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I posted a similar thread a little while ago in the Marriott forum, short version is I do around 150 – 160 nights away each year, mainly work but a few weeks of holiday as well
Work policy is pretty flexible and where I work there are options for most of the major hotel chains, I do 60 nights in Hiltons for Diamond, 70 nights in IHG (with Amb) for the suite upgrades, lounge access, diamond etc etc
I was considering Marriott for the final 20-30 nights but spotted the thread on the All signature program, signed up a few months ago and so far pretty happy
Question is around the ‘soft’ benefits of Diamond and whether it is worth pursuing? The requirements would be a stretch and would mean dropping some nights elsewhere and on paper it doesn’t add much – just curious if there is anything else outside the listed benefits that would make it worthwhile
Given the fixed value of an Accor point, you’ll find very few Accor fans on here, even less diamonds. Even Rob got it just last year despite years in this industry. Better off asking on FlyerTalk.
Am curious why you don’t prefer Hyatt over the other chains. Not available in the places you travel to?
Also why not focus on chains that give lifetime status? At some point you need to reap the status rewards when you stop flying? Obviously the points earned are useful, but wouldn’t targeting lifetime status at Marriott make more sense?
My work travel is 95% UK and needs to be booked through a corporate portal which doesn’t have any Hyatt options unfortunately
Holidays tend to be SE Asia or long weekends in Europe which Accor seems to cover pretty well. Good point on lifetime status, shame IHG don’t offer it (my fave scheme at the min) but I’m probably more than halfway there with Hilton by now
The problem with Accor is very few earning opportunities in UK.
While they have a good footprint in Asia thanks to acquiring Fairmont, Raffles and Swissotel, it is good if you are willing to pay cash. Your points earned on work stays are as good as cash, but wont give you outsized value as compared to say, for example, Conrad Koh Samui or Maldives.
Do you have plat card? Wouldnt Melia gold status be more useful for stays in Europe?Don’t forget with Accor, unless you mainly stay at their cheapest properties you’ve got a high chance of hitting Diamond without meeting the number of nights as they let you qualify on spend or nights, so I hit Gold last year despite being short of the 30 nights target.
If you havent already, you can link your Accor account to an airline partner (e.g. Qatar or KLM) so you earn airline points as well as Accor points every time you stay which is a nice bonus.
With OP’s travel patterns I’d still choose Marriott over Accor.
You can get the Bonvoy Amex so you’d need just 35 nights for Platinum, which gives 4pm checkout, lounge access and (mostly) free breakfast.The Q1 2x nights promo also seems to be an annual fixture now, so with 20-30 spare nights to chuck at it you should have little difficulty getting to Platinum each year.
Don’t forget with Accor, unless you mainly stay at their cheapest properties you’ve got a high chance of hitting Diamond without meeting the number of nights as they let you qualify on spend or nights, so I hit Gold last year despite being short of the 30 nights target.
If you havent already, you can link your Accor account to an airline partner (e.g. Qatar or KLM) so you earn airline points as well as Accor points every time you stay which is a nice bonus.
I’m in the odd situation that most of my stays would be low value, typically £100 a night or less
Usually enough for the local Hampton on 2x point rate, the local HIE on a 1/2k per night bonus point rate or a novotel at £95ish per night, figured enough nights to hit diamond and pick up a few Avios would be worth it over any more nights in Hilton or IHG
As Pangolin mentions, Marriott may be a better option but I liked the look of the signature scheme
Doesn’t sound like there is much of a reason to stretch to Diamond though
As Rob has observed, Accor seem to treat elites well. I bought gold for two years via the old scheme where it was cheap to do so. Since then I have had four Accor stays which went thusly:
Mercure Marseille – upgraded to the top category of room. Free chocolates, free Rugby World Cup commemorative soap (!)
Pullman CDG – grumpily allowed to check in early after initially being told to go away. Free chocolates.
Sofitel Heathrow – single category upgrade and free chocolate.
Sofitel Heathrow – double category upgrade and free chocolate.Platinum looks lovely but Diamond only seems a marginal improvement to me unless you want to eat lots of free breakfasts at the weekend? If your stays are normally low value then you’d be buying quite a lot of status points to get to Diamond. If you could see yourself using the suite night upgrades somewhere special then it could pay off. Otherwise I imagine Platinum will be plenty.
As Rob has observed, Accor seem to treat elites well. I bought gold for two years via the old scheme where it was cheap to do so. Since then I have had four Accor stays which went thusly:
Mercure Marseille – upgraded to the top category of room. Free chocolates, free Rugby World Cup commemorative soap (!)
Pullman CDG – grumpily allowed to check in early after initially being told to go away. Free chocolates.
Sofitel Heathrow – single category upgrade and free chocolate.
Sofitel Heathrow – double category upgrade and free chocolate.Platinum looks lovely but Diamond only seems a marginal improvement to me unless you want to eat lots of free breakfasts at the weekend? If your stays are normally low value then you’d be buying quite a lot of status points to get to Diamond. If you could see yourself using the suite night upgrades somewhere special then it could pay off. Otherwise I imagine Platinum will be plenty.
That was my view, a couple of weeks of work stays in the local Novotel to bump me to Platinum (have subscribed to the signature program) which would help out on the odd Sofital heathrow stay and burn all the bought points on a few nights somewhere nice each year with the suite upgrades felt like the the best option rather than stretch to Diamond
The problem with Accor is very few earning opportunities in UK.
