The The Platinum Card® from American Express is sometimes referred to a fancy “coupon book” because of all the statement credits it offers to help offset the $695 annual fee.
But let me tell you, one of the card’s most valuable “coupons,” and one of the easiest to use, is the card’s annual hotel statement credit. If you’ve let the credit go unused because the hotels seemed too pricey, or you’re considering getting the card and want to make sure the credit is actually useful, here’s what you need to know.
How The Amex Platinum Hotel Credit Works
Each year, Amex Platinum cardholders get up to $200 back in statement credits on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR) or The Hotel Collection (THC) bookings made through American Express Travel®. FHR properties have no minimum stay requirement, while THC requires a minimum two-night stay.
Unlike some of the many other Amex Platinum benefits, you don’t need to enroll for this benefit (yay!). Simply use your Amex Platinum to pay for the booking, and then you will receive a statement credit of up to $200. You can make multiple prepaid reservations to receive the full $200 credit – it doesn’t have to all be spent on a single reservation.
The hotel credit is awarded on a calendar year basis and resets at the beginning of the next year. So, if you apply for the Amex Platinum in mid-December 2025, you can make a prepaid hotel booking for a date in 2026 to receive your 2025 statement credit.
Even though the booking must be prepaid, that doesn’t mean it has to be non-refundable. If you think your plans may change, you can book a rate with a flexible cancellation policy. Amex will claw back the $200 credit when you cancel, but it will be applied again once you make another prepaid booking within the same year.
The only caveat is if you cancel a booking for a credit received in the previous year. Let’s say you make a reservation in December 2025 for a stay in June 2026 but cancel the reservation in March. Amex will claw back the credit from 2025, meaning you will have lost out on the benefit from the previous year.
Fine Hotels + Resorts vs. The Hotel Collection: What’s the Difference?
There are more than 1,600 FHR properties and more than 1,000 THC properties. Both programs include elite-like benefits that you typically need status to receive at hotels. FHR properties tend to be more expensive, but they also include a couple of additional benefits that THC properties do not offer.
Photo by Benji Stawski/Daily Drop
FHR benefits include:
12 p.m. check-in, when available
Room upgrade, if available
Complimentary daily breakfast for two
$100 credit to use towards eligible charges (varies by property), such as food and beverage, spa, or other on-property charges during your stay
Complimentary Wi-Fi
Guaranteed 4 p.m. checkout
THC benefits include:
12 p.m. check-in, when available
Room upgrade, if available
$100 credit to use towards eligible charges (varies by property), such as food and beverage, spa, or other on-property charges during your stay
Complimentary Wi-Fi
Late checkout, when available
The extra benefits of complimentary breakfast and guaranteed 4 p.m. checkout give FHR the edge when it comes to the two programs.
💡Pro Tip: If you stay at an FHR or THC property that’s part of a loyalty program, such as World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, or IHG One Rewards, you can provide your member number as these bookings are considered eligible rates to count toward your status with those programs.
How to Maximize Your Amex Platinum Hotel Credit
Since FHR bookings allow for one-night stays, it is usually the better way to maximize your annual $200 credit, especially if you can find a hotel near the $200 per night price point, making your stay free or nearly free.
How do you find those hotels? It can seem like all of the FHR hotels are very expensive, but that’s not always the case. You can use a website called MaxFHR, which is a free search tool that displays all of the FHR properties by price. You can search by city, state, or country for specific destinations. The website also has a monthly calendar of prices for each specific property, though be warned, pricing may not be 100% up to date, and it’s best to check Amex Travel.
Other ways to maximize the credit
Stack credits from back-to-back years to book a multi-night stay. Near the end of the year, book a stay for next year with this year’s credit, and in January of next year, book another reservation.
Book in the off-season or on low-demand nights. Escape a U.S. summer and go to Australia in June, July, or August – their winter. Not only will you get cooler (but often still mild) weather, but hotel prices are also cheaper. Or book a luxury hotel stay during the week in Las Vegas. Friday and Saturday nights in Las Vegas tend to be very expensive, since that’s when most people want to go. But if you can go during the week, you’ll usually be able to find rates near $200 per night at FHR properties, such as The Palazzo at the Venetian and the Wynn Las Vegas.
Amex Travel often has promotions for multiple-night stays on FHR and THC properties, where the third or fourth night is free and this can be stacked with the credit. If you want a low-priced hotel stay beyond just one night, look for these offers to help reduce your nightly rate.
Bottom Line
When it comes to The Platinum Card® from American Express and its $695 annual fee, don’t make the mistake of overlooking the included statement credits. The hotel credit is one of the card’s best benefits, and it’s easy to use since you don’t need to enroll for it. With a little planning, you can turn that fancy “coupon” into real travel savings — and maybe even a night at a five-star hotel.
