Fancy a free hotel night (worth up to $400 or more), 50% off dining across hotels in Australia and Asia-Pacific, access to deeply discounted hotel sales, and VIP perks when you check in?
Plus, for a limited time, you’ll also get a FREE breakfast voucher for two (worth up to $80 AUD at the time of writing) when signing up for a new Accor Plus membership via an exclusive promotion we’ve negotiated with Accor Plus.
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Accor Plus Membership: How it works
Accor Plus membership unlocks exclusive accommodation and dining benefits at over 1,000 Accor resorts and hotels across Asia Pacific. It sits alongside the Accor Live Limitless program, offering a range of additional perks across Asia Pacific.
It’s my go-to hotel program, and in the last year, I’ve saved well over $1,000 AUD with Accor Plus. Just in the past few months, I’ve redeemed my ‘free night’ stay for a swoon-worthy room at Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour (worth a cool $440), feasted on half-price French fare at Sofitel Adelaide’s new Garcon Bleu restaurant, and snapped up a long weekend in sunny QLD at 40% off with Red Hot Rooms.
Since Accor boasts a significant number of properties in Australia, there are many opportunities to use benefits for travel, both domestically and internationally in the Asia Pacific region. The key Accor Plus membership benefits on offer include:
- Complimentary night at a participating Accor property each year. As I’ll explain, this benefit can be worth up to $400 AUD or even more (and yes, Saturday nights are often available!)
- Bonus 20 Status Nights when you become an Accor Plus member. You will then receive a bonus of 20 Status Nights once every 12 months on renewal of your Accor Plus membership.
- Dining benefit offering up to 50% off food at restaurants within participating Accor hotels
- Up to 50% off hotel sales with weekly exclusive offers (through Accor Plus Red Hot Rooms)
- ALL – Accor elite Silver membership fast track (providing value adds such as 2 x free drink vouchers and a possible late checkout)
- Partner benefits include access to discounts and perks with partners such as Qantas, Europcar, Priority Pass, and more
Plus, above and beyond all the benefits above, when you sign up via our special The Champagne Mile offer, you’ll score a complimentary breakfast voucher for two (worth up to $80 AUD), for use at participating Accor Plus properties.
If you can make use of just some of the benefits we’ve listed out above, you’ll easily offset the annual Accor Plus membership fee.
How much does Accor Plus Membership cost?
If you’ve been looking into the cost of an Accor Plus membership, you may have noticed that there are two different membership options to choose from – the entry-level ‘Explorer’ and top-tier ‘Discovery’. Below, we’ve set out the standard Accor Plus pricing that applies to each membership level in AUD:
| Membership Type | Standard Price |
|---|---|
| Explorer | $399 |
| Discovery | $448 |
So which Accor Plus membership is right for you?
The entry-level Accor Plus Explorer membership offers all the core benefits covered in this article and will meet the needs of most readers. I personally hold this membership, and I’ve been able to extract significant value, even during the pandemic.
The higher cost Discovery membership offers all the core program benefits offered with an Explorer membership, plus a few additional perks which might be attractive to some types of travellers. There’s very limited information available on the Accor Plus website about these additional benefits, however, we’re advised that this includes worldwide cruise, tour and wine offers, plus the ability to earn Discovery Dollars booking flights on the Accor Plus portal.
Unless you can take advantage of specific benefits, in my opinion, forking out extra for a Discovery membership probably won’t be worth your while.
Where can I use my Accor Plus membership?
Membership benefits are valid at over 1,000 hotels (and 1,400 restaurants) located across 20 countries within the Asia Pacific region. This includes loads of properties and brands within Australia (think luxe 5-star properties like the Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour!), so you’re spoiled for choice with high-quality accommodation options close to home.
Participating Accor Hotels brands include high-end offerings such as Banyan Tree, Angsana, Sofitel, Swissotel, Pullman, Peppers, Fairmont, Quay West and even Raffles. Mid-tier brands include Mercure, Mantra, and Novotel.
At home, luxe brands that participate in Accor Plus include Sofitel, MGallery and Pullman. Recently acquired brand Art Series Hotels is also now participating in the program, providing more opportunities for Stay Plus and dining benefits.
