A few months ago, I started to write a blog post about the Amex Offers as part of an effort to explain my miles and points hobby. I hoped to justify why I pay a hefty annual fee on some of my travel credit cards. But I never got around to finishing it.

Last week, while in transit at Logan International Airport in Boston, I bumped into a dear friend. The travel bug had infected him too; during our conversation, he mentioned that he was exploring available Amex hotel offers on his American Express Platinum Card. This chance encounter motivated me to finish what I started, or at least a version of it.

1. What is the Amex Offers program?

The Amex Offers program is available through most American Express cards. The offers come in the form of bonus points, added to your Amex rewards account, or discounts on purchases. The offers are for brands spanning multiple categories: travel, shopping, dining, and entertainment. In some cases, the discounts are substantial, and I rely on them to offset the card’s hefty annual fee.

To access the Amex Offers online, go to “Amex Offers & Benefits” after logging in to the account summary page. Access is also available on the Amex mobile app, which is very convenient. On the other hand, if you have multiple American Express cards, each one will have its own Offers page. If the same offer is available on multiple cards, you can only add it to one of them.

To take advantage of an offer, you must add it to a card. But before you do, read the offer’s terms and conditions carefully, and make a note of the expiration date. When you are ready to redeem the offer, you must use the same card you added it to.

2. Current Hotel Savings with Amex Offers

As of the date of this post, American Express has some great offers with big savings on hotel stays at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties as well as Hilton brand hotels.

Savings at Marriott Bonvoy Properties

This is an offer for a $40 statement credit after spending a minimum of $200 on room charges, which expires on June 3, 2019. This one appeals the most to me because I have been a loyal Marriott customer, it’s a whopping 20-percent discount and it’s valid on most Marriott Bonvoy properties in the US.

It is worth noting that this offer was only available on my Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex credit card. This is great because this card also offers bonus points for hotel spending. It is almost like double dipping.

This offer has many terms. Here are some to be aware of before redeeming it:

• You must add the offer to your card.
• It’s valid only at participating properties in the US and US territories.
• Book your reservations directly with Marriott: online on marriott.com, via the Marriott Bonvoy app or by phone.
• You can’t use this offer to purchase Marriott gift cards.
• This offer excludes Marriott Vacation Club, Design Hotels, Protea Hotels, and Marriott Executive Apartments.

Savings at Hilton Hotels

Unlike the offer for Marriott Bonvoy properties, this one separately targets five Hilton brands:

1. Waldorf Astoria & Conard: Spend $500 or more, get $100 back – expires June 30, 2019.
2. Hilton: Spend $250 or more, get $50 back – expires May 30, 2019.
3. DoubleTree: Spend $225 or more, get $45 back – expires June 31, 2019.
4. Hilton Garden Inn: Spend $175 or more, get $35 back – expires June 30, 2019.
5. Homewood Suite & Home2 Suites by Hilton: Spend $250 or more, get $50 back – expires May 31, 2019.

The savings are mostly 20 percent except at the Hilton Garden Inn, where it’s approximately 17 percent. Each offer has its own terms and conditions, however. Here are some common ones to be aware of before redeeming one of these offers:

• You must add the offer to your card
• These offers are valid only at participating properties in the US and US territories.
• Book your reservations directly with Hilton: online via the Hilton App or by phone
• Advance purchase, Save Now & Pay and non-refundable rates aren’t eligible

It is worth mentioning that only two of the offers were available on my Hilton Honors Ascend Card while all five were available on my Amex Business Platinum Card. This speaks to the importance of checking each account and making a decision regarding which card to add each offer.

Bottom Line

First, if you haven’t done it already, check your American Express Cards for these Marriott and Hilton offers. Amex Offers are a great way to save money and also offset annual fees. Given my travel schedule between now and the end of June, I intend to take advantage of the Marriott offer and at least one of the Hilton offers. Depending on which Hilton brand I end up choosing, this will amount to $75 to $95 in combined savings for two stays – not bad at all.

Second, in general, Amex Offers are targeted. Therefore, different card accounts may come with different offers. With that in mind, you have to check the “Amex Offers & Benefits” page frequently. Otherwise, you may miss the offers American Express has targeted to you.

Finally, read the terms and conditions to make sure you will meet the spending requirements by the deadline. Once you have met all the conditions and redeemed an offer, credits for the discounts will appear on the card statement within 90 days. The same applies to “extra” or bonus points. That is to say, they will appear within the same timeframe on the Membership Rewards program account.