Starwood Preferred Guest, the loyalty program of Starwood hotels, was offering an elite status challenge all through 2017 and giving an opportunity to SPG members to fast track their status to Gold and Platinum. The SPG Status Challenge is now extended through June 2018.

Once you sign up for this challenge, you have to complete one-third the number of nights usually required for qualification, in a continuous 3-month period. For instance, 25 nights are required in a calendar year to achieve Gold status, but through this challenge, you only need to complete nine nights in 3 months. Similarly, to earn SPG Platinum, you will have to gain 18 nights against the usual requirement of 50 nights.

SPG Members can register for this Status Challenge by calling the SPG Customer Service Line. To be eligible, you cannot challenge a status level that you have earned in the last five years. For example, if you were Gold in 2013 then you can only register for the Platinum challenge. Additionally, you won’t be eligible for the Status Challenge if you gained your SPG Gold or Platinum status by linking your Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott Rewards accounts.

Registration is a must to accept the Status Challenge, and you can register for the challenge by calling up the SPG customer service line. You will have to choose a consecutive three-month period. For example, if you register next month in February then you can select either of the challenge periods:

1. January-March 2018
2. February-April 2018
3. March-May 2018

Only paid nights will qualify for the Status Challenge. Here are all the terms and conditions you need to know about this offer.

How to make the most of your SPG Status Challenge?

If you complete the challenge by February, the new status will be valid until February 2019. However, if you take this challenge between March and June, then the new status is valid until February 2020.

One way to speed up this challenge is by gaining credits for multiple nights in the same stay.  Starwood Preferred Guest members can earn elite qualifying stays and nights for up to three rooms. The only condition being that the SPG member has to stay in one of the rooms. So, you can complete your Platinum challenge by just booking three rooms for a period of 6 nights. Time to plan that family vacation at a Starwood Hotel!

Once you get your new status you can match your SPG Gold/Platinum to Marriott Rewards Gold/Platinum status and enjoy benefits across both chains.

SPG Platinum elite benefits

SPG Platinum status comes with some significant advantages. Apart from earning a 50% bonus on eligible spends, guaranteed late checkout and suite upgrades, SPG Platinum members get lounge access for themselves and a +1 at all Starwood hotels that have executive lounges, along with complimentary breakfast for two at the executive lounge. Usually, most hotels where I’ve stayed at have been nice to offer us a full breakfast in the restaurant.

On top of this there a welcome gift on arrival which a choice among bonus points, a local gift or breakfast.

Bottomline

If you have a reasonable number of paid stays coming up this year, then earning an elite status is worth a shot. SPG Gold comes with reasonably good benefits like room upgrade and late check-out. Also, with Marriott merger and interoperability of benefits, it’s worth fast tacking to Starwood Platinum status and then matching it to Marriott Platinum. Remember, the p

Are you planning to take up this status challenge? Let us know which tier you are gunning for with this challenge?