September 26, 2024|AMEX, Fine Hotels and Resorts

by Eric Lipkind

My wife and I recently stayed at the Tampa Edition using the benefits of American Express Platinum Fine Hotels and Resorts. Note: This is for the American Express personal Platinum card, not the business card. 

What You Get 

The benefits you receive are:

-A $200 credit once per year

-12pm check-in, if available 

-4pm late check-out 

-Complimentary wifi

-Complimentary breakfast for two

-Room upgrade, if available

-A welcome amenity that usually consists of a property/spa/food or beverage credit

How To Book

To receive the benefits, you need to book a prepaid reservation at a Fine Hotels and Resorts property through the AMEX Travel website. These properties are easy to find on the Amex Fine Hotel and Resort booking page. 

According to the rules, the Amex Platinum cardholder must have the reservation in their name.  However, there is a workaround if the cardholder isn’t traveling. 

For another traveler to make a reservation and still have the Platinum cardholder receive the $200 credit, the traveler can be an additional cardholder on the Platinum card. Additional cardholders can get the no-fee version of the card and make this work. 

The traveler must have the additional cardholder card in their Amex online profile.   Then, if they go to the Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts website, they can book a reservation and select the additional card as the form of payment.  

Additionally, despite this being a booking through a travel agency, if you enter your Marriott Bonvoy number for a Marriott property, you will get your points and elite nights.

 

The Benefits in Action 

Here is an excellent example of how I recently received great value from the Amex Platinum Fine Hotel and Resorts benefit. 

My wife had the $200 benefit on her Platinum card.  I am an additional cardholder.  I booked the reservation using the method above. The details of my booking were as follows:

I prepaid $418.82 (including taxes)  for a one-night stay at the Tampa Edition Hotel, the only 5-star hotel in Tampa.  A $40 destination fee (plus taxes) was required upon checkout. However, the destination fee gives you some extras, most notably a $40 food and beverage credit, so it’s pretty much a wash, as we planned on getting food and beverages at the hotel anyway. 

Regarding the destination fee, as Wi-Fi is already included for me as a Bonvoy Platinum member, there is supposed to be a replacement benefit for the Wi-Fi that is part of the destination fee.   I asked the front desk what the replacement benefit was, and they had never heard of it.   I DM’d Bonvoy support on Twitter (X) and explained what happened, and they credited me with 5,000 Bonvoy points, which was certainly generous.

The Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts amenity was a $100 property credit that we used for food and beverage. 

Additionally, we received a credit of $85 for breakfast for two in the hotel restaurant. 

As a math minor in college, here is my favorite part. 

The math worked out as follows:

Prepaid Hotel and tax                                    $419

Destination fee and tax                                      45

Less:

$200 Amex Platinum Fine Hotels credit         (200)

$100 Property Credit                                      (100)

$40 Destination Fee Credit                            (  40)

$85 Breakfast Credit                                      (  85)

Net cost                                                         $ 39

Points earned

American Express Membership Rewards

             Prepaid Hotel                                    2,095

             Destination fee and taxes                      45

                 Total                                                               2,140

Bonvoy 

             Hotel stay                                         9,652

             Wifi Replacement Benefit                 5,000

                 Total                                                             14,652

Valuing AMEX Membership Rewards at 2 cents per point, the value of the earned points is $42.   Valuing the Bonvoy points at .8 cents per point, the value of the earned points is $117.   In total, I earned $159 worth of points.   Subtracting the net cost of $39 above from the value of points earned of $159, I came out with a net benefit of $120 just by staying at this hotel!

It is easy to travel for free as long as you know the benefits available to you.

If you need assistance making travel plans using your benefits with miles and points, please contact me.