4
Two of the most powerful travel credit cards ever made. One wallet. Here is how to choose.
If you have spent any time researching premium travel credit cards, you have almost certainly landed on this exact question: Amex Platinum or Chase Sapphire Reserve? Both cards are beloved by luxury travelers. Both offer incredible perks. And both carry substantial annual fees that, when used correctly, pay for themselves many times over.
This is not a generic comparison. This is written specifically for people who stay in luxury hotels, book suites, care about lounge access, and want their credit card working as hard as they do. Here is the definitive 2026 breakdown.
The Quick Verdict
- Choose Amex Platinum if your priority is hotel perks, lounge access, elite status, and lifestyle credits across dining, wellness and entertainment
- Choose Chase Sapphire Reserve if your priority is flexible points, aggressive earning on travel and dining, and the best transfer to World of Hyatt
- Best answer for serious luxury travelers: carry both
Annual Fees
- Amex Platinum: $895 per year (increased from $695 in September 2025)
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: $795 per year (increased from $550 in June 2025)
Both fees sound intimidating until you add up the credits and benefits. As you will see below, both cards offer well over $2,000 in annual value for travelers who use them strategically.
Amex Platinum — Full 2026 Benefits
Hotel Benefits
- $600 Annual Hotel Credit: Up to $300 back semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels and Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings through Amex Travel. At a Four Seasons or Rosewood, this credit alone covers a significant portion of a night’s stay.
- Fine Hotels and Resorts Program: Book through Amex Travel and receive daily breakfast for two, room upgrades, noon check-in, 4pm late checkout, and a $100 property credit at over 1,000 luxury properties. Average value per stay is $550.
- Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status: Complimentary Gold status at over 8,000 Marriott properties including Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis.
- Hilton Honors Gold Status: Complimentary Gold status with room upgrades and free breakfast at select Hilton properties.
Lounge Access
- Centurion Lounges: Access to Amex’s flagship lounge network, widely considered the best in the US with chef-driven food, premium cocktails, and spa services.
- Priority Pass Select: Access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide.
- Delta Sky Club: 10 complimentary visits per year when flying on an eligible Delta flight.
- Lufthansa Lounges: Access to Lufthansa Business and Senator lounges when flying Lufthansa.
Travel Credits
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Annual credit for incidental fees on one selected airline.
- $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit: Every four years.
- $209 CLEAR Plus Credit: Annual credit for CLEAR airport security membership.
Lifestyle and Dining Credits
- $400 Resy Credit: Up to $100 per quarter for dining at US Resy restaurants.
- $200 Uber Cash: $15 per month plus a $20 bonus in December for Uber rides and Uber Eats.
- $120 Uber One Credit: Annual credit for Uber One membership.
- $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Up to $25 per month for Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Peacock, Paramount+, YouTube Premium and more.
Wellness Credits
- $300 Equinox Credit: Annual credit toward Equinox gym membership or Equinox+ app.
- $300 lululemon Credit: Annual credit for lululemon purchases.
- $200 Oura Ring Credit: Annual discount toward an Oura Ring health tracker.
Points Earning
- 5x points on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel (up to $500,000 per year)
- 5x points on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel
- 1x points on all other purchases
Chase Sapphire Reserve — Full 2026 Benefits
Hotel Benefits
- $500 The Edit Hotel Credit: Two separate $250 credits for prepaid stays of two nights or more at The Edit by Chase Travel, a curated collection of over 1,100 luxury hotels. Includes daily breakfast for two, $100 property credit, and room upgrades. Available anytime during the calendar year with no biannual restrictions.
- $250 Select Hotel Credit (2026 only): Additional credit for prepaid stays at IHG Hotels and Resorts, Montage, Pendry, Omni, Virgin Hotels, Minor Hotels, and Pan Pacific Hotels. Two-night minimum required.
- IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite Status: Complimentary through December 31, 2027, unlocking upgrades and benefits at over 6,000 IHG properties worldwide.
- $50 Annual Hotel Credit: For hotel stays booked through Chase Travel.
Lounge Access
- Chase Sapphire Lounges by The Club: Complimentary access with up to two guests at all Chase Sapphire Lounge locations including New York LaGuardia, Boston Logan, Phoenix, San Diego, Las Vegas, and more with DFW and LAX opening in 2026.
- Priority Pass Select: Access to over 1,300 lounges worldwide with unlimited guests.
