Review: Le Club AccorHotels (loyalty program of AccorHotels)

Friday newsletters always feature luxury travel contests, tips, series, or news.

Today (May 10, 2019): AccorHotels’s loyalty program (Le Club AccorHotels) explained.

AccorHotels is a French multinational hospitality company that represents the largest hotel group in the world outside of the USA. It operates in 100 countries, with more than 4,200 hotels and 250,000 employees worldwide. AccorHotels recently acquired Swissôtel, Raffles and Fairmont properties and entered a strategic partnership with Banyan Tree, drastically increasing its share in the luxury market.  In the budget range, Ibis and Formule 1 are its major subsidiaries, while its midrange offer includes Swissôtel, Mercure, Pullman, Novotel and Adagio. AccorHotels’ loyalty program is called Le Club AccorHotels and it very simple: for every 2,000 points you collect, you can redeem a €40 Accor voucher.

What’s your opinion about Le Club AccorHotels? Leave a comment below.

In this overview, I explain Le Club AccorHotels program:

• Membership tiers
• Earn points with Le club AccorHotels
• Redeem awards & travel for free
• Pros & things I like about Le Club AccorHotels
• Cons & things I don’t like about Le Club AccorHotels
• Reviews of Accor hotels around the world
• Key points
• Poll: what’s the best hotel loyalty program?

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LE CLUB ACCORHOTELS: MEMBERSHIP TIERS

Le Club AccorHotels membership is free and gives you access to a range of benefits the second you join the program. Status upgrades are awarded according to the number of nights spent or the number of points earned at hotels that participate in the program, opening the door to even more benefits and perks. Le Club AccorHotels has four membership tiers:

• Classic membership is awarded for free upon joining the program, and entitles you to the following benefits:
  • 10% off room rates at participting hotels
  • Advance access to private sales on the AccorHotels website
  • Online check-in and fast check-out
  • Free internet access worldwide

• Silver membership is awarded after 10 night or €800 in expenses and comes with all the Classic benefits, plus:
  • Priority welcome
  • Late check-out
  • Welcome drink
  • Turndown service
  • A 25% point bonus

• Gold membership is awarded after 30 night or €2800 in expenses and comes with all the Classic and Silver benefits, plus:
  • Guaranteed room up to 3 days before arrival
  • Early check-in or Late check-out
  • Welcome amenity
  • Upgrade to the next room category subject to availability
  • A 50% point bonus

• Platinum membership is awarded after 60 night or €5600 in expenses and comes with all the Classic, Silver and Gold benefits, plus:
  • Dedicated Le Club AccorHotels customer care line
  • Guaranteed room up to 2 days before arrival
  • Early check-in and Late check-out
  • Premium WiFi (if existing)
  • Access to the Executive Lounge (if existing)
  • A 75% point bonus

LE CLUB ACCORHOTELS: EARN POINTS

You earn points each time you stay at a participating Accor hotel for the following expenses: room, minibar, telephone, room service, dinners, drinks, and treatments at spa centers connected with the hotel. You can only earn points by booking directly via one of AccorHotels’ reservation channels:

LE CLUB ACCORHOTELS: REDEEM POINTS & TRAVEL FOR FREE

• You can redeem your points for free or discounted hotel nights at AccorHotels’ portfolio of hotels (no blackout dates). For every 2,000 points you collect, you are entitled to a reduction of 40 euros on the price (including tax) of accommodation or on-site expenses (which comes down to receiving cashback – in Accor vouchers – of 5% as a base member). It is possible to use up to 1,000,000 points, in increments of 2,000 points (which comes down to 20,000 euros).

• Your can use your Accor points for a unique selection of one-of-a-kind events accessible with your Le Club AccorHotels account. Sporting fixtures, cultural events, concerts in a VIP box, etc … You can access the list of elite experiences here.

• Your can use your Accor points for a tailored range of premium hotel packages reserved exclusively for Le Club AccorHotels members. These packages at Accor’s high-end hotels are inclusive of several extras (e.g. welcome gift, spa treatment, dinner, etc …) and can often be booked at a discounted number of points. You can access the list of premium hotel packages here.

• You can convert your hotel points in airline miles by transferring them into the loyalty programs of almost 30 major airlines. The number of miles you’ll get depends on the airline. For example, with British Airways, there’s a minimum conversion of  4,000 points, which wil get you 2,000 Avios.

• Le Club AccorHotels points can also be redeemed at participating Europcar rental locations. You can redeem 2000 points for a 20 Euros discount when you book a car via Europcar.

