Save 35% on Award Nights at Starwood Resorts

After 20 years working in the travel industry, and 15 years writing about it, Tim Winship knows a thing or two about travel. Follow him on Twitter @twinship.

See recent posts by Tim Winship

There’s a school of thought that suggests that loyalty points are best used for high-end travel: first-class flights and stays at ritzy hotels.

That strategy is inherently dangerous, because for most travelers, it requires accumulating points over many years. And during that time, the value of those points will inevitably decline, as award prices rise. Devaluation is the name of the loyalty-program game.

Award discounts, like this one from Starwood, in effect restore some of points’ lost value, and make once-in-a-lifetime trips a bit more accessible to average travelers.

Offer Details

Through March 5, 2018, Starwood Preferred Guest members can redeem 35 percent fewer points for award stays in suites at 11 participating hotels and resorts:

The Naka Island, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Phuket
Prince de Galles, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Paris
The St. Regis Punta Mita
Le Meridien Bora Bora
The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort
Vana Belle, a Luxury Collection Resort, Koh Samui
W Retreat Koh Samui
Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai
W Retreat & Spa – Maldives
The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort
The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort

The discounted rates may be used in conjunction with Starwood’s 5th Night Free offer.

Bookings at the discounted rates must be made by phone, direct with the Starwood customer contact center.

Deal or No Deal

The participating properties are mostly very high-end resorts, with very high-end award prices to match. So even with the discount, the award rates are pricey.

For example, a night at the Bora Bora Le Meridien, in French Polynesia, normally costs a whopping 60,000 points. The discounted rate of 39,000 points is better, but still a stretch.

On the other hand, the prices will probably never be lower than they are now, with the discount. So if a suite stay in an exotic locale is on your bucket list, and you’ve been accumulating points in the Starwood program, this might be the time to cash in those points.

Don’t forget to pack the sun screen.

More from SmarterTravel:

After 20 years working in the travel industry, and 15 years writing about it, Tim Winship knows a thing or two about travel. Follow him on Twitter @twinship.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.