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What Is Amex The Hotel Collection?
Advertiser Disclosure: nextcard may receive compensation from card issuers. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain. For the most up-to-date terms & conditions, refer to the official credit card application on the issuer's website.
Amex’s The Hotel Collection (THC) gives eligible bookings a $100 property credit and potential room upgrades on qualifying stays of at least two consecutive nights.
The biggest opportunity is combining these benefits with the Amex Platinum Card's up to $600 annual lodging credit, particularly at hotels costing less than $150 per night.
And these affordable properties aren't impossible to find. Using nextcard's FHRMaxxer, we identified 10 THC hotels with average nightly rates between $119 and $170, including properties in Ecuador, Dubai, Croatia, and China.
The one problem is that The Hotel Collection requires at least two consecutive nights. That's why we built FHRMaxxer, a free tool that helps travelers discover participating hotels and their cheapest dates.
TL;DR
Every The Hotel Collection stay includes a $100 property credit, with room upgrades, noon check-in, and 4 p.m. checkout when available
Platinum and Business Platinum Card Members can use their up to $600 annual lodging credit, split into two $300 semiannual credits, on eligible prepaid THC bookings.
NH Collection Royal Quito is the cheapest hotel by average nightly rate, at $119, with a lowest observed night of $90.
The two-night minimum, lack of complimentary breakfast, and potentially higher booking rates mean THC isn't always the cheapest option.
The Hotel Collection is an American Express Travel program offering additional benefits at more than 1,400 participating hotels worldwide.
Eligible cardholders include:
American Express® Gold Card
Amex Business Gold Card
American Express Platinum Card®
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Amex Centurion Black Card
Certain additional cardmembers are also eligible.
Unlike Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR), The Hotel Collection is available to Gold Card Members. However, the Gold Card doesn't include the Platinum Card's annual lodging statement credit.
To receive THC benefits, you must book a 2 night minimum stay through American Express Travel.
Qualifying stays of at least two consecutive nights include the following benefits:
Benefit | What you receive |
|---|---|
Property credit | $100 toward eligible on-property charges per stay |
Room upgrade | Upon arrival, subject to availability |
Early check-in | Noon check-in, when available |
Late checkout | 4 p.m. checkout, when available |
Minimum stay | Two consecutive nights |
The $100 property credit applies to eligible on-property purchases during your stay.
Depending on the property, this could cover restaurant purchases, spa treatments, or other qualifying experiences. The credit can't be applied toward your prepaid room rate or exchanged for cash.
THC bookings also include potential room upgrades, noon check-in, and 4 p.m. checkout. All three are subject to availability (not guaranteed). A room upgrade could be valuable at an expensive property, while late checkout can be particularly useful before an evening flight.
However, because these benefits aren't guaranteed, I wouldn't assign them a specific dollar value when comparing hotels.
One of the biggest misconceptions about THC is that every participating hotel costs hundreds of dollars per night. That said, if you know where to look, you can find some cheap winners. We identified 10 particularly affordable properties below:
Hotel | Location | Lowest nightly rate found | Average nightly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
NH Collection Royal Quito | Quito, Ecuador | $90 (Jan 29, 2027) | $119 |
Canopy by Hilton Dubai Al Seef | Dubai, UAE | $90 (Jun 3, 2027) | $136 |
Canopy by Hilton Zagreb City Centre | Zagreb, Croatia | $98 (Feb 19, 2027) | $146 |
NH Collection Plaza Santiago | Santiago, Chile | $105 (Dec 25, 2026) | $151 |
NH Collection Buenos Aires Jousten | Buenos Aires, Argentina | $121 (Jan 9, 2027) | $154 |
Conrad Tianjin | Tianjin, China | $135 (Nov 29, 2026) | $157 |
Melia Granada | Granada, Spain | $122 (Nov 29, 2026) | $165 |
Boeira Garden Hotel Porto Gaia (Curio) | Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal | $133 (Nov 8, 2026) | $166 |
Shangri-La Lhasa | Lhasa, China | $166 (Nov 1, 2026) | $166 |
Hyatt Centric Malta | St. Julian's, Malta | $97 (Dec 1, 2026) | $170 |
Rates are from FHRMaxxer as of November 2026. The lowest rate represents an observed single-night price on the listed date; the average reflects the nightly prices from our research. Rates can change at any time!
Several European properties stand out for their convenient locations near major attractions and historic neighborhoods.
Canopy by Hilton Zagreb City Centre sits in the heart of Croatia's capital, within walking distance of Ban Jelačić Square, Zagreb Cathedral, and the city's historic Upper Town. It's a great base for exploring Zagreb's museums, cafés, and charming streets.
