Luxury on a Budget: My Stays at Upscale Hotels Using Amex Platinum Card Perks

In the past two years, The Platinum Card^® from American Express has upgraded my travel experience by giving me access to airport lounges and more wallet-friendly stays at upscale hotels.

Today, I’ll focus on that second perk. While I don’t mind booking a Hampton Inn for a quick overnight stay, I also love to treat myself to a luxury hotel stay a few times a year. The Amex Platinum card offers specific benefits that make this magic happen — here’s how.

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The Platinum Card^® from American Express

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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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The 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

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

80,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,760

Annual Fee

$695

APR

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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 cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

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 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, 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

• $695 annual fee (rates and fees)
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

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Card Highlights

• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card^®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card^® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• The American Express Global Lounge Collection^® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card^® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card^®.
• $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card^® Members can get out and about and explore their local area with $15 in Uber Cash for US rides each month, plus a bonus $20 in December. That can be up to $200 in annual Uber savings. Simply download the Uber app and add your Platinum Card^® to your Uber account to get started. Available to Basic Card Member only. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
• $199 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: CLEAR^® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $199 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
• Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck^® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card^®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card^®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card^® to your Resy profile.
• $695 annual fee.¤
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

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

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Access to Fine Hotels and Resorts and Prepaid Hotel Credit

With the Amex Platinum card, you enjoy 2 primary perks: access and credits. American Express offers access to the Fine Hotels & Resorts program specifically for hotels.

When you book at participating luxury hotels worldwide through this program, you unlock exclusive benefits as a guest — perks that wouldn’t be available at the standard rate:

• Daily breakfast for 2 people
• Guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout
• Noon check-in (subject to availability)
• Room upgrade upon arrival (subject to availability)
• A unique property amenity valued at $100

Not only that, but the Amex Platinum card awards 5x points per dollar on all bookings made through the Fine Hotels & Resorts program. These curated hotels are on the higher end, allowing you to accumulate thousands of points from these luxury reservations.

But there’s more. You’ll receive up to $200 in statement credits each calendar year on prepaid bookings through AmexTravel.com for Fine Hotels & Resorts (no minimum stay requirement) or The Hotel Collection (minimum 2-night stay) by paying with your Amex Platinum card. Make sure to book a prepaid rate, rather than a pay-at-check-in rate, to ensure you receive this credit accurately.

The Hotel Collection is an additional portfolio of properties designated by American Express, but you don’t necessarily need to have the Amex Platinum card to book these properties. In fact, you can book properties in The Hotel Collection with other Amex cards, and the perks are less extensive: cardholders receive a $100 credit to use on eligible dining, spa, and resort activities, plus a room upgrade, if available.

Booking 2 Nights at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo

In 2023, my mom and I celebrated Mother’s Day in Tokyo, and I wanted to book an upscale hotel for our trip. I decided on a 2-night stay at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo.

Unlike some of my team members at Upgraded Points, I didn’t have top-tier Globalist status at the time. As a result, I wouldn’t receive perks like complimentary breakfast and room upgrades that come with this valuable level of elite status.

Our weekend stay was on the pricier side — almost $1,500 in total — but booking the Grand Hyatt Tokyo through Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts proved to be a smart choice. By prepaying with my Amex Platinum card, I took advantage of the annual $200 prepaid hotel credit, which helped offset some of the cost.

Upon check-in, we were given a welcome letter detailing all the Amex FHR benefits we’d receive during our stay. We were able to check in early and got upgraded to a slightly larger room, which was much appreciated for the extra space while traveling abroad.

However, the complimentary breakfast was easily the highlight of the stay and was one of the best hotel buffet breakfasts I’ve had. With Tokyo’s high prices, saving nearly $150 on such a hearty meal over the course of our 2-night stay was a huge plus.

While Amex FHR typically includes a “unique property amenity valued at $100,” the Grand Hyatt Tokyo went above and beyond, offering a one-time $125 food and beverage credit. This extra perk allowed us to enjoy a multi-course omakase experience at the on-site sushi restaurant, where we had some of the best fish we’ve ever tasted. Altogether, we saved an additional $275 thanks to the Amex Platinum card.

But that’s not all. I also earned nearly 7,500 Membership Rewards points and around 11,000 World of Hyatt points, valued at about $330 based on our points and miles valuations. (FHR bookings count as an eligible rate to earn Hyatt points — another reason why booking with the Amex Platinum card is so great.)

Booking 1 Night at the Westin Anaheim

This past summer, my boyfriend and I took a road trip along the Pacific Coast Highway, which turned out to be a great opportunity to use my annual Amex FHR credit. On our way to San Diego, we decided to spend a night at the Westin Anaheim Resort.

While the hotel’s proximity to Disneyland is the main attraction, our reason for staying in Anaheim was to catch a game at Angel Stadium. (We’re gradually working toward our goal of visiting every MLB stadium.)

The room rate was $420 after taxes and fees, but the Amex Platinum card’s annual hotel credit nearly halved the cost. And, as expected with my previous experience with the FHR program, there were lots of exciting benefits to look forward to. We received a welcome letter that outlined the following perks:

• Noon check-in (upon availability)
• Room upgrade at check-in (upon availability)
• Daily buffet breakfast for 2 at The Tangerine Room
• Guaranteed 4 p.m. late check-out (upon request)
• $100 food and beverage credit at The Tangerine Room, Bar1030, RISE Rooftop Bar, In Room Dining, Bella’s Splash Pool Bar, and Blossom Café but excludes Puesto’s and Fleming’s

The breakfast buffet was $33 per person, and it was quite delicious. I enjoyed pancakes topped with fresh strawberries and blueberries, an egg scramble, and breakfast potatoes.

We saved on dinner the night we checked in by using the $100 food and beverage credit at the RISE Rooftop Bar, which offers casual Californian cuisine and an extensive bar. While my boyfriend and I don’t drink alcohol, we had more than enough to enjoy. The credit covered a fresh burrata salad, shredded chicken tacos, and a Margherita pizza — with leftovers for the next day to enjoy on the road.

Although we didn’t make use of the early check-in or late check-out, saving over $150 on food during our stay was fantastic. We did have to pay for overnight parking ($33), but after factoring in the free breakfast, food and beverage credit, and prepaid hotel credit, we ultimately paid around $100 for the night, making it an incredible deal with the Amex Platinum card. (Plus, don’t forget about the Amex Membership Rewards points and Marriott Bonvoy points I earned from these bookings.)

Final Thoughts

I spend a significant amount on travel each year, and the Amex Platinum card has helped me earn thousands of Membership Rewards points. Beyond that, this premium card is a must-have for its luxury travel perks, offering outstanding amenities and savings at luxury hotels worldwide.