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Amex FHR vs travel agent with "preferred" status

Amex FHR vs travel agent with "preferred" status

Old Aug 8, 2020, 9:53 am
  #1  
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Question Amex FHR vs travel agent with "preferred" status

Hello!

I have an Amex Platinum with access to the Fine Hotels and Resorts portal but I was curious if anyone has experience with the difference between booking with FHR versus using an agent that has access to all of the "preferred partner programs" (i.e. Hyatt Prive/Four Seasons Preferred Partner/Marriott Stars&Luminous/etc). The main items that are of most importance to me when booking a hotel through any of these avenues are 1) free breakfast (huge savings) and 2) a guaranteed room upgrade 3) $100 property credit. I almost never would use the late checkout feature because normally 95% of my flights depart in the late morning during normal checkout times. The one thing I appreciate with Amex FHR is the ability to book online and see all benefits and availability in front of my face without the necessity to go through an agent, wait for a response, and then compare the cost/benefit. We have a daughter so when we travel, we usually go for larger chain properties that have activities, pools, etc to keep her entertained. Gone are the days of small intimate resorts haha!

In your experience, which is the best way to go in a breadth of generality? The one thing I've noticed is that FHR prices vary wildly from the hotel website price, is that the same with the hotel programs? Obviously I'd like to get the best rate combined with the best basket of benefit.

thank you!
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Old Aug 8, 2020, 11:03 am
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I often check a range of rates and I dont think theres always one winner. I probably most frequently find the Virtuoso rate the most beneficial to me, but apart from rare cases where the base price can be a rip off on some rates I tend to find theres not a huge amount of difference. On occasion the right rate will get you $100 a night of F&B spend instead of $100 a stay of spa spend which can add up.
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Old Aug 8, 2020, 12:44 pm
  #3  
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Was discussed here quite often. Sometimes offers are exclusive to FHR (f.e. 3for2) or the credit is F&B instead of Spa. I know no example at the moment which offers guaranteed upgrade through FHR but not Virtuoso. Nevertheless some hotels have a stronger relationship to FHR than agents, no idea why.
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Old Aug 8, 2020, 3:22 pm
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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.
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Old Aug 8, 2020, 3:39 pm
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What advisor/travel agent do you use? I wouldn't mind starting to cultivate a relationship with a travel firm. Ideally I'd like someone who has preferred partner status with all the major luxury brands (Four Seasons, Hyatt, Marriott, etc) as well. as is a Virtuoso member. This combined with being able to take advantage of FHR deals would give the best of both worlds.
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Old Aug 8, 2020, 10:12 pm
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Kristen is fantastic

https://www.kristennixtravel.com/
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Old Aug 8, 2020, 11:45 pm
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As above, get an agent that had access to FHR, Virtuoso, Priv, FSPP, STARS, Luxury Circle etc etc

Often the rates are the same as BAR, however Priv upgrades are confirmed within 24 hours of booking which is a huge benefit.

FHR can be worth much more when theress an additional $100 or $200 USD credit. I had a stay at the Sofitel Darling Harbour where the $300USD credit was worth more than the rate I paid.

Mariott downgraded STARS last year.

You can check and reserve FHR and Virtuoso online with benefits clearly outlined.
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Old Aug 9, 2020, 8:43 am
  #8  
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I'm bias given I'm a Travel Advisor but a good advisor is way more valuable than FHR.

The upgrades with a good advisor with great relationships are likely much better (over a number of bookings).
Hyatt Prive is usually upgrade at time of booking anyway.
With great relationships across: Aman, Rosewood, Four Seasons, Virtuoso, Prive, etc. Often, upgrade is done at booking for my clients (assuming it's not nearing sold out or festive/holiday dates).

Just completed 3 Aman bookings over the past 2 weeks and all were upgraded at time of booking.
COMO Parrot Cay upgraded at booking from a Two Bedroom Family Beach House to Two Bedroom Beach House (updated with bigger pool and private beach).
Rosewood Hong Kong upgraded at time of booking always and transfers. In June, two clients were double upgraded at booking by my RW friends due to booking higher suites.
A client recently just finished a stay at a FS in EU and was upgraded at check in into a suite which was over $20,000 in value for his stay ($5k+/night upgrade for 4 nights). That's an extreme example and certainly doesn't happen all the time. The same client was then upgraded at 3 other FS properties on the same trip in July and 2 were single upgrade and 3rd was triple.
In the interest of being fair and transparent:
I had clients go to Blackberry Farm in June and it was completely sold out so no upgrades were extended.
Same happened at Montage P.B. as well. Fully sold out so no upgrades were extended.
Clients stayed at a particular Santa Barbara property. Upgraded them at the time of booking but there was an issue during their stay which annoyed my client and I was very upset by it as well so I've followed up with management.

And perhaps one of the biggest difference is that a good advisor travels and can advise you on properties. I don't think FHR agents really understands the differences between one "luxury" property from another. You can see on the Aman thread that I just came back from Amanera again (paid full price) to review the property and testing it out for my clients and assess its current quality for COVID travels. Then booked 3 clients once they got feedback from me. Most of my clients are more time sensitive than cost sensitive. Assisting in choosing the correct property is a tremendous intangible value.
Just returned from Hotel Esencia and Chable Maroma and plan to head to Cabo in a few weeks. To check out which properties are ideal for my clients.

As another interesting point, many of the top advisors have clients with Amex Centurion access, yet, they still book through an advisor.
But as with all things of this nature, you need to find a great advisor that fits your needs and build a long term relationship so you're always on the same page and it's like calling up a friend to chat about travels and he/she knows exactly where to point you to and get you the most value. If your advisor happens to share the same taste as you then that's a huge plus/advantage in my book (the guidance will be more accurate/relevant). There are a lot of advisors out there and certainly not all are equal (the spectrum can vary widely from what I hear). There are some great ones here on FT, but I'd think the top advisors aren't always willing to take on just any new client either (due to bandwidth), I can't speak for other advisors but I'm always looking for great long term fit and less of a random new booking.
Being human, each TA will have his/her individual strengths and weaknesses so you'll need to take that into consideration.

Again, I'm obviously bias given my profession and the amount of effort I pour into my passion/work but I hope you'll find a good TA and the value you're looking for!
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Last edited by BESVISOR; Aug 9, 2020 at 9:26 am
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Old Aug 9, 2020, 12:23 pm
  #9  
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... and on top of what besvisor has said (to which I agree), any travel advisor can make bookings for you through FHR when that proves to be the most advantageous way to book
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Old Aug 9, 2020, 1:01 pm
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Speaking as a luxury TA, if you're looking for a higher level of service and exceptional experience, a great advisor will be far superior to anything that FHR can offer. With FHR, you will always be getting a call center, with a person on the other side who doesn't really know you as a person or your preferences. The relationship-building aspect of the experience is lost. On the other hand, a great TA will know your preferences, and anticipate your needs to curate a one-of-a-kind experience to your exact desires, without you having to lift a finger or constantly remind them of what you're looking for. They know what you want and will work hard behind the scenes to make sure everything is executed perfectly. The meticulous attention to detail and the personal knowledge of you and your likes/dislikes are what will set the experience apart from any other way of booking travel.
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Old Aug 9, 2020, 2:40 pm
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As this thread is turning commercial (as this type of thread often does), I'm closing it down.

RichardInSF, moderator, luxury hotels and travel
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