Travel Credits
- $300 Annual Travel Credit: Automatically applied to any travel purchase including flights, hotels, rideshare, parking and tolls. The most flexible travel credit of any premium card.
- $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit: Every four years.
- Trip Cancellation Insurance: Up to $10,000 per traveler and $20,000 per trip.
Dining and Lifestyle Credits
- $300 Exclusive Tables Dining Credit: Up to $150 semi-annually for dining at Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables restaurants on OpenTable in major cities.
- Apple TV+ and Apple Music: Complimentary subscriptions through June 2027, valued at $288 annually.
- DoorDash DashPass: Complimentary membership plus monthly credits.
Points Earning
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel including The Edit
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
Real Cost Breakdown — What You Actually Pay
Amex Platinum effective cost for an active user:
- $895 annual fee
- Minus $600 hotel credit
- Minus $400 Resy dining credit
- Minus $300 digital entertainment credit
- Minus $300 Equinox credit
- Minus $200 airline fee credit
- Minus $200 Uber Cash
- Effective annual cost after major credits: well below zero for most active users
Chase Sapphire Reserve effective cost for an active user:
- $795 annual fee
- Minus $300 travel credit
- Minus $500 The Edit hotel credit
- Minus $250 select hotel credit (2026)
- Minus $300 Exclusive Tables dining credit
- Effective annual cost after major credits: well below zero for travelers who use hotel credits
Points Flexibility — Chase Wins for Hotel Redemptions
- Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers 1:1 to World of Hyatt — the single most valuable hotel points transfer in the industry. 30,000 Chase points become 30,000 Hyatt points redeemable for a free night at a Park Hyatt or Alila property worth $800 or more.
- Points Boost: Chase points are now worth up to 2x on thousands of top-booked hotels and select flights through Chase Travel, dramatically increasing redemption value.
- Amex Membership Rewards transfers to Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, and over a dozen airline programs. Excellent for airline redemptions, slightly less favorable for hotels.
Side by Side Comparison
| Benefit | Amex Platinum | Chase Sapphire Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $895 | $795 |
| Hotel Credit | $600 Fine Hotels and Resorts | $500 The Edit + $250 select hotels |
| Travel Credit | $200 airline | $300 any travel |
| Dining Credit | $400 Resy | $300 Exclusive Tables |
| Lounge Access | Centurion, Priority Pass, Delta, Lufthansa | Sapphire Lounges, Priority Pass |
| Hotel Status | Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold | IHG Platinum Elite |
| Best Earning | 5x on flights | 8x Chase Travel, 4x direct flights and hotels |
| Best Transfer | Airlines | World of Hyatt |
| Wellness Credits | $800+ Equinox, lululemon, Oura | None |
| Entertainment | $300 streaming | Apple TV+ and Apple Music |
| Global Entry | Yes | Yes |
The Luxury Traveler Strategy — Carry Both
- Use Amex Platinum for flights booked directly (5x points), Fine Hotels and Resorts bookings, and Centurion Lounge access
- Use Chase Sapphire Reserve for all dining (3x), Chase Travel bookings (8x), and direct hotel and flight bookings (4x)
- Use The Edit credit for luxury hotel stays through Chase Travel to get breakfast, upgrades, and $100 property credit plus statement credit
- Transfer Chase points to World of Hyatt for free luxury hotel nights
- Use Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts for Four Seasons, Rosewood, and Aman stays
- Stack Marriott Bonvoy Gold from Amex Platinum on all Marriott stays for upgrades and bonus points
Our Recommendation
After the 2025 refreshes, both cards have never been more valuable. If you can only choose one and you prioritize hotel experiences above everything else, start with the Amex Platinum. The $600 hotel credit, Fine Hotels and Resorts program, Centurion Lounge access, and complimentary hotel elite status make it the single most powerful card for luxury hotel stays.
If you want the best everyday earning and the most valuable hotel points transfer, the Chase Sapphire Reserve with its 8x earning on Chase Travel, $500 Edit hotel credit, and 1:1 transfer to World of Hyatt is unmatched for maximizing point value.
For the full luxury traveler experience, carry both. The combined annual fees pay for themselves on a single well-planned luxury trip.
Ready to dive deeper? Read our full guide on How to Maximize Hotel Rewards and Elite Status for the complete luxury traveler playbook.