Plus, with international travel back on the cards, your membership is valid at properties in Cambodia, China, Fiji, French Polynesia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Boom!
Key Accor Plus member benefits
Ready to find out more? Let’s delve into the key benefits:
Free night at an Accor hotel each year (worth up to $400 or more!)
At the top of the list, Accor Plus members score a complimentary one-night stay each membership year at a participating Accor hotel property in the Asia Pacific region (the technical name here is the ‘Stay Plus’ benefit). Depending on where you use it, this complimentary stay can offer tremendous value and offset the entire cost of the Accor Plus annual membership fee.
Yes, it’s easy to recoup the full cost of your Accor Plus membership fee simply by using your Stay Plus benefit. Whether you choose to use it for a staycation, interstate holiday, or in the greater Asia Pacific region, it’s a chance to spoil yourself with a decadent night away.
Stay Plus case study: Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour
In this quick case study, I’ll demonstrate how to extract maximum value from your complimentary Accor Stay Plus night at the exceptional Sofitel Darling Harbour in Sydney.
Generally speaking, if you book well in advance, it’s possible to lock in a complimentary stay for a Saturday night where the paid rate would otherwise cost around $400 or even more.
In the example below, late last year, I logged in to my Accor Plus account and opted to use my Stay Plus benefit for a Saturday night in early September 2021:
As can be seen, a paid stay on this date for a standard room comes in at $404. However, the Stay Plus benefit is also available, allowing me to access the same room as my free night:
So, just like that, I’m able to offset more than the full cost of my $395 Accor Plus Membership fee with one stay. I can also upgrade from a standard room to a higher category using my Stay Plus benefit, with a luxury corner suite commanding a small supplement of just $50.
The Stay Plus benefit can be booked online, up to 12 months in advance. Since the free night is fully refundable, you can easily cancel it with no penalty up to one day before your stay if your plans change (and let’s face it – this scenario is quite common in the current climate!).
Note that the complimentary night is not available at all Accor hotels in the Asia Pacific region, and it is subject to availability. Typically, a base-level standard room is offered, although many hotels may allow you to upgrade to a higher room level for a nominal fee (even at check-in).
As with our example above, the earlier you look, the better chance you will have of locking in the Stay Plus benefit at your preferred property, on your preferred date.
Bonus 20 Status Nights (upon sign up, then each membership year)
Upon sign up, receive 20 Bonus Status Nights – almost enough to fast track to Accor Live Limitless Gold Status, or one third of the nights required to reach the lofty heights of Platinum.
Thereafter, you’ll receive 20 bonus Status nights credited to you account each year, upon renewal.
Up to 50% off Accor Plus dining benefit at restaurants
After a long day of sightseeing or in the office, sometimes it can be tempting to stay in your hotel for dinner. And with the dining benefits on offer with an Accor Plus membership, you won’t want to leave the property.
Accor Plus members receive 50% off the food portion of their bill when dining as a party of two – essentially buy one, get one free. This Accor Plus dining benefit is available at participating Accor Hotels restaurants within the Asia Pacific, each and every time you present your card (note: some blackout dates apply).
Let that sink in for a moment… if you dine out on two scotch fillets, you pay for one. As a solo diner flashing your membership card, you’ll receive 25% off your total food bill, while if you bring two guests, you receive 33% off, 3 guests receive 25% off… and so on.
Dining at a participating Accor Hotels restaurant in the Pacific? If you are dining out as a party of four in Australia, New Zealand or Fiji with two Accor Plus members at the table, you can receive a dining discount of 50% off. And, when dining in Asia, you receive 15% off your drinks bill on top! Another round of poolside mojitos, anyone?
It’s possible to extract significant value from this benefit, particularly when staying at resorts where you are captive to onsite restaurants. After all, some of the most exclusive Accor resorts or hotels are located in remote areas where you typically won’t find outside eateries, so you can save significant money by dining onsite at up to 50% off food on each day of your stay.
Bear in mind that you don’t need to be staying at an Accor Hotel at the time to enjoy savings when you dine out – simply show your Accor Plus membership card or the Accor Plus app when you arrive at the restaurant to access your dining discount. So even if you live or work in an Australian capital city, you may at any one time have access to a number of high-quality Accor Hotels restaurants – at up to 50% off your food bill.
