AMEX has announced changes to the Platinum Card’s $600 hotel credit, officially renaming it the $600 Lodging Credit and adding Airbnb Luxe to the eligible bookings. More importantly, starting January 1, 2027, FHR bookings will also require a stay of at least two consecutive nights to qualify for the Platinum Card’s $600 credit. The one-night FHR booking strategy for using the credit is coming to an end. Here are the main changes:

  • Starting January 1, 2027, Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) bookings must be for at least two consecutive nights to qualify for the $600 Lodging Credit. This restriction applies to the Platinum Card’s lodging credit; it does not mean that one-night stays are ineligible for FHR benefits such as breakfast, room upgrades, and late checkout.
  • New Airbnb Luxe credit: Eligible Airbnb Luxe properties booked through AmexTravel.com or the AMEX Travel App must be prepaid in full and booked for at least two consecutive nights to qualify for up to $300 in lodging credits per half-year.
  • New $250 Airbnb Experiences Credit: After booking and completing an eligible Airbnb Luxe stay through AMEX Travel, you can unlock up to $250 in statement credits for Airbnb Experiences that calendar year. You must separately purchase eligible Experiences through Airbnb’s website or app; the credit cannot be used to pay for lodging.
  • Eligible personal and business Platinum Card members can earn 5x MR points on prepaid Airbnb stays booked through AMEX Travel. This additional points benefit does not apply to bookings made directly through Airbnb’s website.
  • The total annual credit remains $600, split into $300 for the first half of each calendar year and $300 for the second half. FHR, THC, and Airbnb Luxe all draw from this same credit.

Airbnb Luxe is Airbnb’s collection of upscale vacation homes, including private villas and luxury residences. Note that not every Airbnb property qualifies for the Platinum Card credit. You must choose an eligible Airbnb Luxe property and book it through AMEX Travel. You also need to link an Airbnb account with the same name as the cardholder’s, and the booking must be prepaid in full.

I think adding Airbnb Luxe gives cardholders another option, but the bigger change is that FHR bookings will require two nights to qualify for the credit starting in 2027. In the past, many people liked booking a one-night FHR stay costing $200–$300 to use the $300 credit, while also enjoying breakfast and a $100 property credit. That strategy will be less convenient going forward.

About AMEX Hotel Credits

Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) and The Hotel Collection (THC) are two collections of upscale hotels offered by AMEX Travel. When you book a hotel in either collection through AMEX Travel with a premium credit card such as the AMEX Platinum, you can receive additional benefits during your stay. FHR hotels are generally fairly expensive, though, with most costing more than $200, so consider whether the extra benefits are worth the price.

FHR benefits can include a room upgrade, daily breakfast for two, 4 p.m. checkout, noon check-in, complimentary Wi-Fi, and a property credit of at least $100. The amount of the property credit varies by hotel, typically ranging from $100 to $125.

THC benefits are a little less generous: a $100 property credit and a room upgrade. THC bookings currently also include noon check-in and 4 p.m. late checkout, both subject to availability. You must book at least two consecutive nights to receive the benefits.

It’s worth noting that AMEX invests heavily in these benefits, and the participating hotels tend to deliver. In my experience, a one-category room upgrade is practically guaranteed. If there isn’t a room available in the next category up, you may be upgraded by two categories; booking a premium room can even get you upgraded to a suite. That can be more useful than elite status with some hotel chains. Also, hotels in the FHR collection such as Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, and The Peninsula do not have their own loyalty programs, so booking through FHR can get you benefits you otherwise couldn’t access.

The Platinum Card’s $600 Lodging Credit

AMEX Platinum Personal Card and the AMEX Platinum Business Card added an annual $600 lodging credit after their refresh, issued as $300 per half-year. This benefit is available on all versions of the Platinum Card and Business Platinum Card, as well as the Centurion Card, among others. The eligible cards include:

You can receive the credit for FHR and THC hotels booked through AMEX Travel, as well as eligible Airbnb Luxe stays. Here are some important details—be sure to read each one:

  • The $600 credit is based on the calendar year: You receive up to $300 from January 1 through June 30 and another $300 from July 1 through December 31. The credit is based on when the charge actually posts to your account. Avoid waiting until the last few days of a period, since in rare cases the credit may post in the next period. For prepaid hotel bookings, the credit generally appears a few days after the charge posts. This means you can book a hotel for next year now and use this year’s credit. If you’re unlikely to use the credit before year-end, consider booking a stay for next year.
  • Minimum stay: THC and Airbnb Luxe bookings must be for at least two consecutive nights to qualify for the credit. FHR has no minimum-stay requirement in 2026, but starting January 1, 2027, it will also require at least two consecutive nights to qualify for the $600 Lodging Credit.
  • Up to $300: If your booking costs less than $300, the full amount is credited. If it costs more than $300, the credit is capped at $300. You can make another eligible booking to use any remaining credit, up to the $300 limit for that half-year.

