It’s no secret that nabbing a seat at the pointy end of the plane with American Express Membership Rewards® points1 is one of the best value ways to put them to use. When it comes to redeeming points, it’s hard to look past when sipping champagne at 36,000 feet for the price of a nice lunch – but that’s not to say you should close the book on redeeming points for hotels entirely.
American Express Membership Rewards allows you to transfer points to two hotel partners, Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors2,3. The catch with hotel redemptions is they generally use dynamic pricing, so unlike fixed flight redemptions, points don’t have a set value. That, and the number of points can differ at any time. This means the better value redemptions are usually enjoyed at the higher end of the scale, in rooms costing north of $1000 per night.
Value lies in the eye of the beholder, so don’t let anyone tell you that spending Membership Rewards points on hotels is naive. It all depends on what makes your life easier and more cost-effective. Throw in perks from American Express programs like those offered by the American Express Platinum Card®, and it can quickly become a tantalising proposition.
Yes, there’s a lot to consider, so let’s dive into the details below.
An example of a limited-time transfer bonus on the American Express website for Marriott Bonvoy points.
Transfer Bonuses
Occasionally, the Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy hotel groups will run bonus offers for points transfers. In 2023, Marriott ran a bonus 50% points promotion that meant for every 600 Membership Rewards points transferred during the promotion you earned an extra 300 Marriott Bonvoy points. With a usual transfer rate of 3:2, or 600 Membership Rewards points to 400 Marriott Bonvoy points, the promotion meant points transferred at a 6:7 ratio unlocked 700 Marriott Bonvoy points for every 600 Membership Rewards points.
If you transferred points during the promotion to book Ritz-Carlton Melbourne at 56,000 Bonvoy points, it would have cost 48,000 Membership Rewards points. Speculatory transferring of miles isn’t something we’d advise but if you frequent a hotel often, and plan on going back at some point, making the most of these bonus offers will ensure your balance goes further.
American Express Card Member Perks
Depending on the American Express Card you hold, you may have a handful of attractive perks you can add to the value equation to make your decision a little easier. The American Express Platinum Card, in our opinion, reigns supreme for perks and that starts with the Fine Hotels & Resorts4 program you’re enrolled in once the Card is issued.
The program offers eligible American Express Platinum Card Members access to over 1,600 extraordinary properties around the world. As part of the program, the hotels offer special perks exclusive to guests of American Express and give American Express Platinum Card Members the ability to earn Membership Rewards points when paying with their American Express Card.
Benefits vary across participating hotels, but Fine Hotels & Resorts properties offer a suite of tasty perks including a complimentary room upgrade if available, breakfast for two, 12 pm early check-in when available, guaranteed late check-out at 4 pm, and a unique amenity specific to the property valued at US$100 – such as dining, beverages, or spa treatments, based on availability.4
The best part with Fine Hotels & Resorts is that you get the perks regardless of whether you pay with your eligible Amex Card or book with points. And on some occasions, the program has exclusive offers for members such as complimentary nights or 25% off, for example. So, when you add a value to these perks (an average of US$550 per booking)4, it becomes easier to understand the total value of redeeming points for the nightly rate.
Stay Five. Pay Four.
Platinum Card Members have one more ace up their sleeve, complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status3 which entitles them to room upgrades (subject to availability), and an 80% earning bonus when booking with Hilton directly. But, the real highlight is your 5th night free on reward stays booked entirely with points.
Looking at Maui’s Waldorf Astoria Grand Wailea right now, that’s a saving of ~110,000 Hilton Honors points (220,000 Membership Rewards points) on the fifth night. The room costs $1,300 a night ($6,500 total), we can value the redemption at $0.007 cost per point on a regular transfer. We’ve run the numbers, and worked out that if you were to take advantage of a bonus offer – let’s say 50% – you’d only be using 165,000 Membership Rewards points per night. This would increase the value of each point in the redemption to $0.009.
Final thoughts
Ultimately, the value is in the detail (and the patience needed to extract it) when it comes to redeeming Membership Rewards points for hotels. Alternatively, if your spending habits allow, it might just be worth paying for hotels with the American Express Platinum Card, so you’re still earning the points, and then unlocking all the Card’s perks through programs like Fine Hotels & Resorts.
Fast Facts – The American Express Platinum Card
- Card type: Charge Card
- Annual Fee: $1,450 p.a.
- Cash Flow Period5: Up to 44 cash flow days and no pre-set spending limit6
This article was produced in partnership with American Express. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Boss Hunting.
Terms & Conditions
Subject to Terms and Conditions. Fees and charges apply. All information is correct as of 14/3/2025 and is subject to change. Cards are offered, issued, and administered by American Express Australia Limited (ABN 92 108 952 085). ®Registered Trademark of American Express Company.
- Membership Rewards Points.
