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.
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.
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.
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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The Platinum Card from American Express and the Business Platinum open the doors to airport lounges worldwide. Here's a guide on how to maximize this benefit.
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