Amex Platinum and Hilton Aspire: The Best Card Duo for Booking Luxury Hotels

There are only a few things I like more than leveraging perks on rewards cards to score nights and top-tier perks at luxury hotels that I usually would have to think long and hard about booking.

In my travels over the years, I’ve come to realize that having a specific combination of 2 high-end cards can result in getting multiple nights for a very small amount of money out of pocket. But even better, this combo grants amazing perks during the stay, like room upgrades, complimentary food and beverages, and much more.

To understand the strategy properly, we need to discuss the specific aspects of the 2 cards involved — the Platinum Card^® from American Express and the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card — that make it all possible.

Amex Platinum Card

The Amex Platinum card has a $895 annual fee (rates & fees) offers a few key luxury hotel perks: up to a $600 annual prepaid hotel credit and access to the Fine Hotels + Resorts program.

+ NEW BENEFITS

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Platinum Card^® from American Express

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

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Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

Platinum Card^® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Welcome Offer

You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

As High As 175,000 Points. Find Out Your Offer.

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $3,850

Annual Fee

$895

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than the Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,550 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required), Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
• 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
• 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com

Cons

• $895 annual fee (rates and fees)
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

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Card Highlights

• You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
• Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards^® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel^®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts^® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel^® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
• More Value! With over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection^®, over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club^® visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations), Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges. * As of 07/2025.
• More Value! $200 Uber Cash + $120 Uber One Credit: With the Platinum Card^® you can receive $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus $20 in December when you add your Platinum Card^® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card^® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.
• More Value! $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $25 in statement credits each month after you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card^® at participating partners. Enrollment required.
• More Value! $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel^® using the Platinum Card^®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• New! $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights by Resy: When you use the Platinum Card^® to pay at U.S. Resy restaurants and to make other eligible purchases through Resy, you can get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter with the $400 Resy Credit benefit. Plus, with Platinum Nights by Resy, you can get special access to reservations on select nights at participating in demand Resy restaurants with the Platinum Card^®. Simply add your eligible Card to your Resy profile to book and discover Platinum Nights reservations near you, enrollment required.
• More Value! $209 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: CLEAR^® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR Plus Membership* with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR Plus with the Platinum Card^®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card^® Account*. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
• Start your vacation sooner, and keep it going longer. When you book Fine Hotels + Resorts^® through American Express Travel^®, enjoy noon check-in upon arrival, when available, and guaranteed 4PM check-out.
• New! $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card^® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That’s up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Receive a statement credit* for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with the Platinum Card^®.*Up to $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups not eligible.
• $100 Saks Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue or saks.com on the Platinum Card^®. That’s up to $50 in statement credits from January through June and up to $50 in statement credits from July through December. No minimum purchase required. Enrollment required.
• Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
• $895 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Previously an up-to-$200 hotel credit, the prepaid hotel credit on the refreshed Amex Platinum card is now delivered as 2 semiannual credits — one of up to $300 from January to June and an additional credit of up to $300 between July and December — for prepaid bookings with Fine Hotels + Resorts or the Hotel Collection. The latter requires stays of at least 2 nights, but using either program must be booked through AmexTravel.com to be eligible.

Even though stays have to be prepaid, almost all of these bookings can be canceled and refunded if your plans change. Note, too, that in order to earn 5x points on your booking, it must be a prepaid reservation. Reservations paid for at the hotel after checkout only earn 1x points.

Next, we’ll look at the Fine Hotels + Resorts program, which is American Express’s premier set of luxury hotels. Think of globally recognized luxury brands like the Four Seasons and lavish boutique brands like Aman.

Whenever you book a Fine Hotels + Resorts stay, you receive:

• A room upgrade upon arrival, when available
• Daily breakfast for 2 people
• Noon check-in, when available
• Guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Unique property credit, such as a spa or food-and-beverage credit valued at $100 or more

As you can see, you receive elite-like perks when you book a Fine Hotels + Resorts stay, and sometimes these perks can be even better than what you’d receive from your hotel elite status, depending on your level.

However, the best part of all is that these perks can be combined with your existing hotel status in many cases — in my experience, especially so with Hilton Honors — so you can get even more out of your stay.

Hot Tip: Apply and find out if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of as high as 175,000 points with the Amex Platinum. Welcome offers may vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

Hilton Aspire Card

Now, we’ll examine the specific perks and features of the Hilton Aspire card that complement the Amex Platinum card benefits outlined above, allowing for multiple nights of luxury hotel stays. The card comes with a $550 annual fee (rates & fees).

The welcome bonus offer can change often, but here’s the current one:

• Earn 175,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 within your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 1/14/2026.

LIMITED TIME OFFER

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Automatic Hilton Diamond status, an annual free night, and a travel and resort credit make this the perfect card for those who stay in Hilton hotels.

