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The Amex FHR is one of the key benefits of the Platinum card for me. But recently used to search and book for upcoming hotel and found.
– only smoking rooms available except suite (see, The St. Regis Downtown, Dubai 27th Aug)
– Not all room types available to book (see, Atlantis Royal, Dubai 27th Aug. No Club rooms showing)Other dates that week also, Both of these hotels I wanted to booked but in the end chose elsewhere as no FHR value.
Is this a one off or a view of the future to dump lesser value rooms (in my opinion) into FHR program.
@Emerald – the FHR scheme is rather like the Plat card itself – they charge a higher price than is appropriate but then hand back a few titbits on their terms. It is particularly aimed at Americans who are used to booking through travel agents who also charge full whack and then offer the hotel credit, breakfast, maybe upgrade and late checkout. It’s worth bearing in mind that on top of the ‘benefits’ you receive by overpaying at the outset, Amex gets around 15% commission so it’s incredibly rare that FHR is remotely competitive price wise vs direct booking and, as you identify, often limits your options to less desirable room categories.
I have to say, my experiences with FHR have on the whole been very positive. I always check the cost of booking direct versus FHR and other channels. I often find great value with FHR and regularly find the same rate or better with FHR, but with the added inclusion of the FHR benefits. For one night stays, the value can be phenomenal. At the very least, I’d say it’s always worth checking what’s available and put it in your mix of options.
It’s all become a bit commoditised. The prepaid bookings have been outsourced to an Expedia based platform. They don’t even hide it as on the card statement you can it was processed by Expedia. The pay at hotel offers can also be sourced from Virtuoso or similar agents except for guaranteed 4pm checkout.
I have to say, my experiences with FHR have on the whole been very positive. I always check the cost of booking direct versus FHR and other channels. I often find great value with FHR and regularly find the same rate or better with FHR, but with the added inclusion of the FHR benefits. For one night stays, the value can be phenomenal. At the very least, I’d say it’s always worth checking what’s available and put it in your mix of options.
Yes, obviously one should check all the channels as well as the hotels own website (as well as roughly unbundling their offers) but I’m talking about using that information to negotiate a better deal directly with the on site hotel reservations team who absolutely love direct bookings to avoid admin, commissions and delayed settlement.
I have to say, my experiences with FHR have on the whole been very positive. I always check the cost of booking direct versus FHR and other channels. I often find great value with FHR and regularly find the same rate or better with FHR, but with the added inclusion of the FHR benefits. For one night stays, the value can be phenomenal. At the very least, I’d say it’s always worth checking what’s available and put it in your mix of options.
Yes, obviously one should check all the channels as well as the hotels own website (as well as roughly unbundling their offers) but I’m talking about using that information to negotiate a better deal directly with the on site hotel reservations team who absolutely love direct bookings to avoid admin, commissions and delayed settlement.
Mainly my use of FHR and reliance on elite benefits is a function of full time work. By the time I turn to booking future trips it is usually midnight to 2am on a Sunday, ahead of a work week when I won’t have time for email or phone to-and-fro with a hotel. How much time would you say you need to devote to negotiate a bespoke direct deal?
I have to say, my experiences with FHR have on the whole been very positive. I always check the cost of booking direct versus FHR and other channels. I often find great value with FHR and regularly find the same rate or better with FHR, but with the added inclusion of the FHR benefits. For one night stays, the value can be phenomenal. At the very least, I’d say it’s always worth checking what’s available and put it in your mix of options.
Yes, obviously one should check all the channels as well as the hotels own website (as well as roughly unbundling their offers) but I’m talking about using that information to negotiate a better deal directly with the on site hotel reservations team who absolutely love direct bookings to avoid admin, commissions and delayed settlement.
Mainly my use of FHR and reliance on elite benefits is a function of full time work. By the time I turn to booking future trips it is usually midnight to 2am on a Sunday, ahead of a work week when I won’t have time for email or phone to-and-fro with a hotel. How much time would you say you need to devote to negotiate a bespoke direct deal?
Absolutely! I can’t think of anything worse than phoning up a hotel and trying to get them to match or beat a FHR or any other offer. Far too much hassle for me – good luck to those that have the time and energy to do it though!
I have to say, my experiences with FHR have on the whole been very positive. I always check the cost of booking direct versus FHR and other channels. I often find great value with FHR and regularly find the same rate or better with FHR, but with the added inclusion of the FHR benefits. For one night stays, the value can be phenomenal. At the very least, I’d say it’s always worth checking what’s available and put it in your mix of options.
Yes, obviously one should check all the channels as well as the hotels own website (as well as roughly unbundling their offers) but I’m talking about using that information to negotiate a better deal directly with the on site hotel reservations team who absolutely love direct bookings to avoid admin, commissions and delayed settlement.
Mainly my use of FHR and reliance on elite benefits is a function of full time work. By the time I turn to booking future trips it is usually midnight to 2am on a Sunday, ahead of a work week when I won’t have time for email or phone to-and-fro with a hotel. How much time would you say you need to devote to negotiate a bespoke direct deal?
If it’s a hotel I have stayed in before, no extra time at all. If it’s somewhere I don’t know, maybe 20-30 minutes of research and a couple of calls more to confirm understandings of room categories (particularly when there’s a big range within one category) and best room locations/views (not all sea view rooms are created equal), those with best outside space etc. and those things only someone working onsite can tell you.
If the place is any good it’s highly likely we will return. I am very conscious of the time taken and the cost of that, so I wouldn’t do it unless there’s a big return in money and quality of stay which matters a lot on a longer trip. On our next few longer stays, we have 50% off a mid range room with a guaranteed five category upgrade to a spectacular 125m2 suite + breakfast thrown in, airport transfers and free laundry – over six nights that’s saving £1,500 before attributing any value to the upgrade (that suite sells for about £1,600/night) and extra benefits. The next is a new place we haven’t stayed at before but took five minutes to agree. We wanted the $900 suite but the category below is $400 but that didn’t suit us; they have guaranteed the upgrade and added airport transfers. The last hotel on that trip is honouring a BRG from 2017 which is representing an ever growing discount and we will be showered with extras. One such agreement that has lasted since 2020 has been pulled – sort of understandably because it was quite extraordinarily generous.
The world of hotel pricing is very murky and rather than paying FHR or Virtuoso etc , I would rather get a better price than they can ever offer plus better benefits and local knowledge can be invaluable.
I am of the opinion that those who don’t invest time, have no right to complain about prices or dilution of benefits.
If people want to book inflated prices because you feel it saves them time and can’t be bothered about saving money, then all good. I’m under the impression that people here would spend hours if there was deal for 10,000 avios that required it, so why not spend an hour dealing with the hotel. In most cases, it does not even require a phone call, just a few emails.
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