Business travellers can boost their status to Gold in the Le Club Accorhotels loyalty program for only $130, which comes with benefits such as free room upgrades and in-room Internet access across the Accor range of brands.
That includes hotels such as Sofitel, Novotel, Pullman and Mercure, where you’ll also enjoy an early arrival with priority check-in or even a late check-out at no extra charge.
It’s done by signing up for the Ibis Business card, which sets you back 90€ each year, or roughly A$130.
Along with an easy bump to Le Club Accorhotels Gold status, the card also gives a 10% discount on rooms and breakfast when staying at Ibis, Ibis Styles and Ibis Budget hotels.
Further to that, you’ll also pocket a 5% discount on promotional room rates and 10% off all restaurant and bar charges at Ibis properties – even when you’re not staying in-house.
While it’s valid across most of Ibis’ 1,700 hotels, including the new Ibis Adelaide, you won’t find it welcome in China or in selected French hotels.
It's also not available in conjunction with the Accor Advantage Plus program, as members can only link one or the other to their main Le Club Accorhotels profile.
The Ibis Business card also doesn’t bring any extra benefits at Accor’s other hotel brands – but even if you never stay with Ibis, the $130 outlay could easily be clawed back through the freebies afforded to Le Club Accorhotels Gold members.
Looking at what you’d otherwise pay for in-room Internet access, a premium room and a late check-out, you’d still come out ahead after just one or two stays with Accor each year.
And, as it normally takes 30 nights or earning 10,000 Le Club points to achieve a Gold card the ‘normal’ way, the deal becomes even more valuable.
To get started, sign up for the Ibis Business card online. When prompted for your email address, enter the one you already have on file with Accor – followed by your Le Club password on the next screen – to make the link-up go smoothly.
If you’re new to Accor, the Le Club Accorhotels program comes with many features and privileges to please business travellers – so you’ll first want to join Le Club and then attach the Ibis Business card to your account for that easy upgrade to Gold.
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Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3006
Is this the Accor version of Qantas Club/Admirals Club?
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3006
Chris,
If you do not clock enough time in an Accor hotel and cannot maintain your Le Club Gold, do you get bumped down?
Or does renewing your Ibis Business Card for another year extend your Le Club Gold?
Are there any caps or conditions for renewal (i.e. to retain Le Club Gold through the Ibis Business Card channel)?
P.S: To the smarty pants out there, please don't tell me to read the T&C. I know I can do that. I just want to assimilate the information quickly without wading through the details, which incidently is what I see AUSBT to be - Information without the BS :)
16 Mar 2014
Total posts 20
Tried to sign up but when I added my email, there was a message that indicated that as this address was linked to another card, I could not continue with the purchase. Presumably this means my Advantage Plus card?
12 Jun 2013
Total posts 732
Is ausbt getting a kickback on this? I mean, it just reads like a sales pitch rather than a sober summing up of the pros and cons. Sure, this could be a good deal and has some definite use cases, but...
"Looking at what you’d otherwise pay for in-room Internet access, a premium room and a late check-out, you’d still come out ahead after just one or two stays with Accor each year."
Uh, sure, assuming you actually *were* going to pay for hotel internet access, a "premium" room and late check-out anyway. I don't think I've ever wound up spending $130 on those things over the course of one or two trips though; mostly because only fools or the price-insensitive are going to pay money for hotel internet access or late check-outs, and... well, my experience with status-based room upgrades in hotels is that you rarely get anything special (at least not at the "gold" level) -- nothing that you couldn't have got with a sweet smile at the checkin clerk anyway.
06 Aug 2014
Total posts 1
Any idea when the promotion finishes? And is the membership for 12 months from day of signing up?
22 Aug 2013
Total posts 1
Thanks for the tip - signed up with no problem and instantly had gold. Have been silver for a while but never travel enought to get to gold. Booking accom for China trip so this could have not come at a better time.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
15 Aug 2014
Total posts 8
Ok. So I did this and got Gold but wish I had read the comments on this post
https://www.executivetraveller.com/the-le-club-accorhotels-program-for-aussie-business-travellers
Stayed at the Sebel Sydney , was not upgraded, wasnt offered a drink in fact nothing was any different from other times staying in Accor Hotels
I mentioned my Gold Status, check in just said thanks yes we see that.
I walked away but then decided to have another go and I asked about the benefits of the card and it seemed to put them out having to look for availability of another better room. Finally they agreed to upgrade me , and they found a bottle of water to give to me... how kind
So if it means asking for the benefits of the card everytime its a bit dissappointing
I also wish these hotels wouldnt stick you for car parking sometimes. A $300 plus room , gold status , car park was empty that night at the hotel say 10 cars used out of 50 spots.... Wouldnt you think these hotels can reward you with free parking not some $20 for something thats costing them nothing sometimes. (plus no mention of the cost when checking in)
Not sure it was what i expected. but I guess it sort of worked...Feel sorry for platinum people who truly earn their status and still receive this sort of treatment
27 Sep 2015
Total posts 1
Any news regarding getting the ibis business card when you already have the Accor advantage/Accor plus card? Seems a bit ridiculous that the system won't let you sign up with the same email address and link all your accounts together in one place!
11 Dec 2016
Total posts 11
Have read elsewhere that you can't combine Advantage Plus along with ibis Business Card - you must choose one or the other.
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