400 hotels added to Amex’s Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection schemes

American Express has announced an expansion of its two ‘added value’ hotel booking programmes.

400 new hotels have been added to Fine Hotels & Resorts, for holders of The Platinum Card, and The Hotel Collection, for holders of Gold and Platinum cards.

It follows moves in the United States by Chase and Capital One to build up their travel benefits. JP Morgan Chase is, bizarrely, now the third biggest online travel agent in the US behind Expedia and Booking.com.

Everyone in the US knows who Amex is talking about when the press release says:

Said Audrey Hendley, President of American Express Travel: “Fine Hotels & Resorts remains the only credit card issuer program that offers guaranteed 4:00 p.m. check out. I can’t think of many things more valuable than extended vacation time.”

What’s new?

The 400 new hotels take the combined Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection range to over 3,100 hotels. There are properties in 114 countries and the 400 new hotels include 49 new destinations.

The new hotels include:

• Collegio alla Querce, Auberge Resorts Collection, Florence
• Regent Santa Monica Beach, Los Angeles
• Viceroy at Ombria Algarve
• Waldorf Astoria Osaka

As you will see if you click through, all four hotels are currently offering ‘three nights for the price of two’ to Platinum cardholders.

Here’s something odd

The press release sent out by American Express says:

When booking a Fine Hotels & Resorts or The Hotel Collection prepaid stay through American Express Travel, Platinum Card Members earn Membership Rewards points, while also earning loyalty points with hotels as they typically would.

When American Express introduced prepaid stays for Fine Hotels & Resorts a few years ago, they did NOT earn loyalty points.

(EDIT: a comment below suggests that this may be US-only and that UK cardholders will continue not to earn on pre-paid FHR stays. Be warned!)

You WOULD earn points and elite night credit, and enjoy any elite status benefits you had, on a ‘pay on departure’ stay booked via Fine Hotels & Resorts but NOT a prepaid one.

(There is no cash saving for pre-paying a Fine Hotels & Resorts booking, so it’s not clear why you would. It only makes sense if you have a cashback credit or – because Amex charges in £ – there is an FX saving.)

Has American Express changed the rules and will now give points and status benefits on pre-paid Fine Hotels & Resorts stays? Or is this an error?

Find out more

We wrote a full article on Fine Hotels & Resorts here.

Platinum cardholders receive, with no minimum stay requirement:

• Noon check-in when available
• Room upgrade on arrival when available
• Free breakfast for two people
• GUARANTEED 4pm check-out
• An additional benefit worth $100, usually a $100 food and beverage credit per stay

We wrote a full article on The Hotel Collection here.

Gold and Platinum cardholders receive, with a two night minimum stay:

• Noon check-in when available
• Room upgrade on arrival when available
• An additional benefit worth $100, usually a $100 food and beverage credit per stay

You can learn more about the expansion of Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection on the Amex website here.

PS. Remember that The American Express Business Platinum Card comes with a £200 credit towards a Fine Hotels & Resorts hotel booking. This is an annual benefit – not a one-off for new cardholders. Our review of The American Express Business Platinum Card is here.