Accor, Europe’s largest hotel group, on Tuesday launched an enhanced version of its successful customer loyalty program, Le Club Accorhotels, for its members at its 3,600 hotels around the world from luxury to economy.
Le Club Accorhotels, Accor’s free loyalty program, already counts more than 15 million members.
"When guests arrive in an Accor hotel, they expect to be recognized and rewarded for their loyalty” Deputy CEO Vivek Badrinath said in a company statement. “They attach a lot of importance to the tailored service we provide. Developing our customers’ loyalty is key to creating a preference for our brands at a time when the digital revolution allows us to go further in adapting our welcome to their expectations.”
The Le Club Accorhotels loyalty program is unique in the hospitality sector because of its flexibility. It is the only hotel loyalty program that enables customers to use their points anywhere in the world without any date or availability restrictions.
A loyalty program is the third most important hotel selection criteria after geographic location and price, according to the company statement as 83% of the Le Club Accorhotels program members indicated that being a member is a critical factor when it comes to booking a stay in an Accor hotel.
Enhancements to the loyalty program focus on personalized offers and acknowledging its most loyal customers highlighted by:
An even more generous and caring program: Le Club Accorhotels offers members advantages at every stage of the customer journey: Before their stay, they enjoy exclusive access to private sales with discounts of up to 50%, and during their stay they benefit from dedicated services.
More privileges: Depending on their status, they enjoy privileges in all the group’s hotels around the world whatever the hotel category. Privileges range from priority welcome with rapid check-in, to access to the Executive Lounge at Sofitel.
More rewards: Starting July 1, the program offers up to 25% more points, fast-tracking guests to more advantageous statuses (Silver, Gold and Platinum).
Freer: Members can use the “Booking with points” function to use loyalty points to reduce their bill directly when booking on Accorhotels.com and the brand websites without date or availability restrictions all over the world.
All the brands participating in the program offer the same core advantages. Silver status members receive a welcome drink and can benefit from late checkout. Gold status members are offered a room upgrade as well as early check-in. The group’s midscale and upscale brands also offer specific services such as VIP treatment depending on member status.
“In a sector where the upsurge of digital technology is modifying hotel consumer behavior significantly and making Big 
Data a key strategic issue, the Le Club Accorhotels program is our principle means of improving our knowledge of guests’ preferences, refining the tailored offers we send them, and responding better to their expectations,” Isabelle Birem, Accor’s SVP Customer Relations and Loyalty, said in the company statement.
Program members can go to Accorhotels.com and manage their preferences; consult their bookings, access their points history, and choose their rewards (discounts on stays, partner vouchers, convert points into airline miles, etc.).
For every €10 spent, members earn 25 points, and as soon as they reach 2,000, they receive a €40 voucher that they can deduct from their bill at a future stay in one of the group’s hotels or convert into privileges with one of the program’s many partners (airlines, car rental firms, etc.).