This week’s Starwood Starpicks offers are available until Friday. I must state I am not impressed by the rates I see in San Francisco, Boston, and Amsterdam. Fresno Four Points at $79 looks reasonable, but my two stays there this year were both disrupted by late night partiers.

Westin Market Street at $299 for a Friday night makes me cringe. San Francisco has priced me out of the market this year. I miss the $99 weekend rates I periodically enjoyed the past three years from late-2008 through 2010. Those are just a memory in 2011 for the city that has seen the highest hotel room rate increases in the U.S. in 2011. I have primarily been burning through loyalty points this year when I go to urban hotels.

Take a look and perhaps something here works for you. Just remember to compare rates. W Boston was only $4 a night more ($263 vs. $259) for a flexible cancellation AAA rate compared to the prepaid, nonrefundable Starpicks rate.

Starpicks Hotel List and Availability Calendar links. Use this link to access availability calendars for Starpicks dates. The links below take you only to the hotel’s webpage.

Starpicks Hotels for Bookings by Friday October 28, 2011.

Belgium

Brussels Le Méridien Brussels

Brussels Sheraton Brussels Airport Hotel

Brussels Sheraton Brussels Hotel

 

Canada

British Columbia

Vancouver The Westin Grand, Vancouver

Ontario

Toronto Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel

Quebec

Dorval Sheraton Montreal Airport Hotel

Montreal Le Centre Sheraton Montreal Hotel

France

Paris Le Méridien Etoile

Mexico

Baja California Sur

Los Cabos Sheraton Hacienda del Mar Golf & Spa Resort, Los Cabos

Netherlands

Amsterdam Hotel Pulitzer, Amsterdam

Amsterdam Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel and Conference Center

The Hague Hotel Des Indes, The Hague

Portugal

Portimão Le Méridien Penina Golf & Resort

United Kingdom

England

West Drayton Sheraton Heathrow Hotel

United States

Arizona

Phoenix Aloft Phoenix-Airport

Phoenix Sheraton Crescent Hotel

Scottsdale Sheraton Desert Oasis Villas, Scottsdale

California

Fresno Four Points by Sheraton Fresno

Garden Grove Sheraton Garden Grove – Anaheim South Hotel

Rancho Cucamonga Four Points by Sheraton Ontario-Rancho Cucamonga

San Francisco The Westin San Francisco Market Street

San Francisco The Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square

San Francisco W San Francisco

Florida

Fort Lauderdale The Westin Fort Lauderdale

Lake Mary The Westin Lake Mary, Orlando North

Orlando Four Points by Sheraton Orlando Studio City

Georgia

Atlanta Sheraton Suites Galleria-Atlanta

Atlanta The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta

Atlanta W Atlanta – Downtown

Hawaii

Honolulu The Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki

Maui The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka’anapali

Illinois

Chicago Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers

Chicago The Tremont Chicago Hotel at Magnificent Mile

Chicago The Westin Chicago River North

Indiana

Indianapolis The Westin Indianapolis

Massachusetts

Boston W Boston

Springfield Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel

Minnesota

Edina The Westin Edina Galleria

Minneapolis Le Méridien Chambers Minneapolis

Minnetonka Sheraton Minneapolis West Hotel

Woodbury Sheraton St. Paul Woodbury Hotel

Nebraska

Omaha Sheraton Omaha Hotel

New York

Hauppauge Sheraton Long Island Hotel

New York The Manhattan at Times Square Hotel

North Carolina

Charlotte The Westin Charlotte

Puerto Rico

San Juan Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel & Casino

Tennessee

Nashville Sheraton Music City Hotel

Texas

Houston Sheraton Houston West Hotel

Houston The Westin Houston, Memorial City 

San Antonio Four Points by Sheraton San Antonio Downtown by the Riverwalk

Virginia

Falls Church The Westin Tysons Corner

Washington

Bellevue Sheraton Bellevue Hotel

Seattle Sheraton Seattle Hotel

SPG Access Like No Other has a promotion to fly one SPG member to Barcelona with five friends, stay two nights at W Barcelona with breakfast December 2-4, 2011, meet/greet with Ellie Goulding and hear her play an acoustic show. Sounds like a cool prize for this British pop star sensation. Her Nike sponsored website gives you a two-minute Nike commercial of slow-mo Ellie who is big on running. Make it through the initial video and then a screen opens with a selection of Ellie Goulding song videos.

Enter the Access Ellie promotion between October 19 and November 14, 2011. One entry is free to SPG members registering for the promotion. Earn an additional entry for each eligible paid Starwood Hotel night during the sweepstakes.

Winner will be notified during the week following the promotion and only has 24 hours to confirm prize before an alternate winner is chosen.

 

SPG Moments

SPG Moments never attracted me since they came out with event auctions and I don’t think I ever blogged before about this SPG feature. Many of the SPG Moment offers are auction items and the price can quickly go higher than your current account balance, or at least my balance.

SPG Moments offer experiences like concert tickets, fine dining meal experiences, backstage passes and insider access, and sports clinics and events. Many of the items are auctions, and some are fixed price.

Last year there was an auction event for box seats at the Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo Show with dinner and one night at the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa Edinburgh for 65,000 points. This was certainly a special event opportunity, but those same 65,000 points could buy 7 or more nights at numerous Starwood hotels in Europe.

Another SPG Moments auction event in my locale was this summer’s Pebble Beach Food & Wine event auctioned last March for 65,000 and 86,000 points with VIP Access to the tasting tent.

Fixed price SPG Moments events caught my attention when reading Brian Kelly’s The Points Guy post about getting tickets for Britney Spears in Budapest for 5,000 points.

Sade or Tom Jones in Budapest or Lenny Kravitz in Warsaw or Roxette in London – all concerts with a fixed price of 5,000 points for two tickets.

Ellie Goulding is also 5,000 points to attend the Meet and Greet and acoustic performance at the W Barcelona December 3.

No free airfare for you and your friends or complimentary hotel stay though at the 5,000 points level. You just get to hang around a rock star in Barcelona in an intimate setting. Nice consolation.

 

Starwood Starpicks offer rate discounts up to 40% for upcoming weekends with some hotels offering discount rates every day of the week over the next three to six weeks. The real value I see with Starpicks is for hotels with typically high weekday rates that are discounted to a set Starpicks rate regardless of the day of week. These rates can save quite a bit on a hotel for a Thursday or Sunday night when rates tend to be higher than Friday or Saturday.

These rates are available for booking until Friday, October 14, 2011.

Starwood Starpicks Hotels for week of October 11-October 14 bookings for stays in October and November.

Note: Use the link at the beginning of the post to see availability calendars. The hotels listed below are the participating hotels, but you need to go to the main page to view calendar of available Starpicks dates.

