Hotel Suites Using Points – SPG Cash & Points Offer

Hotel Suites Using Points

A reader wrote me last week with a common travel situation.  As a person who travels frequently for business it would be nice to know you could book a hotel suite with all those work-related hotel points for a vacation with your family in a room with adequate space. 

Starwood has a special offer for just this type of traveler.  Starwood has a new Cash & Points option currently available in six locations: Hawaii, Phoenix, Milan, Florence, Kuala Lumpur, and Los Cabos. 

A standard hotel suite includes a bedroom and a separate living area room.  Some hotels have extra large rooms with both a bed and living area.  These are typically called junior suites.  Specialty rooms may have a preferred view, bathroom upgrade like whirlpool tub, balcony, or some other specialty feature.

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Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) has a special offer for Cash & Points specialty upgrade rooms at select hotels through December 21, 2008.  The regular Cash & Points award option is for standard rooms and features a fixed rate of cash and hotel points based on the SPG category of the hotel.  These awards are available for Category 1 to Category 6 hotels.  Cash and Points Award rooms are not eligible stays for elite qualification credit.   

·         Category 1 = $25 + 1,200 points  (Asia-Pacific Hotels only)

·         Category 2 = $30 + 1,600 points  (Asia-Pacific Hotels only)

·         Category 3 = $45 + 2,800 points

·         Category 4 = $60 + 4,000 points

·         Category 5 = $90 + 4,800 points

·         Category 6 = $150 + 8,000 points

·         Category 7 = not available for Cash & Points

Cash & Points Specialty Rooms Promotion Terms

Specialty Cash & Points Awards

The Phoenician, Phoenix, a Luxury Collection Starwood hotel

Is the SPG Cash & Points Suite a good deal?

Florence Grand Hotel

Nov 27-29, 2008

Lowest Regular room rate = 330€/night King Bed  (about $450 USD/night)

Free Night Using Points = 20,000 points

Standard Cash & Points = $150 + 8,000 points

Special Offer Suite Cash & Points =  $175 + 26,000 points

Florence Grand Hotel Special Offer for 4^th night free in River View Junior Suite = 1,124€ x 3 nights = $1,150 USD per night for a four-night stay.

Compare this to the cost if you could buy 26,000 Starpoints at the regular rate of $35 per 1,000 points.  The points would cost $910.  (Starpoints purchase limit was 100,000 points for 2007 and dropped back to 20,000 points per year for 2008.)  $910 points value + $175 cash would still be less at $1,085 than the special 4 nights offer at $1,150 per night.

Rather than spending 20,000 points for a standard King Room award night, pay the additional $175 + 6,000 points to make your stay especially suite in the $1,150 river view room.  Cash & Points suites are a great option for someone with lots of Starpoints, no platinum elite status for complimentary upgrade, and wanting to avoid $1,000 per night rooms on that special vacation. 

SPG Cash & Points Specialty Rooms-Lavish Suites is certainly a good option for a Loyalty Traveler seeking a suite deal.