Guide to Marriott and Hilton elite status with the Amex Platinum and Business Platinum

1 month ago 20

Many of the best travel rewards cards provide valuable premium travel benefits. For example, The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express offer many valuable perks, including complimentary entry to Centurion Lounges and extra benefits on luxury hotel stays booked through the Fine Hotels + Resorts program.

But one benefit these two cards offer is often overlooked: the ability to enroll in complimentary elite status with Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors.

Here's what you need to know about hotel status with the Amex Platinum cards.

What is this benefit?

Cardmembers of The Platinum Card from American Express and The Business Platinum Card from American Express — including authorized users with additional Platinum or Business Platinum cards — can enroll in complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite and Hilton Honors Gold status.

Once enrolled, you'll maintain at least Gold status if you keep your Amex Platinum or Amex Business Platinum account open (assuming American Express continues to offer this benefit for your card).

How do I enroll?

To enroll in either (or both) complimentary hotel elite statuses, log in to your American Express account and visit the benefits page. You'll find separate icons for Hilton and Marriott, and you should be able to complete the process online. This works for both primary and additional Platinum cardholders.

Alternatively, you can call the customer service number on the back of your Amex Platinum or Amex Business Platinum card.

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In either case, you'll need to provide your hotel loyalty membership number with each program to American Express.

Once you request enrollment, American Express will share your enrollment information with the hotel loyalty programs, which will upgrade your status to Gold if you currently hold a lower status.

Your hotel elite status may take a few business days to update — American Express says to expect three to five business days for Marriott Bonvoy — so don't wait until just before a trip to enroll in these benefits.

What are the benefits of Marriott Gold Elite status?

Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status usually requires you to stay at least 25 nights per calendar year at Marriott brands. As a Marriott Gold Elite member, you'll have access to the following benefits:

25% more points on stays: Earn 25% more than base-level members on every eligible hotel purchase with Marriott (available for Qualifying Rates).
Enhanced room upgrades: Marriott's terms and conditions note that Gold Elite members may receive a complimentary upgrade to "rooms with desirable views, rooms on high floors, corner rooms, rooms with special amenities, rooms on Executive Floors." However, each hotel is left to identify upgrades, some brands don't offer complimentary upgrades and upgrades are subject to availability.
2 p.m. late checkout: Get 2 p.m. late checkout upon request and based on availability.
Enhanced in-room internet: Get the hotel's fastest internet for free.
Welcome points: Get 250 or 500 points welcome points per stay at participating brands.

In addition to the Amex Platinum and Amex Business Platinum, several Marriott Bonvoy cards provide automatic elite status. For example, you can get automatic Gold Elite status with the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card and Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card. Meanwhile, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card comes with automatic Platinum Elite status.

What are the benefits of Hilton Gold status?

Hilton Honors Gold status usually requires that you stay 40 nights per calendar year, stay 20 times per calendar year or earn 75,000 Hilton Honors base points per calendar year. As a Hilton Gold member, you'll have access to the following benefits:

80% elite status bonus: Receive an 80% bonus on the Hilton Honors base points you earn on stays.
Continental breakfast or a daily food and beverage credit: Some brands provide breakfast for all guests as a brand amenity. But at most other brands, you can select a daily food and beverage credit (in the U.S. and at Motto by Hilton properties) or daily complimentary continental breakfast (outside the U.S. at participating brands) for yourself and up to one other guest registered to your room as a MyWay benefit.
Space-available room upgrades: Gold members may receive a complimentary upgrade to preferred rooms up to Executive Floor room types. Hilton's terms and conditions note that "Preferred rooms may also include those not on the Executive Floor but conferring Executive Lounge access (excluding the Sakura Club at Conrad Washington, D.C and Club Signia at Signia by Hilton hotels), the next-best available room types, rooms with desirable views or amenities or other rooms identified as "preferred" by the hotel." Additionally, upgrades are "granted on a space-available basis for the entire stay" and some brands and properties don't participate in complimentary upgrades.
Fifth night free: Hilton elite members get every fifth night free when booking a reward stay of five nights or more using points.

In addition to the Amex Platinum and Amex Business Platinum, you'll also get automatic Hilton Gold status if you have the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card or The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card. Or you can get automatic top-tier Hilton Diamond status as a perk of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.

The information for the Hilton Aspire card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Bottom line

Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status can provide some valuable perks, so it's great that cardmembers of The Platinum Card from American Express and The Business Platinum Card from American Express can access these statuses as a perk of their card.

Getting Hilton Gold and Marriott Gold Elite status through the Amex Platinum or Business Platinum can be handy if you don't stay frequently enough with these programs to earn elite status organically and don't want to add a hotel credit card to your wallet.

However, having the Amex Platinum or Amex Business Platinum won't help you earn higher status with either program. After all, unlike select Marriott Bonvoy cards that provide elite night credits as a cardholder perk, you won't get Marriott Bonvoy elite night credits as a perk of the Amex Platinum and Amex Business Platinum.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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