• You can use your Le Club AccorHotels points for train travel. Accor points can be converted into Club Eurostar points, which allows you free travel on the Eurostar (there’s a minimum conversion of 4000 points for 350 Club Eurostar points). In analogy, you can also convert your hotel points into BahnBonus points (which is the loyalty program of German’s national railway) and choose from the wide range of gifts offered in the BahnBonus reward catalogue.

• You can use hotel points for shopping in AccorHotels’ online shopping portal, La Collection by Le Club Accor.

• You can convert your points into a donation to the Solidarity AccorHotels endowment fund, and help to provide training and access to employment for those who need it most.

PROS & THINGS I LIKE ABOUT LE CLUB ACCOR

• AccorHotels is the largest hotel company outside the USA, making it quite easy to earn & redeem points at more than 4000 hotels across the globe (which are grouped in 21 brands). You can access the full list of all AccorHotels brands here.

• AccorHotels recently acquired Swissôtel, Raffles and Fairmont properties, drastically increasing its share in the luxury market. You can earn and redeem points at all hotels managed by these brands.

• AccorHotels and Banyan Tree announced a strategic long-term partnership in 2016 whereby both groups collaborate to develop and manage Banyan Tree-branded hotels around the world. Banyan Tree is one of the world’s most exclusive hotel brands; the company also manages the Angsana & Cassia hotel brands. The partnership gives Banyan Tree access to AccorHotels’ global reservation and sales networks but its also good news for Le Club AccorHotels members as they can spend and redeem points at Banyan Tree hotels, as well as get elite perks at these properties.

• The program is very simple when it comes to spending points: 2000 points can be exchanged for a €40 off voucher.

• Elite members earn €40 off vouchers faster as they are awarded bonus points upon completion of their stays: a 25% points bonus for Gold members, 50% for Silver members and 75% for Platinum members.

• Point won’t expire as long as you stay once every 12 months in one of AccorHotels’ properties across the globe.

• Members have access to 10% discounts at participating hotels.

• The program has several partners, so if you don’t want to spend your voucher in an Accor hotel, then there are a small number of other options such as rental cars, convering them in airline miles, and Club Med holidays.

CONS & THINGS I DO NOT LIKE ABOUT LE CLUB ACCOR

• One of Le Club AccorHotels’ most disappointing features is that it does not offer suite upgrades as a benefit for elite members (which is a huge contrast with almost all other large hotel loyalty programs).

• The number of points you earn across AccorHotels’ brands is inconsistent and confusing. At Ibis and Ibis Styles you earn 1.25 per €1 while you don’t earn anything at all Ibis Budget. At Adagio, you earn 1 point per €1 spent, while at Adagio Access you earn 0.5 points per €1 spent.

• Le Club AccorHotels allows you to convert airline miles into hotel points, but the exchange rate is extremely poor (7:1 for Finnair, 9:2 for Qatar). Compare that to Marriott Bonvoy where you have a 3:1 conversation rate for most airlines.

• The exchange rate for converting your Le Club AccorHotels points into airline miles is much better, but again, it depends on the airline you are transferring them to, so it is very inconcistent. Some conversions don’t make sense. For example, you can convert your hotel points into British Airways Avios at a 2:1 ration, while you can covert your hotel points into Iberia Avios at a 1:1,  so you should always move your Le Club AccorHotels points to Iberia Plus, and then use ‘Combine My Avios’ to move them to your British Airways account.

• Contrary to other hotel loyalty programs, Le Club AccorHotels rarely launches promotions that allow you to boost your account.

• You cannot purchase Le Club AccorHotels points.

• You cannot earn Le Club AccorHotels points with credit cards, as there are no AccorHotels branded credit cards. Also, the program is not a transfer partner of American Express. On a positive note, Le Club AccorHotels regularly launches promotions for holders of certain credit cards (e.g. spay two and stay tree’ promos for holders of Mastercard).

• Le Club AccorHotels does not offer lifetime status.

MY REVIEWS OF ACCORHOTEL‘S LUXURY HOTELS

• Review: Raffles Seychelles Hotel
• Hotel review: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi (Vietnam)
• Review: Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver (Canada)
• Review: the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel (Canada)
• Hotel review: Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam
• Hotel review: Raffles Le Royal (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)

KEY POINTS

• AccorHotels has an impressive portfolio of luxury hotels, where you earn and/or redeem points.

• Base members of AccorHotels receive 10% discount on stays (so it makes sense to subscribe to the program).

• for every 2,000 points you collect, you can redeem a €40 Accor voucher.

POLL

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