Premise

Thanks to /u/doctorofcredit and /u/AbaloneNacre. Starwood and their SPG loyalty program has a select member offer awarding points or free night certificates for paid stays. Use this link to get to the offer and check what yours is.

Per the Starwood link,

We’re always happy to see you check in. That’s why we want to bring you back with a special offer. Simply register by April 15, 2017, and stay with us between February 15 and May 15, 2017.

The amount of the offer will vary from person to person, so check your SPG number for a personalized offer.

Top of the offer Page. From the Starwood Website.

Top of the offer Page. From the Starwood Website.

 

Offer Options

Per the reddit link, several members have reported their offers, combined below.

  • No offer
  • Free night certificate every third stay (limit of two)
  • 5,000 bonus points every third stay (limit of 15,000 points)
  • 4,000 bonus points every third stay (limit of 12,000 points)
  • 3,000 bonus points every third stay (limit of 9,000 points)
  • 2,000 bonus points every third stay (limit of 6,000 points)
  • 4,000 bonus points every fourth stay (limit of 12,000 points)
  • Double elite stay/night credits
  • Free WiFi & up to 5% off

Of these, I would say the free night certificate (a category 1-5, most likely) or the double elite stay/night credits would be the most valuable. This would allow you to rank up to Gold or Platinum twice as fast. Gold could then be achieved in 5 separate stays, or Platinum in 13.

 

Offer Valuation

A free night certificate is conservatively worth about $100-$200, depending on where you redeem it. This would be a return of about $33-$66 per stay.

The other offers vary between two and five thousand points every third or fourth stay. This comes out to the equivalent of between 667 and 1,333 Starpoints per paid stay. Given the reported amounts above, the average of the points offer would be 1,133 Starpoints per stay. This assumes each of the five points offers shows up equally.

At a valuation of 2-4 cents per point (cpp), this would vary between $13 and $53 per stay. At a 3 cpp average and 1,133 Starpoint offer, a reasonable valuation would be about $34 of Starpoints, per stay. This is upwards of 40-50% return on those super cheap stays in the middle of nowhere, which cost $60-$80.

 

Terms & Conditions

Of course, this only applies to eligible paid stays, which do not include those redeemed with free night certificates or points. Thus, I most likely would not be able to take advantage of my offer, which was 4,000 bonus points per third stay.

My offer, courtesy of the Starwood website

My offer, courtesy of the Starwood website

 

Conclusion

For those with no offer or free wifi & 5% off, I feel bad. They should be offering points to encourage more paid stays. Additionally, members automatically get 5% off by being part of the SPG program. I have seen better offers – such as the amazing book two paid stays and get two free nights. Just a reminder that this is time sensitive – register by April 15, 2017, and stay between February 15 and May 15, 2017. Lastly, keep in mind that you should not book just to chase points, as it is typically not worth it.

 

Featured image from Pixabay of a beautiful resort that you can get points from!

 

What do you think of my musings? Let me know in the comments, or reach me directly at TheHotelion@gmail.com! Like my posts? See more here, on TravelUpdate! Follow me on Facebook (The Hotelion) or on Twitter and Instagram@TheHotelion