5 Top European Hotels to Book With Starwood Points

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UPDATE: The Starwood American Express credit card offers in this post are no longer available, but check Hot Deals for the latest offers!

The sign-up bonus on the AMEX Starwood card (personal and business) has increased to 30,000 Starwood points after meeting minimum spending requirements.  And there are many interesting hotels in Europe where you can stay with Starwood points!

30,000 Starwood points are a big deal because they’re hard to earn, so they’re more valuable than other points.  And great to use for Big Travel with Small Money!

I picked 5 Starwood hotels in Europe that make excellent award stays!

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

Why Should You Collect Starwood Points?

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

 

The best use of Starwood points is at mid-range hotels, or hotels located in places that are usually expensive.  Although some folks prefer to transfer their Starwood points to partner airlines!

Starwood hotels include Aloft, Element, Four Points, Le Meridien, Sheraton, St Regis, The Luxury Collection, Westin and W brand hotels.

And here’s how to use your Starwood points for award stays.

The sign-up bonus for the AMEX Starwood card (personal and business) is usually 25,000 Starwood points after after meeting minimum spending requirements.

But I speculated the 30,000 Starwood point sign-up bonus would return this summer.  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!)

30,000 Starwood points is more than enough to get started with award stays at Starwood hotels!  Or treat yourself to a luxury night at a top-tier hotel!

5 Top Starwood Hotels in Europe

Note:  The prices in these examples are based on travel in October 2015. Note:   This is a wish list!  Emily and I also had memorable stays at the Hotel Imperial in Vienna, and the Convento do Espinheiro in Portugal.

This list is intended to give you ideas for how to use your Starwood points.  I haven’t been to all of them.  But if you have, I’d love to hear what you thought!

1.   The Park Tower Knightsbridge, London

If you’re heading to London, you can stay at the centrally-located Park Tower Knightsbridge.  As a Starwood Category 6 hotel, it costs 20,000 to 25,000 Starwood points per night.

Standard rooms start at ~$588 per night.

This hotel is a great base to start exploring London’s culture and activities!

2.   The Gritti Palace, Venice

Venice is a gorgeous city, which I had the chance to explore.

You can stay at The Gritti Palace in Venice, a Starwood Category 7 hotel, for 30,000 to 35,000 Starwood points, depending on the season.  This 1 in particular is a terrific hotel to splurge on!

Remember you’ll have more than 30,000 Starwood points after meeting minimum spending requirements.  This hotel costs 35,000 Starwood points per night in October.

The going rate is ~$1,120 a night, so you can save a lot by redeeming your Starwood points!

This hotel recently changed owners, but Starwood will continue to manage it.

There is so much to see and do (and eat!) in Venice, and the canals really are beautiful!

3.   Le Meridien Barcelona

Located on La Rambla, Le Meridien Barcelona is walking distance to many attractions, and surrounded by markets, sidewalk cafes, and shops.  La Rambla is also known for its many performance artists!

Two nights would cost ~$668 if you paid cash, or 32,000 Starwood points (you’ll have that many after completing the minimum spending required).  As a Category 5 hotel, award nights are 12,000 to 16,000 Starwood points per night.

Rates can start as high as ~$646 dollars a night, so you can save a lot of money when you redeem your Starwood points here! 

4.   Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens

The Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens is another Starwood Category 5 hotel, requiring 12,000 to 16,000 Starwood points a night.

Two nights in October cost ~$692 or 24,000 Starwood points.  So you’d still have enough points for another stay a Starwood Category 1 or 2 hotel!

Talk about history!  You’ll have a great base to start exploring Greek culture, and guests rave about this hotel.  It has nearly all 5-star reviews!

5.   Hotel Kamp, Helsinki

If you’re heading to Finland, consider the Hotel Kamp in Helsinki.  It’s a Starwood Category 5 hotel, and costs 12,000 to 16,000 Starwood points per night.

Located in the city center, you’ll be walking distance to everything Helsinki has to offer, like nightlife, restaurants, and shopping!

Rates here vary a lot, depending on the time of year.  So your Starwood points can be very valuable when prices are high.

Rates in October for a 2-night stay are 24,000 Starwood points or ~$352.

Remember, in Helsinki you’re just a ferry ride away from Tallinn, Estonia.  Its medieval Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

With the money you’ll save, you can get extra sima (traditional drink of Finland).  Kippis (Cheers)!

Bottom Line

I’ve picked 5 outstanding hotels in Europe where you can stay using points earned from the new higher sign-up bonus on the Starwood AMEX cards.

The sign-up bonus on the AMEX Starwood card (personal and business) is usually 25,000 Starwood points, so you’ll get an extra 5,000 Starwood points with the current 30,000 point offers.  That’s valuable because Starwood points can be worth a lot of money towards Big Travel, and they’re hard to earn.

I haven’t stayed at all these hotels, but these 5 tempt me!  Which hotels would you add to the list?