Aruba

Palm Beach The Westin Resort & Casino, Aruba

Bahamas

Nassau Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort

 

Canada

Ontario

Mississauga Four Points by Sheraton Mississauga Meadowvale

Toronto Sheraton Gateway Hotel in Toronto International Airport

 

China

Shandong

Qingdao Four Points by Sheraton Qingdao, Chengyang

 

France

Paris Le Méridien Etoile

 

Japan

Osaka The St. Regis Osaka

 

Malaysia

Kota Kinabalu Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu

 

Mexico

Baja California Sur

Los Cabos Sheraton Hacienda del Mar Golf & Spa Resort, Los Cabos

 

Netherlands

Amsterdam Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel and Conference Center

The Hague Hotel Des Indes, The Hague

 

South Africa

Cape Town The Westin Cape Town

 

United Kingdom

England

West Drayton Sheraton Heathrow Hotel

 

United States

Arizona

Phoenix Aloft Phoenix-Airport

Phoenix Sheraton Crescent Hotel

Scottsdale W Scottsdale

Tempe Aloft Tempe

California

Bakersfield Four Points by Sheraton Bakersfield

Fresno Four Points by Sheraton Fresno

Pleasanton Four Points by Sheraton Pleasanton

Rancho Cucamonga Four Points by Sheraton Ontario-Rancho Cucamonga

San Diego Four Points by Sheraton San Diego

Colorado

Steamboat Springs Sheraton Steamboat Resort

Steamboat Springs Sheraton Steamboat Resort Villas

Florida

Lake Mary The Westin Lake Mary, Orlando North

Orlando Sheraton Safari Hotel & Suites Lake Buena Vista

Hawaii

Kauai, Princeville The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas

Illinois

Chicago Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers

Chicago The Tremont Chicago Hotel at Magnificent Mile

Indiana

Indianapolis The Westin Indianapolis

Kentucky

Lexington Four Points by Sheraton Lexington

Maryland

Linthicum Aloft Baltimore Washington International Airport

Nebraska

Omaha Sheraton Omaha Hotel

New Hampshire

Manchester Four Points by Sheraton Manchester Airport

New Jersey

Ewing Element Ewing Princeton

New York

New York W New York – Downtown

Oregon

Portland Four Points by Sheraton Portland East

Pennsylvania

Allentown Four Points by Sheraton Hotel & Suites Allentown Airport

Lakeville Cove Haven Resort

Marshalls Creek Pocono Palace Resort

Mount Pocono Paradise Stream Resort

Puerto Rico

Rio Grande The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico

San Juan Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel & Casino

Tennessee

Franklin Aloft Nashville-Cool Springs

Texas

Fort Worth Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel and Spa

Frisco The Westin Stonebriar

Houston Element Houston Vintage Park

Irving Element Dallas Fort Worth Airport North

San Antonio Four Points by Sheraton San Antonio Downtown by the Riverwalk

Virginia

Alexandria The Westin Alexandria

Arlington Sheraton Crystal City Hotel

Ashburn Aloft Dulles Airport North

Falls Church The Westin Tysons Corner

Washington

Seattle Four Points by Sheraton Downtown Seattle Center

Starwood Starpicks Terms & Conditions:

Reservations must be booked online by this Friday at a Starwood website to receive promotional rates.

• Rates are valid at participating properties only for the book and stay period specified on the offer, and are subject to availability at the time of reservation. A limited number of rooms may be available at these rates and additional restrictions and blackout dates apply.
• Guests must arrive on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday at hotels over the following three (3) weekends following the Tuesday launch of the sale. Stays including a Sunday night require a two-night stay including a Saturday night.
• Resorts do not have arrival day or minimum stay requirements. Guests must arrive over the following six (6) weeks following the Tuesday launch of the sale.
• Length of stay restrictions apply to all properties. For hotels, the maximum stay is four nights (Thursday-Sunday) and for resorts the maximum stay is fourteen nights (Thursday – two Wednesday nights later). Not all hotels will have Thursday and/or Sunday nights available and not all resorts will have Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights available.
• Advance purchase required. Credit card will be charged at time of booking. Cancellations are non-refundable; if cancellation takes place, guests forfeit total room charge plus tax.
• Rates are per room, per night, based on single/double occupancy and availability at time of reservation and do not include additional per room, per night charges that may be imposed or state/local taxes.
• Offer not applicable to groups.
• Not to be combined with other special offers or promotions.
• Not responsible for omissions or typographical errors.
• Void where prohibited by law.
• Starwood reserves the right to discontinue this offer at any time.

Starwood Hotels Starpicks are limited time offer nonrefundable rates that you either use or lose your full prepayment cost for the room reservation.

In general, I was not impressed by rates at hotels I checked. These are by no means low rates in terms of historical low rates for the past year at hotels I searched.

Westin Mammoth Lakes = $149. I have seen that rate regularly over past few months.

The Palace San Francisco = $189. The Starwood Hotels in San Francisco seem to have jumped weekend rates by over 25% in 2011 compared to 2010. Occupancy has been high in this popular international tourist and conference destination. I look for rates under $150 at the Palace and they still happen occasionally.

Rates for Colorado hotels I checked frequently in July are basically the same low rates I saw last month.

Westin Riverfront Mountain Resort & Spa Beaver Creek, Avon (near Vail) was $189 standard rate or $170.10 with AAA rate in July and $179 Starpicks rate in this offer.

Sheraton Denver West is $79 and I paid $76 AAA rate in July with day of arrival no penalty cancellation option.

Element Denver Park Meadows is $71 as Starpicks. I paid $80 for a week of arrival reservation, but the AAA rate had been $71 just a few days before my booking.

AAA rates I booked in Colorado typically had “day of until 6pm” or “one day before arrival cancellation”.

Calendar function is not working correctly on my computer when using IE9.0.1. Dates disappear as I hover mouse over calendar. Very touchy feature that I had quite a problem with when trying to search hotels for Starpicks rates. I required slowly surgical precision to move mouse over the calendar and select dates before a large portion of the calendar decided to disappear. Mess up and the only way to get the calendar dates showing again was to start search over. This truly was hunting for low rates.

Starpicks are nonrefundable rates that you either use or lose your full prepayment cost for the room reservation.

My general advice is minimize your exposure to prepaid, nonrefundable rates  at every opportunity when booking hotel rooms.

Use it or lose it rates offer some savings sometimes, but the overall savings is generally wiped out after one or two missed nights due to airport delays, bad weather, meeting cancellations and changes, and other factors that are often out of your control.

In the past I have often found the Starpicks rate to be a really low rate for some hotels I’ve stayed. Starwood Hotels seems to have formalized the Starpicks offers into a nice webpage offer, but the savings now seem more like a typical Hilton Hotels sale that really isn’t a sale. The Starpicks rates are low if you were planning a stay, but probably not so low that you should plan a nonrefundable stay just for these rates.

