American Express Membership Rewards - Am Ex Concierge?

I've been using my Starwood AmEx card for over a year now. I use it mainly to accrue points so that i can transfer those into AA miles. Anyway, I'm traveling to Switzerland and France for 3 weeks in May, and have been trying to get reservations for le Jules Verne and some other fancy restaurants and even though it's only January, I guess these places fill up fast!! However, I've been reading about people having success making these reservations using the AmEx concierge feature.

Question is - how do I know if I qualify to use this feature? If I had this benefit available to me, I'd think I would have known about it sooner, but I guess the need just has not come up before. My card does say "platinum" on it - which I didn't request specifically, it was just issued that way.

Thanks!
Jennifer

I've been using my Starwood AmEx card for over a year now. I use it mainly to accrue points so that i can transfer those into AA miles. Anyway, I'm traveling to Switzerland and France for 3 weeks in May, and have been trying to get reservations for le Jules Verne and some other fancy restaurants and even though it's only January, I guess these places fill up fast!! However, I've been reading about people having success making these reservations using the AmEx concierge feature.

Question is - how do I know if I qualify to use this feature? If I had this benefit available to me, I'd think I would have known about it sooner, but I guess the need just has not come up before. My card does say "platinum" on it - which I didn't request specifically, it was just issued that way.

Thanks!
Jennifer

this really belongs in the Amex Forum as it has nothing to do with SPG itself.

As answer I believe that those Special Services are for the Plat Charge Card or Centurion Card. The SPG Amex is an Optium Card or a Credit Card and although it might say Platinum on it thats just for show and make the person think they are Important. No different then the guy I know who got the SPG Amex cause it was a Plat card and expected a Hotel to Upgrade him and give him all the benefits that comes with being a SPG Plat, which he wasnt he was a Amex SPG Plat which has no bearing or help with a Hotel res.

if you have a hotel res in paris, call them and ask them if they can get you into jules verne

don't know what other fancy restaurants, but usually, in paris, one can find equal, but less famous, with not too much advance notice.

taillevent & TdArgent were sold out early, but rostang, gagnaire, violon, Cd feuillants were available day in advance on last trip.

I'm going to move this to the AmEx forum to assist with more replies. Thanks!

ldsant
*wood Moderator

Confusingly, American Express issues many platinum color credit cards, but when they refer to The Platinum Card they mean this charge card...

https://www124.americanexpress.com/cards/loyalty.do?page=platinum

...which carries a $395 annual fee and includes a conciege service among its benefits. When you receive your next SPG Credit Card you will find that the term "platinum" has been removed to eliminate this misunderstanding.

If your hotel concierge cannot obtain the reservation and you want to try another approach you might consider the Merrill+ VISA which carries no annual fee and includes a concierge service. It is not necessary to have any other account with Merrill Lynch to apply...

https://cards.ml.com/MLRewardsCenter/View-Cards/MERRILL.htm

dennis