SPG and Marriott Quickly Expand Ways To Earn Points

It’s a bit amazing to me Starwood and Marriott are finding so many ways to quickly integrate the two companies.  After the initial announcement of the merger, we all had a bunch of time to wait and contemplate what Marriott had in store for us.

I was surprised when Marriott and Starwood announced immediately after the merger was complete that they already had status matches and point transfers ready to go.

As a side note, if you haven’t linked your accounts yet, you should do that now.  Here are the steps to get an instant status match.

Now, Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest have announced a great way for members who hold their co-branded credit cards to earn more points, effective immediately.  Quoting from the press release:

Starting today, Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card by American Express Card Members in the U.S. can earn two Starpoints® for every eligible dollar spent using the Card directly at hotels participating in Marriott Rewards globally. Likewise, Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card from Chase and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card from JPMorgan Card Members in the U.S. can earn five Marriott Rewards or The Ritz-Carlton Rewards points for every eligible dollar spent using their respective Card on qualifying purchases made at participating global SPG properties.

To recap:

• SPG AMEX cardholders can now earn 2 Starpoints per dollar when they stay at any Marriott property worldwide and pay with their SPG AMEX.
• Marriott and Ritz credit cardholders can earn 5 Marriott Rewards points per dollar when they stay at any Starwood property worldwide and pay with their Marriott Chase credit card.

I really like that Marriott and SPG continue to act quickly on areas that benefit their customers in a real way.  I don’t carry a Marriott credit card in my wallet (that may change in the future).  In certain cities where I might choose a lesser Starwood brand to stay within the loyalty program I value, benefits like this and the status match make it easier to choose Marriott.

A real-life example here is Knoxville, TN.  I stayed there a few weeks ago and was set on the Four Points by Sheraton, the only SPG property close to where I needed to be.  It really wasn’t the type of property I prefer staying at.  My backup choice was the Hilton downtown because I have status with them.  Knowing that I can get bonus Starpoints and elite status recognition at a Marriott hotel would absolutely have influenced my booking in that city.

If You Carry Both Cards

As View From The Wing points out, with a 1:3 transfer ratio from SPG to Marriott you’re better off using your SPG card at both SPG and Marriott hotels, since you’ll earn 6 Marriott Rewards points per dollar on credit card spend versus 5 if you use the Marriott credit card from Chase.

I’m not sure what’s next in the merger.  I’m hoping there’s confirmation soon that Marriott is honoring lifetime status earned by SPG members.  I’m really pleased so far with the post-merger announcements, especially given my initial skepticism.  I’ve carried the SPG AMEX products for over a decade.  They’re staples in my wallet that I hope stick around for the long-term.  I’m pleased to have more opportunities to leverage their value.

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