| Written by: Mark Ostermann

Earning Elite Nights With Amex FHR

I didn’t pay much attention to the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) program for personal use for a long time. Especially since my Amex Business Platinum cards didn’t have the credit until last September. Throw in the fact that I don’t tend to stay in fancy hotels with cash, they are often very expensive during the peak times we can travel, and rooms that can handle families at luxury hotels are even more expensive. The whole reason I got into miles and points is to save money, not spend it after all. Having said all of that, I had to at least try to make use of this new credit. After striking out on my searches for future travels (yes, all of them) I started focusing on earning elite nights with Amex FHR. **This is a guest post by ToP team member Lana Vu.

Which Cards Are Eligible For American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts Bookings

The FHR program is only available on these select cards:

Additionally, the different versions of the personal Amex Platinum card (original, Morgan Stanley and Charles Schwab) and Business Platinum card now have increased credits for the Fine Hotels & Resorts program. The FHR credits are broken down as follows:

  • Get up to $300 in statement credits semiannually January 1st – June 30th
  • Get a second credit worth up to $300 from July 1st – December 31st
    • That is worth a total of up to $600 in statement credits per calendar year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® (1+ night stays) or The Hotel Collection (2+ night stays) bookings through American Express Travel.

If you spend less than $300 then that amount will be credited and you have a remaining amount to use. Additional cardmembers (authorized users and employee cards with an annual fee) may use their card, but the total credit is one per card account. This means each main card account has one $300 semi-annual total, even if it comes from different cardholders.

You can check out our complete Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts guide here.

Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts Bookings Are Eligible For Elite Night Earning, Status Perks & Earning Points

Yes, American Express FHR bookings are actually eligible for loyalty program awards, nights, and points. The Hotel Collection (THC) bookings can be as well, but your mileage may vary there. Many people to focus on the Fine Hotels & Resorts program, instead of THC, because of FHR's one night stay minimum requirement, versus a two night requirement for The Hotel Collection stays. There are times when THC can make sense, as I will talk about in a bit, so don't overlook it.

Knowing all of this was a big part of my plan on earning elite nights with Amex FHR. Last year was the first year I didn’t have to mattress run a few nights to hit Globalist again. Normally it is something I’m willing to invest a few points and / or a few hundred dollars in achieving. Being able to do it on Amex’s dime sounded much more appealing though. Not to mention that we were getting it done with a much nicer staycation versus the typical Hyatt Place mattress run.

My Booking Results

Here are some of the staycations we were able to book thanks to our Amex Business Platinum Fine Hotels & Resorts credits. I loved that we were able to stay at these fancy hotels for our staycation / mattress run instead of a roadside Hyatt Place.

Thompson Washington DC – 2 Nights Via The Hotel Collection

I booked a simple King room at the Thompson DC for two nights and received an upgrade to a King Balcony room. Breakfast for two people was included via The Hotel Collection. Plus, I received a $100 on property credit, which we used for dinner one night. For the stay I earned World of Hyatt points and two elite qualifying nights.

The cost for the two night stay after the $300 FHR credit – $8.42

Tax and gratuity were included for breakfast, but not for the $100 on property credit. I knew that going in, but it did add ~$30 to the bill at checkout.

Park Hyatt Washington DC – 1 Night Via Amex FHR

I booked a 1 King standard room, and received a double upgrade to the Park Junior Suite City View. The stay also included breakfast for two and a $100 property credit. I earned points and the one elite night qualifying credit for the booking. I also had dinner and breakfast at the wonderful on-property Blue Duck Tavern, which used to have a Michelin star and remains a DC favorite.

The cost for my one night stay after the $300 FHR credit – $24.25

Tax and gratuity were included for breakfast, but not for the $100 on property credit, so that added $23.

Earning Elite Nights With Amex FHR: ToP Thoughts

One thing I should note is that neither booking showed up in the Hyatt app automatically. I was able to call and have them added to my account so I could see and manage the reservation. My hope was that this would help my status, points and elite night credit be added seamlessly. Another key point worth noting is to look for off-season, basic rooms, on inexpensive nights. This not only kept the price within the credit, but also improved the chances of a complimentary upgrade. All in all, I was able to earn three elite qualifying nights towards Globalist for under $90 (with ~$400+ in meals). You better believe that I already have more stays lined up for this year! Hopefully earning elite nights with Amex FHR stays opens up some more possibilities for using your credits. Let me know if you have done something similar in the Facebook Group.