Starwood has lots of great hotels all over the world, including the Caribbean and Mexico, where you can book award stays with Starwood points!
The sign-up bonus on the Starwood Preferred Guest Card from American Express card (personal and small business) has increased to 30,000 Starwood points after meeting minimum spending requirements.
I’ll show you 5 top hotels for award stays with Starwood points!
Top 5 Starwood Hotels Series Index
- 5 Top European Hotels to Book With Starwood Points
- 5 Excellent Hotels in the US to Splurge on With Starwood Points
- 5 Outstanding Starwood Hotels in the Caribbean & Mexico
- 5 Luxurious Starwood Hotels in Asia & Australia
- 5 Fantastic Starwood Hotels in Central & South America
- 5 of the Best US Beaches With Starwood Hotels
About the AMEX Starwood Card
Link: Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express
Link: Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express
Link: My Review of the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express
Starwood hotels include Aloft, ElThe sign-up bonus on the AMEX Starwood card (personal and small business) is usually 25,000 Starwood points after after meeting minimum spending requirements.
But for a limited time, you can earn 30,000 Starwood points. That’s a big deal because with 5,000 extra Starwood points you can get:
- 2 weekend nights at a Category 1 hotel
- 1 night at a Category 2 hotel
- 1 night at a Category 4 hotel when you add $75 using Cash & Points (This includes hotels like the The Westin Grand Vancouver and Walt Disney World Swan!)
Here’s how to redeem Starwood points for award stays.
5 Hotels in the Caribbean and Mexico That Make Great Award Stays
Note: The prices in these examples are based on travel in October 2015. All of these hotels are eligible to get the 5th night free on an award stay because they are Starwood Category 3 to Category 7 hotels.I like using Hotel Hustle to find hotels because it shows you how many points you’ll need for your specific travel dates, and show you if award nights are available!
Another option is AwardMapper. It shows similar information, but it’s not specific to travel dates and won’t search for available award rooms.
I haven’t stayed at these hotels, but they look amazing and will give you some ideas for your next vacation! Tell me about your favorite hotels in the comments!
1. The Westin Puntacana Resort & Club, Dominican Republic
The Westin Puntacana Resort & Club has beautiful beaches and a pool. And because it’s near the airport, you can start relaxing right away!
A Category 5 hotel, a night here costs ~$300 per night after taxes and fees or 12,000 Starwood points.
There’s also a spa and a golf course, La Cana. This is a course where you can book free rounds of golf as a Citi Prestige cardholder. And Punta Cana is well-known as a golf destination!
Temperatures stay in the 80s all year-round, so this hotel would make a great winter getaway!
2. The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico
A Category 7 hotel, The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico is worth splurging for!
A night here costs ~$990 after taxes and fees, or 30,000 Starwood points.
There’s a golf course, a spa, and a kid’s club. So the whole family has something to do here!
There’s a daily resort fee of $60, so be sure to factor that in.
3. The Westin St. John Resort
Located in the US Virgin Islands, The Westin St. John Resort is a Category 5 hotel.
Families love to stay at this hotel because it has a large pool, a beach with trampolines, and a day camp for kids!
The hotel grounds are spread over 47 acres, so you’ll have lots to explore. Rooms start at $234 per night or 12,000 Starwood points.
Keep in mind there’s a $40 per day resort fee. But with all the activities available, you may decide it’s worth it!
4. The Westin Resort & Spa, Puerto Vallarta
If you want to vacation in Mexico, consider The Westin Resort & Spa in Puerto Vallarta.
This hotel has beach access, a pool, and a kid’s club. And it’s close to the airport so you can start your vacation shortly after you land!
A 5-night stay here costs ~$790 or 28,000 Starwood points. Treat yourself to a weekend away or celebrate a special occasion!
5. Sheraton Hacienda del Mar Golf & Spa Resort, Los Cabos
Another option in Mexico is the Sheraton Hacienda del Mar Golf & Spa Resort, Los Cabos. Located at Land’s End on the Baja peninsula, you’ll have plenty of golden sand and turquoise water at Tortuga Beach to enjoy.
A 3-night stay here costs ~$837 a night with taxes and fees or 30,000 Starwood points.
There’s a kid’s club, a restaurant, 5 swimming pools, and a swim-up bar. There’s also a jacuzzi in the room!
There is a mandatory daily service charge of 4% per room per night even on award stays, so keep that in mind.
And Cabo San Lucas, a colorful beachside city, is a short drive away!
Bottom Line
There are lots of beautiful Starwood hotels in the Caribbean and Mexico where you can get award nights with your Starwood points.
Stay at hotels like the The Westin St. John Resort, The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort in Puerto Rico, or Sheraton Hacienda del Mar Golf & Spa Resort in Los Cabos.
The sign-up bonus on the AMEX Starwood card (personal and ) is usually 25,000 Starwood points, so you’ll get an extra 5,000 Starwood points with the current 30,000 point sign-up bonus. That’s valuable because Starwood points can be worth a lot of money towards Big Travel. And they’re hard to earn.
In the past, this increased offer has only come around once per year. And this year it expires on September 14, 2015.
Tell me about your favorite Starwood hotels in the Caribbean and Mexico!