Access to American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) is one of the key benefits of holding a Platinum Charge, Business Platinum Charge or Centurion card.
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In this guide, we look at some of the resources available to help dig into the 1000 or so FHR properties, key locations and some examples of the benefits—think: $100 room credits, spa treatments and room upgrades.
Given the huge sign-up bonus running on the Platinum Charge card, we are exploring a number of the perks of the card in detail. FHR is one of the first benefits you will want to look at after you’ve received your membership pack.
To clarify, you have to be a Platinum, Business Platinum or Centurion cardholder to access this benefit—no other Amex cards make the cut.
Be sure to compare the benefits and participating properties of this program to the separate The Hotel Collection program, which covers high-end properties rather than the super luxury hotels that FHR does.
Why book through Fine Hotels & Resorts?
FHR offers a number of benefits for hotel stays booked through the program, and for frequent travellers who like to stay at the kind of upscale hotels included in it, these extra wins are a key part of getting value from the $1450 annual fee on the card. You will get:
- Guaranteed 4pm late check-out
- Complimentary breakfast for two guests
- An additional amenity: often a $100 USD hotel or spa credit
- A room upgrade (subject to availability)
- 12pm early check-in (subject to availability)
- Complimentary wifi
The most valuable benefit is usually the additional amenity. If it is a credit, it is valid on single-night stays as well, so conceivably the out-of-pocket cost of a one-night stay including room service or a hotel meal can be reduced significantly by booking through FHR.
Occasionally some FHR properties have some special offers running when booking through Amex Travel, such as a third or fourth night free.
The other key win of booking through Fine Hotels & Resorts is that you will earn points and status with the hotel’s loyalty program. This is unlike most other online travel agents (OTAs), which would usually preclude you from earning points or status with the likes of Marriott, Four Seasons or Hyatt.
Key locations
Australia
- Gold Coast: Palazzo Versace
- Hamilton Island: Qualia Great Barrier Reef
- Cairns: Shangri-La The Marina
- Melbourne: Crown Towers, Park Hyatt and The Langham
- Perth: COMO The Treasury
- Sydney: Four Seasons, Park Hyatt, Shangri-La and The Langham
- Wolgan Valley: Emirates One&Only
Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra and Hobart are notably missing, unfortunately.
Popular leisure destinations in Asia-Pacific
- Bali: 14 properties, including Bulgari Resort, COMO Shambhala Estate and The St. Regis
- Fiji: 2 properties, on Laucala and Yaukuve Levu Islands
- Hawaii: 18 properties, including Fairmont Orchid, Four Seasons and Grand Hyatt
- Hong Kong: 8 properties, including The Peninsula, The Ritz-Carlton and The Upper House
- New Zealand: 2 in Queenstown and 1 each in Auckland, Christchurch, Glenorchy, Matauri Bay, Taupo and Te Awanga
- Singapore: 7 properties, including Mandarin Oriental, Raffles and The St. Regis
Price comparison through FHR and Hotels.com
In this comparison, I will look at booking three properties through FHR vs Hotels.com, as I’m a fan of the Hotels.com Member Rewards program.
Park Hyatt Melbourne
Through FHR:
Through Hotels.com:
FHR had the nightly rate for the selected date at $285 for the base King Room, along with the standard FHR benefits which would have you hopefully upgraded into a better room, with late checkout. You would also have a $100 USD hotel credit to spend on food and drink.
Hotels.com had the same room at the same rate, with an equivalent rebate of 10% of the cost ($28.50) by using Member Rewards for a future stay in another hotel.
The Langham Auckland
Through FHR:
Through Hotels.com:
FHR and Hotels.com nightly rates match once more, but again the $100 USD hotel credit, free breakfast and late checkout would have this hotel much more appealing to be booked through FHR.
Shangri-La Sydney
This one isn’t as much of an obvious win for FHR as the other examples.
Through FHR:
Through Hotels.com:
Hotels.com has the room for sale around $30 cheaper than FHR, plus the 10% credit worth $25 via Hotels.com Member Rewards. FHR would once again offer breakfast, $100 in hotel credit, plus possible room upgrade and late checkout.
In this case, if you were not planning on spending much time in the hotel, then I would consider booking through Hotels.com for the savings; otherwise, for the better room and hotel credit via FHR.
