Sofitel

If possible, avoid! This is a hotel chain managed out of France. Yeah you heard right, an oxymoron it itself. The French are not known for managing anything.

I happened to be unfortunate enough having to spend months and months at one of their hotels in Budapest quite some time ago. Mind you, the hotel was ok, but the managing of their bonus point system is not. Had an argument already back then about them charging my credit card for the stay, and not crediting my bonus account. "We ask you to provide us with the original receipt of your stay". Excuse me, you charge my credit card, you have the bloody original receipt already.

So, anyway now I was planning on using it (since it expires next year). Turns out they only pay out for every 20,000 bonus points. I have 33,000 (5,000 have already expired, gee thanks for telling me!). And they pay out in vouchers that then can be used in a Sofitel hotel. And to deliver the vouchers take 20 days. This to me implies that they do not really want you to use the points. At all. Perhaps they do not want customers to come back either. Trust me. I won't.