2010 Fall Promotions Starwood Preferred Guest

Buy SPG Starpoints 20% discount Oct 12-Dec 31, 2010

Starwood Preferred Guest is selling points for $14 per 500 points through December 31, 2010. This offer is 20% off the regular purchase rate of $17.50 per 500 points. SPG has a calendar year purchase limit of 20,000 points. Pay $560 for 20,000 points compared to $700 normal rate.

Is $28 per 1,000 points a good deal?

My Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers stay Thursday night cost 4,000 points and $60 for a Cash & Points award stay. The American Academy of Opthalmology is holding its annual convention in Chicago and hotels like the Hyatt Regency Chicago, Westin Chicago River North and many others were either sold out or sporting room rates in the $400+ per night range.

Sheraton Chicago room rate was $265 + tax and the only Starwood Cash & Points hotel in downtown Chicago for the date I needed. The hotel was packed with doctors. I saved $240 on the published room rate by spending 4,000 Starpoints and I received a value of $60 per 1,000 points with this award night.

Bottom line: There are many opportunities at Starwood Hotels worldwide to get much higher value than $28 per 1,000 points when redeeming Starpoints; particularly for Cash & Points stays.

This is the time to buy Starpoints if you need points to get to a desired award level. And the 20,000 points annual limit is per calendar year. You can buy up to 20,000 points for $560 in 2010 with this promotion. In January 2011 you will have the ability to buy up to 20,000 more points, but at the regular price of $35 per 1,000 points.

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6 Comments

  • Wendy October 16, 2010

    Ric – thanks for the timely posting – this was the first notice I saw of this discount. I was able to top off an account, then transfer points for airline miles, sooner than I hoped – thanks again.

  • returnzero October 17, 2010

    Is there an additional bonus for purchasing with the SPG AMEX or does it get treated as a normal purchase?

  • Ric Garrido October 17, 2010

    Returnzero – Good question. I do not know the answer. You are purchasing something at Starwood, but I do not know if it counts as a 2 points per $1 or 1 point per $1 transaction.

    Anybody else have knowledge?

  • Peter October 18, 2010

    To returnzero, it seems you will get bonus by using SPG AMEX.

    https://buy.points.com/marketing/spg/faq/buy.faq.template.html

    Which credit cards may I use to purchase Starpoints?

    You may use any valid American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, JCB or Diners Club card. If you use the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express to purchase Starpoints, you will earn additional Starpoints for the dollars you charge on the card.

  • Ric Garrido October 19, 2010

    Peter – thanks for the research on the SPG question.

    I am filling my days and nights with the Chicago city experience and just typing out quick Loyalty Traveler posts this week. Any research on my end will wait a couple more days until I am back sitting at home with Pim the cat as my main distraction.

    First time in Chicago and Chicago is pretty much all my mind can handle at the moment.

  • returnzero October 21, 2010

    Peter, hm… when I read that it seemed to me like they were trying to say it was “additional to the Starpoints you’re purchasing”.

    In other words, “20,000 + an additional 560 when buying with SPG AMEX” vs “20,000 points + 560 points for spend and an additional 560”.

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