American Express Membership Rewards - FHR and consolidator (Priceline, Expedia) bookings on same stay?

I read on another site:

This is an excellent point about FHR bookings. It's not just all the benefits included -- it's the way you're treated by the hotel. Almost without exception, I've felt like my FHR bookings netted me better treatment overall during my stay.

I've even stayed in the same hotel on an Expedia booking (which is nearly the bottom of the barrel in a hotelier's eyes, just above Priceline) and then on an FHR booking. There was a world of difference in how I was treated. Not fair, but true.

is this true?

I read on another site:



is this true?

I had similar experiences, but not 100% of the time.

I read on another site:

is this true?

It depends on the property. But in their eyes since you're coming from the AMEX program they will treat you better because it's assumed you're more likely to spend on additional services than someone who is coming from something like Expedia or Priceline where you're just looking for the lowest available price.

The same sometimes applies when making restaurant reservations through the AMEX concierge; although I find restaurants more consistent in their level of service...and not all restaurants will notate the res that you're through AMEX since they don't care.

Can they actually tell who you have book via?

Can they actually tell who you have book via?

Yes

Can they actually tell who you have book via?

Yes, American Express is a travel agency and is paid commission by the property. Typically you can see the agency name on your receipt.

It depends on the property. But in their eyes since you're coming from the AMEX program they will treat you better because it's assumed you're more likely to spend on additional services than someone who is coming from something like Expedia or Priceline where you're just looking for the lowest available price.

The same sometimes applies when making restaurant reservations through the AMEX concierge; although I find restaurants more consistent in their level of service...and not all restaurants will notate the res that you're through AMEX since they don't care.

Yes, you will be treated better - but that is not the reason.

The reason is that compared to Priceline and/or Expedia, anyone will be treated better (not just Amex or FHR).

When you book any hotel via Expedia or a similar site - they are paid a very low negotiated rate, which is significantly below even the lowest available direct rate with the hotel, including any corporate rates and many industry discounts.

Simply put, when you appear at a $200-per-night hotel, and in their eyes you have paid them $45; the last thing they will be thinking is how to help you or treat you special.
I have had in-depth discussions with front-office managers, duty managers, and revenue managers regarding this - and the difference between what any of the travel-consolidator websites pay them and what any other guest pays them is truly astounding.

The revenue is simply so low that it would be a significant waste of their time to do anything special to you.

At one particular hotel, I checked in together with a colleague:
1. They reserved through the hotel's website, using a special promotional code.
2. I paid through expedia, and paid actually $10 more than them (but the expedia rate included breakfast - which I why I chose it).

I had stayed at that hotel more than a dozen times, for several years.
My colleague had stayed their once before, one year previously.

They were offered an upgrade, and also given the opportunity to pay a nominal fee for a double upgrade (they took the free offer).
I was offered no upgrade - so I asked if I could have one as well (understand we were both checking together, with the same clerk).
I was told "for what we get paid from your reservation, you're lucky you have a room" and was then directed to the front-office manager who very kindly and apologetically gave me a detailed education in to how expedia-type bookings are done and received.

I was told that I could have paid the hotel directly, either using their own website or amex FHR or Visa signature (in all such cases the revenue goes directly from you to the hotel), and I would have immediately been given a double upgrade (based on guest history) and probably also comped breakfast if I asked (so there was no reason to have used Expedia's special offer).

However, since the hotel received roughly $50-per-night for my reservation from expedia (versus the $189 that expedia showed as part of my package pricing), there was no way that they could extend any consideration for such a booking.

I was sympathetic, and have never used Expedia there again.

Subsequently, I confirmed similar information with other managers at upscale hotels in the US and Canada...

Yes, you will be treated better - but that is not the reason.

The reason is that compared to Priceline and/or Expedia, anyone will be treated better (not just Amex or FHR)...

