Hotel status benefits are one of the most valuable perks of having the American Express Platinum card. Without a single night’s stay, you will be awarded mid-tier elite status with not one but four major hotel loyalty programmes, including:
- Hilton Honors – Gold
- Marriott Bonvoy – Gold Elite
- Radisson Rewards – Premium
- MeliáRewards – Gold
Disclaimer: The content of this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or professional advice.
Having status with all these hotel loyalty programmes will give you access to perks at thousands of hotels worldwide. These depend on the individual loyalty programme, but you will often benefit from additional points on stays, room upgrades, discounts, early check-in and late check-out and more. If you’re a regular traveller, these perks could even justify the £650 annual fee.
The Platinum card is the only credit card on the market that gives instant hotel status with this many hotel chains. But while it’s a great all-rounder for flexible travellers, it’s not necessarily the best option if you tend to stick with just one hotel group. Depending on your loyalty (and your spending), there might be a better (and cheaper) way to get status through other cards, debit cards, shareholder perks, or even a status match.
Here, we look at the hotel status perks you’ll get along with your AMEX Platinum and alternative ways to get each status tier so you can decide what works best for your travel style.
For a full review of the AMEX Platinum card, make sure you read our AMEX Platinum Guide, which covers everything you need to know about the card.
In this post:
Hilton Honors Gold
If I had to pick just one hotel status from the AMEX Platinum bundle, Hilton Honors Gold would be my top choice. It consistently offers the best perks across the board, especially when you consider how many hotels you can use it at. Hilton has over 8,000 hotels globally, including luxury names like Conrad and Waldorf Astoria.
You usually need to stay 40 nights, 20 stays, or 75,000 base points to earn Hilton Gold. Unless you’re a frequent business traveller, that’s a big ask. This is why getting Gold status for ‘free’ with a card like the Amex Platinum is a great shortcut. Instead of earning status from, say, 20 stays, you could enjoy the benefits immediately during those 20 stays.
Hilton Honors Gold Elite status includes:
- 80% bonus points earned on base points (18 points per $1 spent – 10 base points + 8 bonus points).
- Space available for room upgrades up to Executive Floor room types (select brands).
- Milestone bonuses of 10,000 Bonus Points every 10 nights after you’ve stayed 40 nights in a calendar year. You’ll earn an additional 60,000 bonus points after 60 nights.
- Daily Food and Beverage Credit (US hotels only) or Continental Breakfast for you and an additional guest (non-US hotels)
You will also have the Silver benefits, including 2 bottles of complimentary bottled water per stay, spa discounts, a free fifth-night reward stay, and elite rollover nights.
Alternative Option: Instant Hilton Silver or Gold Status with the Hilton Honors Debit Cards
Before the Hilton Honors debit cards came out, many took out the AMEX Platinum card solely for Hilton Honors Gold status. Since these cards were released in September 2024, they have opened up a new way to ‘pay’ for Hilton status. There are two options:
| Annual Fee | Instant Hilton Status | Hilton Points Earned | Welcome Bonus | ATM withdrawals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Honors Debit Card | £60 (currently on offer at £30) | Silver | 3 points per £1 | 2,500 Bonus Points when you spend £1,000 within 3 months (at home or abroad) | Low 0.5% fee on ATM withdrawals abroad. 2.5% fee over £250 per month |
| Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card | £150 | Gold | 4.5 points per £1 | 10,000 Bonus Points when you spend £2,500 abroad within 6 months (at home or abroad) | Fee-free ATM withdrawals abroad. 2.5% fee over £500 per month. |
The Hilton Honors Plus debit card offers the same Hilton perks as the AMEX Platinum for a much lower yearly fee. It is also a great option if you don’t meet the income requirement of the AMEX Platinum or would prefer not to have a credit card.
Hilton is currently offering 50% off the Hilton Honors Plus debit card. You can read about it here or read our full article on Hilton Honors debit cards.
A Second Alternative: Match Your Hilton Status
If you’ve got status with another hotel programme (like IHG Platinum or Marriott Gold), Hilton’s status match challenge is another option. You will get complimentary Gold or Diamond elite status for 90 days. Then, you will need to meet the stay requirements of 8 nights within 30 days for Gold or 14 for Platinum. Your status will be honoured until 31st March 2027.
You can read more about this status match in our article here, and the terms are available here.
The Third Alternative: British Airways Gold Guest List
If you happen to have British Airways Gold Guest List status, you will also get complimentary Hilton Diamond status along with your BA status. Diamond comes with additional perks such as 100% points earning bonus on stays, executive lounge access, elite status gifting and more!
The new ‘British Airways Club’ requires 65,000 Tier Points (with a minimum of 52,000 from British Airways-marketed flights, qualifying add-ons or British Airways Holidays packages) to earn Gold Guest List status.