Not sure that I agree with this. Accor have just less than 100 properties in the UK. It is true that around 40% fall into one of the Ibis brands, but it is possible to stay at an Accor property quite easily, in England at least.
I used to travel extensively for work (many nights most weeks), now extremely infrequently. My top-tier status is slipping away with all the UK majors. Which one do I miss the most? Marriott. For the leisure stays I love the hotels, and the 5-4-4 on points. If I went back to regular work trips that’s the one I’d start focussing on first.
Its IHG for me at the minute, the ease of earning points, the ability to generate multiple suite upgrades and use them on points bookings, lounge access and some great additional upgrades and service recently have switched me back onto the scheme
Wondering if IHG / Accor and Marriott would be a better combo given the support for Marriott
And another stay at the Sofitel tonight. Double category upgrade which basically means four cans of Diet Coke, two gins, a tonic, a soda water, two orange juices and nespresso coffee as well as instant.
I forgot to mention that the 2x free drinks per room which happens each time also.
If you only ever stay at the Sofitel Heathrow I thoroughly recommend having Accor status!
As already pointed out get the Marriott card and 50 becomes 15, do a few stays during the Q1 double nights promo and it’s perhaps 18-25 actual bums in bed to hit Platinum. But I’d say if you like to holiday in luxury hotels the Titanium is the real sweet spot.
As a business traveller work pays for breakfast so is diamond IHG really worth it vs getting Platinun with Amb every year anyway?
Hilton Diamond can be renewed with 30 stays so isn’t it better to put your 1 night stays here? Or is work always multiple nights a stay?
@Froggee do you get the drinks vouchers as gold?@Froggee Same for me at Novotel in Brussels. Two category upgrade, free mini bar plus two drinks vouchers in the bar. Plus welcome gift (biscuits box). Early check-in at 10:30am and late checkout till 5pm without quibble.
@TGLoyalty yes, drinks vouchers for Golds plus upgrade plus early or late checkout (most hotels will give you both although on paper you have to choose one or the other), one category upgrade (most often two and more).
I’m finding consistency in application of status benefits better than Marriott/Hilton.
Indeed. We get two rooms which results in four free drink vouchers. It almost pains me to have used zero of them. But we take the two bars of chocolate.
As already pointed out get the Marriott card and 50 becomes 15, do a few stays during the Q1 double nights promo and it’s perhaps 18-25 actual bums in bed to hit Platinum. But I’d say if you like to holiday in luxury hotels the Titanium is the real sweet spot.
It’s interesting that you say Titanium is the sweet spot for Marriott (rather than Platinum). What would you base that on? I’ve been both Titanium and Platinum about an equal amount of time and haven’t really seen any noticeable difference in upgrades between the two.
I’m currently Platinum and it’s fine but I do miss the 75% points bonus though.
I used to travel extensively for work (many nights most weeks), now extremely infrequently. My top-tier status is slipping away with all the UK majors. Which one do I miss the most? Marriott. For the leisure stays I love the hotels, and the 5-4-4 on points. If I went back to regular work trips that’s the one I’d start focussing on first.
I had Hilton Diamond from May 2018 to March 2024 and now I’ve dropped down to Gold (must’ve been a soft landing as last year I only managed enough nights for Silver). What annoys me is that I made the effort to reach 42 nights in 2022 to earn Diamond legit but basically everyone then got the chance to keep Diamond in 2023 by doing a couple of stays. After this I didn’t bother trying to requalify so ofc in 2024 Hilton didn’t repeat this generous deal 🙁
I have IHG Diamond Ambassador with the Lounge Pass – both the lounge pass and Diamond will run out at the end of this year as sadly the AMB renewal trick no longer works to keep Diamond. I haven’t yet decided whether I’ll renew AMB but I’m the kind of legacy guy who like ICs so maybe I will. I certainly need to make the most of my lounge pass before Dec 31 so Intercontinental makes more sense than Holiday Inn 🙂
The one I’m definitely going to maintain status in is Marriott as I need another 4 years of Platinum to get the lifetime status. IHG does’t have lifetime status and there’s no realistic chance of getting it in Hilton (it would take much longer than for Marriott).
@Pangolin during the summer titanium pays but i did caveat luxury hotels as StR/Edition/RC and some LC hotels only really take Titanium serious for upgrades as well as repeat customer ofcourse.
Recent influx of Americans with credit card giving them platinum will have an impact during the summer too.
Accor has a soft landing, which is a decent (the only?) reason to push for Diamond if close. You are guaranteed a year of Plat afterwards.
I REALLY value the ‘guaranteed at time of booking’ suite upgrades, although you won’t get a huge number of those if you’re only staying in the cheaper hotels. The only downside is that you can’t book 2 rooms in the same hotel on the same night this way, irrespective of how many upgrade vouchers you have.
Obviously the €100 of F&B vouchers makes no major difference. There is minor improvement in earn rate now for Diamonds vs Plat.
@TGLoyalty, wouldn’t that same logic apply for Accor as well? Giving away status through ALL signature for close to zero cost?
I do … I’m gold via purchasing myself. I just see it as a way of not being in the worst room possible and jumping the queue if I turn up a little early.
I find Marriott consistently the best for upgrades and late checkout so for me it’s my number one priority. I just maintain Hilton / IHG / Accor mid tiers to get a few little extras not because they’ll offer me much.
I’ve been top tier IHG (diamond and Plat before that) for years now and I’ve seen a suite upgrade once and never get past 2pm.
Hilton is always a fight for any meaningful late checkout 1 is not late when normal is 12. Again been diamond for 4/5 years.
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