Starpicks Terms and Conditions

• Rates are valid at participating properties only for the book and stay period specified on the offer, and are subject to availability at the time of reservation. A limited number of rooms may be available at these rates and additional
  restrictions and blackout dates apply.
• Guests must arrive on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday at hotels over the following six (6) weekends following the Tuesday launch of the sale. Blackout dates may apply at some hotels and availability may be limited on some weekends. Stays including a Sunday night require a two-night stay including a Saturday night.
• Resorts do not have arrival day or minimum stay requirements. Guests must arrive over the following
  six (6) weeks following the Tuesday launch of the sale.
• Length of stay restrictions apply to all properties. For hotels, the maximum stay is four nights (Thursday-Sunday) and for resorts the maximum stay is fourteen nights (Thursday – two Wednesday nights later). Not all hotels will have Thursday and/or Sunday nights available and not all resorts will have Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights available.
• Advance purchase required. Credit card will be charged at time of booking. Cancellations are non-refundable; if cancellation takes place, guests forfeit total room charge plus tax.

Argentina

Buenos Aires

Sheraton Libertador Hotel

Mar del Plata

Sheraton Mar del Plata Hotel

 

Canada

Alberta

Calgary

Four Points by Sheraton Calgary Airport

Calgary

Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire

 

British Columbia

Vancouver

The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver

 

Whistler

The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler

 

Ontario

Blue Mountains

The Westin Trillium House, Blue Mountain

 

Hamilton

Sheraton Hamilton Hotel

 

Mississauga

Four Points by Sheraton Mississauga Meadowvale

 

Mississauga

Four Points by Sheraton Toronto Airport

 

Mississauga

Four Points by Sheraton Toronto Mississauga

 

Ottawa

Sheraton Ottawa Hotel

 

Toronto

• Four Points by Sheraton Toronto Lakeshore
• Le Méridien King Edward
• Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel
• Sheraton Gateway Hotel in Toronto International Airport
• Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel & Conference Centre
• The Westin Bristol Place Toronto Airport
• The Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto
• The Westin Prince, Toronto

 

Quebec

Dorval

Sheraton Montreal Airport Hotel

 

Montreal

Le Centre Sheraton Montreal Hotel

Le Méridien Versailles

 

China

Shanghai

Sheraton Shanghai Hongqiao Hotel

 

Costa Rica

Guanacaste

Playa Conchal

The Westin Resort & Spa, Playa Conchal

 

Germany

Frankfurt

The Westin Grand Frankfurt

 

Guatemala

Guatemala City

The Westin Camino Real, Guatemala

 

Malaysia

Langkawi

The Andaman, Langkawi

 

Mexico

Baja California Sur

Los Cabos

Sheraton Hacienda del Mar Golf & Spa Resort, Los Cabos

The Westin Resort & Spa, Los Cabos

 

Campeche

Hacienda Puerta Campeche

 

Uayamon

Hacienda Uayamon

 

Yucatan

Santa Rosa

Hacienda Santa Rosa

 

Temozon Sur

Hacienda Temozon

 

Tixkokob

Hacienda San Jose

 

Netherlands

Amsterdam

Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel and Conference Center

 

Panama, Republic of Panama

Panama City

Sheraton Panama Hotel & Convention Center

 

Poland

Warsaw

Le Méridien Bristol, Warsaw

 

Thailand

Koh Samui

W Retreat Koh Samui

 

Pattaya

Sheraton Pattaya Resort

 

United Kingdom

England

London

W London – Leicester Square

 

United States

Alabama

Birmingham

Sheraton Birmingham Hotel

 

Huntsville

The Westin Huntsville

 

Arizona

Phoenix

Aloft Phoenix-Airport

 

Scottsdale

Sheraton Desert Oasis Villas, Scottsdale

 

Scottsdale

The Westin Kierland Villas, Scottsdale

 

Tempe

Aloft Tempe

Sheraton Phoenix Airport Hotel Tempe

 

Tucson

Sheraton Tucson Hotel & Suites

 

California

Carlsbad

Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa

Emeryville

Four Points by Sheraton San Francisco Bay Bridge

 

Los Angeles

Four Points by Sheraton Los Angeles International Airport

 

Los Angeles

The Westin Los Angeles Airport

 

Mammoth Lakes

The Westin Monache Resort, Mammoth

 

Millbrae

The Westin San Francisco Airport

 

Rancho Mirage

The Westin Mission Hills Resort Villas, Palm Springs

 

San Diego

Four Points by Sheraton San Diego

 

San Francisco

Palace Hotel, San Francisco

The Westin San Francisco Market Street

The Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square

W San Francisco

 

Ventura

Four Points by Sheraton Ventura Harbor Resort

 

Colorado

Aurora

Aloft Denver International Airport

 

Avon

The Westin Riverfront Mountain Villas, Beaver Creek Mountain

 

Avon

The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa at Beaver Creek Mountain

 

Broomfield

Aloft Broomfield Dnver

 

Lakewood

Sheraton Denver West otel

 

Lone Tree

Element Denver Park Madows

 

Connecticut

Meriden

Four Points by Sheraton Meriden

 

Florida

Cocoa Beach

Four Points by Sheraton Cocoa Beach

 

Fort Lauderdale

Sheraton Suites Cypress Creek Ft. Lauderdale

 

Jacksonville

Aloft Jacksonville Tapestry Park

Sheraton Jacksonville Hotel

 

Jensen Beach

Vistana’s Beach Club

 

Lake Buena Vista

Walt Disney World Dolphin

 

Lake Buena Vista

Walt Disney World Swan

 

Lake Mary

The Westin Lake Mary, Orlando North

 

Orlando

Four Points by Sheraton Orlando Studio City

Sheraton Orlando Downtown Hotel

Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas, Lake BuenaVista/Orlando

Sheraton Vistana Villages Resort Villas, I-Drive/Orlando

The Westin Imagine Orlando

 

Port St. Lucie

Sheraton PGA Vacation Resort, Port St. Lucie

 

Tampa

Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk Hotel

 

Georgia

Atlanta

Sheraton Atlanta Hotel

Sheraton Suites Galleria-Atlanta

The Westin Atlanta Perimeter North

The Westin Buckhead Atlanta

The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta

W Atlanta – Midtown

 

Augusta

Sheraton Augusta Hotel

 

Hawaii

Kailua-Kona

Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa

 

Illinois

Itasca

The Westin Chicago Northwest

 

Lombard

The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center

 

Louisiana

New Orleans

The Westin New Orleans Canal Place

 

Maryland

National Harbor

The Westin Washington National Harbor

 

Massachusetts

Cambridge

Le Méridien Cambridge-MIT

 

