Review: Fairmont President’s Club

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[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_preview_image=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” last=”no” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=””][fusion_text]Fairmont is probably my favourite hotel brand overall. Just last month I had the opportunity to stay at The Fairmont Pacific Rim on New Year’s Eve and was blown away by the overall product.

Furthermore, I was able to redeem one of my complimentary night certificates from my Platinum membership on one of the busiest nights of the year when standard rooms were selling at $700/night. Although the hotels are luxurious and unique, the service is what really stands out at Fairmont; consistent, professional and tailored to individual needs.

For anyone planning to stay at a Fairmont property, I highly recommend enrolling in the Fairmont President’s Club. Like all loyalty programs the premise is simple: the more you stay, the better the perks. However, unlike some other hotel loyalty programs, I find the entry-level benefits to be quite rewarding, including complimentary in-room high-speed internet, dedicated reception desk, and access to The Fairmont Fit program.

The Fairmont President’s Club provides three tiers of membership:

• Club Status is earned for simply enrolling in the program
• Premier Satus is earned after 5 stays or 10 room nights in a calendar year
• Platinum Status is earned after 10 stays or 30 room nights in a calendar year

Here’s a chart outlining all of the benefits for the different levels of membership:

And an outline of different savings opportunities and complimentary services:

Fairmont also has partner programs available to all President Club members:

Qualification for elite status resets each calendar year, with status being awarded for March-February of the following year. For example, say you earn 10 nights by April of 2017. You would immediately receive status for the remainder of the year plus the following year. Fairmont also has an unpublished benefit: When you qualify for status in the current calendar year you receive one full set of certificates immediately and a second set the following year in March. So using the above example again, you would receive a full set of certificates in April upon qualification and a second set in March of the following year.

Canadians have a unique opportunity to reach Platinum status with less stays using The American Express Canada Platinum Card. Through this card, top-tier status can be achieved after only 5  nights. 

Brad and I have both reached Platinum status and can vouch it’s worth the effort. Our first experience as freshly minted Platinum’s was at The Fairmont Singapore, where we were upgraded to a Junior Penthouse Suite for our 5 night stay. We had only booked a basic room for roughly $160/night and enjoyed a suite that was selling for $2000+/night. We also received a lovely welcome amenity, late check-out, and lounge access (unique to certain properties where a suite upgrade certificate is used).

On my recent trip to New York I was able to redeem one of my free night certificates for a stay at the iconic Plaza Hotel. Furthermore, as Platinum, I was upgraded to a 1-bedrooom Edwardian Suite, complete with butler service. It was a once in a lifetime experience to stay at one of New York’s most historic properties.

Overall I can’t recommend this program enough for anyone considering a stay at a Fairmont property. For those who travel often, I would encourage you to consider the American Express Platinum Card for the accelerated status opportunity, amongst other benefits. I was able to redeem our certificates for more than $2000 in value this year, and that’s not even considering the other benefits such as the spa and dining certificates. That certainly helps in justifying the annual fee on the Platinum Card.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]