I use an advisor for most of my bookings (barring certain last-minute or one night booking where I don't want to bother him). The way I see it, my advisor can still book FHR rates if that's the best deal.
Having an advisor doesn't stop you from looking at rates beforehand and making a decision on where you want to stay. It does add a layer between you and the hotel, but it's a real person who can help out if things go wrong. I had a FHR booking go wrong a couple years ago where I didn't use my advisor and it took several calls to AmEx (from France, no less) to get things sorted out. I wish I had booked through my advisor because I'm sure he could have had it fixed in minutes.