Bidding War! Starwood Has a Signed a New Deal, What This Means for Your Points

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CNBC is reporting that Starwood has signed a deal to sell to Anbang Insurance Group, a company in China.  But Marriott has pledged to counter.

I’ll explain what this means for Starwood points!

What Will Your Starwood Points Be Worth After the Merger?

As of now, no one knows for certain what will happen to Starwood’s popular loyalty program after the hotel chain is officially sold.

But based on what Marriott has said in interviews, it seems Marriott would eliminate the Starwood name brand.  And my feeling is that Marriott will also remove many of the loyalty benefits we love about Starwood such transferring Starwood points to airlines at a great rate.  Again, this is not for certain, it’s just a hunch.

However if Anbang successfully purchases Starwood, they may be more likely to leave the Starwood brand (and hopefully their loyalty program) intact.  That’s because Anbang values the strong brand as a way to diversify its assets outside of China.  But again, this is conjecture.

So far, Anbang has reached a deal to purchase Strategic Hotels & Resorts, along with their 2014 acquisition of the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City.

Marriott has 5 days to respond.

This a developing story, so we’ll see what happens next!

Limited-Time Offer for AMEX Starwood Cards With 35,000 Point Bonuses

Link:   American Express Starwood Preferred Guest (Personal)

Link:   American Express Starwood Preferred Guest (Small Business)

Link:   My Review of the Increased 35,000 Point AMEX Starwood Offers

The AMEX Starwood cards are offering their highest sign-up bonuses ever.  But the promotion ends March 30, 2016.  

Emily and I both collect Starwood points, mainly to use at their top hotels to pay for rooms that are otherwise too expensive!  Emily is planning to apply for the Starwood small business card this time around.

She recently used Starwood points to stay at the Gritti Palace Hotel in Venice.

As of now, I suggest earning the bonus with an eye towards using the points soon.

Ways to Use Starwood Points

Here are ideas for how to use the Starwood points you’ll earn with the cards.

• Starwood Cash & Points
• 7 Week-Long Vacation Ideas Using Starwood’s 35,000 Point Bonus
• 6 Super 6-Night Starwood Stays Using Starwood’s Sign-Up Bonus + $660
• How to Use the Starwood Card Bonus to Fly Business Class to the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and in the US
• 5 Top European Hotels to Book With Starwood Points

Who would you rather see win this bidding war, Marriott or Anbang?