit less.

escape4

735 EUR per night, whoa! I was not aware it was now so expensive. Last time I went to LL/Banff it was in May (low season) which probably explains why I did not have to pay anywhere near those prices.

Indeed losing the free night certs and getting Accor points in return is a losing trade and therefore a net price increase for Platinum members. But a favorable change for infrequent guests with no status.

What helps to temper the generally premium prices at Fairmont hotels are the LifeExperiences certs. I am curious to see if that will eventually be eliminated by Accor, which would make it a significant price increase for stays in Canadian properties.

CanadaDH

Prices tend to be very seasonal. You probably could get a non-lakeview Fairmont room in season for close to EUR300. But LL is one of those properties that allows you book much higher room and suite categories and upgrade beyond that, so I tend to do that with my upgrades. I definitely don't want to lose the LE certificates, although on more expensive stays, you're not able to pay for a lot of it using them. I've often pushed beyond the 10-cert per stay limit, but I can't see the hotel letting me drop 80 x $100 LE certs on them for a stay! Where the LE certs can't be used, there's always the semi-annual Facebook sales from Fairmont directly. I don't want to lose those either.

lbotez

I started staying in Fairmont Hotels because of the Visa card. I'm going to Chicago for 3 nights in a couple of weeks. I'm staying there so I can get more certificates in July. Otherwise I would normally stay in a Hilton or a Marriott (Hiltons give you free breakfasts, and Embassy Suites come with a free breakfast). So trying out the Chicago Fairmont this time. I'm going to Maui in May, staying at the Fairmont Kea Lani to use 2 free nights and the second stay I need for the July certificates. Otherwise, probably wouldn't stay there because it's $500/night and I'm good paying for 2 nights and the other 2 nights are free.

Will use the certificates I get in July for a stay somewhere, maybe at the end of this year or 2019. Going to France in the fall, if they let you use them at the Accor hotels, perhaps I'll use them there.

Not saying I'd never stay at another Fairmont (like them; the one in Barbados was great); however SPG or Hilton would be my first choice, depending on the loation and the price.

ireman

Chicago's always a great destination apparently they mostly refresh all rooms. Let us know how it went. But check the blackout dates to applied Certs cause this years they broke a record of those dates !

CanadaDH

I expect the bonus certs later this year will be just like the current ones, where they can only be used at Fairmont. We could never use them before at Swissotel or Raffles, so I highly doubt you'd be able to use them at any other Accor brand. But that's not a bad idea, from the perspective of Accor. If they wanted to get the FPC members to try out some of the other Accor brands, that would help. They are giving out some bonus certs to use at more Fairmont hotels, which we all happily do today, and will continue to do, but it doesn't do anything to provide exposure elsewhere and in fact could limit it. Before many members leave for other chains, if you're going to give them one last batch of certs, it would seem to make sense to make them available for use at other brands as a way to expose people to the other choices. They're investing the marketing dollars into providing those bonus upgrade incentives anyway, why not use it to direct people to explore the other brands too?

But, I don't think you will see that happen. I also suspect most of us, myself included, would just use the bonus certs at our favourite Fairmont hotels anyway, even if they could be used at other Accor brands.

Eagle_traveler

I learned this week end that Fairmont employees are losing a lot of perks, such as employee room and food rates with Accor merger. A lot of them are mad. So we are not the only ones who aren't happy about this merger.

dmodemd

Of course they waited to tell them this after a few months of touting to them how great the Accors merger is and to preach that to all the customers...

Admiral Ackbar

Yep I did not want to give a lot of details so as to not put them in trouble but the unionized workers appear to be losing all their marginal benefits (don't know exactly what that entails) and they are not happy about it.

Yul_voyager

Which means, the best employees will leave soon if they did not already. With a such low unemployment rate who want to stay in a company which treats you like that.

Eagle_traveler

Yes exactly. I feel like in a few years, people in Business schools will have an example in their textbook "how to lose your loyal customers and your best employees, the Accor way" lol

But seriously, why would the best employees at Fairmont would stay if they can get benefits at Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton etc... and not with Fairmont. At their place, I would start sending resumes lol

gcashin

Yeah, I'm in the same boat and it's quite strange. I'd received Accor Platinum for 2017 (via Fairmont Platinum), but am now downgraded to Accor Gold for 6 months, before being moved back up to Accor Platinum on July 1 to align with my Fairmont Platinum status. I'd been considering an Accor stay on a recent trip, but chose another hotel chain instead, as Accor Gold doesn't seem appealing enough to choose Accor properties when I can get Platinum level benefits at other chains.

The extra Fairmont certs are great this year, but it makes the Accor program look even more stingy in comparison.

YOWCDNFF

On the topic of rebrand, I see really three different type of properties, with potential for very different outcomes:

Resort/vacation destination
Old "railway" city center locations (Canada)
Other city center hotels

For example, when I look at the QE in Montreal, I could easily see that becoming a slightly higher end Novotel, given the modern look and feel. Winnipeg - I have trouble seeing that continue in the Accor family. I could see some of these city center locations being rebranded, especially where there is more than one (eg: Vancouver).

For the resort destinations, based on some of the past surveys, this seems to be what Accor wants the Fairmont brand to be primarily about. I do not see much of a change there, maybe with some moving over to Sofitel. I could see the same fate for some of the luxurious city center locations

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