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Automatic Hilton Diamond status, an annual free night, and a travel and resort credit make this the perfect card for those who stay in Hilton hotels.

Welcome Offer

Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 1/14/2026.

175,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $875

Annual Fee

$550

APR

19.74%-28.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

Paying hundreds of dollars for an annual fee on a co-branded hotel card might seem ridiculous, but you should know that the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is much more than your run-of-the-mill hotel credit card.

The Hilton Aspire card is not only a phenomenal card for Hilton Honors loyalists, but even those who visit Hilton hotels just a few times a year can still get excellent value out of all the benefits that are packed into this card.

So let’s have a look at what makes the card so valuable to travelers.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 14x points per $1 on Hilton purchases
• 7x points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel, car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies, and at U.S. restaurants
• 3x points per $1 on all other eligible purchases

Cons

• High annual fee of $550 (rates & fees)

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 1/14/2026.
• Card Members can earn 14X Points on purchases made directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio.
• Card Members can earn 7X Points on purchases of Flights booked directly with airlines or flights booked through American Express Travel, Car rentals purchased directly from select car rental companies, and purchases at U.S. Restaurants.
• Card Members can earn 3X Points on all other eligible purchases.
• Enhance your hotel stay with complimentary Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status and enjoy a world of hotel privileges and benefits. Get exclusive perks at any of Hilton's 24 hotel brands, like a 100% Bonus on Base Points earned on every stay, Premium Wi-Fi and space-available room upgrades at select properties, and more.
• Enjoy an Annual Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors in your first year of Card Membership and every year upon Card renewal.
• $400 Hilton Resort Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits semi-annually for eligible purchases made directly with participating Hilton Resorts on your Hilton Honors Aspire Card. That's up to $400 back annually.
• $200 Flight Credit: Get up to $50 in statement credits each quarter, for a total of up to $200 back each year, on flight purchases made directly with an airline or through amextravel.com using your Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
• Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton after you spend $30,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you can earn an additional Free Night Reward from Hilton after you spend an additional $30,000 (for a total of $60,000) in purchases on your Card in the same calendar year.
• $209 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: You can receive up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you sign up and pay for a CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your eligible Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
• $100 Property Credit: How it Works: To receive up to $100 in credits for qualifying hotel charges, book a 2-night minimum stay at participating Waldorf Astoria^® Hotels & Resorts and Conrad^® Hotels & Resorts with your Card through hiltonhonorsaspirecard.com and select the Aspire Card Benefit rate option on the booking page or call Hilton Honors at (855) 292-5757 with the proper booking reference. See Terms & Conditions for further details.
• Hilton Honors Aspire Card Members can enjoy complimentary National Car Rental^® Emerald Club Executive^® status, including perks like Executive Area Access (for full-size reservations and above) in the USA and Canada. Card Members must enroll in the National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status through their American Express online account using their Card. Terms apply.
• $550 annual fee.
• Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.74%-28.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Plus, if you open the Hilton Aspire card, you get to take advantage of all of the benefits the card offers, including complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status. Hilton’s current top-tier status level (next year, it will be supplanted by the new Diamond Reserve tier) offers great perks for guests, including complimentary continental breakfast (or a daily food-and-beverage credit, with the amount varying by hotel brand), space-available room upgrades, waived resort fees on award stays, and more.

Next, the Hilton Aspire card offers an annual, up to $400 resort credit, split into 2, up to $200 statement credits semi-annually that can be used at eligible Hilton resorts. You can use the resort credit for room rates (when not prepaid), dining, spa treatments, excursions, or any other charges billed to your room.

Finally, we’ll discuss the annual free night certificate, which comes as a perk of the Hilton Aspire card. It can be redeemed at any Hilton property worldwide and is one of the best ways to save money on hotel stays, especially at premium properties.

Booking 4 Nights in Las Vegas

Now that we’ve laid out all of the perks and benefits that will be involved in this strategy, let’s look at a real-life example to see how they all come together.

Let’s say you want to book a long weekend in Las Vegas to see a show at the Sphere, have a few great dinners, try your luck at the blackjack table, and more. Part of the Vegas experience is staying at a great hotel, of course, and it just so happens that it’s one of the best cities for the strategy we’re talking about today.

Las Vegas has a couple of properties that participate in the Fine Hotels + Resorts program: the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas and Crockfords Las Vegas, LXR Hotels & Resorts at Resorts World. They’re both excellent properties, and having stayed at both, I slightly prefer Crockfords, as it’s within Resorts World, a megadevelopment that features dozens of restaurants, multiple pools, and numerous attractions.

Now that we’ve zeroed in on a property, let’s look at how I combine the powers of both of these cards to score a 4-night stay for next to nothing and elevate my stay with incredible perks.

Booking the Stay

First, let’s focus on booking the stay. Rooms can be booked at Crockfords from 88,000 Hilton Honors points per night.

