Leaders Club used to be free membership on a permanent basis before LHW switched to make it into a paid membership thing — although they did want applicants to note down a couple of LHW hotel stays as part of applying. In some ways, it’s sort of going back to what it used to be in terms of the cost to become/remain a member. But well before that general elimination of free membership enrollment/retention in Leaders Club, the program was mostly just a way to get at-hotel benefits for use during the stay and not a program for collecting free nights.