The Accor STEP program is a gem to explore for those seeking upscale benefits – such as complimentary breakfast and upgrades – at select Accor Group hotels without having to climb the ladder of its loyalty program, ALL – Accor Live Limitless. Unfortunately, access to this program is not as simple as booking online. Reservations must be made through an approved travel agency. Here’s how it works.
Accor is not the only hotel chain to offer a dedicated travel agency program. Several chains have their own exclusive programs, including Belmond Bellini Club, Four Seasons Preferred Partner, Hilton Impresario, Hyatt Privé, Mandarin Oriental Fan Club, Marriott Stars & Luminous, Rosewood Elite and Shangri-La Luxury Circle.
Accor Step offers travellers booking an Accor hotel through an eligible travel agency the following benefits:
Occasionally, the program also offers a third or fourth night free at certain participating hotels.
It’s important to note that even Diamond members, the most distinguished members of the All – Accor Live Limitless program, are not automatically eligible for free breakfast during their stays. This favor is only guaranteed on weekends worldwide, or on a daily basis in the Asia-Pacific region.
The free breakfast included in stays booked via Accor STEP is a great advantage, even if you have Gold, Platinum or Diamond status.
Although not all Accor establishments have joined Accor Step, some hotels in some of the most prestigious chains, such as Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel, offer benefits to people who book through Accor Step.
Here are the participating Accor STEP chains:
Not all the hotels of these brands take part in Accor STEP. Some brands, such as Raffles and SO/, have relatively few participating establishments. On the other hand, many Fairmont, Pullman and Sofitel hotels offer benefits through this program.
For a complete list of participating Accor STEP hotels, please contact your local travel agency. They will be happy to tell you whether the rate is available for your destination.
Individuals cannot book a stay through Accor Step; it is necessary to go through a travel agency.
Fortunately, there are many travel agencies with access to the program, located all over the world, including the USA, Canada, and France. Some are available online, while others require a personal visit.
You should contact your local travel agency to find out whether it can offer you the benefits of the Accor STEP program.
The preferential rates offered by the Accor Step program are not always the most competitive on the market. Rates are aligned with the standard rates posted on the Accor website, excluding promotional offers and rates negotiated with companies. And for the moment, it’s impossible to book a stay through Accor Step with Reward points.
Reservations made at promotional rates often come with restrictive cancellation policies. On the other hand, reservations made through Accor Step are flexible. You can usually cancel a reservation free of charge up to 24 hours before your stay.
But while Accor Step’s prices are similar to those found on the Accor websitethe monetary value of the benefits offered by the program, such as hotel credit and free breakfast, means that a reservation made through the program is more beneficial.
Accor Step is not the only program that offers benefits and preferential rates when staying at Accor hotels. Virtuoso, a worldwide network of travel agencies, also offers significant benefits. But to take advantage of the preferential rates offered by Virtuoso, you also need to use a travel agency.
Note that if you hold Gold or Platinum status in Accor’s loyalty program, ALL – Accor Live Limitless, you will be entitled to similar benefits to those offered by Accor STEP.
The quickest way to collect Reward points and speed up your quest for status is to get an Accor partner credit card.
In France, you can transfer your Flying Blue Miles into Reward points through the Miles+Points program. 4,000 Flying Blue Miles equals 1,000 Reward points.
ALL – Accor Live Limitless customers can also earn Reward points on eligible flights with Air France and KLM, as well as all member airlines of the SkyTeam alliance. 2 euros spent on a flight equals 1 Reward point.
To maximize your earning of Flying Blue Miles, we recommend using Air France KLM American Express cards.
There are three Air France KLM American Express cards for individuals: the Silver card, the Gold card and the Platinum card.
Air France KLM American Express cards offer various privileges, depending on the level selected. Rather than earning Membership Rewards points like traditional American Express cards, Air France KLM American Express cards allow users to earn Flying Blue Miles.
In Canada, there are no credit cards that earn Reward points directly. However, Flying Blue Miles are freely transferable to the ALL – Accor Live Limitless program at a rate of 4:1. The procedure for transferring Miles is detailed in this article.
So, by taking advantage of the excellent welcome offer on the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®, the 60,000 Flying Blue Miles offered can be converted into 15,000 ALL Reward points.
Finally, it is also possible to accumulate points organically by :
Accor STEP is a real asset for discerning travellers looking for affordable luxury. This program offers a range of exclusive benefits, such as complimentary breakfasts, hotel credits, and room upgrades, at some of the world’s most prestigious hotels. Although access to this program requires going through an approved travel agency, the rewards are well worth the extra effort.
In total, Accor owns 54 hotel brands: 21C Museum Hotels, 25 Hours, Adagio, Adagio Access, Adagio Premium, Angsana, Art Series, Astore, Banyan Tree, BreakFree, D-EDGE, Delano, Emblems, Fairmont, Gekko group, Grand Mercure, Greet, Handwritten, Hotel F1, Hyde, Ibis, Ibis Budget, Ibis Styles, Jo&.Joe, John Paul, Lido 2 Paris, MGallery, Mama Shelter, Mantis, Mantra, Mercure, Mondrian, Morgans Originals, Mövenpick, Novotel, Onefinestay, Orient-Express, Paris Society, Peppers, Potel & Chabot, Pullman, Raffles, Rixos, SLS, So Sofitel, Sofitel, Swissôtel, Thalassa, The Hoxton, The Sebel, Tribe, VeryChic, WOJO, Working From_.
The Accor STEP program offers an interesting solution for paying less for a stay at Accor hotels. Although the rates are not the most competitive on the market, the included benefits, such as free breakfast and hotel credits, can compensate for the price difference. What’s more, the flexibility of reservations made via Accor STEP means you can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before your stay, which can be an advantage over promotional fares with strict cancellation policies.
To book with Accor STEP, you need to go through a partner travel agency that has access to these programs. Only selected agencies can book a stay at an Accor hotel using the advantages offered by Accor STEP.
Virtuoso offers a varied selection of benefits in a wide range of luxury hotels, while the Accor STEP program focuses specifically on Accor establishments. As each of these programs has its own advantages, we recommend that you consult a travel agent to determine which one best suits your needs.
ALL — Accor Live Limitless is the Accor Group‘s loyalty program. Members can earn Reward points in a variety of ways, by booking stays at group hotels, using partner services or organizing meetings at participating establishments, and then redeem them for free nights at the various hotels. Every ten euros you spend in the shops earns you points. The number of Reward points you can earn depends on your status in the programme and the hotels you stay at. The higher your rank, the more points you accumulate, and the more attractive the benefits become.
Yes, the benefits of the ALL – Accor Live Limitless program can be added to reservations made via Accor STEP. These reservations are considered qualifying in the same way as stays booked directly with Accor, meaning that they earn points and qualify for certain promotions.
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