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As part of the American Express Platinum Card® refresh, cardholders now receive complimentary Leaders Club Sterling Status. The Leading Hotels of the World is one of the largest collections of independent luxury hotels, with over 400 properties across more than 80 countries. It's comprised exclusively of 5-star properties, so you know you're in for a treat when you book.
Here's everything you need to know about Leaders Club Sterling status, including its benefits and how to achieve it.
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What Are the Benefits of Leaders Club Sterling Status?
Surprisingly, you actually get a lot of core benefits by simply signing up for the Leaders Club program. The entry-level Club tier offers perks such as upgrades, Wi-Fi, and daily breakfast. When you advance to the Sterling tier, you receive a few additional valuable benefits.
Pre-arrival upgrades
The most notable benefit of Leaders Club Sterling status is five confirmed prearrival upgrades per membership year. These upgrades are valid for a one-room category upgrade (excluding suites). Rooms booked using points are not eligible for an upgrade. You can request an upgrade at the time of booking, and you will be notified whether your upgrade is confirmed at least three days before check-in. When used at some of the more expensive member hotels, this benefit alone could be worth hundreds of dollars per night (or more).
Bonus points earned on stays
You'll earn 5% bonus points on your stays. So, if you book a hotel that costs $2,000, you'd earn 2,000 base points, plus 100 bonus points. It's not much, but every little bit helps.
Upgrade priority on arrival
If you don't want to use one of your pre-arrival upgrades, you can receive a room upgrade upon arrival. You'll receive upgrade priority over those in the Club tier.
SIXT Platinum status
The SIXT car rental loyalty program offers three elite tiers above the base level: Gold, Platinum, and Diamond. Platinum members earn 20% more rental points, receive up to a 15% discount on rentals, and are eligible for free upgrades. You can also skip the rental counter and use priority service lanes to get on the road faster. Although you'd typically have to earn 4,000 Status Points to reach SIXT Platinum, Leaders Club Sterling members get it for free.
Related: Match Your Airline, Hotel, or Rental Car Status to SIXT for Free
Club benefits
As a Sterling member, you'll receive all the benefits that come with being a Club member, including:
- Daily continental breakfast for two
- Early check-in and late check-out considerations
- Complimentary WiFi
- Earn 1 point per $1 spent
- Members-only sales
- Lowest available rates
- Insider experience offers
- Preview new hotels
How to Get Leaders Club Sterling Status
There are two ways you can achieve Leaders Club Sterling status — through stays or through select credit cards.
Through stays
You can earn Leaders Club Sterling Status by spending $5,000 in a calendar year. This likely won't be terribly hard to do — Leading Hotels of the World are some of the top luxury properties you can find, and prices will reflect that.
Through credit cards
As a cardholder of the American Express Platinum Card® or the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, you will receive automatic Leaders Club Sterling Status once you enroll in the benefit. This is in addition to the Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and Hilton Honors Gold Elite status you receive as a cardholder.
Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Is Leaders Club Sterling Status Worth It?
Since Leaders Club Sterling status is so easily achieved through credit card shortcuts, it's definitely worth claiming it if you can. However, if you'd like to earn Sterling the old-fashioned way through stays, it might not be worth the cost unless you are extremely loyal to the Leading Hotels of the World portfolio.
For instance, five pre-arrival upgrades are a great benefit if you have at least five hotel stays throughout the year after achieving Sterling status. If not, these go to waste. Since you already get so many benefits as a Club member, it's difficult to justify the $5,000 spending requirement.
However, the benefits of Sterling status are wonderful if they come to you through a credit card. Plus, American Express Platinum Card® holders already receive elite benefits with Avis, Hertz, and National. Thanks to the SIXT Platinum status match with Leaders Club Sterling, you have another car rental company to choose from.
Another important consideration is how you prefer to book your hotel stays. Many Leading Hotels of the World properties can be booked through Amex's Fine Hotels and Resorts program. However, you generally only receive the benefits of Sterling status if you book through the Leading Hotels of the World.
You'll have to do your own analysis to determine if the benefits you receive through Fine Hotels and Resorts outweigh the benefits you receive by holding Sterling status. Additionally, if you book directly with the property (rather than through the Leading Hotels of the World platform), you also risk not receiving your Sterling benefits.
Final Thoughts
Leaders Club Sterling status can be quite valuable if you have several upcoming stays. Five pre-arrival upgrades can amount to significant savings, especially considering every Leading Hotels of the World member hotel is a 5-star property.
Thanks to the American Express Platinum Card® and the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, you can receive Sterling status perks as a cardholder benefit. Make sure to enroll if you haven't already, so you can enjoy the benefits during your next stay.
(Terms apply)
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
- Earn 5X points on Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings.
(Terms apply)
- Earn 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X points on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more.
- Earn 2X points on each eligible purchase with U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers.
- Earn 2X points on each eligible purchase with U.S. electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers.
- Earn 2X points on each eligible purchase with U.S. shipping providers.
- 2X earning rates are subject to a cap of $2 million in purchases per calendar year.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: American Express Platinum Card® (Rates & Fees), and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)
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