Accor Plus Dining exclusions
As with everything, there are some dining discount exclusions to be aware of. Accor Plus membership benefits are restricted at Raffles Hotels & Resorts (though as I discovered last month, there’s still a cool 20% off food at many outlets, which adds value), Orient Express, and Ibis Budget. Selected independently-owned Accor restaurants may also be excluded from the offer.
As an Adelaidean, it’s disappointing to note that the highly regarded Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant at Mt Lofty House is excluded from the mix, though I take comfort in the fact that new French Bistro Garcon Bleu is included.
You can browse the current list of Accor Plus restaurant dining exclusions on the Accor website here.
Blackout days do apply, and these vary by country. Before dining, we’d encourage you to contact the property to confirm the discount is available.
Up to 50% off stays with Accor Red Hot Rooms
Everyone loves a good hotel sale, and my Accor Plus membership delivers members-only promotional rates, all year round.
This benefit is known as Red Hot Rooms, and it basically provides access to an exclusive 50% off sale each fortnight, for selected properties, via the Accor Plus website. While this benefit is popular with leisure travellers, it can lead to significant cost savings for businesses as well.
From high-end Sofitel resorts, Pullman hotels, and Swissotel, to inner-city Mercure and Ibis properties, Accor Red Hot Rooms routinely serves up sharp savings on high-quality properties within the Asia Pacific region.
As a small business owner, I’m personally able to extract significant value from this benefit. I find it particularly worthwhile to book Accor Plus Red Hot Room rates for business travel into Melbourne or Sydney at short notice.
Accor Plus normally releases Red Hot Rooms deals on Friday nights, with the sale rates available for two weeks. Below is a recent example of 50% off hotel room sale rates in Australia:
Red Hot Room rates are available to browse on the AccorPlus website. As these are offered as a private members sale (and not to the wider public), there is less demand for ‘red hot prices’. So, whether you’re travelling for business or pleasure, you’ll have a greater chance of scoring a deal before it runs out.
Save 10% off the Best Available Rate
Accor Plus members score an additional 10% off the best available public rate (including restricted rates) when booking directly via the Accor website or the Accor app. This offer is available on any room type at all participating hotels.
The additional 10% discount can also be applied to private sale rates on accorhotels.com, which could see you access discounts of up to 50%.
If you stay regularly at Accor properties, the Best Available Rate discount can add up to significant savings across your membership year.
Note that to access the 10% discount, you must book direct via the Accor website. Sadly, the discount can’t be accessed when using Accor gift vouchers purchased via retailers such as Woolworths and Coles.
Plus, don’t forget the Accor Hotels Price Guarantee
While it’s unlikely that you’ll find a cheaper rate elsewhere, don’t forget the Accor Hotels Price Promise. If you find a lower rate elsewhere within 24 hours of booking via Accor, you can submit a claims form to request a refund of the difference. Simply take a screengrab that clearly displays the lower price and corresponding price conditions and send it to Accor within 24 hours of your booking. Your claim will be reviewed and processed, if eligible.
Get automatic Silver ALL – Accor Live Limitless Membership
When you join Accor Plus, along with a bonus 20 Status Nights, you’ll automatically be gifted an op-up to Silver membership within the Accor Live Limitless loyalty program – unlocking benefits at Accor properties all around the world.
ALL Silver membership is usually awarded after 10 nights stay in Accor hotels or after 800 EUR of eligible expenses, so this is a nice opportunity for infrequent travellers to obtain a quick membership fast track.
And while you won’t see free breakfast or a room upgrade, there is still the potential to extract some extra benefits that could be worth up to approx $50 or more per night if you use them.
Silver ALL members enjoy a welcome drink voucher for up to two guests. This typically covers a restricted selection of drinks (think selected wines or limited cocktails) for two. There’s also a late checkout (subject to availability). These benefits are provided in addition to the free internet access worldwide that entry-level ALL Classic members receive.
Accor Plus membership is totally separate from the free ALL – Accor Live Limitless (ALL) loyalty program. An ALL membership starts at ‘Classic’ level. ALL members move up status tiers, based on the frequency of hotel stays and/or monetary spend, providing Status Points, perks, and privileges that are yours for a membership year.