Wow, this is really interesting and informative. I guess I will skip expedia as well from now on, and book direct (once I find a good rate on expedia first though! :D). If booking a $200 room on expedia gives the hotel $50 in revenue, I wonder how much they get for these "unpublished rate" bookings.

.... compared to Priceline and/or Expedia, anyone will be treated better (not just Amex or FHR).

....

This is absolutely true: booking through travel consolidators / online agencies such as Priceline, Hotels.com, Expedia or Travelocity puts you at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to upgrades or any other special treatment.

One exception: there are a few small, independent travel sites that have direct relationships with specific hotels, and people booking through those sites will be treated BETTER than average. Those sites are not consolidators and are not buying rooms from the hotel for pennies on the dollar, as the big online agencies do. Yet they often offer some of the best prices out there, because they only take a small commission from the hotel. (I know all of this because I operate such a site.)

In my experience, booking through FHR or Virtuoso puts you in a special category: the hotel knows you are in a higher spending category AND the hotel is paying FHR/Virtuoso only a standard travel agency commission (typically 10%). So you'll be treated very well.

Any clue how a booking in Vegas might go if a three day trip is split into one booking made by my FHR on the first day, second day made with priceline, and 3rd day made with hubby's FHR? That is- if I were to book the wynn tower, get upgraded, would they carry it over on the second day even if its made by a priceline reservation? The reason I ask is because I have a priceline credit and i want to use it up, and maximize the bennies of FHR. (esp late checkout- which is why im doing a sandwich)

Any clue how a booking in Vegas might go if a three day trip is split into one booking made by my FHR on the first day, second day made with priceline, and 3rd day made with hubby's FHR? That is- if I were to book the wynn tower, get upgraded, would they carry it over on the second day even if its made by a priceline reservation? The reason I ask is because I have a priceline credit and i want to use it up, and maximize the bennies of FHR. (esp late checkout- which is why im doing a sandwich)

As discussed a few posts above, hotels don't get paid well on Priceline bookings and will typically hold their worst rooms (specifically) for those customers. That said, your best bet would probably be to play dumb and say, oh, we have three nights on three separate bookings, and definitely *not* make any comments about the bookings being at different rates/through different channels.

Best case: I wouldn't hold your breath for the FHR benefits during your second night, but they might be nice enough to let you keep the upgraded room all three nights. You might also get two separate spa vouchers for the two separate FHR bookings, which would certainly make up for losing the breakfast on the second day.

Worst case: They might hold their ground and ask you to pay an incremental fee to upgrade the second night's room. I imagine/hope the Wynn would be too classy for that, but a lot of Vegas properties are big fans of the aggressive upsell at check-in (certainly far more so than in any other city), so if the Wynn does any of that, it would not be surprising if it carries over to this situation.

Thanks for the input :) I'm pretty sure I wont get the FHR benefits for the second night, but hoping to keep an upgraded room with minimal/no cost if Im lucky enough to get one when I check in. I'm heading out there in April, will try to re-post my results if anyone is interested.

Thanks for the input :) I'm pretty sure I wont get the FHR benefits for the second night, but hoping to keep an upgraded room with minimal/no cost if Im lucky enough to get one when I check in. I'm heading out there in April, will try to re-post my results if anyone is interested.

Rather than book this in such a way as to put your priceline day between the two FHR days and so force them to move you twice (kind of makes you look like you're being the biggest jerk possible to them in order to get a free upgrade on one day), it's better to put your priceline day at the beginning or the end of the trip.

Then when checking in, you can tell them, I have two reservations actually, one is with FHR and one is with priceline so I could use up a day I had kicking around. Is it possible to extend the room at least? If not, I understand.

You're asking them for a freebee which you're not entitled to. You may get them but if I were on the receiving end of someone asking this who has evidently planned me a scenario meant to make everyone's lives difficult if I don't do what they want (i.e. being held hostage) I'd say no.

