SPG Birth Year rates are probably one of the lesser known rate discounts with the potential to cut your Starwood Hotel stay rate in half. The basic deal is you pay a generally higher than Best Flexible rate for the first night, then pay your birth year for the second night, and third night at some hotels. I was born in 1960 so my rate is $60 per night for the second and third nights. Even better is the flexible cancellation policy for these rates. Many hotels allow day before arrival or day of arrival cancellation with no penalty.
I have been writing about the birth year rate offer since 2009 and SPG has extended this offer for stays through 2012 at participating hotels.
Some changes I noticed in my recent review of these rates:
- Fewer participating hotels than in past years. Most of the high-end hotels in the W, Luxury Collection and Westin brands are not participating in 2012. SPG Birth year rates look to be primarily Sheraton and Four Points hotels in 2012.
- Far more hotels have a two night limit for the birth year rate. Since the first night is generally a much higher rate than say AAA rates, the two-night limit is not going to generate high savings at many hotels.
- Numerous hotel property blackout dates. Sheraton San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf has all of March and April 2012 blacked out.
- Besides the list of participating hotels with Birth Year Rates are a list of other hotels in the state. California has numerous hotels participating in the Birth Year rate. When you click on Hawaii you find all hotels listed under the heading “Additional hotels in Hawaii” with 10 hotels listed, yet none of these hotels offer Birth Year rate.
Starwood Hotels with Birth Year Rates show the rate in the blue ‘Book Now’ box.
If you click on Hawaii you only see hotels showing Best Available Rate information in the blue ‘Book Now’ box.
SPG Birth Year Rate Analysis
My dad is celebrating 80 years and a birth year of 1932 makes for some cheap hotel nights with the Birth Year Rate.
Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal City, California is near the Los Angeles Zoo and Griffith Park.
Best Available Rate = $229 and Pay your Birth Year rate is $249 for a Club Level standard room. Both rates allow day before arrival cancellation.
The Birth Year rate is $340 total for three nights at $32 per night after the first night paying $249.
The AAA rate for the same room and dates is $195/night = $675 for three nights.
$675 AAA – $340 BirthYear rate = $335 savings on this 3-night stay.
- SPG BirthYear rate (1932) = $340 after tax for 3 nights.
- SPG BirthYear rate (1960) = $405 after tax for 3 nights.
- SPG Birth Year rate (1985) = $463 after tax for 3 nights.
- SPG AAA rate = $675 after tax for three nights.
My birth year rate at $60 per night raises the price of a 3-night stay by another $65, but that is still a $270 savings. A person who is 25 years old will still have around a $200 savings with the Birth Year rate when paying $249 plus $87 for two additional nights rather than $195 per night for three nights.
Third night free rate compared to Birth Year Rate
Sheraton Universal Hotel also offers a Buy 2 and get Third Night Free rate using the same $249 used for Birth Year rate.
- SPG Birth Year rate (1960) = $405 after tax for 3 nights.
- SPG 3rd night free = $575 after tax for 3 nights.
- AAA = $675 after tax for 3 nights.
Starwood’s 3rd night free rate is prepaid and nonrefundable. This makes the Birth Year rate even a better deal than just a rate reduction for this hotel stay.
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