5 Best US Beaches to Enjoy With Limited-Time AMEX Starwood Bonus

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Through April 5, 2017, you can earn up to 35,000 Starwood points with the personal and small business AMEX Starwood cards after meeting tiered minimum spending requirements. 

That’s a fantastic sign-up bonus.  And because Starwood has beautiful hotels located near top-rated beaches right here in the US, like Waikiki and Miami Beach, you won’t have to trek overseas for a spectacular Starwood stay!

I’ll show you 5 terrific hotels near beautiful US beaches for award stays with Starwood points!

Top Starwood Hotels Series Index

• 7 Best US Starwood Hotels to Book With Points
• 5 Totally Free and Fantastic 5-Day Hotel Stays Using This Limited-Time Bonus
• 5 Top Hotels in Europe to Book With Starwood Points
• 5 Best US Beaches to Enjoy With Limited-Time AMEX Starwood Bonus
• 5 Top Hotels in the Caribbean and Mexico to Book With Starwood Points
• 5 Fantastic US Marriott Hotels to Book Using Starwood Points
• 5 Top Hotels in Central & South America to Book With Starwood Points

Free Beach Vacation With Points

With the limited-time offer on the personal and small business AMEX Starwood cards, valid through April 5, 2017, you can plan a great vacation to popular beaches within the US, including Hawaii!

There are 780+ Starwood hotels in the US.  You can find hotels across all of the chain’s brands, including:

• Aloft
• Design Hotels
• Element
• Four Points
• Le Meridien
• Sheraton
• St Regis
• The Luxury Collection
• Tribute Portfolio
• Westin
• W Hotels

Don’t forget, you can also redeem Starwood, Marriott, or Ritz-Carlton, points for award nights at all 3 hotel chains.  And if you collect Starwood points, you can transfer points instantly to your Marriott account at a 1:3 ratio.  And vice versa.

Before you book your stay, be sure to link your loyalty accounts to get an instant status match.  This way you’ll enjoy all your perks regardless of which hotel chain you choose!

I haven’t personally stayed at all these hotels, but they have great reviews!  Let me know if you’ve had an experience with any of them!

1.   The Royal Hawaiian, A Luxury Collection Resort, Waikiki

Headed to Oahu, Hawaii?  Check out The Royal Hawaiian, A Luxury Collection Resort, Waikiki.

This Starwood Category 6 hotel gets nearly all 5-star reviews on TripAdvisor, and is centrally located on Waikiki Beach.  There, you can practice your surfing skills or sip on one of the hotel’s famous Mai Tai’s! 

You’ll also be near all the action, by the Royal Hawaiian Center and in an area with tons of restaurants and high-end shops.  Right next door, in the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, there’s Duke’s Waikiki, a terrific restaurant & bar.

Duke’s Waikiki is popular (even with the locals!) for their happy hour, live music, and wonderful sunset views.

The cash price of a room at The Royal Hawaiian in September 2017, is ~$493 per night.

Using Starwood points you’d pay 20,000 points per night during this time of year.  But the hotel can cost up to 25,000 Starwood points per night, depending on the season.

If you earn the full sign-up bonus from either the personal or small business AMEX Starwood card, you’ll have enough Starwood points for 2 free nights at the The Royal Hawaiian during the low season, which would cost 40,000 Starwood points (20,000 points X 2 nights).  

Because along with the 35,000 Starwood point sign-up bonus, you’ll earn points for the minimum spending requirement.

On the personal version of the card, that’s $5,000 (or 5,000 Starwood points).  And on the small business version, that’s $8,000 (or 8,000 Starwood points).  For a total of 40,000 (35,000 points + 5,000 points) to 43,000 (35,000 points + 8,000 points) Starwood points!

You’ll save nearly $1,000 on a 2-night stay at this beautiful hotel.

2.   The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort, Miami Beach

It’s located on famous Collins Avenue along Miami Beach, with access to a private beach along the Atlantic Ocean.  Miami Beach can be packed year-round, so being able to use a private beach is a great perk!

It gets nearly all 5 stars on TripAdvisor, with one reviewer describing it as “the perfect hotel.”  And I found rooms in September 2017 for ~$2,452! 

Instead, you could use 30,000 Starwood points for a free night.

With all the money you save, you could take a shopping spree, or splurge on a fancy dinner at one of Miami Beach’s world-class restaurants!

3.   The St. Regis Princeville Resort

The island of Kauai is on lots of folks’ “must see” list.  If you’re planning a trip there, you could use your Starwood (or Marriott!) points for free nights at the luxurious The St. Regis Princeville Resort.

