The sign-up bonus on the AMEX Starwood personal and small business cards have the highest sign-up bonus ever. So we’ve been giving you ideas for how to get the best use of your Starwood points.
And many of you have given us great ideas, too!
I’ll show you what Million Mile Secrets readers say are the best Starwood hotels for redeeming Starwood points!
Best Starwood Hotels With Starwood Points
Link: Limited Time: Best-Ever 35,000 Point Sign-Up Bonus With AMEX Starwood Cards Returns!
Link: Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express
Link: Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express
Through April 5, 2017, you can earn up to 35,000 Starwood points with the personal and small business versions of the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express cards after meeting tiered minimum spending requirements.
That’s an excellent deal! Because 35,000 Starwood points is enough for an award night at the most luxurious Category 7 Starwood hotels, like the St. Regis New York, where rooms can easily cost $800+ per night!
Plus, you can transfer your Starwood points to Marriott at a ratio of 1:3 (1 Starwood point = 3 Marriott points). So you can stay at Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels with your Starwood points, too!
There are lots of hotel brands under the Starwood umbrella, including:
Here are some of your top Starwood hotel picks from around the world.
1. Traveling in the US
I’ve written about amazing Starwood hotels in the US to book with Starwood points. And some of them are reader favorites, too!
Million Mile Secrets readers Brett and Kimbra tweeted their praise of the Westin Maui, where you can book an award night for 20,000 Starwood points, and save ~$500 per night!
Lots of folks like using their Starwood points for trips to Disney World! Reader Matthew recommend staying at Disney’s Dolphin Resort in Orlando for just 10,000 Starwood points per night.
Readers Joe and Durairaj would rather use their Starwood points a little farther south, at the St Regis Bal Harbour Resort, just outside Miami. Rooms here cost between 30,000 and 35,000 Starwood points per night.
New York City is definitely a popular destination for Million Mile Secrets readers!
Brian points out the incredible value you can get from your points by staying at the Renaissance Times Square.
I found rooms frequently sell for $500+ per night. But you can book a free room for 45,000 Marriott points, or 15,000 Starwood points (45,000 Marriott points / 3)!
A room here costs 40,000 Marriott points per night, or 13,333 Starwood points (40,0000 Marriott points / 3). But remember, you can only transfer points between Marriott and Starwood in 1,000 increments.
If you’re headed to Washington, DC, James B recommends the W Washington DC for its typical W vibe and perfect location next to the White House.
2. Traveling in Mexico & South America
Million Mile Secrets readers know that a trip south of the border can be a great deal. Because the exchange rate is very favorable! But top-notch hotels will still cost a lot. So if you can get your hotels for free, the rest of the trip should be relatively inexpensive!
Reader Angela recommends using Starwood points at the Westin Punta Cana, and I agree. Hotel rooms can sell for ~$300 per night. But you can book a free night for just 10,000 Starwood points.
Megan really enjoyed the Palacio del Inka during her trip to Machu Picchu. She liked the service and the location. And it costs just 10,000 Starwood points to reserve a free night!
Motown has stayed at both the Palacio del Inka and Tambo del Inka, and he prefers the latter. The Tambo del Inka costs between 12,000 and 16,000 Starwood points per night.
And as mq reminds us, the hotel has an on-site train station to take you directly to Machu Picchu
Rooms here typically go for $150+ per night. But you can book a free room for just 4,000 Starwood points. Or just 3,000 Starwood points on weekends!
You can also take a look at my picks for the best Starwood hotels in Central and South America.
3. Traveling in Europe
Based on the comments of a recent giveaway, LOTS of you are interested using Starwood points at the Westin Paris Vendome. And I don’t blame you! I stayed at the Vendome Place area a few years ago, and loved it.
Folks also love visiting London! Peter brought a great hotel for using Starwood points to my attention.
The Great Northern Hotel, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel, London, can sell for $350+ per night. But you can book an award night for just 12,000 to 16,000 Starwood points!
Another extremely popular hotel with readers is The Gritti Palace, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice. Emily stayed at this hotel on her way to Croatia, and she really liked it. And lots of you are inspired to go, too!
Readers like Carol, Ezhi, Dana, FinnSailor, Amy, Pam, and Robin really want to give the hotel a try!
And Darren reminds us that there are Starwood hotels in Iceland, too! The Ion Adventure Hotel in Iceland costs between 20,000 and 25,000 Starwood points per night, and can sell for $500+.
If you don’t like splurging on expensive hotel rooms, take Carole’s advice!
The Four Points By Sheraton Panoramahaus Dornbirn is now a category 3 hotel, but still a decent value. And a great way to stretch your Starwood points! You’ll spend 7,000 Starwood points per night at this hotel.
You can also check out my top picks for Starwood hotels in Europe.
Earn More Starwood Points
If you need more Starwood points, There are a few things you can do! For example, you can sign-up for:
- Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express – A total of 35,000 Starwood points after meeting tiered minimum spending requirements
- Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express – A total of 35,000 Starwood points after meeting tiered minimum spending requirements
You can also sign-up for the Chase Marriott cards. Because 3 Marriott points are worth 1 Starwood point when you transfer your points from Marriott to Starwood.
- Chase Marriott Premier – 80,000 Marriott points (or 26,666 Starwood points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the 1st 3 months of account opening
- Chase Marriott Business Premier – 80,000 Marriott points (or 26,666 Starwood points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the 1st 3 months of account opening
And if you already have an AMEX Starwood card, don’t forget to refer friends to get 5,000 bonus points for each friend who is approved!
Note: If you’ve opened 5+ credit cards in the past 24 months (excluding certain small business cards), you will NOT be approved for the Chase Marriott credit cards. And if you’ve received the sign-up bonus on these AMEX Starwood cards before, you will NOT earn the bonus again. Because AMEX restricts folks to 1 sign-up bonus per lifetime.Bottom Line
Thanks to all our readers for the excellent Starwood hotel suggestions! You offered terrific advice for inspiring places to use your Starwood points around the world. Hopefully this will give other travelers ideas for their upcoming travels!
Some of your picks are in popular cities, like the Great Northern Hotel, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel, London, and the Westin Paris Vendome.
But lots of you shared adventurous hotels, like the Ion Adventure Hotel in Iceland, and the Tambo del Inka hotel in Peru!
Is your favorite Starwood hotel missing from the list? Let me know in the comments!