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Amex Just Added Leading Hotels of the World (Boutique Stays on Points!)
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It’s starting to be a big wide points hotel world out there ppl!!
American Express added The Leading Hotels of the World as a transfer partner on July 28th (and all the moms still reeling from all the Hyatt changes REJOICED).
👉🏼 That means your Amex points can now book up to 400+ independently owned (LUXURY BOUTIQUE!) properties across 80+ countries (!!)
As a mom of 4 who is constantly on the hunt for gorgeous, unique properties that can fit our large family – annnndddd NOT cost a million points a night…this is worth a few minutes of your time!!
So What Is The Leading Hotels of the World?
LHW is a collection of independently owned luxury properties under one booking site and one loyalty program, called Leaders Club.
➡️ 400+ properties, 80+ countries
➡️ Small, highly rated, in locations the big chains often skip!
➡️ Many are $$$, but there are some gems in there for sure (stay tuned below!)
➡️ Currently it looks like not EVERY single property is bookable with points
How Do I Earn Points for Leading Hotels of the World?
- Any card earning Membership Rewards® points can be transferring to LHW to book these properties…and get STEEP savings.
- Citi points also transfer to LHW, but at a lesser value- so I recommend prioritizing Amex points for these stays when you can!
Below are four flexible point powerhouse offers I’d be building my Amex stash with!
👉🏼 Remember American Express offers are personalized- so you can apply, see your personal offer, and then decide whether to accept on not- all before a hard credit pull!!
My forever keeper and top recommended entry point to this bank! The earning on restaurants and U.S. supermarkets is unmatched.
Terms Apply,
Rates and Fees
Here’s exactly how we stack this card on our weekly grocery spend for up to 6x points! Step by step HERE.
💳 American Express Platinum Card®
The Platinum comes with complimentary Leaders Club Sterling status (enrollment required) too! 👇
Terms Apply,
Rates and Fees
Steep annual fee, but the credits do a LOT of work. Full credit-stacking breakdown here.
💳 American Express® Business Gold Card
🚨 If you have big expenses coming up, this is a lucrative offer worth jumping on!
Terms Apply,
Rates and Fees
💳 The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
🚨 Never seen a high bonus on a single tier offer- insaneeeee!!!
Terms Apply,
Rates and Fees
Remember so many people are sitting on the opportunity to earn business bonuses and don’t even realize!
👉🏼 See if you’re eligible for business cards HERE…spoiler alert, you probably ARE!!
Using flexible points to book Leaders Club Hotels
The beauty of FLEXIBLE, transferrable points right?!
Because all those points you earn from the offers above can be transferred to Leaders Club for a boutique hotel stay OR say Delta for cheap flights ORRRR maybe Hilton for another property!
- The transfer rate is 4:1
- i.e. 1,000 Amex points becomes 250 Leaders Club points
- Award nights start around 4,000 Leaders Club points
I know, seeemmsss trash at first BUT…there definitely is value to be had just wait!
…and let’s be honest, when you are a family of 6 you aren’t too picky with cent per point value if it’s a well-rated, beautiful property, that ACTUALLY holds your entire crew (!!!)
Leaders Club Redemptions: What You Need to Know
➡️ Taxes and Fees: Some of these properties charge taxes and fees on TOP of your points. Reports range from a few hundred dollars down to nothing at all, depending on the property.
➡️ NOTE!: LHW currently is not displaying the taxes and fees on property pages. So I recommend calling in and getting the exact quote on taxes prior to transferring your points
➡️ Pricing: Pricing is dynamic and tracks the cash rate!
➡️ Leaders Club Perks! Even when booking on points with LHW you get the extra perks: Upgrades when available, Complimentary breakfast for 2, early and late check out!
➡️ Room Variety: Unlike most hotel brands or collections, with LHW you can book into a variety of rooms with points, not JUST the base standard room! (IMO this is hugeeee for larger families that need suites etc!)
Which Leading Hotels Properties Are Worth It?
Like I said, some properties would require SO many points it probably isn’t worth it (think uber boujee)…BUT with some digging there are some gems that stack pretty comparatively with a Hyatt redemption (GOLD!)
👉🏼 My research really zoned in on hotels for larger families that had suites/larger rooms bookable with points or a villa style property…and that didn’t require you to siphon a lifetime worth of Amex and Citi points.
- Windjammer Landing (St.Lucia)- this is the property we booked for Spring Break 2027, directly into a suite!
- Castel Monastero (Italy) – GorgeoUS Suite that hold 4 for ~13k points/night!
- Vila Vita Parc (Algarve, Portugal) – Oasis family suite for ~12k points/night!
- Grand Resort Lagonissi (Greece) – 40min from the Athens airport + the base rooms are ~8k/night, beachfront and hold 3!
- Sonnenalp Hotel (Vail, CO)- Family Loft Suite holds 5+ and books for ~10k points/night
- Puente Romano Marbella (Spain) – Suites in Southern Spain!
- The Killarney Park (Ireland) – Found a room that holds 4 for 10k points/night next May!
- Anassa (Cyprus) – Suites bookable with points + one of the Mediterranean’s genuinely great family resorts
- Amathus Beach Hotel Limassol (Cyprus) – Found a room that held 4 for 13k points/night in October!
- Bahía del Duque (Tenerife) – Base rooms hold 3 around ~5.5k points/night (get x2 rooms at a great rate!!)
- Elounda Beach Hotel & Villas (Greece)- Family sea view suite that holds 5-6!!
- Aleenta Phuket-Phang Nga Resort & Spa – 3bedroom beachfront villa for ~11k points/night
- Aleenta Retreat Chiang Mai (Thailand) – 2bd residence for ~8k points/night
- Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas (Thailand)- Gorgeous pool and sea view family suite that sleeps 5 for ~5k/night
- Katikies Garden Santorini (Greece) – Rooms that hold 4 with a private pool around ~10k points/night!
- The Kahala Hotel & Resort (Oahu) – King with a sofa (that allows an additional bed) starting at ~8k/night
- Baglioni Resort Sardinia (Italy) – Suites in Sardinia!
**These rates are on the LHW end. So account for that 4:1 transfer rate when calculating value! BUT this isn’t even including if you caught a transfer bonus!
Diversification is the name of the game as of late in the points world- and I am really excited about this new more accessible option
(especially all you fellow moms of a gaggle of kids that WANT TO STAY WHERE YOU WANT TO STAY!!)
The cards I’d use to build that Membership Rewards® stash:
💳 American Express Platinum Card®
💳 American Express® Business Gold Card
💳 The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Thank you SO much for going out of your way to use my links when you apply for a new card, it really does keep all the content and personalized support going!
All of this month’s best offers are HERE!
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included with the post.
ADVERTISER DISCLOSURE:
Wayfaren is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites such as MileValue.com and Bankrate.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. We appreciate it when you use our affiliate links as it supports our content at no cost to you!
EDITORIAL NOTE:
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included with the post.
