Use your Amex Membership Rewards points for champagne and food in London (1p per point)

1p per point is my preferred target when redeeming American Express Membership Rewards points.  This is not easy, of course. 

As I wrote here, redeeming Membership Rewards points for statement credit or gift vouchers only gets you 0.5p per point.

If you value Avios or other airline miles at 1p per point, then you will get to your target there.  I also wrote recently about how Club Carlson transfers can easily get you 1p per Membership Rewards point.

A lesser-known redemption route that can be useful is redeeming for Jumeirah Sirius points.  Jumeirah is best known for its luxury hotels in Dubai, but it also runs two five-star properties in Knightsbridge, the Carlton Tower and the Lowndes.  (They are about 60 seconds walk from Harvey Nichols, walking down Sloane Street.)

The Sirius reward chart is here.  Note that the transfer rate from Membership Rewards is 15:1.

I don’t want to discuss hotel room redemptions, since the value of those varies massively depending on the day you want to redeem.  Let’s focus on the food and drink redemptions under ‘Dining’.

A 3-course lunch or dinner, excluding drinks, at The Rib Room at the Carlton Tower is 900 Sirius points, so 13,500 Membership Rewards points, for two people.  You will get 1p per point from that, because The Rib Room is ‘reassuringly expensive’.

Lunch in the Club Room is 300 Sirius points, or 4,500 Membership Rewards points, for two.  This is a very good buffet, all you can eat, served in the lounge of the spa complex.  It was £22 per person plus service last time I was there, so again you get 1p per point.  There is also a great view over Chelsea from the lounge.

You can also get a £30 voucher for the Champagne Bar at the Carlton Tower for 250 points, or 3,750 Membership Rewards points.  This is 0.8p per point.  I’m not sure how much they charge per glass though.

There are also dining options at the slightly less posh Lowndes Hotel across the road, including a 300 Sirius point (4,500 Membership Rewards points) deal for dinner for two at their Terrace restaurant.

You can also redeem for spa treatments at the Carlton Tower.  Again, you get about 0.8p per point if you take this route

These redemption options won’t be for everyone, but if you have some Membership Rewards points and want a night out in London, you could do worse than one of these options. 

If you don’t have any, remember that the current sign-up bonuses are 20,000 points on the free Amex Gold and 30,000 points on Amex Platinum.  Full details on the ‘Credit Card Offers‘ page.

Want to earn more points from credit cards? – December 2021 update

If you are looking to apply for a new credit or charge card, here are our November 2021 recommendations based on the current sign-up bonus. 

You can see our full directory of all UK cards which earn airline or hotel points here. Here are the top current deals:

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up, no annual fee and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending ….. Read our full review

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

25,000 Avios and the UK’s most valuable credit card perk – the 2-4-1 companion voucher Read our full review

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & two airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Earning miles and points from small business cards

If you are a sole trader or run a small company, you may also want to check out these offers.

American Express Business Gold

20,000 points sign-up bonus and free for a year Read our full review

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points sign-up bonus and a long list of travel benefits Read our full review

British Airways Accelerating Business American Express

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa

The most generous Avios Visa or Mastercard for a limited company Read our full review

For a non-American Express option, we also recommend the Barclaycard Select Cashback card for sole traders and small businesses. It is FREE and you receive 1% cashback on your spending:

Barclaycard Select Cashback Credit Card

1% cashback and no annual fee Read our full review