The Best Way For Theme Park Fans To Use The Amex $200 Hotel Credit

The Platinum Card® from American Express offers cardholders an annual $200 statement credit on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR) or The Hotel Collection (THC) bookings through the American Express Travel Portal. While the credit helps justify the card’s $695 annual fee (see rates and fees), it can be annoying to use given the limited list of hotels. Terms apply.

But for theme park aficionados, one hotel in Orlando stands out as an especially-good deal: Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando.

As an FHR property, guests who book through AmEx's travel portal are eligible for reimbursement by way of up to $200 statement credits annually when prepaid on The Platinum Card® from American Express. That’s on top of a myriad of other benefits, which can include hotel credits and room upgrades. Terms apply.

For what it's worth, about a half-dozen other hotels bookable through either FHR or The Hotel Collection are located within five miles of one of Orlando’s Disney World or Universal Resort parks, including:

• Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort.

• Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando.

• Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando.

• JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa.

• Waldorf Astoria Orlando.

• Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort.

• Walt Disney World Swan.

• Walt Disney World Swan Reserve.

» Learn more: Is Universal Express Pass worth it?

Booking any of these hotels through AmEx can double up as a good use of the The Platinum Card® from American Express's annual credit and a way to save on a Disney World or Universal vacation. Terms apply.

But the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando sits a notch higher. Here's a look at the property and why it’s such a good deal as far as luxury theme park hotels go:

Early entry at Universal theme parks: There are a handful of Universal Orlando hotels, ranging in price and poshness. No matter which you choose, all Universal-owned hotel guests receive early theme park entry.

Though you’ll still have to pay for your own theme park tickets, the benefit allows you park access one hour before everyone else. That extra hour with fewer guests competing to get on rides goes a long way in making it possible to do Universal Studios in one day.

Free Universal Express Unlimited ride access: Universal Express Pass is basically a front-of-the-line pass, which you can purchase to supplement your theme park tickets. There are two types of passes. Universal Express is the cheaper of the two and lets you skip the regular line once per ride, per day. Universal Express Unlimited is more expensive, but lets you skip the line an unlimited number of times. That can be worth it if you anticipate hitting popular rides like the Jurassic World VelociCoaster more than once a day.

Hotels in the highest category of Universal-owned hotels (called Premier) dole out Universal Express Unlimited ride access to its guests for free. Premier tier hotels are:

• Loews Royal Pacific Resort.

• Hard Rock Hotel.

• Loews Portofino Bay Hotel.

Universal Express prices vary by day, but here are the ranges:

If you were planning to buy Universal Express Unlimited anyway, then a party of two would get a minimum of $220 in value off this benefit alone by booking the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel — and potentially $760 in value.

You’ll get the above benefits no matter how you pay. But when you pay for your room with The Platinum Card from American Express, you get the following additional benefits:

• 12 p.m. check-in, when available.

• Room upgrade at check-in, when available.

• Daily breakfast for two.

• An $100 food and beverage credit, valid during your stay.

• 4 p.m. check-out guaranteed.

The free breakfast offering is typically the buffet at Trattoria del Porto, which is worth $30 per person (thus $60 for two). There, you’ll find American fare including an omelet station, biscuits, pancakes, oatmeal, bacon, fruit and pastries.

That $100 food and beverage credit can be used at the property's roughly-half-dozen restaurants, most of which jive with the hotel’s Italian theme. You might dine on lasagna or gnocchi at Mama Della's Ristorante ($100 roughly covers dinner for two). To stretch your credit, you might make multiple orders at lower-cost restaurants, such as Gelateria or Sal's Market Deli.

Note that the $100 credit is offered per stay, not per night.

NerdWallet considers Loews Portofino Bay Hotel to be one of the best Universal Orlando hotels.

With Italian-inspired architecture modeled after the seafront town of Portofino, it’s themed without being overly-kitschy. There’s a fair amount to do on-property, including a spa and three pools (one of which has a Roman aqueduct-themed water slide). Shops and restaurants line the main plaza, which borders a lovely harbor. And every night at sunset, there’s a live opera performance.

From that harbor, catch a water taxi that shuttles you to the Universal theme parks, as well as the CityWalk entertainment complex. Otherwise, it’s about a 20-minute walk on a paved, pedestrian road to the theme parks.

According to Orlando theme park price tracking site Touring Plans, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel room rates range between $414 to $739 per night (with lower prices during off and shoulder seasons, and higher prices during high seasons).

That ranks among the priciest Universal hotels. For context, the Sapphire Falls Resort ranges between $226 and $350, according to Touring Plans estimates. Meanwhile, Universal's Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites typically costs between just $113 and $278.

But only guests at hotels in Universal’s Premier tier (which includes Portofino Bay) receive complimentary Universal Express Unlimited Ride access, which is a huge factor in its value.

To do that, we’ll run two models. The first one is modeled after the low season, meaning a low room rate (and subsequently low dollar value for the Universal Express Pass). The second one assumes you’re visiting on a peak night, where the Universal Express Pass is also worth more.

If you visit when rates are low, you’d receive $380 in value (assuming you’d pay for the Express Unlimited Pass and food anyway), despite a $414 room rate. With some mental gymnastics, you might say you paid just $34 for the room.