I earned over 193,000 points from the welcome bonus offer, which means I can book 2 nights on points at the hotel. However, remember that I also have a free night certificate from the Hilton Aspire card to use, which allows me to book a total of 3 nights.

I’ll book the 2 nights on points easily and quickly on hilton.com, but the night booked with the free night certificate requires a call. It’s quick and painless, and I always ask the phone representative to link the night they just booked with the 2 nights I had already booked.

Now I’ll turn to Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts to book the final night of my stay. For the weekend I have in mind, a night through the portal costs $350.84, inclusive of taxes and fees. However, I can take advantage of half of my annual, up to $600 statement credits for prepaid stays to knock $300 off that cost, earning 5x points on the purchase in the process.

In total, thanks to these 2 cards, I can book a 4-night stay at one of the best properties in Las Vegas for a total of about $51 out of pocket.

Hot Tip:

Want to stay at more Hilton properties? Learn about all the best ways to redeem Hilton Honors points for maximum value.

Maximizing Perks During My Stay

Now that this 4-night stay is booked, let’s look at how I’ll maximize the perks of each card during my time on the property.

First, we’ll look at the pertinent benefits I receive thanks to my Hilton Honors Diamond status, which, again, comes as a perk of holding the Hilton Aspire card. For me, the most important are the possibility of a room upgrade, complimentary continental breakfast (or a daily food-and-beverage credit), and the annual up to $400 resort credit (split into 2 statement credits of up to $200 semi-annually) usable on Hilton’s list of eligible resorts.

The room upgrade is the least important to me, especially at a property like Crockfords, where even standard rooms are generous sizes and well-appointed with beautiful decor, comfortable beds, and high-end bathrooms. However, I’ve had fairly good luck getting room upgrades with my Hilton Diamond status, even if it’s simply to a room with a better view or on a higher floor. Especially when I’m traveling alone, I don’t need a gigantic suite; a room with a view does just fine.

However, I do value the complimentary breakfast or daily food-and-beverage perk quite highly. One of the best parts of staying at a high-end hotel is treating yourself to an excellent breakfast each day. These days, most U.S. properties don’t offer continental breakfast or full breakfast as part of the Diamond member perk. They do offer a food and beverage credit, which is $25 daily per person at LXR Hotels & Resorts.

This is not a guarantee, and it can be somewhat vague, but in my experience, I’ve often been afforded a $50 daily credit, even when traveling alone, or breakfast has been waived from my bill at the end of a stay. Again, this isn’t guaranteed, but it’s happened to me more than a few times. Even if everything were to go by the book, though, I’d gladly take a $25 discount every day for breakfast, as that typically covers the main breakfast entree.

Finally, the up-to-$400 annual resort credit is another fantastic perk that goes a long way toward decreasing the cost of a stay. Since the credit is dispersed in 2 statement credits of up to $200 semi-annually, it gives me up to $200 to spend on various food, drinks, spa services, and more throughout my stay. Since I’ll be in Las Vegas, you can bet it’ll be put to good use with overpriced poolside cocktails.

Stacking Hilton Honors Diamond and Amex FHR Benefits

In total, my Hilton Honors Diamond status provides me with at least $275 in value — and that figure will likely be higher depending on how the breakfast benefit is treated.

It’s time to move on to the final night of my stay, which I booked via Fine Hotels + Resorts. You can find all of the perks of an FHR booking listed above, but for this portion, we’ll focus on the breakfast and the property credit, in this case, a $100 food-and-beverage credit.

I’ve found that Hilton status and FHR stays play nicely together, meaning the hotel usually recognizes your elite status and treats it cumulatively with your FHR benefits.

What this usually means is that the FHR breakfast credit, which has no published maximum, takes over the Hilton Diamond breakfast perk. But you still receive your $25 (at least) daily food-and-beverage credit to be used elsewhere.

Plus, FHR gives you another $100 credit to be spent on food and beverages, giving you a total of at least $125 to spend on eating and drinking, which is certainly not hard to do in Las Vegas!

Over the course of a 4-night stay, I’ll have at least $400 in credits to spend at the property, in addition to the possibility of a room upgrade, early check-in, late checkout, and more. Subtract the $51 I had to spend to book the fourth night, and I’m looking at a positive value of about $350, since the other 3 nights were booked using points and a free night certificate.

I’ll take that deal any day of the week!

Final Thoughts

It’s a bit of a puzzle (many things are when it comes to points and miles), but it pays to understand how combining the perks and benefits of different cards can go a long way toward elevating your travel.

I’ve found that the Amex Platinum card and the Hilton Aspire card can be combined to provide exceptional stays at high-end Hilton properties, as I’ve laid out in this example of booking a 4-night stay at one of Las Vegas’ best hotels for barely any money out of pocket — and hundreds of dollars in credits to utilize while I’m on property.