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

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.

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 perks, including complimentary entry to Centurion Lounges and extra benefits on luxury hotel stays booked through the American Express 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 and Business Platinum.

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).

Related: Complete guide to authorized users on the Amex Platinum Card

How do I enroll?

To enroll in either (or both) complimentary hotel elite statuses, log in to your American Express account, click on “Rewards & Benefits” in the top navigation bar and then select “Benefits.” Scroll down — you may need to expand a “Premium Travel” section — to find separate icons for Hilton and Marriott.

Click “Learn More” in either (or both) tiles for more information. If you want to enroll, click “Enroll Now” and enter your member number with the hotel loyalty program. This online enrollment process should work for both primary and additional Platinum cardholders, but you can also enroll by calling the customer service number on the back of your Amex Platinum or Amex Business Platinum card.

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. The upgrade usually takes three to five business days but could take longer, so don’t wait until just before a trip to enroll in these benefits.

Related: Here’s how much value you can get from the Amex Platinum card in your first year

What are the benefits of Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status?

Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status usually requires you to accrue at least 25 elite night credits per calendar year. As a Marriott Gold Elite member, you’ll have access to the following benefits:

• 25% more points on stays: Earn 25% more points than base-level members on eligible hotel purchases at participating Marriott properties.
• Enhanced room upgrades: The Marriott Bonvoy 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” at participating properties. However, each hotel is left to identify room upgrades; some brands don’t offer complimentary upgrades, and upgrades are subject to availability.
• Late checkout at 2 p.m.: Get 2 p.m. late checkout at participating brands upon request (based on availability).
• Enhanced internet: Enjoy complimentary enhanced internet when staying at participating properties.
• Welcome points: Get 250 or 500 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 the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card. Meanwhile, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card offers automatic Platinum Elite status.

Related: 29 best Marriott hotels in the world

What are the benefits of Hilton Honors 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 on stays: 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 (at select brands in the U.S. and at Motto by Hilton properties globally) or daily complimentary continental breakfast (at select brands outside the U.S., excluding Motto by Hilton) 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. The Hilton Honors 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 and may vary within each brand.” 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 (up to four free nights per stay) 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. Additionally, 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.

Related: The 20 best Hilton hotels in the world

Bottom line

Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status 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 enroll in 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 useful 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 benefit of the Amex Platinum and Amex Business Platinum.