Starwood's Summer Bonus Is Double, Triple Points
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So far, summer hotel promotions from the major hotel chains have been a mixed bag, from ho-hum to potentially game-changing. This newly announced offer from Starwood falls somewhere in the middle.
Offer Details
Between May 27 and September 4,
Starwood Preferred Guest
members can earn double points for weekday stays (including a Friday or Saturday night) of two or more nights, and triple points for weekend stays of two or more nights at participating locations. In addition, holders of the Starwood credit card will earn 1,500 bonus points per stay at participating resorts.
Registration is required, and is open beginning today.
Related: New InterContinental Promotion: ‘Earn at Least 30,000 Bonus Points’
Deal or No Deal
Double points is probably, by design, just enough to keep Starwood loyalists from taking their business elsewhere. Triple points might be a game-changer for travelers on the fence about where to book their summer stays.
The two-night minimum stay will be a deal-breaker for many.
And the "at participating locations" qualifier isn't just rhetorical legalese here; there are indeed hotels that are not offering the bonuses, and travelers will have to consult the long lists of eligible hotels to confirm that their stays will earn the bonuses. That's a negative for both value and convenience.
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.