New Amex Platinum hotel benefits launched – but a shock exit too

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Back in October, I wrote about the new deal that American Express had done with Hilton HHonors to offer status as part of the American Express Platinum benefits package.

It had been slowly rolling out globally but had not yet reached the UK.

However, a development has occurred.

If you go to the Platinum cardmembers website, you now see links for:

Hilton HHonors – Gold status (gets free breakfast)

Shangri-La Golden Circle – Jade status

Melia Rewards – Gold status

I will do another article next week looking at each of these in detail and explaining what benefits they bring. They definitely add value to the Platinum package.

But here is a shock ….

The following message appears on the Platinum website if you look closely enough:

Enrolment to receive the American Express benefit of 1-year complimentary Le Club AccorHotels Platinum tier membership will end on 15 April 2016; after which Cardmember requests cannot be accepted, and Cardmembers will not be enrolled or upgraded to Le Club AccorHotels Platinum tier.

Yes, after 15th April you will no longer be eligible for free Accor Platinum status. Your existing status will continue to be valid until it expires, of course.

I never took great advantage of this, but my wife used it successfully at the Sofitel in Sochi. Even on my last Novotel stay I received two free drinks, an upgrade and bonus points.

I would rather have Hilton Gold than Accor Platinum, but at the same time I wouldn’t swap Accor Platinum for Melia Gold. This was, after all, the only top tier status that came with Amex Platinum.

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Category

Accor Live Limitless, American Express Platinum card, Hilton Honors, MeliaRewards, Shangri-La Golden Circle

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

Todderz says:

7 Feb7 February 10:46

Has anyone actually managed to enrol? The form doesn’t work for me, just goes back to the same page. Can’t even put my full Melia account number in because mine ends with a letter and the form only accepts digits. The form states the wrong status levels, and misses it entirely in one place. I suppose even for a £450 premium product you can’t always get your content editors to do a proof read….
- Rob says:
  
  7 Feb7 February 11:12
  
  I would give them a few days. It isn’t officially announced yet after all.
- Gin and Tonic Please says:
  
  8 Feb8 February 12:47
  
  I managed to get it to work today, after failing over the weekend. The enrollment page has changed this morning, asking you to confirm more details (title, address, etc), so I assume they’ve got their back-end sorted now.
  
  Also, on the Melia point, it works if you just drop the letter off the end of the account number. Works on melia.com too, so it’s not an issue. I actually wonder whether the letter is only put on at registration in order to designate an unverified account.
  - Todderz says:
    
    8 Feb8 February 17:40
    
    Yep, it worked for me too.
bry says:

8 Feb8 February 07:40

Mine shows HHonors Diamond btw!
Jordan D says:

8 Feb8 February 09:44

As I got the Hilton Diamond status through status match (was a gold as I had put through £10k on the Hilton Visa last year), the loss of Accor Platinum is a definite dis-benefit.

AP was very handy in Asia- on one trip to Thailand, one Mercure upgraded me to Executive floor & lounge access, one Novotel upgrade to Junior Suite (with free bottle of wine and snacks). Breakfasts thrown in at both. Couldn’t ask for more.
- Ben says:
  
  8 Feb8 February 16:17
  
  No need for Priority Pass so Platinum benefits for me are now down to the car hire and travel insurance. Time to ditch it and research decent insurance.
Matt says:

9 Feb9 February 15:24

So Hilton Gold status is back, Q: is it just going to be for 1 year then back down ( like last time we had it ) or is it going to be like the Accor platinum keeping the status year after year even if you never stay?
- Rob says:
  
  9 Feb9 February 16:42
  
  Permanent
  - YL says:
    
    9 Feb9 February 17:26
    
    I received a letter and a brochure from Amex through the post today informing me the changes to the hotel benefits.
    
    However, I have noticed on the Hilton Gold section, it did not mention the “complimentary continental breakfast”. In my opinion, this is one of the most important benefits of the Hilton Gold status, not to mention it on a official document is rather strange… unless Hilton has planned to change the Gold status soon?
    - Rob says:
      
      9 Feb9 February 18:39
      
      Sloppy Amex writing, almost certainly.
      
      Remember, Amex does not mention the hotel benefits AT ALL on the Platinum website (the marketing website, not the members site).
      - DeltaCharlie says:
        
        9 Feb9 February 21:45
        
        What about the Shangri La Jade top offer of “priority upgrade to the next available best room category if the reserved room type is not available at check-in”. Is this the best they can offer…. And other benefits of free wi-fi, how is this a status benefit in 2016? Accor will be greatly missed by myself.
      - YL says:
        
        9 Feb9 February 22:03
        
        Ah..True!! Hopefully this is just another case:))
      - YL says:
        
        9 Feb9 February 22:05
        
        Oops.. just to clarify, I was replying to Rob’s reply earlier.
Jonathan says:

10 Feb10 February 14:04

So with the Golden Circle Jade, you should ALWAYS book the hotel 73 hours before you need it hoping that the room level you would have booked is then sold out forcing them to upgrade you!
APK says:

10 Feb10 February 15:22

I was trying to book the Sofitel in Heathrow the week before last on the Accor app on my phone and it didn’t work. I then realised my last platinum membership had expired a few days earlier, so I called Amex Platinum first to ask whether I needed to renew my membership for Accor platinum, or if it would automatically renew. I was told it would automatically renew, but that there were changes coming.

I called Accor direct to book the hotel and queried my membership – and I was told I have platinum membership ‘for life’ – not quite sure who to believe, but I will certainly be sad to see the Accor Platinum membership go – and it’s certainly something I will have to bear in mind when/if I renew my Amex Platinum as I can’t really see the new benefits much of a match.
Mark says:

12 Feb12 February 13:33

Starting too fall out of love with the Hilton Brand. Checked in to the Hilton NEC on Wednesday night and promptly checked out. Executive room with threadbare carpet, shower that trickled, shower tray that filled with water, broken toiletry tray and I mean it didn’t have 1 single metal bar in it, cheap toiletries but worst of all was the toilet paper. It brought back memories of school. It was worse than single ply happy shopper stuff! Oh and no spirits in the executive lounge!!

I spoke to the manager who seemed ashamed. At £269 a night I expect a LOT more.

So i promptly booked a room at the new Genting hotel over the road. WOW. Superior room, same price. Nespresso coffee machine, two complimentary bottles of Prosecco in the fridge, two complementary A5 note books, nice toiletries and lovely soft towels. Of course the rooms etc are only three months old, but the extras were way beyond anything the Hilton are offering.

Went and spoke to the manager at the hilton the next day and told him he needs to go and spend a night over the road, because if he doesn’t up his game he’s going to be running a very quiet hotel. He agreed.
- Rob says:
  
  12 Feb12 February 14:07
  
  In general, I will always take a new hotel over an old one. A new Premier Inn puts most 20 year old Hiltons to shame.
Mark says:

12 Feb12 February 13:35

And why pay £450 for hilton gold when you can pay £18
- harry says:
  
  12 Feb12 February 14:37
  
  go on, put us out of our misery – how? 🙂