Norwood

Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

 

Wakefield

Sheraton Colonial Boston North Hotel & Conference Center

 

Michigan

Romulus

Four Points by Sheraton Detroit Metro Airport

 

Missouri

St. Louis

Sheraton Clayton Plaza Hotel St. Louis

 

Nebraska

Omaha

Element Omaha Midtown Crossing

 

Nevada

Las Vegas

Element Las Vegas Summerlin

 

New Jersey

Morristown

The Westin Governor Morris, Morristown

 

New York

New York

Aloft Harlem

The Chatwal, New York City

The Manhattan at Times Square Hotel

W New York – Downtown

 

North Carolina

Charlotte

Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne

 

Ohio

Columbus

The Westin Columbus

 

Pennsylvania

York

Four Points by Sheraton York

 

South Carolina

Myrtle Beach

Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel

 

North Charleston

Aloft Charleston Airport & Convention Center

 

Tennessee

Memphis

Four Points by Sheraton Memphis East

 

Texas

Dallas

Le Méridien Dallas by the Galleria

Sheraton Dallas North Hotel

The Westin Park Central, Dallas

 

Fort Worth

Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel and Spa

 

Frisco

The Westin Stonebriar

 

San Antonio

Four Points by Sheraton San Antonio Downtown by the Riverwalk

Sheraton Gunter Hotel San Antonio

 

Virginia

Alexandria

Sheraton Suites Old Town Alexandria

The Westin Alexandria

 

Ashburn

Aloft Dulles Airport North

 

Falls Church

The Westin Tysons Corner

 

Norfolk

Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel

 

Vienna

Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner

 

Wisconsin

Brookfield

Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel

 

Green Bay

Aloft Green Bay

Marriott, Starwood, Best Western and Choice have free night promotions allowing you to pay now and stay free later on another trip. They all have restrictions on the type of free night allowed, so read the rules carefully and see if the free night looks like one you can use.

Marriott Rewards – One Free Night after Two Stays June 1 – August 31.

Marriott International hotel brands: Marriott, JW Marriott, Marriott Vacation Club, Renaissance, Fairfield Inn, Residence Inn, Courtyard, SpringHill Suites, TownePlace Suites, Autograph Collection, Ritz-Carlton, Edition. (AC Hotels is Marriott’s new brand in Europe, but AC Hotels are not listed as a participating brand for this promotion.)

• Register for this promotion by June 30.
• Stays at Marriott brand hotels worldwide qualify for promotion.
• Maximum of two free nights may be earned per member during promotion period after 4 stays.
• Free night is valid for any hotel category 1 to category 4 hotel worldwide. These are the lower category hotels, but includes around 2,500 hotels globally.
• Free night may be redeemed from June 5 to December 31, 2011.
• Award nights are not transferable and may not be gifted.
• Loyalty Traveler May 16 post on this Marriott promotion.

Strategy for Marriott Rewards promotion: My wife and I have traveled where one night at a hotel is a reservation in my name and the second night is a reservation in her name. First person should check out and get a hotel stay folio before second person checks in under different member account to be sure the stays credit appropriately to each member’s account for the free night credit.

This allows longer stays without changing hotels while maximizing promotion credit. Just tell the hotel you are staying on two different reservations to maximize the Marriott Rewards promotion and you might not need to change rooms during your hotel stay.

Starwood Preferred Guest – One Free Night at a Starwood Resort after Three Stays, May 1 – July 31.

Starwood Hotels brands: Westin, Sheraton, Four Points, Aloft, Element, St. Regis, Luxury Collection, W Hotels, Le Meridien.

• Register for this promotion by June 30.
• Stays at Starwood brand hotels worldwide qualify for promotion.
• No limit to earned free nights during promotion period.
• Free night is valid at over 200 Starwood Resorts worldwide.
• Free night may be redeemed any day of week to December 21, 2011.
• Redeem free nights by calling Starwood customer service 1-888-625-4988 (toll-free) and requesting Award ID 3FRN
• Award nights are not transferable and may not be gifted.
• Loyalty Traveler April 15 post on this promotion.

 

Choice Hotels – 8,000 points after Two Stays, May 19 – August 11, 2011.

Choice Brands: Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Sleep Inn, Quality Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, Ascend Collection, MainStay Suites, Suburban, Rodeway Inn, EconoLodge.

• Register for this promotion to increase earning limit to 4 bonuses for 32,000 points, otherwise the limit is 2 bonuses for 16,000 points. Elite Platinum and Diamond members may earn bonus 10 times for 80,000 points.
• Must be a resident of U.S., U.S. territories or Canada.
• Book at ChoiceHotels.com or 1-800-4CHOICE. (Elite platinum and elite diamond may book through any channel.
• Important to note: a minimum 2-night stay is required for an eligible stay at the Choice Hotels budget brands of EconoLodge and Rodeway Inn and extended-stay brands Suburban and MainStay Suites.
• 8,000 points is sufficient for about 1,500 hotels or 25% of all Choice Hotels. Many hotels will require 16,000, 20,000 or 25,000 points for a free night.
• Loyalty Traveler May 16 post on Choice Hotels promotion.

 

Best Western Hotels – One free night after three stays June 19-August 14, 2011.

Best Western hotels are all one brand, but in 2011 three tiers were created with most of the worldwide 4,000+ properties remaining Best Western and about 800 hotels as Best Western Plus and around 100+ hotels (mostly outside U.S.) as Best Western Premier.

• Register for this promotion by logging into account, click My Account tab, and in section titled “Membership Overview” click the tab “Special Offers Sign-Up“.  This promotion should be listed.
• Here are the promotion terms.
• Promotion registration only open for residents of U.S., Canada, Bahamas and U.S. Virgin Islands.
• Stay at any Best Western worldwide to qualify for free night.
• Limit of one free night voucher per member during promotion period.
• Free night voucher expires January 31, 2012.
• Free night voucher valid only at Best Western hotels in U.S., Canada, Bahamas and U.S. Virgin Islands.
• Elite members of Best Western Rewards earn 6,500 bonus points if two of three stays are in two different tiers of Best Western (Best Western, Best Western Plus (about 800 hotels), Best Western Premier (100+ hotels). Limit of one elite bonus per member.
• Earn an additional 6,500 bonus points if each of three stays paid with Best Western Rewards MasterCard. Limit of one credit card bonus per member.

Can’t afford a W Hotel? Think again.

There are currently 41 W Hotels open around the world in the Starwood Hotels luxury boutique brand. W Hotels opened in the past year in London, St. Petersburg, Russia; Bali, Taipei and Santiago, Chile. There are several more W Hotels scheduled to open in the next year in Paris, Milan, Singapore and Bangkok.