To renew your status, you will need 40,000 Tier Points (with a minimum of 32,000 from British Airways-marketed flights, qualifying add-ons or British Airways Holidays packages.
Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite
Marriott has a huge portfolio, including luxury brands like W Hotels and St Regis. To earn Marriott Gold Elite status, you usually need to stay 25 nights per year. This is much more achievable than the 40 nights needed for Hilton Gold, but that’s just under four weeks a year staying at Marriott properties—only really achievable for frequent travellers who regularly choose Marriott or business travellers.
Your Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status will get you:
- 25% more Points on eligible purchases (10 per $1)
- Priority late check-out (as late as 2 pm)
- Room upgrade at check-in
- Points welcome gift on stays
- Free in-room Wi-Fi
- Earn miles on stays + points on flights with Emirates.
An Alternative Option: Instant Marriott Bonvoy Status with the AMEX Credit Card
The Marriott Bonvoy American Express credit card (£95/year) gives Silver Elite Status. You will earn Gold status via your card when you spend £15,000 on purchases with your card each year. The card also comes with some other good Marriott perks, including:
- 15 Elite Night Credits towards the next Marriott Bonvoy Elite status.
- A welcome bonus of 20,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points when you spend £3,000 in the first 3 months of card membership.
- One free night after you spend £25,000 in an anniversary year at a redemption level at or under 25,000 points.
- Book a minimum 2-night stay directly with Marriott at The Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis and receive up to $100 in credit for qualifying charges.
If you were thinking of applying for the AMEX Platinum mainly for the Marriott perks, the Marriott Bonvoy AMEX is also worth considering.
A Second Alternative: Airline Status Matches with Marriott Bonvoy
Several airlines have a partnership with Marriott. If you already have status with one of these airlines, you can match it to Marriott and vice versa:
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer: Solitaire PPS Club, PPS Club, and KrisFlyer Elite Gold members will receive a complimentary status match to Marriott Bonvoy Gold. There are also two status match challenges. KrisFlyer Elite Silver members can take part in the status match challenge (3 qualifying nights in 6 months) to earn Marriott Silver Elite. PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite Gold members can take part in a challenge to stay 10 qualifying nights in 6 months to accelerate to Marriott Platinum Elite. Status is valid for 12 months from registration. More info here.
- United MileagePlus: Match your Premier Gold status to Marriott Gold. To be eligible, you must have a flight booked and book your stay by clicking ‘book hotel’ below your flight. More info here.
- Air Canada Aeroplan: Match Super Elite, 75K, and 50K to Marriott Gold. Your accounts must be linked. More info here.
A Third Alternative: The Marriott Status Match Challenge
Once every three years, you can apply for a Platinum Challenge by calling Marriott Bonvoy customer services. You will be required to stay 16 paid nights within 90 days. There is also a Gold Challenge where you need to stay 8 paid nights. You must complete your stays within 3 months of enrolling + the remainder of the month you enrol.
Radisson Rewards Premium
Earning Radisson Premium status without AMEX Platinum is relatively easy. You just need to complete 3 stays or 5 nights, so this shouldn’t be why you sign up.
Your AMEX Platinum will also get you mid-tier status with Radisson. Your Radisson Rewards Premium benefits will include:
- 27 points per $1 spent (usually 8) or 13.5 points per $1 at Prize by Radisson properties (usually 4).
- Complimentary room upgrade to the next category
- Complimentary Early Check-In and Late Check-Out
- Member-only rates of up to 15% off and discount boosters of up to 20% off bookings
- Activate ‘My Favourite Hotel’ for exclusive benefits at that hotel, including priority bookings and luggage storage.
- 24h exclusive Premium & VIP Contact Center lines
- Priority line
- 10% off food and drinks
The Alternative: Match Your Club Avolta Status with Radisson
Matching your club Avolta status with Radisson is a great way to earn status faster. You can match Club Avolta Gold with Radisson Rewards Premium and Club Avolta Platinum with Radisson VIP.
To be eligible for this status match, you must have existing hotel or airline status and match it to Avolta. Most airline status tiers, like BA Bronze, are accepted, but only hotel mid-tier statuses are accepted.
Once you have Avolta status, you can match it to Radisson. You can start this process under the Rewards tab of the Avolta app.
The Avolta status gives even better Radisson perks than AMEX Platinum. You’ll also get free breakfast for two people, an upgrade to the best available room at the hotel, 15% off on-site food and drink, and the potential to get a discount off your stay if you opt to earn fewer points.
MeliáRewards Gold
Without instant status, you would need to complete 30 stays, 15 nights, or earn 60,000 points for Gold status. It’s not as hard to earn as Hilton Gold, but it’s much harder than Radisson Premium! MeliáRewards covers a range of brands, including:
Your Melia status will give you:
- 4 pm late check-out at city hotels and 2 pm late check-out at resort hotels (except in the event of 100% occupancy)
- Earn 13 MeliáRewards points for every $ on your booking.
