Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts review 2022

By Arthur Dubois | Published on 20 Sep 2022

hotel

If you’re accustomed to the finer things in life and want to enjoy the greatest indulgences and most memorable experiences on your trips and travels, the Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts program might interest you. 

This program is available exclusively to certain American Express credit card holders and offers a range of unique perks and benefits for every traveller. Read on through our Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts review to find out how it works and what it has to offer.

What is Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts?

Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts

American Express cards are generally ranked among the best travel credit cards around. If you’re lucky enough to have the Amex Platinum or Centurion cards, you can enjoy unique advantages through the Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts program. 

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But what exactly is the program? At a foundational level, it’s simply a hotel booking channel. But it specializes in luxury resorts and hotels in exotic destinations around the globe.

What makes the Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts program particularly unique is that it allows cardholders to enjoy unique benefits like room upgrades and early check-ins at no additional charge.

Read more about The Top 10 American Express Credit Cards in Canada in 2022.

Key features of Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts

Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts

So, what features can you enjoy by booking a hotel or resort stay via the Fine Hotels and Resorts program with your Platinum or Centurion card? Here are the main features you’ll be able to enjoy with each reservation:

  • Room upgrades – When you arrive at your Fine Hotels and Resorts accommodation, you can receive a full room upgrade, allowing you to enjoy a bigger and more comfortable place to spend your stay. 
  • Daily breakfast – Members of the Fine Hotels and Resorts program can also enjoy a free daily breakfast service for two people at their hotel or resort.
  • Late checkout – Want to spend a little longer in your room on your last day before checking out? Fine Hotels and Resorts program members can enjoy a 4 pm checkout time.
  • Early check-in – You don’t just get to check out later with Fine Hotels and Resorts; you can also check-in even earlier than usual and get more value out of your stay. Members can check in beginning at noon at most properties. 
  • Free WiFi – Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts members won’t need to worry about being disconnected from the internet during their trips, as they can enjoy complimentary WiFi in their own rooms.
  • Credit – You’ll also receive a “Special Property Amenity” at each resort or hotel, which usually translates to approximately $100 in credits to use at the hotel on things like food, drinks, and spa services.

Pros and cons of Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts

Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts

Is the Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts program right for you? Let’s take a look at some of the key pros and cons of this system to help you determine if it’s a good fit:

✅ Pros

  • Participant benefits – The best thing about the Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts program is how it allows users to enjoy incredible benefits with each stay. From free credit to spend at the hotel to room upgrades, this service helps you get more out of every trip.
  • Luxurious resorts – Another fun thing about the Fine Hotels and Resorts program is the fact that it opens the doors to a plethora of wonderful hotels and sublime resorts. This is a great booking channel to choose if you like to stay at the most high-end spots.
  • No extra cost – One of the most impressive aspects of the Fine Hotels and Resorts program is that it’s available to the holders of Centurion and Platinum credit cards at no extra expense. You don’t have to worry about hidden charges or subscription fees.
  • Special offers – Sometimes, you may get lucky when booking through American Express’ Fine Hotels and Resorts program and enjoy special offers such as a free night’s stay, giving you a third or fourth night’s stay at your chosen hotel absolutely free.

⛔ Cons

  • Exclusive – One of the downsides of Fine Hotels and Resorts is that the benefits only apply to holders of the very best American Express credit cards (Platinum and Centurion cards only), so you won’t get any benefits as a standard cardholder.

Rates may vary – Another drawback to the Fine Hotels and Resorts program is that the booking rates can vary. Often, you won’t pay any additional cost when booking via Fine Hotels and Resorts and may even save money, but sometimes, the room rates are higher than average.

How to book with Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts

If you’re interested in the unique benefits of the Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts program, you might want to know how to make a booking and enjoy all of those features on your next trip. Luckily, the booking process is quite simple.

Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts

The first step of the process is to go to the Amex Travel website and find the Fine Hotels and Resorts program. You can also choose to book over the phone by contacting the Platinum travel services number, but most people prefer comparing options on the website first.

Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts

Like on other travel booking sites, there’s a simple box that you can fill in with your desired destination (or a specific hotel, if you know exactly where you want to stay) as well as dates and the number of travellers and rooms needed. Let’s take a look at an example search for a short stay in the Japanese capital, Tokyo.

Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts

Once you launch your search, the Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts booking platform will use the data you provided to find a list of great hotels and resorts that correspond to your chosen location and dates. Here, we can see a list of relevant hotels in Tokyo, including luxurious properties like The Ritz-Carlton and The Okura. 

Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts

The search list provides some basic information about each hotel, such as the average Trip Advisor rating and the address. On the right side, you’ll also see information about any exclusive benefits or special offers for these hotels. The Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, for example, has a free third-night offer, while The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho provides guests with an extra $150 credit for food and drinks when booking through Fine Hotels and Resorts.

Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts

You can also switch to a map view of your chosen hotels to see exactly where they are, and this may make it easier for you to find the right one to suit your needs. Then, once you’ve picked a hotel you’d like to book, you can simply proceed to the payment screen, confirm the dates and details, and make your booking. It’s even possible to use Amex Membership Rewards points to pay for some or all of your stay.

Overall, the booking process at Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts is very easy and straightforward. It’s quick and easy to find hotels that match your needs, and you can easily compare your options and view the exclusive benefits that each accommodation has to offer before proceeding to the payment phase.

Read more about the American Express Travel Review 2022.

The final word on Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts

Overall, Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts is an appealing booking platform. It provides you with access to some of the world’s finest hotels and resorts, without having to scroll through page after page of poor-quality accommodation options. It’s particularly well-suited for people who enjoy staying at luxurious, high-end locations.

Not only that, but it also gives you exclusive perks and benefits to enjoy during each stay, from free credit to spend on food and massages at the spa to early check-in times and free room upgrades. With these benefits, you’re able to enjoy elevated experiences for all of your trips and vacations.

Of course, it’s clearly not for everyone, particularly if you don’t have a Platinum or Centurion card. However, if you prefer travel hacking to save money on accommodation or staying in budget-friendly hotels, you won’t find much at Fine Hotels and Resorts. But if you do have the relevant card and you like high-quality travel, this is a program that’s worth being a part of.

Arthur Dubois is a personal finance writer at Hardbacon. Since relocating to Canada, he has successfully built his credit score from scratch and begun investing in the stock market. In addition to his work at Hardbacon, Arthur has contributed to Metro newspaper and several other publications