Starwood’s last round of cash and points awards expired, but a new set are now available for stays through November 30th and it appears as though there’s an increase in the number of properties participating.
The value can be illustrated with a single example: instead of 10,000 points for a night at a ‘categoy four’ hotel (such as the Westin in the Bahamas or the W in Mexico City), the cash and points award gives you that same property for $60 and 4,000 points. Put another way, you’re buying back your points at only one cent apiece. Since I generally consider a Starwood point to be the most valuable hotel or airline currency out there, this is an exceptional value.
Not all Starwood properties participate in this promotion. Many do not. But it’s worth checking out — I had some upcoming award nights at the Westin Seattle which I converted to Cash & Points awards. Since the hotel is a ‘category 3’ property, it’s costing me 2800 points and $45 per night rather than 7000 points per night.
Just like standard award stays, cash and points award stays do not earn stay credit towards elite status and don’t earn points on the ‘cash’ component of the award stay (but they do earn points for incidentals charged to the room, of course).