How to Book

Search

You can search for hotels directly through AMEX Travel. The results will identify which hotels are part of FHR or THC, and you can use the sidebar to filter for FHR properties. As a reminder, THC requires a booking of at least two consecutive nights to receive its benefits. FHR has no such requirement in 2026, but starting in 2027, FHR bookings will also need to be for at least two nights to qualify for the Platinum Card lodging credit.

If you’re specifically interested in FHR or THC, you can search on their dedicated pages:

Choosing a Room Type

In general, we recommend choosing the cheapest room type, since FHR stays are already quite expensive. Keeping the cost around $300 is enough to use up the credit in one go. If the hotel is relatively inexpensive and its lowest room type costs less than $300, you could consider booking a higher room type. Also, since FHR upgrades are fairly reliable, if the next room category costs only a little more, you could book it instead; an upgrade might then get you a suite. We recommend contacting the hotel to ask what room category is one level above the one you booked.

Adding Your Frequent Flyer Number

You can enter your frequent flyer number during the booking process. For example, if you book a Ritz-Carlton, you can enter your Marriott number to earn stay credit toward elite status or requalification. If you forget to enter it, you can contact the hotel and ask them to add it.

Payment

After selecting a room type, you can choose when to pay. Under the terms of the hotel credit, the booking must be prepaid to trigger the credit, so be sure to select the right option. Once you pay, the charge will appear on your credit card right away. It usually takes 1–2 days for the pending charge to post, and then another 1–2 days for the Platinum Card credit to appear. If you choose to pay at the hotel, keep in mind that you’ll be charged in the hotel’s local currency, so the exchange rate at the time of payment may mean the amount in US dollars differs from what you saw when checking the price. Taxes count toward the credit, as does any amount charged to your card.

At checkout, you can choose to pay with points, points plus a card, or just a card. Membership Rewards points are worth 1 cent each when used to pay for FHR, so $100 requires 10,000 points. In my opinion, that’s not a great deal. So even if the charge is over $300, it’s better to pay entirely with a card; the Platinum Card also earns 5x points. You can select which card to use from the drop-down list. If you have multiple Platinum Cards and want to receive the credit on one of them, be sure to select the right card by checking the last four digits. Also, if two of your Platinum Cards have the same last four digits, I strongly recommend removing the card that has already received the credit from your AMEX account before booking with the card that hasn’t. That’s the safest way to avoid a mix-up.

Viewing and Canceling

You can find your hotel booking under “my trips” in AMEX Travel. From there, you can also cancel it or contact the hotel.

Check the specific terms for your hotel to see whether cancellation is fully refundable. Based on reports online, the credit is clawed back after an FHR booking is canceled.

Who Can Use FHR Benefits

Keep in mind that if you book through the AMEX Travel account associated with your Platinum Card, you’ll automatically receive FHR benefits, and the hotel can see that the booking is linked to FHR. However, if the person checking in is not the person named on the booking, the hotel may refuse to provide the extra benefits or even refuse to let that person check in. Some hotels require you to show a Platinum Card in your name at check-in to receive the benefits; this depends on the front desk. During a previous stay, I asked the front desk at an FHR hotel about this, and the woman there said their system showed the linked benefits, so they didn’t check further.

Also, two bookings on the same date can both receive FHR benefits. According to the official website, up to three rooms per night should be eligible for FHR benefits. If you have multiple cards to use for the credit but want only one person to stay, you can book several nights under your own account and pay with different Platinum Cards.

Changing a Booking

After booking an FHR hotel, you now have the option to change the dates. You can change the dates for the same hotel, which is a great improvement. For example, at the end of the year, you might realize you haven’t used your FHR credit yet. You may have to guess when you might travel and book a hotel you want to visit in advance, which could be a hassle if your plans change. This new option adds a lot of flexibility: you can estimate where you want to go and leave the dates much more open. Here’s how it works:

There’s no additional fee to make a change. You’ll receive a refund if the new hotel rate is lower, or pay the difference if it’s higher.

Benefits Explained

FHR covers a wide range of hotels and offers many benefits. In 2026, you still don’t need to book two nights to receive the Platinum Card hotel credit. Starting in 2027, the credit will require a stay of at least two nights, but FHR’s hotel benefits themselves aren’t being discontinued. Many people will likely use FHR to make use of the credit, so below we’ll take a closer look at its benefits.

