SPG: Buy Starpoints at 35% discount through May 2018

Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) is offering a 35% discount on buying Starpoints until May 31, 2018.

Not only this, the 35% discount is also applicable on points that you may like to gift to other SPG members. You have to purchase a minimum of 5,000 Starpoints to be eligible for the purchase discount. A maximum of 30,000 Starpoints can be purchased every calendar year. This includes points self-purchased and points received as a gift from other members. Usually, every Starpoint costs $0.035 (INR 2.3). Under this sale, the price will drop to $0.228 (INR 1.5)

Does it make sense to buy Starpoints?

SPG Starpoints are all about the flexibility they give you. Under the new program, the flexibility will be retained to a large extent. You can convert Starpoints to Marriott Rewards points in the ratio of 1:3, so if you want to stack up your Marriott Rewards account then this offer gives you an opportunity to do that.

Then currently SPG points can be transferred to over 20 airline partners including Jet Airways, British Airways, Emirates and Singapore Airlines. The usual transfer ratio of Starpoints to most Airlines is 1:1. Additionally, you earn 5,000 bonus miles for every 20,000 Starpoints transferred to your preferred airline programme. The same value will be retained after the programs merge in August 2018.

However, the best value of Starpoints can come from the most obvious use of hotel points; i.e. reward stays. For example, The Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa in Phuket, a category 3 Starwood hotel that sells for an average of 265 US Dollars (INR 17,000) a night.

A reward night here will cost you 7,000 Starpoints. You’ll only have to shell out 159 US Dollars (10,200 INR) to buy Starpoints under this sale.

That’s saving a 106 US Dollars or 6,800 INR every night. Moreover, SPG offers the 5th night free on all reward stays so if you book this resort on points for 5 nights you’ll only have to pay the price for 4, i.e., 28,000 Starpoints. Therefore where a 5 nights cash stay would cost you 1,325 US Dollars (INR 85,000), a 5 nights reward stay will only cost you 796 US Dollars (INR 51,000).

In the coming weeks, when the programs will merge, there will also be a big window from August 2018 when Cat 7 will be the topmost category, and hence some properties will become cheaper on points through the end of 2018.

Bottomline

35% is the highest point purchase value that I have seen SPG offer and it is identical to what SPG offered last year, so if you are short of points it may be worth stacking up. Also now that SPG and Marriott Rewards are interoperable, you may want to consider this as a way of adding up Marriott Rewards points.

Last week Marriott also announced the merger of all three loyalty programs in August this year. If you are a Marriott Rewards, SPG or a Ritz-Carlton Rewards members, here is some essential reading for you.

Are you planning to buy Starpoints at 35% discount? What’s been your best Starwood redemption stay?