And I've been in that situation, I will usually book my unbenefitted room on the first day if I am arriving late and don't care, just want to get a bed and I tell them during checkin that I will move the next day for the benefit-type reservation. In my experience they've always linked the two and allowed benefits for the first day when it's a good chain with whom I have status.

Contrary to what you may believe its not my intention to "be the biggest jerk possible" and hold employees hostage in terms of keeping an upgraded room. If they want me to move so be it; I would happily do so without any objections. Now if they happen to allow me to keep the room with or without an additional charge, then I don't see a problem with that. Also- it's Vegas. I have to assume that people make ALL kinds requests far more inconveniencing than mine.

It is, however, my intention to maximize the benefits of a credit card that I dish out a $450 annual fee for, and to enjoy a brief respite from a 7 day work week in a way that would make me happiest. I'm arriving early in the morning the day after a wedding and I would like to check in early and rest a bit before I get my day started. I'd also like to enjoy using the breakfast credit for the Sunday buffet. My departure flight is in the late afternoon, and I would definitely enjoy utilizing the 4pm checkout . To put the priceline room at either end of my reservation would mean a loss of either one of the early/late checkout features that I am actually entitled too. I don't think most people would prefer to lose either if they had a choice.

So book the Priceline room under your husband's name and book FHR on the first and last days and get the benefits you want. It's that easy. I do it all the time with my supp card holder. We each book every other day to maximize. We do switch room every day though. That's the downside. Upside is great benefits everyday.

To put the priceline room at either end of my reservation would mean a loss of either one of the early/late checkout features that I am actually entitled too. I don't think most people would prefer to lose either if they had a choice.

The new early check in is not something one is entitled to. It's a subject to availability deal.

Contrary to what you may believe its not my intention to "be the biggest jerk possible" and hold employees hostage in terms of keeping an upgraded room.

What you are doing is trying to make it as awkward as possible for the hotel to not give you what you want, which is something that you are *not* entitled to.

[Moderator edit]

It is, however, my intention to maximize the benefits of a credit card that I dish out a $450 annual fee for, and to enjoy a brief respite from a 7 day work week in a way that would make me happiest.

You are act awfully entitled for your $450 fee. Upgrading a priceline room rate is *not* one of the benefits of your card, or your $450 fee, it is something right outside the bounds of everything. It's the wrong rate, and not booked through Amex. The FHR program is meant to benefit everyone: the hotel, the guest, and Amex. What you want is for it to benefit you and nobody else which is not how the program is intended to work.

In order to deny you this (which is what would be the correct thing to do) they are going to have to move you twice which just puts a burden on everyone.

So what you're doing is giving them the choice:

Either (a) we all go through some awkward checkin-checkout dance together and waste a lot of time and resources or (b) give me something I'm not entitled to.

When people abuse the benefits that they *do* get from these cards and programs (which is what you are trying to do, in order to get FHR benefits to apply to a non-Amex booking on a non-FHR rate), I think that it causes the hotels to review whether these policies are beneficial to the hotel at all. It's not worth it to the hotel if all of the so-called high end Amex FHR clients come in with priceline rates, make things difficult for them and increase costs.

Already we're seeing in this program what seems to be some re-thinking on the cost/benefit side from the hotels. People doing what you do further sink that benefit to the hotel and drive up the costs. There is no point for them to offer you or any of us anything if everyone plays the kind of game you are playing.

As I put above you have a much more reasonable approach which is to book your rooms end to end rather than putting this priceline room in the middle. You are exactly holding them hostage by booking in an unreasonable manner in order to try to get something you are not entitled to. If you just did it in a respectful way from the get go you might actually get it, rather than doing your best to arm twist them into getting it.

But by all means, your happiness should be the thing you should worry about most, and keep telling yourself that it's about maximizing your benefits when your benefits clearly do not apply.

Please write about American Express, travel agencies, and hotels not about each other. It's not necessary to use personal characterizations to make the points understood.