American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts Rates Finally Bookable Online

by Gary Leff

American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts rates are finally searchable and bookable online.

The Fine Hotels and Resorts program is available to Platinum and Centurion American Express cardholders. Previously you could search for participating properties, but you have to call to find out rates and make reservations. This is a huge improvement. The website isn’t great, but it’s functional, and no more needing to get on the phone.

At least, that is, if you’re a Platinum cardmember. Centurion cardmembers get additional benefits beyond those offered to Platinum members as part of the Fine Hotels and Resorts program Those benefits aren’t online, and booking on this website gets only the standard Platinum Fine Hotels and Resorts benefits. So Centurion cardmembers still need to call.

But it’s a great start, nonetheless!

Meanwhile, many of the same properties participate in Virtuoso, a travel agency network that anyone can access. And the Virtuoso benefits are often similar, sometimes better, sometimes not. You can have a look at participating Virtuoso properties and their standard amenities on a website put together by a Virtuoso agent who participates on Flyertalk.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

More articles by Gary Leff »

Pingbacks

Comments

  1. Do nights/stays count towards Elite status if we book SPG hotels via Virtuoso? Do we get SPG points still? My guess is no but thought I would check in any case…

    Thanks!

    PS: I nominated your blog as one of my 3 entries in the best travel weblog section of the 2010 bloggies. Good luck!

  3. Wow! I too love this blog, and am totally humbled that my web page got mentioned. Thanks! I wasn’t sure if anyone really looked at it.

    To answer quasiconvexity’s question — Yes. I have been SPG Platinum for 10+ years and have never had a Virtuoso rate not produce stay/night credit and points. (Same for AmEx FHR rates — they too provide points/credit.)

  5. Hmmm, only for US cardholders – which is odd because I was able to sign-in and have my account verified 🙁

  6. Do SPG stays booked through Virtuoso receive platinum benefits? I.e., most of the hotels listed say that you get an upgrade through Virtuoso, but that the upgrade does not include a suite. At a lot of those properties, platinums regularly (though perhaps not officially) receive suites.

  7. Hi Keith,

    The Virtuoso (or FHR) upgrade is typically not added on top of an SPG Plat upgrade. (Too bad.)

    While some exceptions may apply, the Virtuoso upgrade is typically one-category above the room/suite you book. Suite upgrades for SPG Plat members are into a hotel’s standard suite (which may end up being a one-category or multi-category upgrade).

    Thus, if you book a standard room, then your agent should remind the property that you’re an SPG Plat member who is eligible for a suite upgrade. If you book a suite, then your agent should remind the property that you are a Virtuoso/FHR guest who is eligible for a one-category upgrade.

  8. Virtuoso Rates are now available online at Classictravel.com at over 300 properties. Check out the benefits of Virtuoso when booking four and five star hotels.

Comments are closed.