Think lights and darkness, music and playful whimsy, style and attitude. Guests seem to either really love the W concept or find it pretentious. My wife is a lover of W style. I generally have a great time in W Hotels, but the rooms tend to be too small and the price too high for my comfort. Think $250 to $350 as average rates for this luxury boutique brand.

Starwood’s W Silicon Valley is probably the hotel where I have booked more paid nights than any other hotel over the past decade. W Silicon Valley is undoubtedly the lowest priced of any of the W Hotels. By far the lowest priced during weekends and holidays. The published AAA rate for this Memorial Day weekend at the W Silicon Valley was $81. Even lower was my Starwood Best Rate Guarantee matched rate to Hotels.com price for $64 per night + 2,000 bonus Starpoints. And the hotel even upgraded me to a Cool Corner Suite for only the second time in 8 years.

On top of the low price is the standard large room at W Suites Silicon Valley measuring 447 square feet. Most W Hotels will require a significant upgrade to land a room that size. The standard room at Silicon Valley is larger than any upgraded room I received at W San Francisco, W Washington D.C., W Chicago Lakeshore or W Chicago – City Center.

All standard rooms at W Silicon Valley are basically junior suites with the TV table dividing the sitting room from the bed. The Cool Corner Suite has the same furnishings as lower category rooms, but larger space between the furniture and in the bathroom. Flat screen TVs arrived in the past two years to bring the hotel into the 21st century. The TVs swivel for viewing from couch or bed.

All the rooms at W Silicon Valley come with a mini-bar refrigerator, microwave and sink.

The refrigerator is spacious enough to put your own food and drink inside around the mini-bar items and no electronic sensors to inhibit moving the mini-bar items around to make space.

The bathrooms have both shower and tub.

The rooms used to have large and beautiful blue drinking glasses. Now they are small and clear.

Frankly, I am surprised W Silicon Valley hotel has survived as a W Hotel in the small southeastern San Francisco Bay city of Newark, California. There is no big city life in the vicinity of the hotel. There is actually not much of anything around the hotel. W Silicon Valley hotel is located between a business park, housing tracts and the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge on the shore of San Francisco Bay, at the eastern edge of the Dumbarton Bridge. The hotel is 8 miles from Palo Alto, home of Stanford University and 30 miles from San Francisco.

W Silicon Valley lobby is generally uncrowded unless a special party is happening. The bar, restaurant and lobby are a compact space.

There is a small fitness room and an outdoor pool surrounded by sand at W Silicon Valley. There is also an outdoor firepit. The wind tends to blow briskly at this southern end of San Francisco Bay which makes the hot tub a more popular ‘wet’ experience in my observations over the years.

There are probably not too many people who would list the W Silicon Valley as their favorite Starwood Hotel, but for a loyalty traveler, Newark has been a home away from home since 2003 for this frequent guest seeking to maintain SPG Platinum elite and needing a high quality, low priced hotel within driving distance of Monterey. And the W Silicon Valley, Newark really is 90 miles from Monterey (W Silicon Valley website states 50 miles), so don’t take the W Silicon Valley Acura SUV for a 3-hour complimentary drive and expect to reach Cannery Row and back in the allotted time.

Related Loyalty Traveler posts:

W Silicon Valley Fly-by in HD (July 28, 2009) – This piece touches on the adjacent wildlife refuge and history of sea salt production in San Francisco Bay.

W San Francisco in HD (Sep 4, 2009) – Loads of photos

W Chicago Lakeshore Hotel (Oct. 26, 2010)

W Chicago City Center in Blue Ray (October 27, 2010)

“You’ve got to ask yourself one question. Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya punk?” – Clint Eastwood in ‘Dirty Harry’ offers a classic movie line that fits well with the charisma needed to be a gritty movie director creating compelling video. Or to be the diva inside the shower singing  out like a performance at Carnegie Hall. Or the coolness needed to master the Master’s at golf.  Or the ambition to be around the best of the guests in an over-the-top luxury stay in Sin City Las Vegas.

This week I have come across sweepstakes and contests for Hyatt Hotels Greatest Movie Contest, Starwood Preferred Guest’s Travel Like a Rockstar, Hilton Hotels Golf Getaway and IHG’s penthouse suite giveaway at the Venetian to welcome the new InterContinental Allaince Resorts in Las Vegas.

And if you are unlucky in hotel giveaways, the consequences are far less severe than a bullet in the head.

Although, Facebook does require you to rat out all your friends.

Hyatt Hotels Greatest Movie Contest – Entry deadline May 23

• Contest Rules link
• Facebook Entry link
• Grand Prize – Trip to Hyatt Regency Aruba for seven days, seven nights and JetBlue airfare.
• 9 runners-up – 10,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points and one case of POM Wonderful 100% pomegranate juice.

The difference between a contest and a sweepstakes is you have to actually do something to win a contest. The Hyatt film contest asks you to submit a video movie trailer or scene or just a written description of a scene that features a product placement idea. Read the contest rules for more detail on video.

This promotion is tied in with the new Morgan Spurlock film “POM Wonderful Present: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” that is a film on branding, advertising and product placement. The film is by the Oscar-nominated documentary director of “Super Size Me” fame, the 2004 film depicting Mr. Spurlock living entirely on McDonald’s fast-food for 30 days. “The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” about product placement features Hyatt Hotels who reportedly tossed in about $700,000 to “sponsor” the film.

 

Starwood Preferred Guest – Travel Like a Rockstar Sweepstakes (Entry deadline May 31)

• Grand Prize – Trip for 6 to London’s Hyde Park Festival on June 25, 2011 and two nights at the new W London Leicester Square Hotel. Three standard rooms for check-in June 24 and check-out June 26. Full breakfast included (not room service) and luxury transportation to Festival.
• Registration entry. Earn an additional sweepstakes entry for every night in a Starwood Hotel through May 31, 2011. There is a little game to play to enter and at the end you will be  designated a rockstar “type” and given a rockstar name. Apparently, I am a Diva. I’ll have to tell my wife. But, she probably already knows.
• Contest Terms & Conditions.

 

Hilton Hotels Golf Getaway (Sweepstakes period runs May 2, 2011 to September 5, 2011).

Open to U.S. residents only for a golf vacation at Waldorf Astoria Orlando, The Boulders Waldorf Astoria Resort in Carefree, Arizona or La Quinta Waldorf Astoria Resort near Palm Springs, California.

Register for promotion to earn one entry and additional entries earned for every Hilton Worldwide night stayed through September 5.

Golf Getaway Sweepstakes rules.

Grand Prize: 100,000 HHonors points and 3-night trip for winner and up to 7 guests.