Meliá Granada is located in central Granada, just minutes from Granada Cathedral, Plaza Nueva, and the city's famous tapas bars. Its location also makes it convenient for visiting the Alhambra, one of Spain's most iconic landmarks.
Boeira Garden Hotel Porto Gaia is situated in Vila Nova de Gaia, across the Douro River from Porto. The hotel is surrounded by gardens and offers easy access to Porto's famous port wine cellars, the Douro waterfront, and the Dom Luís I Bridge.
The Hotel Collection also includes properties in interesting locations across the Middle East and Asia.
Canopy by Hilton Dubai Al Seef sits along Dubai Creek in the historic Al Seef district. Unlike hotels surrounded by Dubai's modern skyscrapers, this property offers easy access to traditional markets, waterfront restaurants, and the Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood. It's a particularly appealing location for travelers interested in experiencing Old Dubai.
Conrad Tianjin is located in Tianjin's Nankai District, near Tianjin Water Park, Nankai University, and the Tianjin Zoo. The hotel is also close to a metro station, making it convenient to explore the rest of the city.
For travelers considering other destinations in Asia, nextcard also has hotel comparisons covering Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Istanbul.
Finding affordable THC properties manually can be frustrating because nightly rates change significantly depending on location and travel dates.
That's where FHRMaxxer comes in. We built FHRMaxxer to show participating Amex hotels on a map with nightly pricing, so you can compare properties and dates before checking the final booking in Amex Travel.
Getting started takes a few steps:
Open FHRMaxxer.
Search for your destination or browse hotels on the map.
Identify participating THC hotels and compare their displayed prices.
Explore the lowest-priced dates and look for consecutive nights that fit your budget.
Confirm the final price and availability through American Express Travel before booking.
Metric | THC |
|---|---|
Average per night | $514 |
Median per night | $468 |
Average two-night total | $1,027 |
Median two-night total | $935 |
*Illustrative only. Prices based on nextcard’s research with FHRMaxxer.
You can see above that a typical two-night stay can be quite expensive, but you can definitely find good value using the FHRMaxxer.
Platinum Card Members can access both programs, but they offer different benefits.
Benefit | The Hotel Collection | Fine Hotels + Resorts |
|---|---|---|
Gold Card access | Yes | No |
$100 property credit | Yes | Yes |
Breakfast for two | Not standard | Included daily |
Room upgrade | When available | When available |
Noon check-in | When available | When available |
4 p.m. checkout | When available | Guaranteed |
Minimum stay for program benefits | 2 nights | 1 night (min 2 nights starting Jan 1, 2027) |
Fine Hotels + Resorts generally provides stronger benefits, particularly daily breakfast and guaranteed late checkout.
To receive THC benefits, you must book a participating property through American Express Travel for at least two consecutive nights.
If you want to use the Platinum lodging credit, select an eligible prepaid Pay Now reservation with your Platinum Card. Pay Later bookings don't qualify for that statement credit. Before booking, compare the final price with the hotel's direct-booking rate.
One additional benefit is that eligible prepaid hotel bookings through Amex Travel can earn 5X Membership Rewards points with the Platinum Card, subject to the current American Express terms.
The Hotel Collection can offer excellent value, especially for Platinum Card Members combining affordable two-night stays with their semiannual lodging credit.
FHRMaxxer shows that participating hotels don't have to be expensive, with several properties averaging less than $150 per night. Use FHRMaxxer to identify the cheapest properties and dates, then confirm a qualifying two-night reservation through Amex Travel before paying.
Yes, you must book at least two consecutive nights through Amex Travel to receive THC benefits (just to be clear: you have to make a two night booking to even book a THC hotel).
Yes. Eligible American Express Gold and Business Gold Card Members can receive THC benefits, including the $100 property credit and potential room upgrades.
Per stay. The $100 credit applies to qualifying on-property purchases during an eligible reservation. Consecutive back-to-back bookings generally won't generate additional credits.
NH Collection Royal Quito is the cheapest property by average nightly rate, averaging $119 per night. It also had a lowest observed nightly rate of $90 on January 29, 2027.
No. Complimentary daily breakfast isn't a standard THC benefit. This is one of the biggest differences between The Hotel Collection and Fine Hotels + Resorts, which includes daily breakfast for two.
Advertiser Disclosure: nextcard may receive compensation from card issuers. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain. For the most up-to-date terms & conditions, refer to the official credit card application on the issuer's website.