Amex adds 350 new luxury hotels to Fine Hotels & Resorts program for cardholders

Summary

American Express has added more than 350 properties to its Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection programs, pushing the combined portfolio past 3,400 hotels in 116 countries. The expansion, timed to the program’s 35th anniversary, marks a strategic pivot toward experience-driven, urban luxury that caters to a younger cardholder base.

The additions span over 60 countries, with just over a quarter in the U.S., and include design-forward city hotels like The Mercer in SoHo and remote retreats such as Few and Far Luvhondo in South Africa. Core benefits—daily breakfast for two, a property credit of at least $100, and guaranteed 4 p.m. checkout—remain unchanged, reinforcing Amex’s competitive edge.

American Express is reshaping its 35-year-old hotel access program around a new generation of luxury travelers, adding more than 350 properties that trade chandeliers for farm-foraging and palace suites for downtown design. The move signals a definitional shift in premium hospitality, from grand traditional hotels to experience-led stays, and directly expands where Platinum Card and Centurion members can unlock on-property perks.

“Luxury was defined by things such as chandeliers and palaces and beautiful old buildings,” Audrey Hendley, president of American Express Travel, said in a statement. “Now we’re reaching for a mix of more contemporary experiences with traditional luxury.” The additions push the combined Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection portfolio past 3,400 hotels in 116 countries, up from 120 when the program launched in 1991.

The expansion is immediate and global: just over a quarter of the new properties are domestic U.S. hotels, while the rest span more than 60 countries, with Italy, Spain, France, Japan, and the U.K. leading the list. For cardholders, that means a wider choice of urban design hotels, remote reserves, and farm-stay resorts—all bookable with the same guaranteed benefits that have long set Amex apart from Chase, Capital One, and other premium card issuers.

The details

American Express confirmed the expansion in its 2026 travel trends report, noting that the portfolio now exceeds 3,400 hotels. The additions include urban properties like The Mercer in New York’s SoHo, The Talbott in Chicago’s Gold Coast, and The Adolphus in downtown Dallas, alongside experience-driven retreats such as Wildflower Farms in the Hudson Valley and Siari, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Mexico. The issuer’s newsroom frames the shift as a response to millennial and Gen Z travelers who plan trips around activities rather than landmarks.

Fine Hotels & Resorts remains exclusive to Platinum and Centurion cardholders, offering daily breakfast for two, a property credit of at least $100, and guaranteed 4 p.m. checkout. The Hotel Collection, available to Gold and Business Gold cardholders, provides a $100 credit and space-available upgrades on stays of two nights or more. Hendley emphasized that the guaranteed late checkout is a key differentiator: “Every one of our Fine Hotels & Resorts properties gives 4 p.m. checkout, which is not available on the competitor products.”

The value-add

Amex’s expansion is more than a numbers game. By prioritizing urban design hotels and remote experiential stays, the issuer is redefining what “luxury” means in the card-linked hotel space. This isn’t about adding more palace hotels; it’s about following cardholder demand toward properties that offer foraging, art immersion, and downtown access. The shift also pressures rivals: Chase’s Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection and Capital One’s Premier Collection lack the same breadth of guaranteed late checkout, making Amex’s program stickier for frequent travelers who value time as much as credits.

The inclusion of properties like Wildflower Farms signals that Amex is betting on the “sight-doing” trend its own research identified—91% of millennial and Gen Z respondents expressed interest in unconventional stays. For Platinum cardholders, that means a hotel program that increasingly mirrors how they actually travel, not how their parents did.

How to maximize the expanded hotel portfolio

For cardholders weighing the Platinum Card’s $850 annual fee, the expansion directly increases the number of properties where the card’s hotel benefits can offset the cost. Here’s how to make the most of it:

• Always book through Amex Travel. Direct bookings forfeit the daily breakfast, property credit, and guaranteed 4 p.m. checkout. Even if the rate appears slightly higher, the included benefits often deliver more value.
• Target new urban additions for weekend trips. Properties like The Mercer in SoHo or The Talbott in Chicago put you in walkable neighborhoods near restaurants and museums—ideal for short stays where late checkout extends your last day.
• Leverage The Hotel Collection for two-night getaways. Gold and Business Gold cardholders can use the $100 credit and potential upgrade at new THC properties, making a quick escape more affordable.
• Watch for Leading Hotels of the World integration. If Amex expands point transfers and elite reciprocity with LHW’s Leaders Club, it could turn the hotel program into a broader luxury network, adding even more value for frequent travelers.
• Compare before switching cards. While Amex leads on hotel benefits, Chase and Capital One may offer better earning rates or transfer partners for your spending profile. Run the numbers if you’re considering a new premium card.

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