Le Club AccorHotels points: best used for flights or hotel stays?
By Chris C., February 11 2016
Le Club AccorHotels members are spoiled for choice when it comes to using their Le Club points for rewards, with two of the best options being discounts on future hotel stays and converting those points into airline frequent flyer points with the likes of Qantas and Virgin Australia.
But which reward choice delivers the best overall value?
For starters, a modest balance of just 4,000 Le Club points is worth either €80 off your next hotel stay (or the equivalent in the hotel’s local currency), or could instead become 4,000 Qantas or Velocity frequent flyer points.
What’s more, for guests booking stays at Australian hotels, that €80 of credit stretches significantly further than in years passed, thanks to the declining value of our own Aussie dollar.
On a typical A$315/night stay at the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins hotel, those 4,000 Le Club points reduce the bill down to just A$190.60: giving them a cash value of A$124.40.
Compare that to converting your rewards into 4,000 Qantas Points, or 4,000 Velocity Points, and you’ll come out ahead.
That’s because you’d need to convert 8,000 Le Club points – worth $248.80 as above – into 8,000 Qantas Points to book a one-way economy flight from Sydney to Melbourne, and also pay $30.29 in taxes and fees to Qantas.
Including the hotel savings you’d miss out on by converting your points, that reward flight comes at an all-out ‘cost’ of $279.09: yet commercial tickets on the same route can often be bought for half that amount.
It’s a similar deal with Velocity where 6,900 Velocity Points plus $21.11 gets you a Sydney-Melbourne ticket, yet you’d also need to convert 8,000 Le Club points into 8,000 Velocity Points to get that far, as points can only be converted in increments of 4,000.
Again, you’d be missing out on $248.80 of hotel savings by flying instead, and would also have to pay the $21.11 on top to secure your seat – totalling $269.91 in cash that’s otherwise not in your wallet for a flight that usually costs much less.
Also read: Virgin Australia inks points partnership with AccorHotels
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Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
21 Feb 2015
Total posts 68
Good point to note here: Points are usually (not always) worth the most when used in their native programs.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
12 Feb 2016
Total posts 6
I paid for a hotel for the family in Hong Kong with points last July and even got the room upgrade that comes with the status level on top of that again when checking in.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Jul 2015
Total posts 5
doesn't the equation change when using the points as part of a business class fare on qf?
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2431
Most definitely it can: the value circumstances will always vary from user to user. This article is geared more towards people with a modest sum of Le Club points who are in the position of using them for a flight or a night but don't know which to choose. :)
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Nov 2013
Total posts 9
Yes but... evaluate Business class. 8000 points is nearly 24% if a business fare Perth-Sydney on VA That is worth $473 less taxes which are around $20.
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2431
Let's not forget that 24% of one flight is no flight at all without the other 76% – you'd either need a stack of Le Club points or to already have the bulk of the points needed for that business class award to actually book it, in which case your circumstances are very different from somebody with just a modest Le Club points balance and who doesn't know whether to book a simple flight or a night away. :)
(Both strategies make sense for different people – if your strategy already works for you then certainly don't break what's not broken.)
QF
24 Jan 2016
Total posts 22
I really like the Le Club program and always use my points for accommodation.
They quite often have 2x and 3x points-earning promotions and other such things and it's easy to use the points when booking accommodation on The Accor website.
The points rack up pretty quickly too. Use the ACCOR PLACES app to "check in" when you stay at their various hotels and this will give you points too.
And yes, even though you use points, if you're GOLD or PLATINUM they'll still upgrade your room and give you all the perks associated with your particular level and you'll also earn points for your stay. It's a great program for my accommodation needs and I'm really happy with it.
02 Apr 2015
Total posts 2
I think redeeming for Accor stays definitely has the edge (if you can get the correct rate that allows redemptions against points). We just had to make a last minute booking for a night in Singapore on 24/2 and room rates for most hotels are through the roof! We ended up booking the Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa for SGD$430 per night and used 8000 points to bring down to SGD$210. The rate we booked includes SGD$150 of resort credit so basically almost staying for next to nothing. Incrementally, 8000 Qantas or Virgin points would not have given me this benefit I think....
United Airlines - Mileage Plus
13 Mar 2015
Total posts 79
I’m not sure Le Club way to handle points discounting money from the room is good… I’m Jade in Gold circle, Hyatt Gold Platinum and Marriott Rewards Gold member… where I feel I have way much more benefits than Le Club Gold I think 4000 points for €80? Hyatt Passport can get a full night for 5000 points at some hotels. Marriott 3000 points, Shangri-La from 2500 one night on those hotels could be around USD 60 – 150 depending the city and location around the globe. Now they bought Fairmont Group (includes Raffles, Swisshotels and Fairmont) with the President club with much more benefits even at basic level as I do. Marriott GOLD level have Lounge access and more perks Marriott Hotels (not all brands have Lounge access)… that is the reason I’m using more Marriott today than other programs, and the VIP treatment is fantastic… now all other programs to be used when a Marriott is not an option.
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