Grand Prize includes:

• 100,000 HHonors points for winner.
• Three rounds of 18-hole golf for 8 guests.
• Teaching professional short-game clinic for all 8 guests.
• Roundtrip airfare for 8 guests from winner’s nearest hometown airport.
• 4 standard rooms for 3 nights at one of three Waldorf Astoria Resorts.
• $5,000 Hilton Worldwide gift card.
• $10,000 check.
• Winner’s seven guests receive 50,000 HHonors points.

This is a pleasant improvement to sweepstakes over the past year with Hilton and SPG prizes for group travel to extend the prize to family members and friends.

 

InterContinental Alliance Resorts – VIP Experiences at the Venetian and Palazzo Las Vegas

(Monthly sweepstakes from May to December, 2011. May 31 is entry deadline for current prize.)

The Venetian and The Palazzo Resorts on the Las Vegas Strip are the new founding members of the InterContinental Alliance Resorts. Every month from May 4 to December 31, 2011 is a VIP Experience sweepstakes. For the month of May the VIP experience is a private cabana for Saturday and Sunday for Azure Luxury Pool at The Palazzo with a $2,500 food and beverage credit. I stayed at the Palazzo over Easter weekend and seated by a pool adjacent but outside Azure, I overheard four young guys walk by sounding disappointed they couldn’t pop down $1,000 for the daily cabana rental. They were sold out.

• VIP Experience Sweepstakes Entry
• VIP Experience Rules

Each monthly prize includes:

• $800 for airfare
• Airport limo pick-up
• Two nights in The Venetian Penthouse Suite
• VIP check-in
• Camcorder

Must redeem stay within one year of winning prize and must book hotel stay at least 21 days in advance.

“A Fast-Track to a Fabulous Getaway” is the way Starwood Preferred Guest is advertising their “Stay Three, Getaway Free” promotion for one free night at any of 200 Starwood Resorts worldwide after three hotel stays at nearly any Starwood Hotel worldwide.

The offer counts stays from May 1 to July 31, 2011. Free nights earned can be redeemed through December 21, 2011. There is no limit for the number of free nights earned except for the time limit.

SPG Stay Three, Getaway Free registration. Must register by June 30, 2011.

SPG Promotion FAQ.

 To redeem your Free Night Awards, contact SPG Customer Service and mention Award ID 3FRN.

Loyalty Traveler Analysis

This promotion for me is a fast-track to a fabulous getaway. I happen to have quite a bit of travel I can plan around California and the Pacific Northwest over the next three months. Portland, Oregon and Fresno, California have Starwood Hotels under $100 per night after tax. These are not my destination cities, but I can probably pull out six one-night stays in these two locations while enjoying the locale. Portland, Oregon is a great location for maximizing cheap Starwood stays.

$600 for six hotel nights on a couple of trips while I see locations like Yosemite National Park and visit some Portland microbreweries is a great deal when my paid stays earn two free nights for a place like Westin Mammoth which will be an even better hotel stay than the Four Points Fresno on another trip to Yosemite National Park later in the year. Or I can stay at St. Regis Monarch Beach rather than cheap Orange County Airport hotels when I go south to see my sister’s family. Basically what I spend for the three nights to earn a free resort night will be the going rate for the hotels where I redeem my free nights. Paying $600 for hotel stays I need to earn $600 in free resort hotel stays I desire is a good deal for my travel pattern.

The San Francisco Bay Area shows several hotels at under $100 in May. This is a great place to maximize cheap Starwood stays, but not in downtown San Francisco and the other locations kind of bore me now since I have been to these places so often.  A night at the Sheraton Palo Alto offers the free Stanford University Museum for a day of culture, a thought provoking lecture or two and the restaurants in Palo Alto are reliable for some interesting direct conversation or common eavesdropping if you comprehend the language.

The sensible strategy for someone in the US for this Starwood Resorts free night offer is to try and stay Starwood heavy in May before summer travel and room rates pick up. That is if we actually see a travel increase this summer with higher prices. Sure, occupancy has been up for the past year by 5 to 10%, but the room rates are not significantly higher than two years ago.

I actually thought San Francisco had been much higher priced hotels in 2011 and then I tracked May 2011 Starwood Hotel rates alongside May 2009 hotel rates and at least 50% of 20+ Starwood Hotels in the Bay Area are actually lower rates now on average.

Six Starwood Resort nights on a Greek or Italian Island can be a $3,000 hotel stay. I don’t know if I can get to Europe this summer for a trip. Loads of Starwood nights are less valuable if I can’t travel with my wife during summer school break when we both benefit from a luxury hotel stay.

Earning six nights with 18 hotel stays in the next three months is a plan I think makes economic sense for encouraging summer travel for me. My back-up California locations are St. Regis Monarch Beach (category 6), Westin Verasa Napa (category 5) and Westin Monache Mammoth (category 5).

Westin Napa has suites with a full kitchen, dining table, balcony patio, sitting room, bedroom and 1.5 bathrooms that I received an upgrade to when I stayed there as an SPG Platinum on free nights earned in the 2009 free weekend nights promotion.

We might even go for a Rocky Mountain tour to St. Regis Park City, Utah and St. Regis Aspen and Westin Beaver Creek Mountain, Colorado.

This “Stay Three Getaway Free” offer is a good promotion for making a $1,000 to $3,000 investment if you are in a position to travel frequently from now through July and still have the opportunity to get great value from free nights earned.

Starwood Resorts participating in free nights. These are the hotels where you can redeem free nights earned. Three stays at any of 1,000+ Starwood Hotels worlwide in all nine Starwood brands qualify for earning the free Starwood Resort night. Starwood brands include Sheraton, Westin, Four Points, Le Meridien, Luxury Collection, Aloft, W Hotels, St. Regis, and Element.

United States  

Arizona

• Sheraton Desert Oasis
• Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa
• The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician
• The Phoenician, Scottsdale
• The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa
• The Westin Kierland Villas, Scottsdale
• The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa

California

• Four Points by Sheraton Ventura Harbor
• Le Parker Méridien Palm Springs
• Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa
• The St. Regis Monarch Beach
• The Westin Desert Willow Villas, Palm Desert
• The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa
• The Westin Mission Hills Resort Villas, Palm Springs
• The Westin Monache Resort, Mammoth
• The Westin Verasa Napa

Colorado

• Sheraton Mountain Vista Villas, Avon / Vail Valley
• Sheraton Steamboat Resort
• Sheraton Steamboat Resort Villas
• The St. Regis Aspen Resort
• The Westin Riverfront Mountain Villas
• The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa

Florida

• Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel
• Sheraton PGA Vacation Resort, Port St. Lucie
• Sheraton Sand Key Resort
• Sheraton Suites Key West
• Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas
• Sheraton Vistana Villages Resort Villas, I-Drive/Orlando
• The Westin Beach Resort & Spa, Fort Lauderdale
• The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, Hollywood, Florida
• The Westin Key West Resort & Marina
• W Fort Lauderdale
• W South Beach
• Walt Disney World Dolphin
• Walt Disney World Swan

