I recently saved around $450 on a two-night hotel stay by booking it with the right card. And I did it in a way I honestly hadn't tried before, but absolutely will again.
The American Express Platinum Card®, which I have and love, comes with up to $600 in annual hotel statement credits, split into two up-to-$300 credits each calendar year — one from January through June and another from July through December.
These can be used on eligible prepaid stays booked through American Express Travel® at either Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
But as I recently discovered, how you use that credit can make a big difference in the value you get from it.
Related: How to maximize the $300 Amex Platinum hotel credit
Shifting how we use the $300 Amex Platinum hotel credit
To be transparent, I've mostly used our Amex Platinum hotel statement credits for stays at Fine Hotels + Resorts rather than The Hotel Collection.
That's partly because Fine Hotels + Resorts allows one-night bookings, but also because its properties come with more extensive benefits, including complimentary breakfast for two and guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout.
The problem with that strategy is that Fine Hotels + Resorts properties are generally pretty pricey. As in, it's not uncommon for stays to cost $500 to $1,000 per night.
TPG Tip: You can use sites such as MaxMyFHR to quickly find some of the lower-cost hotels and dates where you can use these benefits.
While a up-to-$300 credit can make a one-night luxury stay more affordable, that isn't always the best fit when I'm traveling with my family.
Enter: Amex's The Hotel Collection.
The Hotel Collection includes a range of upscale properties, some of which can be more affordable than Fine Hotels + Resorts options.
On a recent long weekend trip to Disney World with my family, we used our $300 credit to book a two-night stay at the Walt Disney World Swan, which is part of The Hotel Collection.
For those not familiar with the Walt Disney World Swan, it's actually a Marriott property located on Disney property, within walking distance of both Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios. It's basically a perfect combination for someone who loves points, card perks and Disney.
The nearby Walt Disney World Dolphin and Walt Disney World Swan Reserve are also Marriott properties available through Amex's The Hotel Collection.
Related: Best hotels near Disney World you can book with points
How the $300 benefit actually saved us $450
Our two-night stay at the Swan over a busy holiday weekend cost $672 through Amex Travel, plus a resort fee that we paid directly to the hotel.
That charge triggered the $300 Amex Platinum statement credit, bringing our pre-resort-fee cost down to just $372 total, or $186 per night. For a nice hotel on Disney property during a holiday weekend, this was already a great deal.
But that wasn't the only reason this was such a great way to book the stay.
While The Hotel Collection's benefits aren't as extensive as those at Fine Hotels + Resorts, they still made a pretty big difference. In this case, booking through Amex Travel and The Hotel Collection came with a $150 property credit.
We used most of that credit on dinner and drinks for the whole family at Rosa Mexicano at the neighboring Dolphin, and the rest on some other incidentals. We charged the meal back to our room at the Swan, allowing us to use the credit on something we would have paid for anyway.
The Hotel Collection typically advertises a $100 property credit as part of its benefits, but some hotels offer more, as was the case here.
Factoring in the $150 property credit, which we used toward expenses we would have paid for anyway, we received $450 in combined value from the stay. That brought our effective cost to $222 total, or $111 per night, before the resort fee.
That's a pretty unbeatable deal for a hotel on Disney property during a busy holiday weekend.
We were also able to get a 2 p.m. late checkout, which was pretty generous considering how busy the weekend was. Late checkout is subject to availability with The Hotel Collection, unlike the guaranteed 4 p.m. checkout you'd get through Fine Hotels + Resorts.
My Marriott Platinum benefits were also honored on the stay, which tacked on a $20 daily breakfast voucher that we were able to redeem at one of the on-property grab-and-go shops.
Bottom line
By combining the Amex Platinum's $300 hotel statement credit with a $150 property credit through The Hotel Collection, we received about $450 in value on a two-night stay we were already planning.
That alone doesn't offset the card's $895 annual fee (see rates and fees), but making the most of benefits like this one throughout the year is exactly how you can come out ahead with premium rewards cards.
And after years of primarily using my Amex Platinum hotel credits on short Fine Hotels + Resorts properties, I'll absolutely be giving The Hotel Collection a closer look going forward.
To learn more, read our full review of the Amex Platinum Card.
Apply here: American Express Platinum Card
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, click here.
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.