General comparisons
Of course, if you’re not limiting yourself to FHR properties you can spread your hotel net a lot more widely but then you wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the upgrades, credits and other benefits of FHR either, so there is not really a clear comparison that can be made.
Each city and hotel stay will have to be decided on a case-by-case basis as to whether there is an FHR hotel that meets your needs, and whether that deal is worth compromising on a broader choice.
Researching Fine Hotels & Resorts benefits without access to a Platinum Charge card
If you are considering a Platinum Charge card, then understanding how much use you might get out of FHR should definitely part of the decision-making process. That said, it is hard to access FHR rates without being a cardholder.
It is possible to see which properties are included, and the benefits they offer, though, by using the Fine Hotels & Resorts Digital Directory.
If you are interested in understanding which hotel brands in detail are likely to be included in FHR, then the brand directory section of the Digital Directory is very useful.
Finally, there is the US version of the Amex Travel site, which is more modern than the Australian version.
None of these options will provide FHR room rates but you will be able to research the properties that are in the program, the specific benefits they offer, and whether they are running any other special offers.
How to research & book FHR properties as a Platinum Charge cardholder
There are three ways you can book FHR properties though American Express as a Charge cardholder: online, over the phone or by email.
Online through Amex Travel
Once logged into your account on the American Express website, click through to Platinum Travel, then Book A Trip.
From there you can start inputting your search criteria, with examples like those above spat out. You will find that FHR properties are usually shown first in search results.
Enquire online, by email or by phone with the Platinum Travel team
Amex really like you to call them as a Platinum Charge cardholder and this is a bit frustrating. If you know what you want and can make a decision on the spot, that can work well. If so, call 1800 673 760 and press 1 for travel services.
Otherwise, you can email the Platinum Travel team at this unpublicised email address—[email protected]. Just outline your requirements to them in writing, ask them to do the research and they will probably need to give you a call back to confirm and book.
Finally, you can also submit a hotel enquiry through this link (when logged in), which is under Platinum Service > Concierge.
You will then get an enquiry form from which you can submit a hotel booking request.
Summing up
Fine Hotels & Resorts is a program that elite American Express cardholders globally can access and, as a result, Amex have thrown a fair bit of weight behind ensuring that their premium members are given bespoke treatment at each property.
How well that is executed is, of course, completely up to each hotel on a stay-by-stay basis but the benefits of booking through FHR are generally pretty consistent.
Have you had any great Fine Hotels & Resorts wins? Let us know in the comments!
Supplementary images courtesy American Express.
Positive:
I just stayed at Mandarin Oriental in HK on a 3 nights for 2 deal plus all the FHR benefits. Upshot was that a $600 night room became a $1500 suite on upgrade in one of HK’s best hotels with guaranteed 4pm late check out.
Similarly, FHR is an excellent way to book Four Seasons properties – I have done so for Lanai, Hawaii with success twice, receiving valuable upgrades, breakfasts and guaranteed late check out. (Note that FS properties can also be booked through Virtuoso and Bellini aligned travel agents for various benefits).
Combining FHR benefits with he Amex 30% sale can be a real winner!
Arguably the Amex FHR scheme tumps the VISA Prestige luxury hotels since certain benefits are guaranteed (such as early check in and late check out).
Negative:
You MUST cross-check the relative pricing – in some cases the FHR rate is excessively above the rate available through other channels and the benefit set may not be sufficient to offset the extra cash.
I also had an experience at he Langham, Sydney where the hotel elected to screw the conversion rate on the USD100 F&B credit, only offsetting at a rate 15% less than the mid rate – they did eventually refunded AUD15 but only after I posted a bad review directly to the hotel and not when I complained at check out. A shame since the Langham is otherwise arguably the best hotel in Sydney and the FHR benefit a useful addition.
Note that the Amex travel phone line us only manned during business hours, which can be a problem if issues arise out of hours.
The hotel may or may not not honour loyalty program benefits and point accruals (although the value of such is likely less than the FHR benefit set).
I wonder, has anyone had any luck in circumventing this?
Just to clarify – is FHR only available with the American Express Platinum Charge card here in Australia?
I have the ANZ Frequent Flyer Black and would like to make use of FHR but can’t really justify the $1200 for the Platinum Charge card.
Or even virtuoso