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Amex Adds Leading Hotels of the World as a New Transfer Partner
July 1, 2025
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Beginning July 28, 2026, eligible American Express Card Members can transfer Membership Rewards points directly to The Leading Hotels of the World's Leaders Club program — Amex's 20th transfer partner and its fourth hotel program.
What's New: Amex's 20th Transfer Partner
Starting July 28, 2026, Membership Rewards points can be transferred to Leaders Club at a 4:1 ratio: 1,000 Membership Rewards points become 250 Leaders Club points. Transfers must be made in increments of 1,000 points and can take up to 72 hours to post.
How the 4:1 Ratio Stacks Up
- Amex Membership Rewards: 4:1
- Citi ThankYou Rewards (existing Leaders Club partner): 5:1
At 4:1, that works out to roughly 2 cents of value per Membership Rewards point when redeeming for a Leaders Club stay — a solid rate for hotel redemptions, and better than Citi's competing transfer to the same program.
Kudos Tip: A transfer ratio is only half the story. Always check live award availability and cash rates for your specific hotel and dates before moving points — a great ratio on paper doesn't help if the property you want isn't bookable with points.
What Is Leaders Club, Anyway?
Leaders Club is the loyalty program for The Leading Hotels of the World, a collection of more than 425 independent luxury hotels across more than 80 countries. It's a different lane from the big chain loyalty programs most transferable-point holders default to — a useful option if you prefer boutique, independent properties over major chains like Marriott or Hilton.
Which Amex Cards Can Make This Transfer
Membership Rewards points earned on these cards are eligible to transfer to Leaders Club:
Personal Cards:
[[ COMPARE_CARD * {"ids": ["106", "118", "120"], "bestCategoryIds":["17", "18", "19"], "bestForTexts":["Elite Status and Services", "Generous Travel Rewards", "Eco-Friednly Material"]} ]]
Business Cards:
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- American Express® Business Gold Card
- The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
[[ COMPARE_CARD * {"ids": ["2290", "111", "259"], "bestCategoryIds":["17", "18", "19"], "bestForTexts":["Premium Offer", "Versatile Business Tool", "Simple Rewardsl"]} ]]
Is This Transfer Worth It?
As with any new hotel transfer partner, the value only materializes with an actual property and date in mind. Leaders Club properties skew boutique and independent, so this is a strong option if:
- You already gravitate toward independent luxury hotels over major chains
- You have a specific Leaders Club property in mind and its award rate beats the cash price
- You want a hotel outlet for Membership Rewards points beyond Marriott, Hilton, or Hyatt transfers
It's a less obvious fit if you're loyal to a specific chain program for status and perks, since Leaders Club doesn't offer the same elite-tier benefits structure as major chain loyalty programs.
Bottom Line
Amex's new Leaders Club transfer partnership gives Membership Rewards holders a genuinely competitive rate — 4:1 beats Citi's 5:1 to the same program — and opens up a boutique-hotel outlet for points that would otherwise go to the usual chain suspects. As always, check availability for your specific property before transferring, since points can't be moved back once they've left your Membership Rewards account.
A new transfer partner is only useful if you know how many Membership Rewards points you actually have sitting across your cards — Kudos tracks the rewards balance on every card in your wallet, so that math takes seconds, not a login-and-scroll session.
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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are those of Kudos 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 within the post.
