Amex has apparently made a small tweak to the Fine Hotels & Resorts booking flow: while the terms indicate that the booking must be made in the name of the eligible cardholder, it is now possible to enter your own name in the name field (it was previously impossible to edit those fields). I’m not sure when this change happened, but I just noticed it for the first time while making a booking.
The screen shot below is from a previous booking (ignore the red box around loyalty number as I originally took this screen shot for a different post). There wasn’t even a field for a guest name, just the pre-filled “Main Contact”. I feel like I also recall seeing a name field at some point, but it was greyed out and impossible to edit.
However, it is now possible to edit the guest name fields and enter the name of your choice.
The “Main Contact” is still the primary cardholder name and there is a note below the main contact name that says “Fine Hotels + Resorts reservations must be made in the name of the eligible Card Member. Technically, that means that the stay must be booked in the name of the Platinum card holder or Platinum authorized user / employee card by the terms. However, it is at least possible to enter anyone’s name in the name field.
This is potentially especially useful for two-player households where one person has elite status and you’re booking a chain property. For instance, if my wife wanted to book a Hyatt stay while we also enjoy my Globalist benefits, this change means it should be possible for her to enter my name in the guest field and my World of Hyatt number. Again, the rules say that she can only do that if I am a Platinum-level authorized user on one of her accounts, but that no longer seems to be enforced.
I’m not sure whether this is a change made to make it easier for situations just like that example (I have to imagine that many cardholders probably called asking to do exactly that), but it does seem like it was an intentional change for some reason. That said, I suppose there is some risk of benefits not being honored if the named cardholder doesn’t check in with the named guest or if the named guest doesn’t present an Amex card for payment.
To that last point, we received a handful of reports in Frequent Miler Insiders late last year of properties that insisted that the Platinum card had to be presented at check-in / used to pay for incidentals and/or the stay in order to get benefits. That’s just not true by the terms of the program, which very plainly and clearly say that the Platinum cardholder can present any Amex card in their name to pay at the hotel. From the terms and conditions found at the bottom of this page (bold is mine for emphasis):
Fine Hotels + Resorts Program: Fine Hotels + Resorts® (FHR) program benefits are available for new bookings made through American Express Travel with participating properties and are valid only for eligible U.S. Consumer, Business, and Corporate Platinum Card® Members and Centurion® Members (Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Card Members are not eligible). Bookings must be made using an eligible Card and must be paid using that Card, or another American Express® Card, in the eligible Card Member’s name, and that Card Member must be traveling on the itinerary booked.
If a property insists on seeing your Platinum card, I would point them to those terms and/or call Amex Travel to clarify it for them. I wouldn’t be surprised if many hotel employees just mistakenly assume that the rule is that you must use a Platinum card.
The potential snag here is if my wife tried to make a reservation for me and she didn’t intend to be at the hotel with me. That could be a problem if they insist that the “Main Contact” be present and use a card in their name to pay. So keep in mind that you may run into issues if you try to stray too far afield from the rules.
Overall though, I’m glad to see Amex change this for a variety of reasons. At the very least, this should make those consumer Platinum card FHR credits easier to use in situations like the one I described above where my wife and I would be traveling together but would like to get my benefits on the stay. Since I also have my own Platinum cards, I’m not listed as a Platinum-level authorized user on her cards. Perhaps Amex has decided that in situations like that this change is the more customer-friendly move. That said, be aware that there could be some risk of Amex and/or the hotel refusing to honor benefits if the reservation does not follow their terms to the letter.
Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
Has anyone tried using the Fine Hotel & Resort for a friend? My friend wants to let me use this benefit of hers(she’ll not be traveling with me), has anyone done so and worked out? Thank you in advance!
I was wondering about data points on this issue as well.
[…] Making American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts bookings for someone else more flexibility is great considering the statement credit for these bookings that Platinum cards offer. […]
Does this mean that back to back fhr bookings is allowed again?
Would be nice they can clarify on whether nights booked via FHR can qualify for elite nights/benefits of hotel loyalty programs or not.
Yes for Hyatt.
No for IHG
Worked for me for an Intercontinental stay, via FHR. This was in Portugal.
Worked for Hilton in mexico. All diamond benefits received in addition to FHR.
I had to fight for Hilton benefits at curio in cancun.