Georgia

• The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa

Guam

• Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort
• The Westin Resort, Guam

Hawaii

• Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach
• Sheraton Kauai Resort
• Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa
• Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa
• Sheraton Princess Kaiulani
• Sheraton Waikiki
• The Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki
• The St. Regis Princeville Resort
• The Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas
• The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka’anapali
• The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas

North Carolina

• The Ballantyne, Charlotte

Pennsylvania

• Cove Haven Resort
• Paradise Stream Resort
• Pocono Palace Resort

Puerto Rico

• The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico
• W Retreat & Spa – Vieques Island

South Carolina

• Sheraton Broadway Plantation
• The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa

Texas

• The Westin La Cantera Resort, San Antonio

Utah

• The St. Regis Deer Valley

Vermont

• The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa, Vermont

Virgin Islands

• The Westin St. John Resort & Villas

Virginia

• Sheraton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotel

 

Algeria

• Sheraton Club des Pins Resort and Towers

Argentina

• Sheraton Iguazú Resort & Spa

Aruba

• The Westin Resort & Casino, Aruba

Australia

• Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Resort
• Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa Gold Coast
• Sheraton Noosa Resort & Spa

Austria

• Schloss Fuschl Resort & Spa, Fuschlsee-Salzburg

Bahamas

• Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort

Brazil

• Sheraton Rio Hotel & Resort

Cambodia

• Le Méridien Angkor

Canada

• Four Points by Sheraton Quebec Resort
• Le Westin Resort & Spa, Tremblant, Quebec
• Sheraton on the Falls Hotel
• The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver
• The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa, Victoria
• The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler
• The Westin Trillium House, Blue Mountain

Cayman Islands

• The Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa, Grand Cayman

China

• Four Points by Sheraton Shenzhou Peninsula Resort
• Le Méridien She Shan Shanghai
• Le Méridien Shimei Bay Beach Resort & Spa
• Sheraton Dameisha Resort, Shenzhen
• Sheraton Haikou Resort
• Sheraton Hangzhou Wetland Park Resort
• Sheraton Huadu Resort
• Sheraton Huizhou Beach Resort
• Sheraton Jiuzhaigou Resort
• Sheraton Qiandao Lake Resort
• Sheraton Qingyuan Lion Lake Resort
• Sheraton Sanya Haitang Bay Resort
• Sheraton Sanya Resort
• Sheraton Shenzhou Peninsula Resort
• Sheraton Yantai Golden Beach Resort
• The Malus Resort, Sanya
• The St. Regis Lhasa Resort
• The St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort
• The Westin Resort, Macau

Croatia

• Le Meriden Lav Split

Cyprus

• Le Méridien Limassol Spa & Resort

Egypt

• Le Méridien Dahab Resort
• Le Méridien Pyramids Hotel & Spa
• Sheraton Luxor Resort
• Sheraton Miramar Resort El Gouna
• Sheraton Sharm Hotel, Resort, Villas & Spa
• Sheraton Soma Bay Resort

Fiji

• Sheraton Denarau Villas
• Sheraton Fiji Resort
• The Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa, Fiji

France

• Le Méridien Nice

Gambia

• Sheraton Gambia Hotel Resort & Spa

Germany

• ArabellaSheraton Alpenhotel

Greece

• Arion Resort & Spa, Astir Palace, Athens
• Blue Palace Resort & Spa, Elounda
• Santa Marina Resort & Villas, Mykonos
• Sheraton Rhodes Resort
• The Romanos, Costa Navarino
• The Westin Athens Astir Palace Beach Resort
• The Westin Resort, Costa Navarino
• Vedema Resort, Santorini

India

• ITC Mughal, Agra
• Le Méridien Jaipur
• Le Méridien Kochi
• Sheraton Udaipur Palace Resort & Spa
• The Westin Sohna Resort & Spa

Indonesia

• Sheraton Lampung Hotel
• Sheraton Mustika Yogyakarta Resort and Spa
• Sheraton Senggigi Beach Resort
• The Laguna Resort & Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali
• The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali
• W Retreat & Spa Bali – Seminyak

Israel

• Le Méridien Dead Sea
• Le Méridien Eilat

Italy

• Le Méridien Rimini
• Sheraton Catania Hotel & Conference Center
• Sheraton Golf Parco de’ Medici Hotel & Resort, Roma

Japan

• Sheraton Grande Ocean Resort
• Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel
• The Westin Awaji Island Resort and Conference Center
• The Westin Miyako, Kyoto

Malaysia

• Four Points by Sheraton Langkawi Resort
• Sheraton Langkawi Beach Resort
• The Andaman, Langkawi
• The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa

Maldives, Republic of

• Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa

Malta

• Le Méridien St. Julians Hotel & Spa
• The Westin Dragonara Resort, Malta

Mauritius

• Le Méridien Ile Maurice
• The Grand Mauritian Resort & Spa, Mauritius
• The St. Regis Mauritius Resort

Mexico

• Hacienda San Jose
• Hacienda Santa Rosa
• Hacienda Temozon
• Hacienda Uayamon
• Le Méridien Cancun Resort & Spa
• Sheraton Buganvilias Resort and Convention Center
• Sheraton Hacienda del Mar Golf & Spa Resort
• The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort
• The Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort Villas, Cancun
• The Westin Resort & Spa, Cancun
• The Westin Resort & Spa, Los Cabos
• The Westin Resort & Spa, Puerto Vallarta

Monaco

• Le Méridien Beach Plaza

Morocco

• Le Méridien N’Fis

New Caledonia

• Le Méridien Ile des Pins
• Le Méridien Nouméa

Nigeria

• Le Méridien Ibom Hotel & Golf Resort
• Le Méridien Ogeyi Place

Panama

• Westin Playa Bonita

Peru

• Hotel Paracas, Paracas
• Tambo del Inka Resort & Spa, Valle Sagrado

Poland

• Sheraton Sopot Hotel & Coference Center

Portugal

• Convento do Espinheiro Hotel & Spa, Evora
• Le Méridien Penina Golf & Resort
• Sheraton Algarve Hotel, Albufeira

Qatar

• Sheraton Doha Resort & Convention Hotel

Seychelles

• Le Méridien Barbarons
• Le Méridien Fisherman’s Cove

South Africa

• Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa

Spain

• Castillo Hotel Son Vida, Mallorca
• Le Méridien Ra Beach Hotel & Spa
• Marqués de Riscal, Elciego
• Sheraton Fuerteventura Beach, Golf & Spa Resort
• Sheraton La Caleta Resort & Spa, Costa Adeje, Tenerife
• Sheraton Mallorca Arabella Golf Hotel
• Sheraton Salobre Golf Resort & Spa
• Sheraton Santa Maria de El Paular

