Starwood’s Fall Promo Is Out: Take Two Is Par For The Course

Starwood has announced it’s fall promo, Take Two.  Since it runs through virtually the end of the year, this will likely be the last promo of 2013 for Starwood Preferred Guest.

From September 1st, 2013 until December 15, 2013 all SPG members will be able to earn double Starpoints at all participating properties.

There’s also a component to earn bonus points based on the total nights you stay during the promo period.  You’ll earn 2500 bonus points for every 5 nights you stay, up to a total of 10,000 bonus points.

Unfortunately, almost 200 properties are NOT participating, of which over 70 are in the US.

As always, make sure you register for hotel promos, even if you’re not expecting to stay at a specific chain during their promo period.  You never know when your plans will change, it’s free to register and most of the time hotels will not allow retroactive credit for a promo after a stay.

This promo seems pretty par for the course considering recent history of hotel promos amidst higher occupancy and rates.  I expect that Hyatt will have a fall promo as well and I’ll compare the two but I’m not expecting big rewards there, either.  The hotel chains are having an easier time hitting their numbers right now and perceive that higher occupancy will continue.  If they’re right, then who can blame them for not spending more money to attract customers.

The number of non-participating properties irks me.  This is definitely an area where Starwood has stood out lately.  Roughly 15% of the chain isn’t participating in this promo which just strikes me as disappointing.

When you compare this to Starwood’s last promo, Power Up, there are similar reward components.  Power Up had a 500 point bonus per night component, paid out every 4 nights with a bonus at the end.  Here, we have double points and a 500 point bonus per night component, paid out every 5 nights.  Depending on how many double points you earn, I suspect most members will see similar returns for this promo as the previous one.

No surprises here, really.  And, not the type of promotion to make me change where I’m staying in the second half of the year.  But, a rewarding promotion if you already planned on staying at Starwood properties this fall.

Related articles

• It’s (Way Past) Time For Hotel Chains To Take More Control Of Their Inventory
• Recapping My Progress On Hotel Status Progress At The Half-Year Mark
• Always Register For Promotions!