Stayed at Hilton Conrad dc last year and they didn’t stack the Hilton gold with the FHR. I specifically asked and they said that they provided one or the other only.
Great timing on this post…
I’m in the stretch situation where I would like to cash in on a friend’s $200 credit but they will not be traveling with me (I have an amex plat but have already used the $200 credit elsewhere.)
So tempting to book on their card and put my name in as shown on this post then gamble on arrival? (At a minimum I don’t care about the stay benefits, just want to cash on the $200 credit. Also could present an Amex Plat on arrival, just not the one used to booked the room)
We we’re nervous about doing this approach as there are datapoints where the Wynn doesn’t allow checkin without primary guest.
Hmm, what to do?
Recently used the credit for a friend who had gotten married. I live in the town where the hotel was so it was low risk – I could have always taken my card and checked in on their behalf. In any event I decided to try to save myself some time so after booking in my own name, I called the hotel and explained that it was a wedding gift for my friend and I was hoping to surprise them. Obviously I wouldn’t rely on this regularly but it worked in my case. Due to the special occasion the hotel added the bride and groom names to the reservation and let them check in as normal. FHR credit was reimbursed as expected and my friend also received the FHR benefits (and my Marriott account got points as well). Honestly all I wanted was for them to be able to stay and for me to get the $200 credit so anything beyond that was a bonus. Seems very much at the discretion of the hotel/manager.
Thanks for the data point. That seems to be my consensus… YMMV and ultimately at the discretion of the hotel in this case of stretching the term of FHR.
This was always possible by adding an Authorized user, making them an online account, and then book on amex travel and the main contact will automatically be their name. Worked in march 2022 when a family member used it in vegas. Did not have to pay the $175 authorized user fee and it counted the FHR Credit $200.
Did you just never add the SSN or tax ID and after 60day the AU account just dropped off?
Yes. don’t give SSN. the $175 is not charged immediately. and if charged is refundable for 30 days.
How do you do this? When I activate an AU Amex card they alwasy require SSN.
Not sure what you mean by activate. The card arrives activated in the mail. When registering for an online account you can skip the ssn step
I think the sticker on it suggests that it needs to be activated or confirmed, but as Staradmiral is saying, in my experience Amex cards arrive activated.
[…] Frequent Miler notes that it’s now possible to enter alternate guest names on American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts bookings, which makes the $200 Platinum FHR credit more useful for sharing or on a marketplace. […]
This is fantastic news for me. I have a space in my last name, and this tripped up the name field when I tried to book. I was unable to edit the name on the box, and so ended up having to do all fhr hotel bookings by phone with abominable amex travel. Hopefully this means I can now book fhr hotels online!
On a recent booking, amex csr was adamant I had to present my platinum card to get all the benefits. Pointing out that language in the terms made no difference. I won’t have the platinum card when I check in later this year, so we’ll see.
It’s been like that since last year – I booked a future back-to-back stays for me, using my family members plat cards, and entered my Hyatt number. They are showing under my Hyatt reservations now. Not sure if I will get the elite nights, or the $100 credits though, but at least we are using up the $200 fhr credits.
It used to be that hotel loyalty program terms and conditions stated a booking had to be “direct” in order to earn elite night credits and loyalty program points. Direct meant either directly with the specific hotel or via the loyalty program. A few years back, those terms and conditions changed to say a booking had to be via an authorized platform (channel, etc.). With Hilton and Marriott, a FHR booking absolutely earns elite night credits and loyalty program points. Don’t know about Hyatt. Nick can chime in regarding Hyatt.
I did not get my Hyatt points when using my FHR booking at a MGM property and was still denied when contacting MGM and Hyatt about it. However, I have heard some people do get Hyatt night credits, so YMMV.
I’ve gotten the Hyatt credit and points when doing FHR stays at the Park Hyatt DC.
I got Hyatt elite nights and points booking The Bellevue in Philly. I used a “third night free” promo available via FHR. Hyatt only gave me two elite nights. I emailed my concierge and she immediately had the third night added to my account.
Sidenote…Having had status with Hilton (diamond), Marriott (Titanium), and Hyatt (Globalist) my experience has been far and away the best with Hyatt. Back in the day my diamond experience with Hilton was great, but that was over 10 years ago before Hilton began to really devalue the program. I absolutely love a nice St. Regis, but Marriott’s program is so convoluted now that even with FHR I try to stay with Hyatt.