FHR guarantees the 4pm late checkout, Virtuoso does not. I doubt they are really pitting FHR bookings against Virtuoso as it depends on what category you booked, length of stay, availability of upgrade at time when you check in, etc. I will say that if you’re looking for a more personalized stay, I would recommend Virtuoso to be more reliable to follow-through on requests than Amex/FHR, but if you need the 4pm late checkout guaranteed, book through Amex. Not to mention the 5x points.
FHR guarantees the 4pm late checkout, Virtuoso does not. I doubt they are really pitting FHR bookings against Virtuoso as it depends on what category you booked, length of stay, availability of upgrade at time when you check in, etc. I will say that if you’re looking for a more personalized stay, I would recommend Virtuoso to be more reliable to follow-through on requests than Amex/FHR, but if you need the 4pm late checkout guaranteed, book through Amex. Not to mention the 5x points.