Luxury Weekend Amsterdam: How I Slept in a 5-Star Hotel for €0

It was a Friday afternoon in March and I was standing at Brussels-South station waiting for the Thalys to Amsterdam. Two hours later I would be checking into the Waldorf Astoria, right on the Herengracht. Two nights, a suite with water views, daily breakfast for two, and a welcome gift. Total hotel costs on my bank account: zero euros.

Sounds too good to be true? Honestly, that's what I thought too, the first time I discovered the Fine Hotels + Resorts programme. But it really works. And the best part is: you don't need to be a millionaire. You need points, a bit of strategy, and the right credit card.

Let me take you through the whole story. How I collected those points, why I chose an Amsterdam premium hotel instead of Paris, and what you can concretely expect as a Belgian traveller when you book a luxury weekend Amsterdam with Membership Rewards points.

How I collected 150,000 Membership Rewards points without any effort

It all started last autumn. I had just applied for my Amex Platinum card, after months of hesitating whether that €780 per year was worth it. Spoiler: it more than pays for itself, but I'll get to that shortly. The first thing that caught my eye after applying was the welcome bonus. Via the TravelLux.be referral link I received the maximum welcome bonus of 150,000 points. Had I applied directly through the Amex website, it would have been considerably fewer.

Those 150,000 points were in my account after two months. In the meantime I had been running my daily expenses through the card: groceries, fuel, my Spotify subscription, a new winter coat. Nothing special, just my normal life. With the standard earning rate of 1 point per €1, another 4,000 to 5,000 points ticked in each month. And because I had activated the Booster option (4 points per €1 for €10 per month extra), it went even faster.

By January I had well over 170,000 points. Enough for a seriously luxurious weekend. The only question was: where to go?

Why Amsterdam is the perfect Fine Hotels + Resorts weekend for Belgians

I briefly looked at London and Paris. Beautiful FHR options there, no doubt. But when you're departing from Belgium, Amsterdam is unbeatable in terms of accessibility. Two hours by Thalys from Brussels, or an hour and a half by car from Antwerp. No plane needed, no jet lag, no airport hassle.

And then the hotel selection. Amsterdam has an impressive range within Fine Hotels + Resorts. The Waldorf Astoria on the Herengracht. The Conservatorium Hotel near Museumplein. The Pulitzer, spread across 25 canal houses. The Kimpton De Witt, close to Centraal Station. Each and every one five-star hotels where a regular night easily costs €400 to €700.

I chose the Waldorf Astoria. Not only because I find the location stunning, but also because the FHR benefits are truly noticeable there. When booking via the Amex travel portal I immediately saw what I could expect: complimentary room upgrade (subject to availability), early check-in, late check-out until 4pm, daily breakfast for two, and a welcome gift worth €100. In my case the welcome gift was a spa treatment, but it can also be a dining credit or hotel credit.

Let's do the maths. The room cost €520 per night via FHR, so €1,040 for two nights. The extra benefits: breakfast twice (value ~€80 per morning at the Waldorf), the welcome gift (€100), the upgrade to a larger room. The total value of my stay? Over €1,400. Paid with points: 52,000 points. That's less than a third of my welcome bonus.

Checking into the Waldorf: what you can really expect

I arrived on Friday around 2pm. Normally check-in is at 3pm, but as an FHR guest you get early check-in when availability allows. The receptionist saw my reservation, smiled, and said: "We've upgraded you to a Heritage Suite." Honestly, I had to keep my poker face. That suite normally goes for €900 per night.

The room was stunningly beautiful. High ceilings, original chandeliers, views over the Herengracht. A marble bathroom with Diptyque products. An espresso machine. Fresh fruit on the table. And a small envelope with my welcome gift: a €100 voucher for the Guerlain Spa in the hotel.

Saturday morning breakfast. And not some buffet with croissants and orange juice from a carton. The Waldorf breakfast is a full à-la-carte experience. Eggs Benedict, homemade granola, fresh juices, everything you could want. Normally you'd pay €45 per person for that. My girlfriend and I had breakfast for two mornings as if we were on holiday in the Maldives. Included.

The late check-out on Sunday was the cherry on top. We were allowed to stay until 4pm. That gave us the entire Sunday morning to stroll through the Jordaan, visit the Albert Cuyp Market, and calmly return to the hotel for a final coffee in the room before heading back to Brussels.

The bill: what my free hotel in Amsterdam looked like financially

I love transparency, so let's lay out the numbers. Not to brag, but because I would have loved to read this myself when I was hesitating about that card.

• Hotel costs via Fine Hotels + Resorts: €1,040 for 2 nights
• Paid with Membership Rewards points: 52,000 points (value ≈ €0 out of pocket)
• FHR benefits received: room upgrade (Heritage Suite, normally +€380/night), breakfast for 2 persons over 2 mornings (~€180), welcome gift (€100), late check-out
• Total value enjoyed: approximately €1,700
• Actually paid: €0

You might say: "But that card costs €780 per year." True. But I don't use that card just for this weekend. The Priority Pass lounge access (1,550+ lounges, for me and a guest) is already worth ~€500. The Fast Lane at Brussels Airport saves me €169 per year. Dining for 2 provides a free two-course menu for two at top Belgian restaurants three times a year, worth €300 in value. And I haven't even mentioned the travel insurance via Chubb and Europ Assistance: cancellation, luggage, medical expenses abroad. All automatically covered when you pay with the card.

Honestly, the €780 per year is the only thing people stumble over. But if you travel at least two or three times a year, you earn that amount back effortlessly. I've already earned it back three times this year and it's only April.

Practical tips for your luxury Amsterdam weekend with points

After my experience I learned a few things that I'd like to pass on to other Belgian travellers who want to do the same.

Book in time, but not too early. FHR availability in Amsterdam is best three to six weeks before your stay. Too early and you sometimes miss seasonal offers. Too late and the popular hotels are fully booked, especially at weekends. I booked six weeks in advance and had plenty of choice.

Choose a midweek weekend if you can. Friday to Sunday is more popular and sometimes more expensive than a Sunday night to Tuesday. If you're flexible, you save points. A Sunday night at the Conservatorium Hotel cost 35,000 points in February. The same room on Saturday night: 52,000. That difference is real.

Travel by Thalys or Eurostar from Brussels. You save on parking costs in Amsterdam (easily €50 per day in the city centre) and you're at Amsterdam Centraal in two hours. Moreover, you can also pay for Thalys tickets with the Amex, which earns more points.

Don't forget the concierge. The 24/7 concierge service of Amex Platinum is worth its weight in gold in Amsterdam. I had them book a table at Ciel Bleu (two Michelin stars, normally a weeks-long waiting list) and they arranged it within a day. That kind of thing you can't buy with money, but the concierge has connections that you and I don't have.

And my last tip: combine it with Amex Offers. At the time of my trip I had an active Amex Offer for 10% off at a particular hotel chain. Not for the Waldorf unfortunately, but those offers rotate regularly and sometimes there's an Amsterdam deal among them. Always check before you book.

Frequently asked questions about luxury hotels Amsterdam with Amex Platinum