For years, American Express monopolized the luxury hotel space with its Fine Hotels + Resorts® (FHR) program. Now, it’s got some competition from Chase … or does it?
FHR put itself on the map with a curated collection of properties, available exclusively to those carrying the bank’s pricey *amex platinum*, offering travelers elite-like perks at hundreds of luxury properties around the world – no status required. To sweeten the deal, the bank gives Platinum cardholders annual statement credits to cover (at least some of) the cost: Now up to $600 a year, split into two $300 semi-annual chunks.
Then, in mid-2025, Chase decided it wanted in on the action: Enter The Edit by Chase Travel℠, available exclusively to *csr* cardholders. It’s a near carbon copy of what travelers love about Amex’s rendition: free breakfast, potential room upgrades, late checkout, and an on-property credit – all made cheaper thanks to some statement credits available on the Reserve Card.
While Chase has come surprisingly close to replicating Amex’s long-trusted formula, Chase’s hotel portfolio has some major drawbacks – in scope, in scale, and how far those money-saving credits will get you.
Here’s a deep comparison of Fine Hotels + Resorts vs. The Edit – and why one program may still hold a meaningful edge.
The Basics on Each Bank’s Hotel Program
Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts®
Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts has long been the standard bearer among credit card hotel programs. In many ways, that hasn’t changed.
If you carry the Amex Platinum Card (or *biz platinum*), you’ll be able to access the Fine Hotels + Resorts program and its high-end hotels from all the major hotel chains, as well as some other lesser-known luxury hotel brands like The Leading Hotels of the World, Ennismore, and Four Seasons.
While you can also book these properties directly – or through other travel search engines – FHR bookings come with added elite-like perks and benefits that can make your stay even better – and help you save. That includes:
- Room upgrade on arrival, when available
- Early noon check-in, when available
- Daily breakfast for two people
- $100 experience credit, typically good for things like the spa and onsite dining
- Guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout
- Complimentary Wi-Fi (if Wi-Fi costs are included in a mandatory property fee, a daily credit for that amount will be applied at check-out.)
That’s a pretty impressive list of perks that makes booking through the FHR program a nice option for anyone considering a stay at one of these properties. Some properties even include perks outside of what’s guaranteed by the program, like complimentary valet parking at the Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok.
In addition to all those perks, Amex Platinum Cardholders earn 5x points per dollar on all prepaid hotel stays booked through American Express Travel®, including these FHR properties.
Read more: A Complete Guide to American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts®
The Edit by Chase Travel℠
Chase’s The Edit program debuted earlier this year with a strikingly familiar design. Sapphire Reserve (and *Sapphire Reserve for Business*) cardholders get exclusive access to a hand-picked and rotating list of hotels and resorts around the world.
This premium lineup of hotels ranges from ultra-luxe properties like the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York to far more approachable options like the Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok.
These aren’t just ordinary hotel bookings, though. When you reserve a property through The Edit, you also get access to valuable perks like:
- A $100 property credit to be used on dining, at the spa, or activities at the property
- Daily breakfast for two
- Room upgrades, when available
- Early check-in and late check-out, if available
While this list of benefits might look identical to Amex’s offering at first glance, there is one key difference. With Amex’s FHR, you get a guaranteed 4 p.m. late check-out, while The Edit’s list of perks makes no such promises. To some, that might not be a big deal, but when you really need a late check-out, it can be invaluable.
You’ll also earn 8x points per dollar spent on these bookings with your Chase Sapphire Reserve card and, in some cases, still earn hotel points and elite night credits as well. That double dip makes this one of the most rewarding ways to book these hotels, even without taking all the other benefits into account.
Related reading: Meet ‘The Edit’ – Chase’s New Hotel Booking Program with Big Perks
Statement Credits Help You Save & Gives Amex an Edge
Both the Amex Platinum and the Chase Sapphire Reserve carry high annual fees … like really high.
After Chase revamped the Sapphire Reserve back in June, you’ll now be on the hook for a higher annual_fees fee each year. Not to be outdone, Amex added a slew of new benefits to the Platinum Card in September and pushed its annual fee up to a whopping annual_fees (see rates & fees).
To help offset that cost – at least partially – both cards offer valuable credits toward bookings within their respective luxury hotel programs. But how those credits actually work differs … by a lot.
American Express Platinum Card®
The Platinum Card now offers up to $600 per year in credits (up to $300 semi-annually) for prepaid bookings at FHR as well as an even larger portfolio of The Hotel Collection properties through American Express Travel®. The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay, while you can book a single-night stay at FHR locations.
This flexibility makes the Amex credit extremely powerful. A single-night luxury stay, complete with breakfast, a property credit, and a potential upgrade, becomes significantly more affordable with the $300 discount applied. Just know that this is a use-it-or-lose-it benefit: If you don’t spend the full $300 in each half of the year, it won’t roll over to the next.