Subject to the Terms and Conditions of the Membership Rewards program available here. To transfer Membership Rewards points into an airline rewards or frequent guest partner program you must be a member of the partner program. Membership of the partner program is the Card Member’s responsibility and is subject to the Terms and Conditions of the applicable program. A joining fee may apply. - Marriott Bonvoy.
As a Platinum Card Member you are eligible to enrol in complimentary Marriott Bonvoy™ Gold Elite Status. Once you request enrolment within the Marriott Bonvoy Program at the Gold Elite Status level, American Express will share your enrolment information with The Marriott Bonvoy™ Program. Marriott Bonvoy may use this information in accordance with its privacy statement available at marriott.com/privacy. You will maintain Gold Elite Status without meeting otherwise required Marriott Bonvoy criteria as long as you remain an eligible American Express Card Member or until American Express notifies you that the benefit is terminated. Marriott Bonvoy member benefits are subject to change, availability and certain eligibility requirements. Reservations booked through third parties and online booking sources are not eligible. For complete Marriott Bonvoy Program terms visit marriott.com/signInOverlay.mi. Marriott Bonvoy program amenities may not be combined with the Fine Hotels & Resorts program. Upgrades are based upon availability and will vary by property. - Hilton Honors.
As a Platinum Card Member you are eligible to enrol in complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status. Please note that a Hilton Honors Membership Number is required before you are able to enrol in this benefit. For Card Members who are new to Hilton Honors, please sign up here. Offer available only to Platinum Card Members and is not transferable. Full details of Gold status can be found at HiltonHonors.com/MemberBenefits and is subject to change by Hilton. Gold status benefits are subject to availability at participating hotels and resorts within the Hilton Portfolio. Once you request enrolment in Hilton Honors Gold status, American Express will share your enrolment information with Hilton. Hilton may use this information in accordance with its privacy policy available at Hilton.com/PrivacyPolicy. If you already have Hilton Honors Gold Status, you can maintain the benefit in the future because you don’t need to meet any stay requirements. You maintain Gold status without meeting otherwise required criteria only while an eligible cardholder or until American Express notifies you that the benefit is terminated. Hilton Honors™ membership, earning and redemption of Points are subject to Hilton Honors Terms & Conditions . All Hampton by Hilton™ hotels in the Republic of China are excluded from the Hilton Honors program. Visit HiltonHonors.com/Terms for more details. Effective April 2, 2018, the Earnings Style Options program, including Points and Points and Points and Miles, is no longer a valid feature of Hilton Honors. Any claims relating to the earning of Points and/or Miles under the Earnings Style Option program after April 2, 2018 are void. - Fine Hotels + Resorts.
Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR) program benefits are available for new bookings made through American Express Travel with participating properties and are valid only for eligible Platinum Charge Card Members and Centurion® Members. Platinum Credit Card Members who are not also Australian Platinum Charge Card Members or Centurion® Members, are not eligible for FHR program benefits. Bookings must be made using an eligible Card and must be paid using that Card, or another American Express® Card, in the eligible Card Member’s name, and that Card Member must be travelling on the itinerary booked. Noon check-in and room upgrade are subject to availability and are provided at check-in; certain room categories are not eligible for upgrade. The US$100 credit will be applied to eligible charges up to the amount of the credit. To receive the US$100 credit, the eligible spend must be charged to your hotel room. The US$100 credit will be applied at check-out. Advance reservations are recommended for certain US$100 credits. The type and value of the daily breakfast (for two) varies by property; breakfast will be valued at a minimum of US$60 per room per day. To receive the breakfast credit, the breakfast bill must be charged to your hotel room. The breakfast credit will be applied at check-out. If the cost of Wi-Fi is included in a mandatory property fee, a daily credit of that amount will be applied at check-out. Benefits are applied per room, per stay (with a three-room limit per stay). Back-to-back stays booked by a single Card Member, Card Members staying in the same room or Card Members travelling 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”). American Express and the property reserve the right to modify or revoke FHR benefits at any time without notice if we or they determine, in our or their sole discretion, that you may have engaged in a Prohibited Action, or have engaged in abuse, misuse, or gaming in connection with your FHR benefits. Benefit restrictions vary by property. Benefits cannot be redeemed for cash and are not combinable with other offers unless indicated. Benefits must be used during the stay booked. Any credits applicable are applied at check-out in USD or the local currency equivalent. Benefits, participating properties, and availability and amenities at those properties are subject to change. To be eligible for FHR program benefits, your eligible Card Account must not be cancelled. For additional information, please call the number on the back of your Card. - Cash Flow Days.
Cash flow days depend on your method of payment, when you make a purchase, when your statement is issued and whether or not you are carrying forward a balance on your Account from your previous statement period. If you pay by direct debit, your payment will be processed 10 days after your statement has been issued. - No Pre-set Spending Limit.
No pre-set spending limit does not mean unlimited spending. Your purchases are approved based on a variety of factors, including current spending patterns, your payment history, credit records, and financial information known to us.
