Accor to Go Global With Subscription Cards to Boost Hotel Loyalty

25.08.2023 - 14:01 / skift.com / Sean Oneill

Accor plans to broaden its subscription cards to be more global, granting members discounts and perks worldwide instead of regionally, the Paris-based hotel giant said Tuesday.

Until now, Accor only offered subscription cards in a few regional markets: Asia Pacific, India, China, and Brazil. The new program, called All Plus, will give travelers worldwide access to discounts at hotels in selected brands at 4,000 properties across 100 countries, plus ways to accelerate their status in Accor’s loyalty program.

“Our ambition is to capture more of the frequent traveler market that is asking for both rational value and peace of mind when traveling with their company or for pleasure,” said Mehdi Hemici, chief loyalty and e-commerce officer. “We believe that the subscription model is one way to address peace of mind by reducing friction, which will build greater loyalty.”

Cardholders accelerated their Accor bookings between 35 percent and 45 percent, Accor estimated.

“We’ll be taking market share away from our competitors,” Hemici said.

Accor’s move is the latest attempt by travel companies to create subscription-based products as the new frontier in inspiring customer loyalty. Example includes eDreams Odigeo’s club to access discounts, Selina’s subscription stays for digital nomads, CitizenM’s discount program, and Inspirato’s pass for access to luxury lodgings. (Get context from Skift Research’s recent report, Subscriptions and Memberships in Travel 2022.) IHG has long had an “ambassador program” where travelers can pay a fee, typically $200 a year in the U.S., to essentially get many perks ordinarily reserved for higher-level status members in its loyalty program. But IHG hasn’t run it as a subscription model as envisioned by Accor.

“Subscriptions are a very big trend in most other industries, and we want to consolidate our leading position into this space among hotels,” said Maxime Gareau, vice president, membership subscription development. “Subscriptions let us provide our best customers with unparalleled booking conditions.”

Frequent users of Accor’s upscale hotels are the target of the new All Plus Voyageur program, where paying members get a 20 percent discount at ten of Accor’s luxury and premium hotel brands and a 15 percent discount in nine of its midscale and economy brands. Another perk is silver status in Accor’s loyalty program, which offers the complimentary option of a check out as late as 3 pm. Prices will vary by market. In France, for example, the cost will be about $213 (€199) a year. In Portugal and some other countries, it will be cheaper.

Road warriors who frequent economy lodgings may prefer the cheaper All Plus Ibis card that will offer a 15 percent discount at Ibis, Ibis Styles,