Accor Launches A|Club Worldwide Hotel Loyalty Program

Available in more than 2,000 hotels in 90 countries, A|Club, the new loyalty program by Accor Hospitality, will enable guests to earn points at Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Mercure, Suitehotel, Ibis and All Seasons Hotels. This is the first hotel loyalty program that is entirely web-based and inclusive of every segment of the industry, from economy to luxury.

The new loyalty program was announced Sept. 12 and A|Club has already registered 600,000 members worldwide. A|Club points may be redeemed 365 days a year and converted into gift vouchers for use in Accor hotels worldwide. There are no blackout dates and guests can transfer points for use with partners, such as Club Med and Europcar, or converted into miles with leading airlines, including Air France KLM, British Airways, Delta Airlines, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, US Airways and Qantas.

The A|Club program was strategically designed to meet the needs of Accor's guests who tend to switch between brands depending on the hotel's location, and whether they are traveling for leisure or business purposes. Regular Accor guests in France, Germany, North America, Brazil, China and Australia were surveyed to determine the program's benefit offerings.

Among the findings, Accor discovered that even if they have different expectations, all guests share the same desire for attention, flexibility and ease of use. Economy and midscale guests want to be seen as valued customers, while luxury hotel guests seek individual and personalized recognition. As requested by guests, the A|Club program includes: use across brands, worldwide, free of charge, easy to use and understand, personal recognition and attention, generous awards and easy-to-attain first-tier membership, immediate benefits, etc.

The web-based program, allows members to manage their accounts whenever and wherever they like, while providing more personalized service. The A|Club card is easy to use, and members can join after just one night in an Accor hotel or on www.a-club.com. Then, with each night spent in a participating hotel, they can earn points and exclusive benefits. Depending on the number of hotel nights or the number of points earned in a year, members will be upgraded from one program tier to the next, points earned significantly increase with each tier. The program begins with the A|Club card and allows guests to easily progress to the A|Club Platinum card, with progressing points, privileges and exclusive services, such as late check-outs and room upgrades.

Accor Hospitality, a major global group and the European leader in hotels, as well as the global leader in services to corporate clients and public institutions, operates in nearly 100 countries with 150,000 employees. It offers more than 40 years of expertise in two core businesses: hotels, with the Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Mercure, Suitehotel, Ibis, All Seasons, Etap Hotel, Formule 1 and Motel 6 brands, representing 4,000 hotels and nearly 500,000 rooms in 90 countries, as well as strategically related activities, such as Lenôtre Sevices, with 30 million people in 40 countries benefiting from Accor Services products in employee and public benefits, rewards and loyalty, and expense management.

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