Amex Platinum hotel credit: what the confirmed devaluation changes and how to use it now

The credit is changing

Amex has confirmed that the Platinum hotel credit will be devalued ^[1]. That affects holders of the American Express Platinum Card and The Business Platinum Card from American Express, which currently offer up to $600 per year in hotel credits ^[1].

The credit will be rebranded as the $600 Lodging Credit ^[1]. The September 2025 card refresh doubled the hotel credit to $600 ^[2].

How the credit works today

Right now, the credit can be used on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts bookings with no minimum stay ^[1]. It can also be used on The Hotel Collection bookings with a two-night minimum stay, booked through American Express Travel ^[1]. The Hotel Collection has always required a two-night minimum stay ^[2].

The credit is semi-annual, with one credit for January through June and one for July through December ^[1].

What the leak says about 2027

Amex appears set to require a two-night minimum for Fine Hotels + Resorts stays to trigger the Platinum Card's semiannual hotel credit starting in 2027 ^[2]. That comes from language spotted on Amex's internal test website ^[2].

Starting in 2027, the credit can also be redeemed on stays of at least two nights at Airbnb Luxe properties ^[1]. Airbnb Luxe homes generally start around $1,000 a night ^[2]. The leaked change would add a new $250 Airbnb Experiences credit, unlocked by booking a Luxe stay first ^[2].

Why a minimum stay appears

Credit cards commonly require a minimum stay for hotel credits, because issuers want cardholders to spend more on the stay so the travel-portal commission offsets the credit ^[1]. Adding limits to the hotel credit is designed to discourage the most unprofitable use of the credit, such as a low-cost stay ^[1].

Chase requires a two-night minimum stay to trigger The Edit credit on the Sapphire Reserve ^[2]. The Platinum credit's lack of a minimum stay was a key differentiator from Chase's The Edit, and was a reason Thrifty Traveler ranked Fine Hotels + Resorts higher ^[2].

The math on a London stay

The Nobu London Portman Square costs $478 a night ^[2]. With a one-night stay, the credit reduces the out-of-pocket cost to $178 ^[2].

With a two-night minimum, a two-night stay would cost $956, and the out-of-pocket cost would rise to $656 ^[2].

A Disney example with The Hotel Collection

A two-night Walt Disney World Swan stay was booked through Amex Travel for $672 before resort fees ^[3]. The $300 statement credit reduced the room cost to $372, or about $186 per night ^[3].

That Hotel Collection booking also included a $150 property credit ^[3]. The $300 credit plus the property credit produced $450 in effective savings ^[3].

Under the leaked change, The Hotel Collection would likely be the cheapest path to using the credit, though it would not include Fine Hotels + Resorts free breakfast ^[2].