These benefits could save you money you’d otherwise spend when you travel. This is particularly the case for hotels that don’t participate in Accor Plus, but which do recognise ALL – Accor Live Limitless benefits.
After all, welcome drinks for two could set you back $30 AUD or more, and the chance for a potential late checkout could enable you to enjoy a sleep-in whilst avoiding a hefty late checkout fee.
As an example, Singapore’s newly re-opened Raffles Hotel doesn’t officially participate in Accor Plus. However, you can still score a welcome drink and other VIP membership perks with your Accor Live Limitless Silver status.
Your Silver Accor Live Limitless membership status also allows you to earn Status Points and Accor Rewards Points which you can convert to frequent flyer points, put towards hotel stays, or redeem for experiences.
Access More Escapes, member events and partner offers
Members of Accor Plus can log in to the website to take advantage of a range of exclusive offers. These include More Escapes, bespoke member-only events and special partner offers.
More Escapes offers change regularly, but they typically feature discounted rates for stays of two nights or more.
Which cards offer free Accor Plus in Australia?
While most people choose to purchase an Accor Plus membership, there’s one other way to obtain it – as a perk from a Platinum charge card.
In Australia, there are two charge cards that offer a complimentary standard Accor Plus membership, worth $399. These include the American Express Platinum Card and the American Express Platinum Business Card.
Find out more about American Express credit cards here.
Pros and Cons – Accor Plus membership
Pros
- Free night covers high-end properties. By planning wisely, you can get the $395 value fee back simply by using this one benefit.
- Generous dining discounts. Up to 50% off your food bill, regardless of whether you’re staying at the restaurant.
- Large portfolio of properties. Accor Hotels boasts a huge footprint in Australia and beyond, so it’s easy to find opportunities to use your benefits.
- Big discounts when you book direct. From Red Hot Rooms to 10% off the Best Rate, business and leisure travellers can save significant money when booking via the Accor website.
Cons
- High annual fee. At $395 per year, an Accor Plus membership doesn’t come cheap. You’ll need to use your benefits to ensure it’s worthwhile.
- Free nights expire. Your Stay Plus free night doesn’t roll over and expires every 12 months. To ensure you receive this benefit, make sure you use it on time.
Accor Plus membership: Is it worth joining?
With so many benefits on offer (including a free hotel night worth up to $400 or more) it’s not hard to see why an Accor Plus membership makes sense.
Personally speaking, Accor is my hotel loyalty program of choice. My Accor Plus membership has helped me to save a significant amount of money when travelling and dining over the years. Even in the midst of the pandemic, I’ve found many ways to maximise the program benefits, through staycations and domestic holidays.
Whether you’re a frequent or occasional traveller, an Accor Plus membership can pay for itself quickly. Even if you are already a member of Accor Live Limitless or another hotel loyalty program, there’s considerable value on offer.
In fact, as we’ve highlighted above, you could potentially recoup the full cost of membership simply using one benefit – your Stay Plus free night.
Add in up to 50% off dining, Red Hot Room rates, Silver ALL Accor Live Limitless status, and other perks – and it’s easy to see why an Accor Plus membership is worth signing up for.
FAQ – Accor Plus Membership
How much does Accor Plus membership cost?
Annual Explorer membership for Accor Plus costs $399 AUD. Plus, join via our exclusive reader link to receive a FREE breakfast voucher for two (worth up to $80 AUD).
How do I book the Accor Plus free night?
It’s easy to claim your free night with Accor Plus. Simply log in to the Accor Hotels website, and search for your preferred date and property within Asia-Pacific. Switch on the Stay Plus Benefit button at the top of the results if you would like to use your free night benefit.
What is the difference between Accor Live Limitless and Accor Plus?
The Accor Hotels ALL loyalty program is free to join. Accor Plus membership is a separate paid program that operates in Asia Pacific. It offers a free night and dining benefits. Conversely, Accor Live Limitless rewards members with Status Points, Rewards Points, and elite membership tiers, based on hotel stays and level of spend.
How much is the Accor Plus free night worth?
