Amex Adds New Points Transfer Partner: Leading Hotels of the World

American Express just gave cardholders a new option for transferring their Membership Rewards points, and this one leans firmly into luxury. You can now transfer Amex points to Leaders Club, the loyalty program behind Leading Hotels of the World (LHW).

It’s the fourth hotel program in the Amex transfer lineup, and it unlocks award nights at hundreds of independent luxury properties around the globe.

Here’s how the transfer works, what you can get out of it, and why it fits neatly with a perk some Amex cardholders already have.

What Is Leaders Club?

Leaders Club is the loyalty program of Leading Hotels of the World, a collection of more than 400 independent luxury hotels and resorts across over 80 countries. Unlike a traditional chain, LHW properties are independently owned, so each one has its own personality. One might be a historic palace in Europe, while another might be a beachfront villa in the Seychelles or a modern urban hideaway in Asia.

Program members earn 1 point per $1 spent on qualifying stays plus on-property perks like room upgrades, daily breakfast for 2 guests, and complimentary Wi-Fi. There’s a single elite tier, Sterling, which normally requires $5,000 of stays in a calendar year to reach. Award nights start around 4,000 points, and your balance expires 24 months after your last earning or redemption activity, so it pays to stay active.

Membership Rewards Adds LHW Transfer Option

Membership Rewards points now transfer to Leaders Club at a ratio of 1,000 Amex points to 250 Leaders Club points, or 4:1. Transfers require a 1,000-point minimum, cap out at 999,000 points, and may take up to 72 hours to post to your Leaders Club account.

That 4:1 rate looks stingy next to the 1:1 airline transfers Amex is known for, but Leaders Club points carry real value. We value Leaders Club points at 8 cents each, which means you’re getting 2 cents per Amex point on these transfers (on average). With free nights starting near 4,000 points, you’d need about 16,000 Membership Rewards points to cover the cheapest awards. That’s a reasonable price for a night at a boutique luxury property that rarely shows up in the big hotel programs.

Amex isn’t the only issuer offering LHW points transfers. Citi ThankYou Points also transfer to Leaders Club, though at a weaker 1,000:200 ratio (5:1). If you’re sitting on both currencies and eyeing an LHW award, Amex gives you more points for the same transfer.

Pairing This With the Platinum Card^® from American Express

If you carry the Platinum Card^® from American Express, this news probably doesn’t surprise you. Both the Amex Platinum card and the The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express already grant Sterling status with Leaders Club, sitting alongside Gold status with Hilton Honors and Gold Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy (enrollment required to claim all of these).

Sterling is the program’s only elite tier, and it usually takes $5,000 in stays to earn. Cardholders skip that requirement and get it automatically after enrollment in the benefit.

Sterling status adds 5 confirmed prearrival upgrades each year and a 5% points bonus on top of the standard 1 point per $1. Amex already had a foot in the door with LHW through that status perk, so tacking on a points transfer seems like the logical next step, rather than a shock. The 2 benefits also feed each other: You can rack up Leaders Club points faster with Sterling status, then top off your balance with an Amex transfer when an award night is within reach.

Final Thoughts

A 4:1 transfer ratio won’t excite anyone spoiled by 1:1 airline transfers, but Leaders Club points punch above their weight, and the ability to move Amex points into LHW hands luxury travelers a fresh way to book boutique stays on points.

Combined with the Sterling status that Amex Platinum card and Amex Business Platinum cardholders already receive, and there’s a solid case for keeping some Membership Rewards points earmarked for your next Leading Hotels of the World booking.