There’s lots do in Kauai, like zip lining, kayaking, or hiking with Princeville Ranch Adventures, playing golf at Makai Golf Club, and more!

Plus, the St. Regis Princeville Resort overlooks beautiful Hanalei Bay, where you can relax with a drink on the terrace and watch the sun set.

The hotel ranks #1 on the island according to TripAdvisor, and the views from the hotel are so incredible, you might not want to leave!

You’ll use 35,000 Starwood points for a free night.  So you’ll have points to spare with the limited-time sign-up bonus from the AMEX Starwood personal or small business cards.

And given that nights here in September 2017 go for ~$600+, you’ll get a lot of value from just one card’s sign-up bonus!

4.   Sheraton Sand Key Resort, Clearwater

With 13 acres of white sand beach on the Gulf of Mexico and a beachfront pool, you’ll have lots of space to relax, swim, and work on your tan at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater, Florida.

Both TripAdvisor and the Travel Channel rank Clearwater Beach as one of the top 10 beaches in the US!

A Category 4 Starwood hotel, nights at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in September 2017, cost ~$310 or 10,000 Starwood points.  So the 35,000 Starwood point sign-up bonus from either version of the AMEX Starwood card is worth at least 3 free nights.

And if you have the AMEX Starwood small business card, you’ll enjoy complimentary access to the Sheraton Club Lounge for breakfast, snacks, and beverages!

It gets good reviews on TripAdvisor for its convenient location and friendly staff.

The hotel is just steps from the beach, and you can also walk to the popular Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park in ~4 minutes.  Plus, you’ll be close to lots of great restaurants and nightclubs!

Nights here in September 2017, go for ~$216 or 10,000 Starwood points per night.  Which means the sign-up bonus from either version of the AMEX Starwood card is worth at least 3 free nights or ~$648 (~$216 per night X 3 nights).  And more if you take into account the Starwood points you’ll earn for meeting the cards’ minimum spending requirements!

Bonus.   Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort & Spa at Grande Dunes

Because you can transfer Starwood points to Marriott at a 1:3 ratio, you could use your Starwood points for free nights at the Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort & Spa at Grande Dunes.

With its great beaches, restaurants, bars, and outlet shopping, Myrtle Beach is a popular beach vacation destination for folks on the East Coast.

That said, the best months to visit are June through August, when there’s sun and little rain.  Hurricane season is usually September through November.

Rooms at the highly-rated Marriott Category 8 Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort & Spa at Grande Dunes cost ~$276 or 40,000 Marriott points per night in September 2017.

So with the sign-up bonus from either version of the AMEX Starwood card, plus the Starwood points you’ll earn for meeting the minimum spending requirements, you’ll have enough for 3 free nights here.

You’ll earn 5,000 Starwood points from meeting the personal AMEX Starwood card’s $5,000 in tiered minimum spending requirements.  Adding that to the 35,000 point sign-up bonus, you’ll have 40,000 Starwood points.

And you can transfer 40,000 Starwood points to 120,000 Marriott points!  That covers the cost of 3 nights at this popular hotel, and save you ~$828 (~$276 per night X 3 nights)!

More About the AMEX Starwood Cards

Link:   Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

Link:   Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express

Link:   How to Fill Out an American Express Business Card Application

Link:   How to Use Starwood Points

With the personal AMEX Starwood card, you’ll earn 25,000 Starwood points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.  And 10,000 more Starwood points for spending another $2,000 on purchases within the first 6 months.

And with the AMEX Starwood small business card, you’ll earn 25,000 Starwood points after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.  And 10,000 more Starwood points for spending another $3,000 on purchases within the first 6 months.

With either card, you’ll earn a total of 35,000 Starwood points after meeting the tiered minimum spending requirements!

You can read my full review of this offer here.

Bottom Line

There are lots of Starwood hotels near top beaches where you can get free nights with Starwood points here in the US, including in Hawaii!

Stay at hotels like the St. Regis Bal Harbour in Miami Beach, the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater, or The St. Regis Princeville Resort in Kauai.

The sign-up bonus on the AMEX Starwood personal and small business cards is 35,000 Starwood points after meeting tiered minimum spending requirements, through April 5, 2017.  And because Starwood points are hard to earn but can be used for Big Travel, that’s an incredible deal!

Which are your favorite Starwood (or Marriott!) hotels near US beaches?  Let me know in the comments!