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Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection vs. Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts

  • Joseph Hostetler

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    American Express and Chase each offer separate programs for booking paid stays at luxury hotels at more than 1,000 hotels, resorts, lodges and spas throughout the world.

    When you book a stay through American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts or Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection, you can find competitive rates and enjoy extra perks like late check-out, room upgrades, and free breakfast — but you should still shop around before booking to make sure you get the best deal.

    The programs are only available for folks with certain credit cards from each issuer.

    Plan to pay for a fancy hotel? Book through one of these sites to get tons of valuable extras. (Photo by canyalcin/Shutterstock)

    Chase LHC versus Amex FHR

    Here’s the biggest difference between Chase LHR and Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts.

    To access the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts program, you must have either The Platinum Card® from American Express or the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. You must use one of these to book your stay, though you can pay with whatever card you want at checkout. The Amex Platinum Card has a $695 annual fee (see rates and fees), and Amex Business Platinum has a $595 annual fee ($695 if application is received on or after 01/13/2022) (see rates and fees).

    On the other hand, just about any Chase credit card can give you access to the benefits of Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection — including no annual fee cards. While Chase doesn’t publish a list of which cards are eligible for this perk, readers and team members report success with just about any of them, including the following:

    The information for the Chase Freedom has been collected independently by Million Mile Secrets. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

    To check if your Chase card is eligible, you can search for hotels. Then, enter the first 6 digits of your Chase card when prompted — you’ll find out right away if your card qualifies. You must use one of your eligible cards to pay for your stay.

    This is a huge win for Chase. Most absolutely balk at an annual fee of $550 or more (though it can absolutely be worth it if you know how to use the card perks). Let’s closely examine other aspects of these programs side-by-side.

    Perks

    Overall, the perks of the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts and Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection programs are very similar. When you book through Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, you’ll get:

    And when you book through Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection, you’ll get:

    So, one perk of the Amex program compared to Chase is the guaranteed late check-out. This can come in handy if you have a late afternoon flight and would like to spend extra time at the hotel or resort.

    The Amex program also has limited-time offers, which are not available through Chase. For example, certain hotels in their program offer a complimentary 4th, 5th, or 6th night with your paid stay. We’ll talk more about that shortly.

    Price comparison

    To compare prices between the Amex & Chase programs, I searched one night at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Booking with both Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts and the Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection cost $199 (before taxes and fees). However, you’re forced to book a flexible rate through these sites. Through the Bellagio website, you  can book an advance purchase rate for $30 cheaper.

    Remember, though — you’re getting a lot more for your money when booking through Amex and Chase. Here’s what you get with Amex FHR:

    And here’s what you get with Chase Luxury Hotels:

    No matter which you choose, you’re ultimately saving more money than booking directly with the hotel.

    Amex limited-time offers

    Unique to the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts program is a list of limited-time offers.

    You’ll want to check the terms of each complimentary night offer – certain weekends and holidays can be restricted. It’ll also tell you how large of a window you have to take advantage of the deals. You’ll have to make sure you travel within the specified dates.

    Another important note is that if you’re taking advantage of a free third, fourth, or fifth night, the credit for that night will apply when you check-out. It’s a reimbursement, not a discount.

    Occasionally, an Amex promotion may apply only to certain rooms types. Therefore, you might be able to save money paying for all of the nights directly through the hotel.

    Earn hotel loyalty points

    You’ll not forfeit your hotel benefits if when booking through these websites. For example, if you’ve got Marriott Bonvoy elite status, you’ll still earn points, have your elite status recognized, earn elite night credits, etc. It’s almost exactly like booking directly with the hotel, except you get a ton of extras.

    You many not be able to link your loyalty account online, though. I’d recommend calling Amex or Chase to ensure you get credit for your stay.

    Keep in mind, you will not be able to combine any hotel loyalty promotions with your stay through Amex or Chase. For example, if a certain hotel has a 5th night free promotion, Amex or Chase won’t be able to apply this to your stay.

    Bottom line

    The Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts and Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection programs offer competitive rates for paid luxury hotel stays. But we always recommend shopping around to make sure you’re getting the best deal. When you book through one of these programs, you’ll also enjoy automatic perks like free breakfast for two and a spa or resort credit to use during your stay. When available, you’ll get added benefits like early check-in and room upgrades.

    The Amex program has a slight advantage because you get a guaranteed 4:00 pm late check-out. And they have limited-time offers at certain hotels for complimentary nights with a paid stay. That’s perhaps the biggest difference, in my opinon.

    Do you book hotel stays through Amex Fine Hotels or Chase Luxury Hotels? We’d love to hear about your experience in the comments. And subscribe to our newsletter for more travel comparisons like this.

    For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click here.

    For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, click here

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)