Starwood Preferred Guest Announced Their Final Worldwide Promotion Of 2017, Explore More

Just a few weeks ago, SPG released a number of targeted promotions for some members.  At the time, some folks wondered if this was the last promotion we would see for the year.  I was pretty sure we’d see another promotion, especially considering the number of folks who didn’t get a targeted offer.

Late last week, Marriott and Starwood Preferred Guest both announced promotions for the remainder of 2017.  I’ll be covering the Marriott promo shortly, but here are the key details for what SPG is offering via SPG Explore More:

Three different bonus opportunities:

• 1,000 bonus Starpoints per stay at all the full-service brands like St. Regis, Westin and Sheraton.
• 500 bonus Starpoints per stay at limited-service properties like Aloft and Four Points.
• 10,000 bonus Starpoints when you stay 25 or more nights during the promotion period.

The promotion runs from September 12th, 2017 until January 15, 2018.

You’ll need to register for the promotion prior to your first stay.

What To Think Of This Promotion?

Let’s start out with the positive points.  For shorter stays, a 1,000 point bonus is really nice.  On a 1-night stay where you’re paying $200, that’s an extra 5 points per dollar.  Plus, the cheapest SPG redemptions are 3,000 points per night.  So, 1,000 points is a nice extra.  500 points per stay for the limited-service hotels is nice, but not as appealing.

Only true road warriors will hit 25 stays in 4 months.  Those that do will be rewarded nicely with 10,000 points.  That’s enough for a free night at a whole slew of very nice SPG hotels.

The Downside

Ah, the participating properties.  That’s always the catch with SPG promotions.  You have to check the list of hotels to make sure the one you’re staying at is part of the promotion.  When I have to go digging for a list (and then dig through that list) to find whether a specific hotel is part of a promo, it’s a hassle.  Due to that, I don’t think this promo will cause me to start my hotel searches with SPG.  If I’m not in a rush, I’ll probably search the list to see if I have a chance to score an extra 500 or 1,000 points.  There are enough properties missing that you will need to double-check.  Oh, and before I forget, here are the lists:

500 point participating properties

1,000 point participating properties

The Final Two Pennies

It always makes sense to register for hotel promos such as this.  It’s free to do so.  Even if you don’t have plans to stay at an SPG property right now, plans change.  Better to take 30 seconds and register now so you don’t miss out later.

If you were targeted for a separate SPG promo a couple of weeks ago, this represents a nice stacking opportunity.  I was targeted for bonus points on my next few stays, so I’ll probably max out at least that part.  Past that, I’m still not sure if 1,000 points will be enough to sway my business.  500 points definitely won’t cut it.  Your mileage may vary!

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