✈ Amex’s New Transfer Partner is a Total Sleeper Hit, Another Airline Program Shakes Up Award Fares & More from TPG ✈

August 19, 2026

Luxury stays, fewer points

by Summer Hull, Senior Director of Content

Y’all, there’s a new underrated transfer partner you need to put on your radar immediately.

Because what if I told you that you could book an independent luxury hotel in New York City, Paris, London or Hawaii for fewer transferred points than you might need for a midrange Marriott or Hilton property?

I know. I didn’t believe it at first either.

But I’m eyeing a September stay at a luxury hotel in New York, where cash rates top $1,000 per night. It’s available for around 11,000 Leaders Club points — while some Hampton Inns in Manhattan want 80,000 to 160,000 Hilton points that same night.

This suddenly matters because Leading Hotels of the World just joined American Express Membership Rewards, which opens up a whole new world of independent luxury hotels you can book with transferred Amex points.

And when we compared how many Membership Rewards points you’d actually need to transfer for my New York stay with Hilton and Marriott options for comparable hotels that same night, the results honestly surprised me.

This all gets even better if you have one of these premium Amex cards, because they allow you to opt into free high-tier elite status in the Leaders Club. Think: continental breakfast for two and five prearrival upgrades per year.

Now, why isn’t this program getting more attention?

It’s probably because of the transfer ratio. It looks intimidating.

But here’s what that 4:1 ratio doesn’t tell you: Some of these luxury hotels require surprisingly few Leaders Club points.

And that’s where the math starts to get really interesting.

Take that New York stay: 11,000 Leaders Club points would require 44,000 Amex points at the 4:1 ratio. Meanwhile, a Hampton Inn charging 100,000 Hilton points would require 50,000 Amex points at Amex’s 1:2 Hilton ratio.

So despite the seemingly worse transfer ratio, the luxury hotel actually requires fewer Amex points.

TPG tip: Amex Membership Rewards isn’t the only program that transfers to Leaders Club; it’s just the one with the best transfer ratio. Also, depending on the hotel’s location, you may want to keep an eye on the taxes and fees (which can be a bit sneaky).

So whether you also need a night in New York, want a property that starts around 4,000 Leaders Club points per night in Portugal, a Maldives villa from around 8,000 points or even a stay at the iconic Ritz Paris, this new addition to the Amex transfer lineup is a total sleeper hit.

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Photo Credit: SUMMER HULL/THE POINTS GUY.

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