American Express has apparently expanded its Fine Hotels & Resorts program as well as the similar but different Hotel Collection. According to a press release, 400 new properties were recently added across these two programs. In total, there are now more than 3,100 options in 114 countries!
With the Fine Hotels and Resorts program, Amex cardholders can enjoy special benefits during their hotel and resort stays. These perks may include guaranteed late check-out, upgrades (when available), a $100 property credit, complimentary daily breakfast for two, and more.
Meanwhile, The Hotel Collection also features a $100 property credit as well as upgrades when available, but late check-out is not guaranteed and breakfast is not included. Another key difference between the programs is that FHR bookings can be made for a single night, whereas Hotel Collection requires a minimum of two nights. It should also be noted that, while FHR is exclusive to Platinum (and Centurion) cardholders, Amex Gold Card customers are able to book Hotel Collection.
I’ve stayed at a few Fine Hotels & Resorts spots now as well as a couple of Hotel Collection properties. Given my experiences, I’d say I’m largely a fan of these programs. That’s why I was fairly excited when Amex added a $200 annual credit for these bookings to the Platinum card during a 2021 refresh. Most recently, I used my credit for a night at Palazzo, but I’ve also used the program for several other locations — including one of my favorites so far: Bellagio.
Of course, I do realize that FHR properties can be pricey. That said, there are some definite sweet spots to be found. For one, I’ve had great success in Las Vegas (and even wrote a whole article on why that is), but have found reasonable options in other cities as well. Plus, I recently came across the site MaxFHR.com that can help you find good deals on these bookings. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem as though these listings include Hotel Collection options. (UPDATE: the site has added Hotel Collection as well!)
Now for the juicy part. News of this FHR expansion comes as rumors are swirling about the teased update to the American Express Platinum card. According to leaked cardholder terms, it seems that the Platinum Card’s FHR/Hotel Collection credit will be going from the current $200 per year to $600 per year — although this will reportedly be split into two $300 semi-annual credits. Such an update suggests we could be in for a larger-than-expected annual fee hike, but we’ll have to wait and see on that one.
Overall, I welcome any new additions to Amex’s Fine Hotels & Resorts and Hotel Collections programs. As for whether the recently-added properties are exciting and/or affordable, that’s tough to answer. Still, I can’t imagine that this growth is bad. Meanwhile, I do think that American Express taking the time to highlight this expansion all but confirms that FHR will play a larger role in the refreshed (and more expensive) Platinum Card product that’s in the works. In other words, it looks as though I’ll be staying at plenty more Fine Hotels & Resorts and Hotel Collection properties in the months ahead.