Amex's New Hotel Transfer Partner Offers Surprising Value
Airlines
A recent addition to American Express's (Amex) transfer partner list has gone largely unnoticed, but it may offer more value than initially meets the eye.
Leading Hotels of the World, a luxury hotel chain, has joined Amex's Membership Rewards program with a 4:1 transfer ratio. This means that for every 4 Amex points transferred, 1 Leader's Club point is earned.
At first glance, this ratio may seem unfavorable, especially considering the high-end properties included in Leading Hotels of the World's portfolio. However, a closer look reveals that award nights can be booked for surprisingly reasonable rates.
Award Nights at Leading Hotels of the World
Rooms at these top hotels around the world start at just 4,500 points per night. With the 4:1 transfer ratio from Amex, 4,500 Leader's Club points would require 18,000 transferred Amex Membership Rewards points.
Analysis has found that the value of a Leader's Club point averages an impressive 8 cents per point, with some variability on either side. Even when factoring in the 4:1 transfer ratio, it still works out to around 2 cents in value per Amex point.
Booking Top Hotels from Around 4,000 Points
In a world where some hotels now cost well over 100,000 points per night, it's refreshing to see that's not the case with Leading Hotels of the World. Even in the Maldives, multiple options are available from 7,000 to 8,000 points per night for a villa and two-bedroom villas with a pool that sleep four for just 15,000 points per night.
Looking closer to home, nights in New York City start around 5,000 to 6,000 points at certain times of the year at properties such as The Hotel Chelsea and The Knickerbocker Hotel. Even during pricier seasons when cash rates spike above $1,000 per night, you may still find rates available for around 11,000 to 12,000 points per night.
| Hotel | Cash Rate | Amex Points Required |
|---|---|---|
| Ritz Paris | $2,000+ | 120,000 |
| Marriott Luxury Collection | $1,000+ | 172,000 |
| The Hotel Chelsea | $1,000+ | 47,500 |
Leaders Club Offers Upgrades and Free Breakfast
Leaders Club also offers several underrated benefits, including some you get without having elite status at all. All members receive a daily continental breakfast for two, and after your first paid stay, you'll earn a prearrival upgrade that you can use on a future stay.
Those with an American Express Platinum Card can get top-tier Sterling status simply by opting in. Normally, earning Sterling status requires $5,000 in qualifying spend in a calendar year. Sterling status comes with five prearrival upgrades per year, along with a 5% points bonus on qualifying stays.
Is This Too Good to Be True?
While some sweet spots come and go, and programs can change, right now Leading Hotels of the World is a frontrunner for one of the favorite new transfer partners of the year.
With luxury hotels starting at surprisingly reasonable award rates, useful benefits even for entry-level members, and an easy path to higher-tier status for some Amex cardmembers, this is a transfer partner worth your attention.
Source: The Points Guy