19
Apr
British Airways Executive Club is offering 25% Avios bonus points on hotel point transfers between April 20 and June 20, 2012 from eight hotel partners:
* I placed an asterisk next to the four programs I think are the only hotel programs worth using for this bonus offer. Read More…
Accor Hotels officially changed its loyalty program name from A|Club to Le Club Accorhotels on March 28, 2012. Just as I figured out where the “|” symbol key is located on my keyboard, the loyalty program goes French.
To celebrate being French, Le Club Accorhotels announced its first global promotion for triple points for weekend stays (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) from April 13 through June 10. Stays must be booked by May 10 for this offer. Read More…
Accor Hotels has a global sale for 50% off hotel stays booked by November 25 for stays from December 11, 2011 through February 12, 2012. The discount is 50% for A|Club members and 40% if you are not a member. You can join A|Club and get the 50% discount when you book.
These rates are prepaid at time of booking, no changes allowed and no refunds for cancellation.
The good news is Accor Hotels provides a pdf link with participating hotels ordered geographically.
Accor Hotels is the largest global hotel chain outside the USA and the most comprehensive hotel chain for France and Europe. Brazil and North Africa are two other areas where Accor offers more hotels than any other major hotel chain for earning loyalty points with your travel. China, Indonesia and Thailand are other countries where you will find Accor properties outpace most other hotel chains.
Here is a Loyalty Traveler post from September 2011 where I give an overview of A|Club loyalty program and Accor Hotel brand descriptions. Since then Accor A|Club has added Orbis Hotels, a small brand in Poland.
Accor Super Sale 50% off rates - Book by Nov 25, 2011.
A|Club loyalty program for French chain Accor Hotels has a couple of ongoing offers for free elite status and free points for Facebook Jackpot contest.
A|Club complimentary Gold elite could be yours with promotion code AMEXSING10 when you register as a new member of the A|Club program. Funny thing is this offer is the first time I recall a non-IHG promotion listed on PriorityClubInsider.com.
A|Club Jackpot Facebook game for free 500 points and chance to win 25,000 or 1,000,000 points
Promotion: October 6 – November 15, 2011
You can pick up some instant points after enrolling for Accor A|Club Gold elite through the Accor A|Club Jackpot Days sweepstakes on Facebook.
The first 25,000 players automatically win 500 points. At time of this post there are 18,195 Facebook page “likes” so I assume at least another 7,000 people can win an instant 500 points.
You can play the game once each week, based on the time and day you first play, through November 15, 2011. There are ten 25,000 point prizes at pre-set time slots during the game period and the first person to play after the 25K time slot wins the prize.
One million A|Club points worth 20,000 Euros in hotel stay credit will be awarded to one entrant from the game within three weeks after the game ends.
Accor A-Club Jackpot Days October 6 - November 15, 2011
Double points for any weekend stay with a Friday, Saturday or Sunday night from October 10 to December 18, 2011 booked on Jackpot Days page or any official Accor or Accor hotel brand online channel between October 6 and November 15.
Accor A-Club 2x points for weekend stays October 10-December 18, 2011
Related Loyalty Traveler posts: Le Club Accor Hotels Loyalty Program - Basics Sep 18, 2011
Accor Hotels had a global press conference September 13, 2011 to announce a new strategic plan for rebranding a large portion of its economy and midscale segment hotels among the 4,200+ hotels in the French based chain. A new hotel loyalty program name with Le Club Accorhotels replaces A|Club.
The major change in the Accor brands structure is the creation of an Ibis Mega Brand with over 1,500 hotels by rebranding midscale all seasons to Ibis Styles and the Etap brand becomes Ibis Budget.
Accor Hotels has global reach with over 15 brands from economy (etap, Formule 1, Motel 6) to its flagship luxury brand Sofitel Hotels.
The Accor Hotels chain is proportionally far heavier in the economy hotel market segment with about 2,200 hotels in brands like etap, Formule 1, Hotel F1 and Motel 6. The two upscale hotel brands of Novotel and Mercure at 1,100 hotels are far larger than the global Hyatt chain at under 500 properties and match the total hotel presence of Starwood Hotels.
Sofitel was divided up into separate brands when Accor added Pullman Hotels and MGallery Hotels and these upper upscale and luxury brands hold about 220 hotels.
Le Club Accorhotels, formerly A|Club is the loyalty program for Accor Hotels that excludes several hotel brands from the economy segment of the Accor family. Only about 2,300 hotels participate in the loyalty program and more than 1,700 hotels in Motel 6, Etap and Formule 1 are excluded from A|Club for earning points.
It remains to be seen what the loyalty program changes might be, if any.
Etap hotels are not currently included in A|Club points earning. The Ibis Budget hotel brand could be added to Le Club Accorhotels and increase the earning potential for members by 400 hotels globally. No word on that aspect of the loyalty program came out of the press conference.
Moderator StarFlyerGold of the FlyerTalk Accor forum states Le Club will launch beginning 2012.
A|Club Loyalty Program Basics
A|Club operates differently from other points-based major hotel loyalty programs. The earning side is similar in that members earn points based on hotel spend at the rate of 2 points/1€ at Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Suite Novotel, Mercure and Adagio Hotels. Ibis and all seasons earn 1 point/1€. Global and property specific promotions offer bonus points for member stays just like other loyalty programs.
A|Club Earn Rate
2 points per EUR
1 point per EUR
The different aspect of A|Club is the redemption side of points. Points can be exchanged for hotel cash vouchers to redeem for hotel stays. Hotels are not divided into hotel redemption categories, the system used in most major hotel loyalty programs.
2,000 A|Club points can be exchanged for one US$60 voucher or in a variety of other currencies.
There is room for currency leverage when traveling with Accor Hotels. Even with a hotel currency exchange rate somewhat lower than a credit charge rate, I’d think the 60AUD voucher would be worth more than the 30GBP voucher.
The past two years A|Club has run a summer special allowing redemption of A|Club cash certificates for payment at Motel 6.
Redeeming a voucher at a Motel 6 is not going to earn loyalty points, however, when redeeming a loyalty hotel voucher at a Motel 6 you are getting the same US$60 cash discount that you would get when redeeming the voucher for a paid room at the Sofitel Chicago.
Sofitel Chicago
Accor Hotels Brands
Loyalty Traveler Analysis
What changes will be made to A|Club as it becomes Le Club Accorhotels remains to be seen. Potentially the number of properties available to members for earning loyalty points could increase. The multifaceted loyalty programs among Accorhotels could be consolidated. No details have emerged in the strategic plan for the evolution of Le Club Accorhotels.
Motel 6 still remains mostly neglected as an Accor family brand in the loyalty program. Remember that pets stay free in Motel 6 and a US$60 A|Club voucher is worth as much at a Motel 6 as a Sofitel Hotel.
Story Update: Sep 19 – This morning I just saw the Bloomberg News story from September 13 stating Accor is interested in selling Motel 6/Studio 6 brand.
