You can now book American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts with Membership Rewards points, when doing so points are worth a fixed 1¢ per point. Fine Hotels & Resorts are available to both personal and business Platinum & Centurion cardholders. These properties come with a number of benefits:
- Noon check-in, when available
- Room Upgrade upon arrival, when available
- Daily breakfast for two people
- Complimentary in room Wi-Fi
- Guaranteed 4pm late checkout
- Unique amenity valued at US$100, such as a food and beverage credit or one way private sedan transfer
In November of last year it was announced that booking these would earn 5x points, but only on prepaid online bookings. The ability to use points for these bookings won’t be particularly attractive given that points are only worth 1¢ each, most members will find better value when using points to transfer to travel partners or by cashing out points for 1.25¢ with the Charles Schwab Platinum card.
Some comments mentioned the $100 credit. Is the $100 property credit a standard benefit for booking FHR properties?
I’m just looking at the two FHR properties in the Philippines and this is what I see in the area where $100 credit usually is, “A complimentary 50-minute massage, for two people per room, once during your stay”
The one in Hanoi has this, “A complimentary one way private sedan transfer from hotel to airport for two people per room, once during stay.”
Not sure if either massage or transportation are equivalent to $100 even if they cover two people.
I was just in Hanoi and a private Grab/Uber to/from the airport was about $13 before tip. So $26 round trip for the two of us.
$100 property credit is most common benefit, but not the guaranteed benefit. A lot I’ve seen are $100 massage credit, which I definitely don’t value the same as $100 general resort credit. So YMMV on the credit value.
I wish they value their MR points like Chase at 1.5 c/p
Then I will throw my chase cards away.
When you factor in the $100 credit, plus free breakfast, I put the value at quite a bit more though. Especially at FHR properties in low season with lower rates. So obviously YMMV but I’ve already used points for a $200 room rate for a one night FHR stay
I can argue that just cash the points with Schwab and pay with what you cash out you come out ahead though. 1.25 vs 1.00 redemption + 5x on the amount paid.
Except you need to factor in the $550 AF for the Schwab card
Not necessarily since the card benefits already offset the AF (Airline Credit – $200, Uber Credit – $200, Saks Credit: $100). I agree the 1.25 redemption + 5x points is the better redemption
That would depend.. Do you take advantage of purchase protection, return protection, did you use extended warranty. Do you use Amex offers, etc. The fee should zero out regardless.
Well that benefit can also be had with cash, so it’s not a factor in this comparison.