Leaders Club: The Loyalty Program for Leading Hotels of the World

Most travelers may not recognize The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) brand right away, but for luxury travelers, it's one to know. LHW has more than 400 hotels in over 80 countries, from palace hotels and big-city luxury towers to shorefront retreats and mountain resorts. Many consistently appear on major travel publications’ award lists. Plus, cardholders of The Platinum Card® from American Express get complimentary elite status in LHW's Leaders Club loyalty program. Enrollment required. Terms apply.

Here’s what you should know about The Leading Hotels of the World properties and how you can maximize Leaders Club perks on your next stay.

Notable hotels in the LHW collection

LHW counts world-famous hotels among its exclusive list, and only accepts around 5% of the hotels that apply to be in its portfolio.

In the U.S., there are more than 30 properties, including the luxurious cottages of San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California, the historic Hay-Adams hotel in Washington, D.C., and the beachfront Halekulani hotel in Waikiki, Hawaii.

Some of its best-known hotels abroad include Hotel Sacher Wien in Vienna, Ritz Paris in France (not to be confused with The Ritz-Carlton brand that falls under the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program) and La Mamounia in Marrakech.

» Learn more: Questions to ask before joining a hotel loyalty program

What is Leaders Club?

Like other hotel loyalty programs, Leaders Club is free to join and members earn points based on how much they spend at participating properties. Those points can be redeemed for award stays at an LHW property.

All members (even those without elite status) receive free perks like late checkout if available, complimentary breakfast for two people each morning and one pre-arrival upgrade after their first stay. Given the caliber of properties in the LHW portfolio, these immediate and free perks can be worth a great deal.

In addition to its free-to-join membership, Leaders Club offers two tiers of elite status:

• Sterling status is usually earned after spending at least $5,000 on qualifying stays within the calendar year or by holding The Platinum Card® from American Express. (Enrollment required. Terms apply.) Leaders Club includes five pre-arrival suite upgrades, plus a 5% bonus on points earned per stay.

• Aurelian is an invitation-only status for top spenders.  

How to earn points with Leaders Club

Leaders Club points are worth about 8 cents apiece, much higher than other hotel points. But they're also harder to earn.

You can earn points by booking Leading Hotels of the World properties through Leading Hotels Reservations and Service Centers, LHW.com or a travel agent. Booking through programs like Virtuoso, Signature Travel Network and American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts will also earn points, as long as your Leaders Club member number is included at the time of booking.

Leaders Club is also a transfer partner of one credit card rewards program: Citi ThankYou. If you have a Citi Strata Elite℠ Card or Citi Strata Premier® Card, you can transfer your Citi ThankYou points to Leaders Club at a 5:1 ratio, meaning you'll need to transfer 5,000 Citi points to get 1,000 Leaders Club points. That gets you about 1.6 cents per Citi point, making it a great option.

How to redeem points with Leaders Club

Leaders Club uses dynamic pricing for award stays, so the number of points you might need per night may vary, depending on timing and demand.

A free night redemption starts at 4,000 points. Since there are no award charts, you will have to know your dates of travel to search on LHW.com and determine the number of points needed for a redemption. A member without elite status needs to spend $4,000 to accrue 4,000 points, but promotions can also boost your balance. For example, members currently receive 500 bonus points if a requested pre-arrival upgrade doesn’t clear.

Whether you pay for your stay with cash or points, you are eligible to earn Leaders Club benefits.

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Is Leaders Club right for you?

If you plan on staying at a Leading Hotels of the World property, there's no reason not join. It's free, and it'll get you access to immediate perks before you've stayed a single night.

Since it is difficult to earn points outside of hotel stays, the program may not be the best fit if you don’t regularly stay at high-end luxury hotels, but transferring points from a Citi card might help you book a stay at some of the world’s finest hotels without paying full price.

(Top photo courtesy of Leading Hotels of the World)