I stayed at a hotel booked through AmEx's Fine Hotels and Resorts program to see if it is worth all the hype
The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network.
- If you have the Platinum Card® from American Express, you have access to a suite of travel benefits, including access to an exclusive hotel-booking program run by AmEx: the Fine Hotels and Resorts program.
- When you book through Fine Hotels and Resorts (or "FHR") - either through the AmEx Travel website, or by calling the number on your Platinum Card - you'll get things like free daily breakfast, room upgrades, late check-out, and more.
- As part of a press trip with AmEx, I recently stayed in a hotel in Paris booked through FHR, and participated in activities and meals arranged by AmEx Travel counsellors and specialists.
- Although I've had the Platinum Card for more than a year and a half, and travel often, I had never booked a hotel through the Fine Hotels and Resorts program before.
- Here's what it was like.
If you hold one of American Express' premium products - the Platinum Card or the invite-only Centurion "Black" card - you have access to a few specialty services above what's available for other cardholders.
In particular, the Fine Hotels and Resorts program (or "FHR") offers exclusive perks at a curated list of hotels and resorts around the world whenever an eligible card member books through the program. There are currently about 1,000 properties on the list, although it changes each year as new properties are added and dropped from the program.
The list of properties is meticulously curated, and every property is throughly vetted; AmEx even sends undercover employees and carries out surprise inspections to make sure they're up to par.
Perks include room upgrades, complimentary breakfasts, late check-outs, and more - you can learn more about the program's perks here.
Aside from the published perks, AmEx Platinum cardholders can expect the absolute best service the hotel can offer when they book through the program; being placed on the FHR list can be extremely lucrative for hotels, so naturally the property and its employees are eager to go the extra mile.
Complementing the FHR program, AmEx offers cardholders assistance with every aspect of planning a trip, and help should issues arise. Travel counselors can help with booking flights and hotels, lifestyle counselors can offer assistance with activities, and "Destination Managers," who are local, on-the-ground experts in certain markets, can provide detailed assistance and suggestions.
During a recent trip with American Express to the annual International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) conference in Cannes, France - where I had the chance to observe meetings between AmEx travel executives and representatives from properties that were applying to the FHR program - I had the opportunity to spend two nights in Paris at a FHR hotel, Le Bristol Paris.
This was my first time staying at a hotel as part of a reservation through FHR. Although I was traveling and meeting with AmEx Travel executives who arranged the entire trip, including the leisure activities and the meetings, I still had the opportunity to experience the hotel, the benefits of the program, and a short trip to Paris organized in conjunction with a local Destination Manager.
Here's what it was like.
Subscribe to our newsletter.
Find all the best offers at our Coupons page.
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.
Le Bristol sits in a grand building on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, just off the famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées, and about a block away from the Élysée Palace, the French president's official residence.
When you walk into the hotel, you're immediately stuck by a sense of grandeur.
Throughout the hotel, the decor adds to the tasteful, extravagant-but-not-overdone elegance of the lobby, and fits well with the couture-chic that the property strives (successfully) to cultivate.
Display cases throughout the lobby hold watches and other jewelry from boutiques around Paris.
The hotel also has a full-time resident: A cat named Fa-Raon (French for "Pharaoh"), who hangs out on the main floor and can be found snoozing on a desk or greeting guests.
During my December stay, holiday cheer was in full swing in the form of elaborate Christmas decorations throughout the lobby.
When we arrived from our red-eye flight, it was mid-morning and our rooms weren't ready yet — we took the earliest-arriving flight, so that was to be expected.
Using the on-property FHR credit, I had a 30-minute massage scheduled for that morning — I ended up going straight from breakfast to the spa.
After the massage and shower, it was time for our lunch reservation at 114 Faubourg, one of the hotel's two Michelin-starred restaurants.
I went upstairs to my room after lunch, to take a quick power nap and catch up on some work.
The hall opened into a large room — more of a studio apartment layout than a traditional "suite" with a separate bedroom and living room. It was a massive 592 square feet, according to the hotel's specs.
An ornately dressed Louis XVI bed sat against the far wall, with large French casement windows overlooking the garden on one side, and mirrored doors to a closet and the bathroom on the other.
The room had two desks — one on each side — which gave me plenty of room to spread out.
The room also had a well apportioned bathroom, with a large soaking tub, a pleasant (and hot) rain shower, and almost any toiletry you could need.
The hotel has a fitness center that I didn't get the chance to use, but the spacious pool is in its own area.
At night, there's even a nightclub — Le Bristol After Dark. We planned to have cocktails here one night, but ended up canceling because we were too tired.
Another benefit offered by AmEx Travel — which can be used whether or not you book your hotel through the FHR program — is access to travel specialists and advisors.
We worked with both the Platinum concierge and a travel advisor for this trip.
Dinner ended with cheese and dessert — and a glass of port.
Our Destination Manager was fantastic, and helped with a lot before and during the trip. She recommended a trendy, local brunch spot for our last day, and organized cool activities for us. During our first afternoon, she helped arrange a private tour at Piaget's flagship boutique, where we got to see (and touch) some of their most valuable pieces, and took a watch repair workshop with one of the brand's master watchmakers.
We were there during the peak of the "yellow vest" protests, and both our Destination Manager and the hotel helped us rearrange travel and dining plans as needed, as select streets and businesses closed early. We were incredibly grateful for her help; thanks to her, we barely felt any impact, other than having to change dinner plans one night.
Our Destination Manager also suggested a super-chic cocktail bar, The Little Red Door, where we enjoyed cocktails and got to chat with the owner about the cocktail scene in Paris.
After a busy — but luxurious — two days, we headed to Cannes for the rest of the meetings, including the pitches from hotels applying to join the Fine Hotels and Resorts program.
- Fresh photographs of Milky Way’s black hole Sgr A* reveal strong, twisted magnetic field similar to M87*
- 8 Lesser-known places to explore in Himachal Pradesh
- Markets end FY24 on buoyant note amid positive global cues
- SRM Contractors IPO allotment – How to check allotment, GMP, listing date and more
- Rupee falls 6 paise to settle at 83.39 against US dollar