Comments on: Starwood Preferred Guest Cash & Points Hotel Awards http://boardingarea.com/blogs/loyaltytraveler/2008/09/26/starwood-preferred-guest-cash-points-hotel-awards/ Hotel Value for Frequent Guests Sat, 20 Mar 2010 02:30:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Ric Garrido http://boardingarea.com/blogs/loyaltytraveler/2008/09/26/starwood-preferred-guest-cash-points-hotel-awards/comment-page-1/#comment-2866 Ric Garrido Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:36:34 +0000 http://boardingarea.com/blogs/loyaltytraveler/?p=216#comment-2866 Techiefoo - W Mexico City is a Category 5 hotel at 12,000 points per night low season and 16,000 points per night high season. The hotel will require 48,000 points in low redemtpion season for 5 nights. Assuming you could buy 48,000 points (annual limit is 20,000, but there are ways to get around that limit) at $35 per 1,000 points, you would spend about $300 more. Still a bargain to the paid rate. Techiefoo – W Mexico City is a Category 5 hotel at 12,000 points per night low season and 16,000 points per night high season.

The hotel will require 48,000 points in low redemtpion season for 5 nights.

Assuming you could buy 48,000 points (annual limit is 20,000, but there are ways to get around that limit) at $35 per 1,000 points, you would spend about $300 more.

Still a bargain to the paid rate.

]]> By: techiefoo http://boardingarea.com/blogs/loyaltytraveler/2008/09/26/starwood-preferred-guest-cash-points-hotel-awards/comment-page-1/#comment-2858 techiefoo Thu, 29 Jan 2009 20:37:49 +0000 http://boardingarea.com/blogs/loyaltytraveler/?p=216#comment-2858 Nice article on Cash + Points. The only thing I'd like to add is that Cash + Points may not be as much of a bargain for 4+ night stays due to the 'stay 4 nights get 1 free' promotion for SPG members. So in the poster's Mexico City example, a 5 night stay would 'cost': Cash & Points $90*5*1.17(tax)=$526.50+4800*5*.035($ per starpoint) =$1366.50 Points only (assuming 10k pts/nt for cat 5) = 10000*4 (points for only 4 nights since 5th night is free) *.035 = $1400 Cash & Points would only save you $34. Nice article on Cash + Points. The only thing I’d like to add is that Cash + Points may not be as much of a bargain for 4+ night stays due to the ’stay 4 nights get 1 free’ promotion for SPG members.

So in the poster’s Mexico City example, a 5 night stay would ‘cost’:

Cash & Points $90*5*1.17(tax)=$526.50+4800*5*.035($ per starpoint) =$1366.50

Points only (assuming 10k pts/nt for cat 5)
= 10000*4 (points for only 4 nights since 5th night is free) *.035 = $1400

Cash & Points would only save you $34.

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