How do you book hotel?

Expedia? Hotels.com? Booking.com?

If you have Amex Platinum card, Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) is one of the best options.

As I introduced before, it comes with many benefits, such as late checkout, early checkin, complimentary breakfast etc.

However, it cannot be my option, sometimes.

Especially, in HongKong where I book hotel for at this time.

It is because,,,

 

FHR hotels are soooo expensive!!!

It depends on destination and seasonality, I guess.

In Sydney, actually FHR offers almost same rate as other travel websites, at least when I booked.

However, room rates for HongKong hotels are much higher than others, at least when I searched.

The cheapest one is Langham hotel’s HKG2250 which is about USD300.

Hmmm, my budget at this time is USD250 per night. It is over budget.

Okay, now, you should rember that FHR is not AMEX’s exclusive service.

Oh no, FHR is AMEX’s own service exclusive for platinum or higher card holder. But, MasterCard actually has almost same benefits for higher card holders.

MasterCard has 6 categories.

Standard MasterCard, Gold, Titanium, Platinum, World and World Elite.

I didn’t know it but my First Hawaiian Bank credit card is the highest World Elite.

I really didn’t know it as it doesn’t look like luxury card.

Annual fee is only $50.

So, what’s MasterCard’s FHR?

It is called Luxury Hotels & Resorts. Should I call is LHR??

It works almost same as Amex’s FHR. Offered benefits are also almost same.

It, however, has hotels Amex doesn’t have sometimes!

In HongKong, it has Intercontinental Grand Stanford though FHR’s hotel list doesn’t show it.

 

The rate is $222. Good! It fits my budget!!!

Benefits are

1. Early check in, when available.

2. Late check out, when available.

3. Room upgrade upon arrival, when available

4. Daily breakfast for two

5. Complimentary wine and fruits

Not bad!

Furthermore, points of hotel’s own member program (IHG Rewards Club) are given!

If you book hotel via 3rd party, such as Expedia, points are not given basically. But if you book via AMEX’s FHR or MasterCard’s LHR, points are still given. This is also big benefit for me coz I am a member of Hilton, Marriot, SPG, IHG etc, many hotel groups.

I want hotel points to convert into airline’s miles.

Compare to AMEX’s platinum card, MasterCard’s World Elite card is much easier to get.

Why don’t you apply for it, if you don’t have either?

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