I Just Got the Strangest Offer From Starwood. I’m Excited, But a Little Confused.

by Gary Leff

I just received the strangest offer from Starwood Preferred Guest. I’m offered double elite qualifying credit ‘between April 1 and June 30’.

The offer is apparently targeted. Find out here is you’re eligible.

There are three strange things about it.


St. Regis Abu Dhabi

First, the targeting criteria. I’m actually tracking ahead of last year in qualifying. This isn’t a ‘re-activation’ offer.

Second, they’re sending this to me now even though the offer was apparently available April 1 through 15 — and stays prior to registration don’t count. That means my April 1 through 15 stays cannot be doubled, because they didn’t tell me to register, even though the terms say they’d have allowed it. Is it bad for me to not simply be grateful for the offer, and a little bit frustrated I didn’t know that four nights earlier this month could have doubled?

Selected eligible members must register by June 1, 2016, 11:59 p.m. EST. Member will earn double elite qualifying nights and stays at any of the more than 1,300 SPG® participating properties between April 1, 2016, and June 30, 2016, but only after registration occurs. Promotion is not retroactive for nights/stays completed before registration.

Third, I click register on the first screen…

… and I’m taken to a screen that reveals the offer. There I have to click register again. (If I had simply clicked register on the first page I would not have been registered. Oops. Glad I caught that!)

I guess this means I need to think about whether I want to be a Starwood Preferred Guest Platinum 75 member (24 hour check-in subject to availability, an extra Starpoint per dollar) or 100 night member (Ambassador status) for 2017. And despite the Marriott acquisition, SPG will remain a separate program in 2017.


St. Regis Bangkok

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. Thanks for posting this Gary!! Turns out I had the offer available to me! Very excited to utilize the deal!

    Also – the link you provided populates with your SPG number (or someone’s SPG number) already in the field.

  2. I received a different yet pretty cool offer too: 2 free nights with just 4 stays 🙂

    Come back
    for more
    FREE UP YOUR NIGHTS.

    We want you to enjoy a special night — or two — on us. We’ve created an offer worth up to two Free Night Awards. All you have to do is register by June 1, 2016, and stay with us between April 1, 2016, and June 30, 2016.

    SECOND STAY
    EARNS
    ONE FREE
    NIGHT AWARD
    + FOURTH STAY
    EARNS
    ONE FREE
    NIGHT AWARD
    = POTENTIAL
    BONUS
    TWO FREE
    NIGHT AWARDS
    COMPLETE FOUR STAYS TO EARN A MAXIMUM OF TWO FREE NIGHT AWARDS.
    Redeem your two Free Night Awards at our luxurious Category 1–5 hotels and resorts through September 30, 2016.

    Register and book today at any of our more than 1,300 hotels and resorts across 11 distinctive brands worldwide.

  7. Mine was crap – 3,000 bonus Starpoints® after third (3rd) eligible paid stay, 3,000 bonus Starpoints after the sixth (6th) eligible paid stay, and 3,000 bonus Starpoints after the ninth (9th) eligible paid stay. As part of this promotion, member may earn a maximum of 9,000 total bonus

  8. My offer was less than stellar. 3000 bonus points every third stay. Up to 9k total.

    I am waaay under where I need to be to requal for Plat, so I was hoping for the double elite qualifying promo.

  9. Strange indeed. I clicked through to register and it said I was already registered, which I most certainly was not. In fact, this is the first time I’ve been eligible for a targeted SPG offer in over a year.

  11. @Gary
    Received the same as you. A little annoying I didn’t get it until today but in the end I’m grateful as I’m tracking a bit behind this year for 100/Ambassador.
    One other key term is that free nights are NOT eligible. As luck would (not) have it I am in the middle of a 6 night award stay.

  12. I too got the 9k offer. Meh. I am tracking a bit behind where I’d like to be to requalify–but should have some stays in the next 45-60 days–so double credit would have been nice. Ah well, this isn’t going to get me to change my stay preferences but a few more points are always nice.

  15. My offer was:

    Stay with us between 4/1/16-6/30/16, and your second stay earne One Free Night Award, and your fourth stay earns One Free Night Award. Redeem at Categories 1-5 through Sept. 30, 2016.

    I have about 12 Starwood stays so far, 18 nights.

  18. It’s pretty disappointing that in this day of information transparency and blogs like this one that SPG and others would offer such lopsided and lame widespread “targeted” promos, especially since a lot of are itching for a chance to abandon Marriott.

  20. Gary,

    I am a 3 year running platinum, and 2 year platinum > 100nt. 27nts/ytd already. I decreased the number of stays at SPG by quite a bit after the news firmed up about SPG/Marriott deal. And yesterday I receive a promo that is essentially 9k bonus points for 9 stays in 3 different goals. 3k points after 3 stays, 3k points after the 6th stay, and 3k points after the 9th stay.

    I feel SPG is really doing non-stop generous promos to try and….drive their earnings and stock price (or something?). Especially when you consider the Delta promo they just announced too.

    I will be Diamond with Hyatt until 2018 in about 3 weeks, after I complete the 50th night. Marriott points……kind of suck. I don’t need more SPG points per se, although the SPG airline transfer is very lucrative to take advantage of while it exists. So any SPG stays for me will be purely driven off the fact I can earn 6-7-8x per dollar, and transfer them to airlines.

  21. So, if I book 3 rooms on a single res, and as such would net 3 stay credits, would I then net 6 stays due to the promo?

    I haven’t seen anything to the contrary, and since the 3-room credit maximum is a “standard” benefit, I don’t think the following item from the T’s & C’s applies:
    This offer is not combinable with any other stay or night acceleration offers.

    Please correct me I’m totally off on this!

  22. I got the weak 3k/6k/9k promo, but at least stays prior to registration are eligible: “Bookings made prior to the promotion period are eligible, but only eligible stays consumed during the promotion period will earn a bonus. “

  23. Lifetime Plat and 100 nights but most likely will not meet 100 night again this year. Got the one free cat 1-5 night per two stays up to two free nights after 4 stays offer. Register by 6/1 but all stays between 4/1-6/30 arer eligible. Did not get any emails, would not know about this without your post. Thanks

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