Amex Adds Leading Hotels of the World as Membership Rewards Transfer Partner
American Express has added Leading Hotels of the World Leaders Club as the newest transfer partner for its Membership Rewards program.
Cardholders can now transfer Membership Rewards points to Leaders Club at a 4:1 ratio, which means 1,000 Amex points become 250 Leaders Club points. Transfers must be made in increments of 1,000 Membership Rewards points. American Express says they may take up to 72 hours to process, but it should be instant in most cases.
The addition gives American Express a fourth hotel transfer partner and expands access to more than 400 independent luxury hotels in over 80 countries. The Leading Hotels of the World portfolio includes both well-known properties and smaller independent resorts that are not always part of the major hotel loyalty programs.
The new partnership also gives Amex a better transfer ratio than Citi ThankYou Rewards, which currently transfers to Leaders Club at a 5:1 ratio.
Leaders Club uses dynamic award pricing, so redemption rates vary by property, date, room rate and availability. Reward nights can begin at 4,500 Leaders Club points, and you should usually get an average value of around 8 cents per point. That means that the 4:1 transfer ratio could work out to roughly 2 cents in value per Membership Rewards point, depending on the booking.
The transfer partnership adds to the existing relationship between American Express and Leading Hotels of the World. Eligible U.S. Platinum Card® and Business Platinum Card® members already receive complimentary Leaders Club Sterling status, which includes benefits such as daily continental breakfast for two, upgrade priority, early check-in and late checkout consideration, complimentary Wi-Fi and five pre-arrival upgrade requests each year.
Conclusion
This is a useful addition to the Membership Rewards program because it opens another path to independent luxury hotels that could be difficult to book through other loyalty programs. The 4:1 ratio gives you a good value for your points, although you should still check FHR or other similar programs to see if the property is also listed there.