St. Maarten

• The Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa, St. Maarten

Switzerland

• ArabellaSheraton Hotel Seehof
• Sheraton Davos Hotel Waldhuus

Syria

• Le Méridien Lattakia
• Sheraton Ma’aret Sednaya Hotel & Resort

Tahiti

• Le Méridien Tahiti

Thailand

• Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort, Thailand
• Le Méridien Khao Lak Beach & Spa Resort
• Le Méridien Phuket Beach Resort
• Sheraton Grande Laguna, Phuket
• Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa
• Sheraton Krabi Beach Resort
• Sheraton Pattaya Resort
• The Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa, Phuket

 

Turkey

• Sheraton Cesme Hotel, Resort and Spa

 

United Arab Emirates

• Le Méridien Abu Dhabi
• Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort
• Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Resort & Towers
• Westin Abu Dhabi Resort & Spa

 

United Kingdom

• Turnberry Resort, Scotland

 

Uruguay

• Sheraton Colonia Golf & Spa Resort

Vietnam

• Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel & Spa

In July 2009 Starwood Hotels extended the terms of its co-branded credit card agreement with American Express to June 15, 2015. Starwood Hotels received $250 million in cash towards the purchase of future SPG points by American Express.

SPG points liability increased from $634 million at year-end 2009 to $702 million year-end 2010. That is 10.7% more liability added in one year.

The average daily rate worldwide for Starwood Hotels at year-end 2010 was $160.00.

$702 million in liability at $160 per room night = 4,387,500 room nights in free rooms waiting to be redeemed. I have no idea how liability is actually calculated, but needless to say that members are holding points for millions of free room nights.

I just redeemed 16,000 points yesterday for Category 4 Cash & Points award nights to save $800 at a hotel in June.

Speculation on how many points $250 million buys.

I was thinking American Express probably pays about $10/1,000 points for something like 25 billion points for $250 million. After running some numbers I now think American Express must buy points for far less than a penny a point to cover all the 20,000 points new cardmember bonuses and points given for credit card spend.

Any guesses on how many points $250 million buys?

Half the prize locations in this 4-day Starwood Resorts “Pack Your Bags” sweepstakes round 8 for five hotel nights and 150,000 points are valued at over $20,000. SPG members can have four entries total for this round with one entry each day Friday April 8, Saturday April 9, Sunday April 10 and Monday April 11 before 11:59pm Eastern time (New York City).

 

Basic Rules (Pack Your Bags sweepstakes FAQ link)

There are 9 resort categories for the sweepstakes and one final prize on April 15 for a total of ten grand prize giveaways over the next month.  Every Tuesday and Friday during the promotion period there will be a different set of hotels offering a grand prize package. 

• You can enter once every 24 hours. Each entry is unique and you may choose a different resort within the choices of the Starwood Resort category with each entry.
• You can only win one prize during the promotion period.
• Prize is not transferrable.
• Winners are chosen from member entries within the posted time frame for each category.

Starwood Resort Categories for Pack Your Bags Sweepstakes:

Sweepstakes Period Rounds:

ROUND 1 – Best Exotic Escapes

* Photos posted: 3/15/11 @ 12:00:01 a.m. ET

* Submission deadline: 3/17/11 @ 11:59:59 p.m. ET

ROUND 2 – Best Winter Adventure Resorts

* Photos posted: 3/18/11 @ 12:00:01 a.m. ET

* Submission deadline: 3/21/11 @ 11:59:59 p.m. ET

ROUND 3 – Best Family Adventure Resorts

* Photos posted: 3/22/11 @ 12:00:01 a.m. ET

* Submission deadline: 3/24/11 @ 11:59:59 p.m. ET

ROUND 4 – Best Beach Resorts

* Photos posted: 3/25/11 @ 12:00:01 a.m. ET

* Submission deadline: 3/28/11 @ 11:59:59 p.m. ET

ROUND 5 – Best Spa Indulgences

* Photos posted: 3/29/11 @ 12:00:01 a.m. ET

* Submission deadline: 3/31/11 @ 11:59:59 p.m. ET

ROUND 6 – Best Golf Getaways

* Photos posted: 4/1/11 @ 12:00:01 a.m. ET

* Submission deadline: 4/4/11 @ 11:59:59 p.m. ET

ROUND 7 – Best Romantic Paradise

* Photos posted: 4/5/11 @ 12:00:01 a.m. ET

* Submission deadline: 4/7/11 @ 11:59:59 p.m. ET

ROUND 8 – Best Small Wonder

* Photos posted: 4/8/11 @ 12:00:01 a.m. ET

* Submission deadline: 4/11/11 @ 11:59:59 p.m. ET

ROUND 9 – Best Island Retreat

* Photos posted: 4/12/11 @ 12:00:01 a.m. ET

* Submission deadline: 4/14/11 @ 11:59:59 p.m. ET 

The 10^th grand prize winner will be picked April 15 from the entrants for each of the previous rounds. The Grand Prize winner has the choice of any Starwood Resort in the SPG members’ favorites list.

Resort stays must be completed by December 31, 2011.

Who can enter: Anyone age 18 or over from

• fifty (50) United States (including D.C.),
• Canada (excluding Quebec residents),
• Argentina,
• Australia,
• Austria,
• Brazil,
• China,
• Indonesia,
• Ireland,
• Finland,
• France,
• Germany,
• New Zealand,
• Portugal,
• Singapore,
• South Korea,
• Switzerland,
• Taiwan
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom.

Important Promotion Term to Note:  Winner member may substitute a different resort from the one originally chosen. For this reason you should pick the most expensive resort stays since you can always trade down, but you can’t trade up.

What if I win, but then decide I don’t want to go to the resort I had originally chosen?

Members may substitute a resort of equal or less value from the resort options originally provided to the member during the Giveaway. 

Check the Pack Your Bags Terms and Conditions link to see the tables of hotels and prize value for each of the nine Starwood Resort categories during the Pack Your Bags sweepstakes.

 

150,000 Starpoints Component of Grand Prize

The points are yours for whatever purpose you choose. Air travel to the Starwood Resort prize is totally left up to the prize winner.

150,000 Starpoints are available for conversion into airline miles if you choose to use points for air travel.

150,000 points = 185,000 miles for most airlines with 1:1 point-to-mile exchange.

Loyalty Traveler Analysis:

Remember to enter every day through April 14.

Choose the most expensive resort for each entry. If you win, then you can always change to any other resort in the list for each resort category prize. You can always trade laterally to an equally expensive resort or trade down later, but you can’t trade up to a more expensive resort.

Air travel to the resort is left up to the member. In general, 150,000 Starpoints will have more value used for hotel nights rather than air miles.