ALL aboard as Amex signs up Accor for points transfers

Accor is joining the ranks of American Express’ transfer partners, alongside Hilton and Marriott, in a move that extends the flexibility of Amex’s Membership Rewards program.

And it will prove especially appealing here, given not only the size of Accor’s footprint in Australia and Asia but also the breadth of properties across all market segments and price ranges.

However, you’ll want to have a lot of Membership Rewards on hand, given the 5:1 exchange rate.

This sees 5,000 Membership Rewards points swapped for a benchmark of 1,000 Accor ALL points.

In comparison, the Amex Membership Rewards transfer rate for Hilton Honors is a more generous 2:1, with Marriott Bonvoy sitting at a sharper 1.5:1.

On the plus side, that 5:1 exchange rate will provide Amex and Accor with headroom to offer some high-value transfer bonus promotions down the track.

Cash in 10,000 Amex Membership Rewards points for $65 off your next stay at an Accor hotel or resort.

It’s worth noting that Accor ALL points are themselves redeemed at a fixed rate of 2,000 points for €40, or around AU$65, off your hotel stay.

ALL points are used directly during booking on Accor’s website to reduce the bill, making this a highly transparent arrangement with no blackout dates.

So under this Amex-Accor transfer arrangement, 10,000 Membership Rewards points become 2,000 Accor ALL points, or $65 off your next stay.

(There’s a minimum transfer of 2,500 MR points and a maximum transfer of 999,995 MR points.)

American Express’ local Vice President of Cobrand, Loyalty and Partnerships, Nick Alexander, says the “addition of a Membership Rewards transfer benefit with ALL Accor provides more ways for Australian and New Zealand Card Members to turn those points into travel experiences.”

And it’s not just about booking a room at one of Accor’s nearly 6,000 hotels and resorts across more than 45 brands around the world, but also “a dining experience or tickets to live events,” adds Adrian Williams, Chief Operating Officer for Accor in the Pacific region.

An Amex Platinum card is your fast-track to ALL Gold and Platinum status.

American Express also offers a valuable yet little-known Accor ALL status shortcut for its Platinum cardholders.

This is one perk of complimentary ALL Accor+ Explorer membership, which is itself a paid loyalty program usually costing $350 per year.

Accor+ Explorer – which replaced Accor Plus late last year – includes ALL Gold status plus a 30 Status Night head start on reaching ALL Platinum status.

ALL Gold gives you core benefits such as room upgrades (subject to availability), early check-in or late check-out, and bonus points with every stay.

There are also two free Stay Plus nights every membership year at participating Accor hotels in the Asia Pacific region plus ongoing discounts for drinks (15%), dining (30%) and Red Hot Room rates (50%).