It’s even more valuable during peak seasons. With benefits worth $920 (given the increased value of Universal Express Unlimited Pass), someone who paid $739 might take the leap and say they “saved” $181 by booking with The Platinum Card from American Express.

Folks who haven’t yet claimed their card’s annual $200 hotel credit might make an even wider leap and say they saved $166 in Model One and $381 in Model Two.

Plus, that doesn’t account for the other benefits that come when booking through the Amex Travel Portal such as room upgrades and late check-out, which are tougher to quantify (particularly since they’re only offered ‘when available’ anyway).

Beware, a few extra costs

For Universal guests who’d otherwise pay for a Universal Express pass and take advantage of the free food benefits, then paying for this hotel with The Platinum Card from American Express makes for an exceptionally good deal.

Even more delightfully is that there are no resort fees, which otherwise plague budget-conscious tourists in tourist destinations. That said, there are a few extra costs to watch out for before booking:

You might see higher prices when booking through Amex

Room rates on the American Express Travel portal are occasionally higher than rates when booked directly with Universal Studios or through other third-parties. NerdWallet did not find that to be the case in our analysis of prices, but your mileage may vary.

Sure, Amex bookings entail extra benefits including the $100 dining credit, extended check-in and check-out, room upgrades and free breakfast. There’s also the $200 annual statement credit when paid with The Platinum Card from American Express. But, you might rather just pay a lower sticker price and forgo those extras. If so, compare prices before booking.

Hotel guests beyond two adults per room incur an additional cost

Don’t assume you can cram your entire posse into one room and still get free Universal Express Passes for everyone.

While most rooms accommodate four guests (or five with a rollaway), advertised rates assume two adult guests per room. You’ll owe an additional $40 per adult beyond the first two adults per room.

If you’ve got five people, you’ll also need a rollaway bed, which is an additional $35 plus tax per day.

Yet considering that Universal Express Pass is worth between $109 and $379, the additional $40 (or $75 once you account for the rollaway bed) is still not a bad deal if your priority is getting Express Pass at an incredible rate.

If you’d otherwise pay for Universal Express Unlimited out of pocket, then it’s almost always a good idea to book one of the Universal Premier hotels.

The question comes down to whether or not you’d pay for Universal Express Unlimited. If you’re unlikely to ride the same attraction multiple times, the Unlimited version isn’t any better than standard Universal Express. And even Universal Express varies in value. When visiting during off-season, lines can be so short that it sometimes takes longer to have the employee scan your Universal Express badge than to simply hop in the regular line.

Additionally, not every ride participates in the Universal Express Pass program. Notably absent is Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, which typically commands the park’s longest lines. To ensure the shortest wait time on the popular Harry Potter-themed coaster, you’re best off using the early entry perk (offered to guests of any Universal hotel).

But during peak season, Universal Express can save hours that you’d otherwise spend in the queue. If time is money, then Universal Express Pass is absolutely worth it. And assuming you need a place to sleep, then using The Platinum Card from American Express to fund a night at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is a no-brainer.

That said, it's not your only option. Among the hotels available through FHR and THC, the only other hotel that usually offers early Universal theme park entry is Loews Sapphire Falls at Universal Orlando.

Though the rooms are comparable in quality, it's the FHR-related upgrades that make Portofino a generally-better pick. Here's a comparison of those two hotels:

Of course, plenty of people come to Orlando for Disney in addition to (or instead of) Universal. And, there are a few FHR and THC properties that are well-suited for a Disney vacation.

If you want early Disney entry

With Disney’s version of early entry, guests at certain Orlando hotels can enter the four Walt Disney World theme parks 30 minutes before everyone else. THC and FHR properties that allow early Disney park entry include:

• Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort.

• Waldorf Astoria Orlando.

• Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort.

• Walt Disney World Swan.

• Walt Disney World Swan Reserve.

If you prioritize walking distance to the parks, choose the Walt Disney World Dolphin, Swan and Swan Reserve. The sibling properties are walkable to Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

If you value VIP hotel treatment, consider the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort or Waldorf Astoria Orlando. Both are FHR properties, which entail extra benefits, including complimentary daily breakfast for two and guaranteed late checkout.

The other option in the Disney resort area, the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort, doesn’t offer early theme park entry. Though perhaps that’s a moot point if you’re sleeping in or noshing on the complimentary breakfast anyway.

Here's how all those properties compare:

Despite all the benefits of booking through the American Express Travel portal, there’s a catch. Room rates are sometimes higher than when booked through other third parties or directly through the hotel.

Even with the extra benefits (and the opportunity to use up the $200 annual statement credit when paid with The Platinum Card® from American Express), you might prefer to pay a lower sticker price and forgo those extras. Terms apply.

But at certain hotels, the top benefits aren’t just about saving money — they're about saving time. Early entry at Disney and Universal can mean the difference between getting on the top attractions versus potentially wasting time in line for lackluster rides.

Particularly if you’d otherwise purchase Universal Express Unlimited out of pocket, using The Platinum Card® from American Express to fund a night at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is a no-brainer. Terms apply.