In this post, we’ll discuss the Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts program. We’ll cover the basics of the program— who has access, what the perks are, and how to get your annual travel credit — before talking about some of our personal experiences using the credit. Read on to learn all about the Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts program.
Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts FAQ
What is American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts?
The American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts program offers special perks at a collection of hotels when you book at those hotels through the program. You need to have certain Amex cards to access the program (discussed more below). Not all hotels bookable through Amex participate in Fine Hotels + Resorts. For example, in the below screenshot, you can see The Palazzo participates in Fine Hotels + Resorts, but NoMad Las Vegas does not:
You can also see on the lefthand side that you can filter hotels by Fine Hotels + Resorts when searching in the Amex travel portal.
Importantly, you only get the perks if you make your booking through Fine Hotels + Resorts. Since Fine Hotels + Resorts rates are sometimes higher than the best publicly available rate for a hotel, you’ll need to weigh in each case whether it makes sense to pay more for the perks or not.
Which cardholders have access to American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts?
The Fine Hotels + Resorts program is available to Amex Platinum and Centurion cardholders. Prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts bookings get the Amex Platinum’s standard 5X points for prepaid hotel bookings through Amex.
What are the perks of Fine Hotels + Resorts?
The perks of Fine Hotels + Resorts are:
- Daily breakfast for two
- Experience credit worth approximately $100
- Guaranteed 4pm check-out
- 12pm check-in, when available
- Room upgrade, when available
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
The “$100” experience credit can come in a variety of forms. It might be a credit of specific value—$100 for food and beverage, or $100 for spa services, for example. It might also be a credit for some specific experience—free dinner for two, or a specific spa package, for example. In some cases, you’ll even see credits with values over $100.
When you click into a hotel to book it via Amex Travel, you’ll see the details of the experience credit:
Valuing the other perks is tricky. You can see in a below example that we once saved $540 by booking a lower tier of room, correctly expecting an upgrade. Daily breakfast for two might be worth, say, $60 in general, but it’s also the sort of perk often available through the hotel website or booking dot com.
How does the Amex Platinum $200 Fine Hotels + Resorts statement credit work?
The personal, not business, Amex Platinum offers a $200 annual statement credit for prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts bookings. The credit does not require enrollment, and is automatically applied to your account after you make a fully prepaid booking with the Amex Platinum via the Fine Hotels + Resorts program (i.e. you can’t use another site to book a hotel that participates in the program if you expect the credit).
Both times we’ve gotten the credit, it posted fairly quickly:
You can also get the $200 credit for bookings of two nights or more in The Hotel Collection, a similar but different program. There’s one $200 annual credit covering both Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection.
Our Experiences with Fine Hotels + Resorts Perks
So far we’ve had three stays in the Fine Hotels + Resorts program. We haven’t had any issue with any of the benefits, though it’s worth noting all three stays were at the Oberoi chain. Below are the notable ways the perks paid off (not listing every instance of breakfast, or check-in / checkout perks that were unused, etc.):
Oberoi Delhi
- Upgraded from Luxury room to Premier Room (approx. $100 value)
- One dinner removed from our bill ($40 value)
While the upgrade at Oberoi Delhi was was ostensibly only worth $25 per night, looking at the floor plans I immediately realize I should have booked the Premier Room to begin with. In hindsight I was very grateful for this upgrade.
Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur
- Upgraded from Premier Room, 1 King Bed, Pool View to Premier Room with Semi-Private Pool ($540 value)
- One dinner removed from our bill ($40 value)
- Late checkout granted, extended to 8PM
This Fine Hotels + Resorts upgrade was one I actually had hoped for. When booking the hotel just a few days before arrival, I saw there was one Semi-Private Pool room left. I decided that since we had a chance at an upgrade, I was fine rolling the dice and saving the $540. It paid off, as we were upgraded to one of the best hotel rooms we’ve ever stayed in.
We were guaranteed checkout at 4PM, which was important for us so Zoe could nap before our 10PM train. The hotel graciously extended our checkout until 8PM.
Oberoi Amarvilas Agra
- One dinner removed from our bill ($40 value)
No room upgrade this time because we knew from the get-go we wanted to book a Premier Room, with a balcony and view of the Taj Mahal. Sometimes you have to take the sure thing.
Is Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts a good way to book?
Oftentimes, yes, but you’ll need to do your research with each booking. You might find, for example, that Amex Travel doesn’t have access to lower categories of rooms available on other sites. Or you might find the same room for a lower price on another site, including directly through the hotel. But when the price is right, Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts is a great program. The upgrades we’ve gotten are alone enough to ensure we’ll keep our eyes on it for future bookings.