Unlike many other Amex Platinum benefits, there’s no need to enroll for the credit before you use it. All you need to do is log in at Amextravel.com, search for a participating property, pay with your Platinum Card, and that credit of up to $300 will kick in automatically.
Check out our full guide on using the Amex Platinum hotel credit!
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Sapphire Reserve cardholders currently get up to $500 per year (up to $250 semi-annually) in statement credits for prepaid, “The Edit” hotel bookings. Starting next year, this credit will become a little easier to use, as it transitions from a semi-annual credit to twice a year … regardless of when you book.
However, there’s a catch – and it’s a big one: You must book at least a two-night stay for the credits to kick in. This requirement sharply limits casual or opportunistic luxury stays. Want to do a one-night splurge on a weekend trip? Amex makes that easy. Chase does not.
While $250 seems generous, the two-night stay requirement is a major disadvantage for booking the kinds of luxury hotel stays The Edit is geared towards – stays that typically cost hundreds of dollars. That means each credit may cover only half (or less) of a stay. And for travelers who prefer short getaways or who frequently add a hotel night at the beginning or end of a big trip, it’s not useful.
Where You’ll Find Them (Amex Pulls Away…)
As of publication, Amex’s portfolio of Fine Hotels + Resorts boasts a roster of 1,700-plus properties, spanning major cities, resort destinations, and boutique luxury outposts around the world. Meanwhile, Chase just recently published a full list of its 1,300-plus The Edit hotels.
By the numbers, Amex has ~25% more properties in its FHR collection than Chase does with The Edit – not surprising, given Amex’s decade-plus head start. If you fold in the additional 1,200-plus properties in The Hotel Collection, Amex’s advantage is even wider. Chase has continually said it will keep adding to that list, so that gap should shrink over time.
But we’re putting FHR and the Edit head to head. And what makes FHR more impressive isn’t just the total number of properties; it’s where you’ll find them.
Of Chase’s 1,300-plus The Edit hotels, the vast majority are located in Europe and North America – regions where hotel stays are typically higher.
The same is true for Amex’s FHR footprint, but you’ll still find plenty of properties in Central and South America … as well as Africa and the Middle East … and Asia and Australia, too.
Take Brazil for example, where Chase has just six The Edit properties … in the entire country, as of publication. Meanwhile, Amex has 13 different FHR properties for cardholders to choose from. Is this specific example a make-or-break when deciding which program is best? Probably not … but it’s twice as many hotels to choose from – and a telling example, as the same scenario plays out in plenty of other countries around the globe.
More hotels means more opportunities to use credits, more chances to score upgrades, and more flexibility when planning trips. That availability advantage is a major reason Fine Hotels + Resorts retains a big edge over its top competitor.
Chase is still growing, but nowhere close (yet) in terms of range.
Where Chase Has an Edge
Chase may lag behind in portfolio size and credit flexibility, but it does have one knockout feature that could help tip the scale in its favor: the ability to redeem points at 2 cents apiece on The Edit bookings.
That’s thanks to Chase’s new Points Boost feature, where certain flights and hotels booked through Chase Travel make your points worth more. Critically, this applies to all The Edit hotels, giving travelers an easy way to get more value out of their points without needing to transfer to Chase’s slew of travel partners.
Using Points Boost, Sapphire Reserve cardholders can apply Ultimate Rewards points directly to the cost of an Edit stay at a fixed rate of 2 cpp – the absolute best redemption value available through Chase Travel. That means you can cover a $1,300 hotel stay with just 65,000 Chase points.
While the rollout of Points Boost redemptions came with a huge downside for many budget travelers, it’s a big win for booking The Edit hotels.
By comparison, American Express Membership Rewards® are only worth just 1 cent apiece when booking FHR stays. That means you’d need to redeem more than 135,000 Amex points – twice as many – for a similar $1,300-plus hotel stay booked through FHR.
While this particular hotel stay (shown above) makes Chase the cheaper option – not just with points, but also paying cash – that’s not the norm. In our experience, The Edit and Fine Hotels + Resorts pricing is nearly identical. Of course, you should still do a bit of price shopping anytime you go to book: As with all online travel agencies (OTAs), you can easily wind up overpaying with either one of these programs.
For loyal Chase earners or those flush with Ultimate Rewards, this is a major differentiator. Redeeming points at 2 cents each can turn expensive two-night stays into very affordable ones, especially when layered in with the $250 Edit credit.
If Chase ever expands its hotel list to compete with Amex’s, the value proposition of Points Boost could more than make up for the Sapphire Reserve’s smaller credit. But as it stands, the redemption rate alone probably isn’t enough to compensate for it … or The Edit’s smaller list of properties.
Bottom Line
Chase’s The Edit hotel collection mirrors much of what travelers love about Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts. But Amex still maintains a meaningful edge with more properties worldwide, easier-to-use hotel credits, and guaranteed late checkout.
Chase counters with strong earning and redemption value – especially its 2-cent-per-point redemptions – but its more limited footprint and two-night minimum credit make it less flexible.
For now, Amex remains the more practical and broadly useful luxury hotel program.