As we explain in this post, you could obtain $400 AUD value or more from your free night benefit, fully offsetting the Accor Plus join fee. You’ll get maximum value if you can plan ahead and use your Stay Plus at a premium five-star hotel.
What are the benefits of being an Accor member?
There are many benefits on offer, including exclusive membership perks and early access to Accor member sales.
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Does your exclusive 10% off promo work for current Accor Plus members?
Hi Aden, unfortunately, this promotion is only for new joins. We’d love to run a promotion for existing, loyal members, though, and will check with Accor Plus to see if we might be able to negotiate a future offer for renewals.
Thanks for the update and offer. The discovery option to me seems new i don’t remember it last year. For the extra ~$100 is it worth it?
From what i gather you do still get the stay plus benefit and everything else, just the main thing being $500 Discovery Dollar credit on signup to use towards a cruise, tour or international wine purchase – what sort of things are available? It seems there could be value in that but not able to check.
plus earning Discovery Dollar credits when you book flights from the Discovery Portal – is that just similar to like a tracker or does their portal show different prices for flights compared to the actual airline?
I became a Platinum member last year and am currently an Accor Plus member too. If I renew my Accor Plus membership does it mean I retain my Platinum status as long as I keep renewing it? Thanks!
Hey guys, thanks for this great article. I was dubious (as with most ‘too good to be true’ offers. But I followed your story to a tea. And apart from, the IBIS/Accor website site saying there was an issue with my payment and to start over, but the funds had been taken from my account. So I just waited and within minutes I had a confirmation of the payment and a welcome email to the program, and more exciting was loading the Accor app and I’m now a Gold member. Thanks for this great article.
Where is my membership card or details. You debited my credit card on 6 March.
Hi Dawn, you have contacted The Champagne Mile. We don’t process Accor Plus memberships, you’ll need to get in touch with them directly. Cheers, Adele
What are the restrictions on the free night on stay plus ? Is there s budget limit? Eg $400 ? If so, Can you upgrade and pay tgr difference ?
Can you book a suite?
Based on the advice in this article, I signed up for Accor Plus and have been able to book my stay plus free night at the Sofitel Darling Harbour (was a saving of around $410!). I would like to know, do they accept the 2 for 1 dining card in their main restaurant?
I am already an Accor Limitles Gold member. If I join Accor Plus are the accounts merged or does the Accor plus one take over?
I recently purchased Accor Plus membership to take advantage of the benefits that come with it. However, was deeply surprised to note that only one restaurant in Melbourne offers the promised 50% discount. Well done Accor. You fooled me there!
Hi Dave, sorry to hear about your experience. I’ve used the Accor Plus dining benefit at many restaurants in Melbourne (most recently Sofitel and Pullman on the Park). There are only a small number of exclusions. You can find them in the Accor Plus dining exceptions round up here: https://www.accorplus.com/en/about/dining-exceptions
I have been an Accor Advantage plus member since 2008. This year 2019 has me seriously considering renewing my membership in 2020. For years I have been able to book a room at the Novotel on Collins in Melbourne with 2 double beds using my compliment night included in the Accor Advantage plus membership. in 2019 you can only book a room with 2 singles beds using your complimentary night not 2 double beds.
My family and friends all meet over easter for breakfast on Sunday in Adelaide and have our breakfast in one of the Accor hotels where we usually check-in and stay for a few days, luckily our daily breakfast was included in the rate.
Some friends were Acor advantage plus members could not use their Acvcor membership as the Accor group decided to blackout the dining benefits for breakfast lunch and dinner over the whole Easter period so everyone paid full price for every meal, the first time this has happened ever, so renewing our membership for 2020 is not looking good with blackout dates, changes to what rooms are on offer using your complimentary night too. I doubt we will renew.
We were also members since 2006 i didn’t bother to renew since 2014! The membership is nothing like it used to be when we first signed up, so many restaurants were no longer included that we regularly dined at, alot of the properties we loved to stay at were also no longer Accor properties. The variety of locations we wanted to stay at was significantly decreased. The membership price kept creeping up each year with less value to it and it was becoming more difficult to use up our “free” night” (which you’ve basically paid for with the cost of the membership) where/when we wanted so sadly they lost us a long time ago…