A Complete Guide to the American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts Program

When you book a hotel through the American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts program, you have access to a VIP experience during your stay thanks to a number of exclusive benefits.

The Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts program can add serious perks and benefits to your hotel stays, and it may not cost much more than booking direct. However, Amex has packed its Platinum and Centurion cards with perks that you may have overlooked or undervalued in the Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts program.

These benefits can help offset the high annual fees on each card (see rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express and rates and commissions for The Business Platinum Card® from American Express).

Here’s everything you need to know about the program.

Related: Best American Express Credit Cards

What is American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts?

The Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts program offers elite-level benefits at more than 1,600 properties worldwide when you book through it. Amex reserves access to its Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts program for cardholders with a Centurion or the following Platinum cards:

American Express® Gold Card Members are not eligible for Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts benefits.

Properties bookable through the Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts program are a mix of independent and branded properties. The program offers a collection of highly rated luxury properties that Amex says are hand-selected. While you may choose to book a stay through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts for many reasons, most cardholders book primarily through the program to get extra perks on their stay and take some of the stress out of traveling.

Main advantages and benefits

Booking through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts is often not the cheapest option, but the perks you receive may make up for the price difference.

Here are the unmissable benefits you’ll receive with every Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts booking, no matter the length of your stay:

• Room upgrade upon arrival, if available at check-in (properties may exclude certain room types and some may only offer you a room with a better view)
• Daily breakfast for two people
• Guaranteed late check-out at 4pm
• Check-in at noon, if available
• Complimentary Wi-Fi (When a property includes Wi-Fi in a mandatory resort fee, you will receive a daily credit equal to the cost of the Wi-Fi)
• Experience Credit (the experience should be worth $100 or more and usually consists of a credit to a property, restaurant or spa)

You may value some amenities more than others, so consider the value you’ll get when comparing your options and seeing if any experiences pique your interest. For example, some will value a $100 food and beverage credit more than a $100 spa credit because it can be difficult to find spa services for less than $100 at some properties, and they may not be as commonly used if not for the credit. Regardless, Amex prohibits you from accumulating benefits by booking consecutive stays, so you can only earn one experience credit per stay.

These benefits are convenient and easy to take advantage of, and if you book your stay through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts with the Amex PlatinumWith the hotel credit from, you will get an even more advantageous offer and your exclusive benefits.

Let’s say you use Amex Platinum to prepay your stay through American Express Travel. In that case, you’ll be able to take advantage of up to $200 in account credit once per calendar year, giving you easy access to discounted travel. There are properties around the world where you can essentially stay for free with the new benefit.

How to Book Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts Stays

To receive Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts benefits, you must book through American Express Travel. You can book Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts stays through Centurion Travel Service, Platinum Travel Service or American Express Travel Online.

Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts prepaid stays booked online earn 5 Amex Membership Rewards points per dollar spent with the Amex Platinum OR Amex Business Platinum Card card. That said, you can use any American Express card in your name to pay for your reservation.

To get Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts benefits, the Platinum or Centurion cardholder must stay on the itinerary booked. However, you can book up to three rooms for a stay on your account, and all three rooms will be eligible for Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts benefits. If you need to book more than three rooms for a trip with family or friends, note that you can get up to three authorized users for a total of $195 per year (see rates and fees) on the Amex Platinum consumer card. These additional cardholders may book multiple rooms on their own accounts.

Please note that only the personal Amex Platinum Card is eligible for up to $200 in credit on your Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts statement.

Will I get Elite status or loyalty benefits?

In short, maybe.

We’ve received reports from TPG readers that some properties are refusing to offer Elite status earnings or benefits on stays at Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts, but we’ve also received numerous reports to the contrary.

Whether you’ll earn elite earnings and benefits varies greatly. Our recommendation is to book a refundable, prepaid Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts reservation. Then, email the property a few days after booking and ask if your stay will be eligible for elite earnings and benefits. While this isn’t ideal, at least you’ll know what benefits you can expect before your visit.

If the rate for booking a hotel through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts is comparable to booking directly with the property, the range of benefits you receive may outweigh the fact that the stay will not be considered a qualifying stay.

Can I use Amex points to book?

You can use Membership Rewards points for Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts bookings. Specifically, you’ll get 1 cent per point when you redeem Amex points for Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts bookings.

However, as of August 2024, TPG’s Membership Rewards points are worth 2 cents each. This is based on the value you can get by transferring Membership Rewards points to Membership Rewards transfer partners. Therefore, most travelers would be better off paying for their stays with a Platinum card and earning 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid bookings.

Related: The Best Ways to Use Amex Membership Rewards Points

Can I get a free night?

Amex highlights Fine Hotels + Resorts properties on its webpage that are currently offering a third, fourth, fifth, or sixth night free. During your stay, you’ll get all the standard Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts perks and benefits.

For many of these properties, the free night is the most valuable amenity you’ll get when you book through the Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts program.

Is Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts worth it?

Booking through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts can offer valuable benefits, but program rates are often (but not always) more expensive than booking direct.

That said, the nightly rate isn’t everything. The elitelike benefits provided on Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts stays have tangible value.

Also, using your Amex Platinum Making a Fine Hotels + Resorts prepaid online reservation will earn you 10% back through 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent. At select hotels, you’ll still get elite perks and earnings when you book through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts.

This means that booking through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts may still be the best choice for some trips, even if it doesn’t offer the cheapest rate. Plus, if you snag an Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts property that offers a free night, booking through the program can be significantly cheaper than booking direct.

When should I use Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts?

While not always the lowest rates, Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts can still be an incredibly attractive booking option. Here are some scenarios where you might get incredible value by booking through the Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts program:

• Short stays: One of Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts’ most notable strengths is the unique experience credit for each property. After all, this credit should be worth at least $100, regardless of the length of your stay. So, the shorter your stay, the better value this credit represents. This is even more important when you consider the Amex Platinum Personal Credit of up to $200; this annual perk helps cover a larger portion of a shorter stay.
• Boutique hotels/not hotel chains: When you book through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts, you can earn elite benefits at non-chain hotels. Unlike chain hotels, you don’t have to worry about whether you’ll earn elite earnings and benefits during your stay.
• Travelers without Elite status: Hotel loyalty programs often offer their elite members many of the same benefits as Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts. Therefore, booking through the program will typically provide more value if you do not have a mid- to high-level elite status with the hotel’s loyalty program.

In conclusion

If you’re planning on staying at a luxury hotel, booking through Amex’s Fine Hotels + Resorts program can offer elite-like perks. Sometimes, you can book through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts for little to no additional cost compared to booking direct. In addition to the savings available to Platinum cardholders through the new hotel credit benefit, you may be able to save even more through promotions offered at select Fine Hotels + Resorts properties. That said, you typically don’t book through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts to save money, but for the benefits of booking through Fine Hotels + Resorts.

In fact, the perks of booking Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts can sometimes make paying more for your stay worth it, even for budget-conscious travelers. This is especially true if you need an early check-in or late check-out and don’t have the status to get those perks.

To learn about Amex Platinum card fees and charges, click here.

To learn about the rates and fees for the Amex Business Platinum card, click here.