  • Room upgrade: Usually an upgrade of one category above the room you booked. Upgrade priority is high, and you’ll generally get an upgrade.
  • Daily breakfast for two: You get two breakfasts even if you’re traveling alone. If you are, you could invite a friend to join you.
  • 4 p.m. checkout: A great perk—you can even take an afternoon nap before leaving.
  • Noon check-in: A nice perk.
  • Free Wi-Fi: A standard benefit.
  • At least $100 in hotel credits: Eligible purchases and amounts vary by hotel. More details below.

The hotel credit is provided once per stay, regardless of how many nights you book. So in 2026, one night is theoretically the best value: spend a little over $200 on a hotel, receive a $200 Platinum Card credit, and get the $100 hotel credit as well—you could even come out ahead. Starting in 2027, however, you’ll need to book at least two consecutive nights to receive the Platinum Card’s $600 Lodging Credit. If you use different cards to book several nights in the same room, the hotel will generally provide the credit only once, though breakfast is provided every day. If you use multiple cards to book multiple rooms for the same dates, each room can receive its own separate credit.

Here are the benefits I found at a few FHR hotels. Some offer SPA services, while others provide a dining credit; the amounts include $125 and $100. I recommend calling the hotel’s front desk in advance to ask what FHR benefit is included and what purchases the credit can actually be used for. During the pandemic, some locations had closed their SPA facilities and offered dining credits instead, for example.

One more detail about how to use the credit: the hotel won’t give you a $100 voucher. Instead, you’ll charge eligible purchases to your room, then settle the bill at the front desk when you check out. The hotel will remove eligible charges from your bill. Be sure to ask the front desk which purchases qualify.

For example, if the credit covers dining, it can include meals at the restaurant, room service, drinks at the lobby bar, desserts, and items from the mini bar. If you have credit left, you could order dessert at the lobby bar. However, hotel prices are usually heavily marked up, and the mini bar is practically a rip-off. The hotel restaurant is generally a better choice, and the quality is usually decent. Just be sure to confirm the food and service charges with the restaurant so you do not exceed the reimbursement limit and end up paying out of pocket.

Having Someone Else Check In

When making the reservation, you can enter someone else’s name and then send them the confirmation number or email. However, while someone else can usually check in without a problem, FHR requires the Platinum Card to be presented in order to receive the credit, benefits, and breakfast. If the front desk is strict and asks to see the Platinum Card at check-in—or even requires it to preauthorize a deposit—and your guest cannot provide it, they may not receive any FHR benefits or perks.

Practices vary between hotels and even between front-desk agents, so it comes down to luck. In my experience, the front desk at most hotels does not check; they simply tell you about the FHR benefits.

A Few Tips

We have covered many of these points already, but here is a summary:

  • Book this year for next year: If you will not use all your credit this year and do not want to waste it, you can book a stay for next year.
  • Book before your card anniversary/closure date (uncertain): Since the reimbursement posts quickly, you may be able to use the current year’s credit before crossing that threshold, without rushing to complete the stay. Of course, if you have multiple Platinum Cards, front-desk verification is less of an issue. If not, you may not receive the FHR benefits, but at least you may still be able to use the credit.
  • Hotel $100 credit: Confirm what is eligible. If you cannot finish your meal, you can get it to go—or clear out the mini bar.
  • Same person staying multiple days: Book through the same person’s account, but split payment across different cards. Then call the front desk and ask them to merge the stays so you do not need to change rooms. Most likely, the credit will only be provided once.
  • Where should you book? In terms of value, China is excellent, with FHR hotels often around $200. In the U.S., Las Vegas is a good option, while prices elsewhere are usually less attractive. Ultimately, weigh whether the stay is worth it for you—do not let the deal backfire.

Third-Party Tool

A reader created an FHR-specific search page called MaxFHR. If you are not sure which FHR hotels to book, it is a helpful way to get some ideas.

Enter the city you want to visit, and the site will list all the FHR hotels there at once. Hotels around $200 are especially well suited to booking with the FHR credit. For example, search for chicago.

  • Click a hotel to see prices for different dates.
  • Click through to be automatically redirected to the AMEX travel page, where you can book directly. The price may not match exactly, though.

If you have used the official AMEX search page, you probably know that it is slow and sometimes buggy. MaxFHR is quite useful because it displays prices by date all at once, making them easy to compare.

Things to Watch Out For

AMEX has updated its terms. If you book two consecutive nights separately, stay in the same room on back-to-back nights, or stay at the same hotel as a travel companion, the bookings will be considered one stay, and you will only receive one FHR credit. FHR credit is provided once per stay, so in theory, this change means you can no longer receive multiple credits on a single trip. Of course, if you do not mind changing hotels, you should still be able to spend one night at a nearby hotel in between.

Back-to-back stays booked by a single Card Member, Card Members staying in the same room or Card Members traveling in the same party within a 24-hour period at the same property are considered one stay and are ineligible for additional FHR benefits ("Prohibited Action") .