Almost 28,000 travellers in India have joined Accor Plus membership, thanks to massive discounts and savings on offer. Karan Bhardwaj gives you a lowdown of all perks that makes this programme a top choice for globetrotters
For travelers, the biggest concern is the expense incurred on accommodation. Since I travel regularly across India and abroad, I end up investing hours and hours in surfing the best deals from hotels. But as we know, a good stay comes at a price, and when combined with requirements like Food & Beverage, entertainment and leisure services, it surely costs a bomb. I have also faced unpleasant experiences where bookings were cancelled last minute, causing further inconvenience (and multiple dollars). Déjà vu?
In such a scenario, Accor Plus membership could be a great option to explore. The latest ‘it’ thing in the travel industry, it has fast become the top choice of smart travelers. I would call it value for money, rather ‘payback’ offer, because it comes with a number of benefits at a nominal cost. There are exciting discounts on food and beverages, complimentary stay, access to high profile member-exclusive events and much more!
ECONOMICAL SENSE
In India, the annual Accor Plus membership is available at an amount of Rs 12,900 plus taxes. And in this value, you have access to Accor’s entire range of luxury and budget-friendly properties across Asia Pacific. Once you apply for the membership, you are couriered a membership card to avail benefits. Imagine one card giving you monetary benefits in 18 countries with 800 hotels and their 1100 restaurants! Did I tell you the luxury hotel brands under Accor include Fairmont, Sofitel, MGallery, Pullman and Novotel?
(BOW READERS CAN BUY ACCOR PLUS MEMBERSHIP ON A DISCOUNT OF 10 PER CENT)
PAYBACK OFFER
The biggest draw perhaps is the ‘Stay Plus’ feature, which allows you an overnight stay at any of Accor’s participating hotels for free! If you calculate, this feature alone returns the entire value of your annual membership with just one stay. Forget peak season, booking on any regular day would cost you anywhere between INR 10,000-15,000 plus taxes in any five star property. Just to give you an idea, a night at Fairmont Jaipur is approx. INR 11,000 plus taxes; at Pullman, it costs you INR 10,500 plus taxes. If you travel abroad, then Fairmont Singapore would charge INR 15,900 plus taxes. Sofitel is available at INR 12,600 plus taxes and INR 11,400 plus taxes in Singapore and Bangkok respectively. All you have to do is to plan your stay a bit in advance so that your complimentary stay and bookings are absolutely hassle-free. You can also upgrade your room at the time of reservation if the lead-in room is not your bet!
UP TO 50% DISCOUNT ON FOOD
It’s true! If you happen to dine with your guests at any of the participating Accor hotels in Asia Pacific, you will get an insane amount of discount of up to 50 per cent on the total payable bill. Two people (one member and the other guest) will derive straight 50 per cent discount. A trio can get 33 per cent while a group of 4 will fetch 25 per cent off the total bill. A smart tip? In Asia Pacific, if two of the four people are card holders, then they can easily avail 50 per cent discount only! Also, in Asia, there is polite 15 per cent off on drinks too! These offers are applicable for all Accor Plus members whether or not they are staying at the hotel. Did we tell you that most Accor hotel brands have popular eateries? When I stayed at Pullman New Delhi Aerocity recently, I enjoyed gorging on lip-smacking stuff from their joints like Pluck, Club Honk and Pling.
RED HOT ROOM SALES
If Stay Plus was not attractive enough, the hospitality giant also offers further exclusive benefits to Accor Plus members under Red Hot Room deals. Every week, a new set of hotels upload discounts of up to 50 per cent on bookings. If you are a regular traveler across Asia Pacific, chances you end up grabbing this offer! All you have to do is to check Accor Plus’ website whenever you plan your next business trip or family vacation.
DISCOUNT (10%) ON BEST AVAILABLE RATES
Even if Red Hot Room deals are not available at your destination, there’s hardly any reason to be disappointed. Accor Plus members get 10 per cent off the best available rates in any of their properties. Just remember to make your bookings through Accor Plus website or the Accor app!
SILVER STATUS WITH ACCOR LE CLUB PROGRAMME
Le Club Accor Hotels is a free to join programme with decent benefits like early check-ins, late check-outs, welcome drinks, free premium WiFi, access to executive lounge and invitation to Accor Plus member-exclusive events. Members get limited benefits depending on their Status (Classic, Silver, Gold or Platinum) and reward points. If you are an Accor Plus member, you get an instant Silver Status with the Le Club programme, which is otherwise earned after spending for at least 10 nights in the hotel. Practically, the silver status allows you late check-outs and welcome drinks at the hotel, which enhances your overall experience. Each stay gets you some reward points also, which could be redeemed later to attend some member-exclusive events. When I stayed at the Pullman New Delhi Aerocity recently, I attended an evening with comedy stars Rahul Subramanian and Kumar Varun. The stand-up act was followed by sumptuous dinner and drinks.
QUICK FACTS
Countries where Accor Plus membership can be used: Australia, Cambodia, Mainland China, Fiji, French Polynesia, Hong Kong China , India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan China , Thailand, Vietnam, Mongolia and The Maldives.
Membership cost in India: Rs 12,900 plus taxes
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