Essentialist vs Leading Hotels
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Essentialist
Discover unique travel experiences curated by a global network of experts. Access exclusive recommendations and insider tips for a more authentic journey.
- Private travel service
- Global community of tastemakers
- Beyond-the-obvious experiences
- Exclusive recommendations
- Insider travel tips
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A private travel service with a global community of tastemakers and travel editors, opening a world of beyond-the-obvious experiences for members.
Leading Hotels
Discover and book stays at over 400 independent luxury hotels worldwide. Enhance your travel experience with seamless service, exclusive rewards, and insider access to amenities. Explore curated collections and itineraries for unique journeys.
- Book your next stay
- Manage and plan trips
- Make on-property requests
- Access loyalty program
- Explore curated collections
- View points balance and status
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Enjoy extraordinary service and exceptional quality wherever your travels take you. Download The Leading Hotels mobile app for seamless service, richer rewards, and insider access to over 400 independent luxury hotels in 80 destinations. - Book Your Next Stay: Manage and plan a trip with The Leading Hotels of The World. - Uncover More From Your Journey: Make requests, dining reservations, and access on-property amenities after you've checked in.* - Live the #LHWTraveler Life: Join/log in to our complimentary loyalty program, Leaders Club. Members can check their points balance, status, and more. - Get Inspired: Explore hand-picked collections and itineraries that enliven the senses: from hotels with Michelin-starred dining to immersive cultural experiences. *Available at select hotels
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Essentialist at 83% against Leading Hotels's 9%. Essentialist also leads on rating (4.0 vs 3.1) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). Leading Hotels's advantage is ratings volume (44 vs 12). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Essentialist holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 44 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Essentialist's written reviews are positive against 9% of Leading Hotels's.
Essentialist ships an update every 2 weeks, Leading Hotels every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Essentialist | Leading Hotels |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (12 ratings) — better | 3.1 (44 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 83.3% of reviews — better | 8.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 12 | 44 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 87 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | The Bellhop | The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. |
Customer experience
Essentialist
Leading Hotels
In-app purchases
Essentialist
No in-app purchases
Leading Hotels
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Essentialist free?
Is Leading Hotels free?
Which has better reviews, Essentialist or Leading Hotels?
Do Essentialist or Leading Hotels have ads?
Which is updated more often, Essentialist or Leading Hotels?
Other comparisons