- Complimentary Wi-Fi in all hotels
- 2,000 MeliáRewards welcome points when first enrolling
- Three discount vouchers for 20% off stays – redeemable in one calendar year
- Purchase a breakfast to receive a complimentary breakfast for your travel companion.
An Alternative: Meliá Shareholders Club
A little-known way to earn Meliá status is by owning Meliá shares. We’re not talking about huge amounts. You can get Silver MeliaRewards status if you hold at least one share and have held it for at least a year. You will be upgraded to Gold status with 1,000 shares and Platinum with 10,000 shares.
You can sign up or read more about this here >>>
Summary of Benefits and Alternatives
| Hotel Programme | Status via AMEX Platinum | Alternative Options |
|---|---|---|
| Hilton Honors | Gold |
|
| Marriott Bonvoy | Gold Elite |
|
| Radisson Rewards | Premium |
|
| MeliáRewards | Gold |
|
Potentially, you could get status with all four of these chains without holding the Platinum card. However, the card has so many fantastic travel perks, which are also worth signing up for. Read our full AMEX Platinum Guide for more details on the other travel benefits.
Make Sure You Enroll
Hotel status with these four chains is not instant. You must sign up for each loyalty programme and then enrol individually to get your status.
Go to the ‘Rewards and Benefits’ section of the AMEX app or website and click ‘Benefits.’ Each loyalty programme will have a separate tab; you can work your way through each by clicking ‘Enroll Now’.
You must have already created an account with each loyalty programme and have your loyalty programme number on hand. Your new status usually takes 3-5 business days to get.
Other Things to Note
Supplementary Cardholders: If you have supplementary cardholders on your AMEX Platinum card, the hotel status perks are worth even more. The first supplementary cardholder is complimentary, and you can add four additional supplementary cardholders at £285 each.
‘Subject to Availability’: If you’re working out the value of your card based on the benefits you may receive each time you stay at one of these hotels, keep in mind that many of the benefits, like room upgrades and late check-out, are subject to availability and not guaranteed!
You Must Book Direct: You can’t book via platforms like Booking.com or even AMEX Travel to get your status benefits. Your benefits can also not be combined with the Fine Hotels and Resorts benefit that comes with AMEX Platinum. Here’s an example of one of the Marriott terms: ‘ Marriott Bonvoy™ Gold Elite level amenities may not be combined with the FINE HOTELS & RESORTS program’. However, I have seen exceptions to this when people have pre-contacted the hotel or made the hotel aware of their status (this doesn’t apply to most hotels).
Cancelling Your AMEX: If you cancel your card for a pro-rata refund, you will still keep your hotel status until its expiry date.
Status Matches: One of the most overlooked benefits of the AMEX Platinum card is how powerful its hotel elite status benefits can be when it comes to status matching. Many status matches allow you to match hotel status to airlines or other hotel chains. With mid-tier status and four major hotel brands, you will be eligible for plenty of matches and get more value out of your card. However, it’s worth noting that some status matches do not allow you to match with the status you earned via AMEX Platinum.
Final Words: The Platinum Card Vs Alternative Options
What makes this benefit particularly compelling is the fact that you don’t need to wait until you’ve stayed 25, 30 or even 40 nights to start enjoying your status perks. Even if you’re a frequent traveller who would earn mid-tier status anyway, you could have the status straight away rather than staying several nights with no elite benefits. Don’t underestimate how quickly the bonus points can add up. Over time, those extra earnings can be worth far more than you’d get from stays without status.
It’s a shame the Amex Platinum doesn’t come with Hyatt status—something many would love to see added. If you’re interested in ‘buying’ hotel status outside of a credit card, it’s also worth looking at IHG Ambassador or Accor ALL Plus.
Amex Platinum remains the only card on the UK market that gives you instant status with four major hotel chains. It’s not quite a one-size-fits-all solution… If you’re loyal to just one brand, you might find better value elsewhere, like with the Hilton Honors debit cards or the Marriott Bonvoy AMEX. But for anyone who prefers variety or wants flexibility, the Platinum card’s hotel bundle is hard to beat. It also gives you better scope to be loyal to more than one brand while enjoying the status perks of each.
If you like to keep your options open, hotel status is one of the most valuable parts of the Platinum package.
What’s your experience with hotel status via AMEX? Have you used one of these alternative options to get hotel status? Let us know in the comments below:
2 comments
Good round up. Thanks
Can you expand your review to also the benefits of the Fine Hotel program, only available with the Amex Platinum card and use their travel agency and compare it to the Virtuoso hotel benefits if you use a travel agency affiliated with Virtuoso. Thanks.
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