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Using Starwood Cash & Points is a terrific way to stretch your points for longer award stays at Starwood hotels.
For example, you can use 35,000 Starwood points plus $525 for 7 nights at category 4 hotels like the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay in Hawaii! Booking with Cash & Points will save you lots of money because a similar stay costs $1,800+ if you just pay cash.
And until April 5, 2017, you can earn enough points for a 7-night Cash & Points stay with the best-ever sign-up bonuses on both the AMEX Starwood personal and small business cards after meeting tiered minimum spending requirements.
I’ll show you 7 fantastic Starwood hotels you can book a week-long vacation using Cash & 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
AMEX Starwood Cards
Link: Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express
Link: Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express
Link: My Review of the Best-Ever AMEX Starwood Card Sign-Up Bonuses
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.
Both offers get you a total of 35,000 Starwood points after meeting the tiered minimum spending requirements! These deals are good until April 5, 2017.
You’ll also get:
- 2X Starwood points per $1 you spend at Starwood hotels (includes Aloft, Design Hotels, Element, Four Points, Le Meridien, Sheraton, St Regis, The Luxury Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Westin and W brand hotels)
- 2X Starwood points per $1 you spend at Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels
- 1X Starwood point per $1 you spend on everything else
- Unlimited use of Boingo Wi-Fi hotspots (excluding in-flight)
- For small business cardholders, access to Sheraton Club lounges (free breakfast and hors d’oeuvres) for cardholder and 1 guest staying in the same room (3rd-party bookings are excluded).
- 2 stay credits or 5 night credits toward Starwood Elite Status
- No foreign transaction fees
The $95 annual fee is waived for the first year on both cards.
Note: AMEX will only give you the sign-up bonus for each card ONCE per lifetime.
Starwood Points 7 Night Stay
Link: Starwood Cash & Points
Link: Starwood Category 4 Hotels
You can use the total sign-up bonus from the AMEX Starwood personal or small business card for a week-long stay using Cash & Points.
With 35,000 Starwood points for Cash & Points stays, you can get:
- 23 nights at a Starwood Category 1 hotel (plus $690)
- 17 nights at a Starwood Category 2 hotel (plus $595)
- 10 nights at a Starwood Category 3 hotel (plus $550)
- 7 nights at a Starwood Category 4 hotel (plus $525)
- 5 nights at a Starwood Category 5 hotel (plus $550)
- 3 nights at a Starwood Category 6 hotel (plus $540)
- 2 nights at a Starwood Category 7 hotel (plus $550)
The Cash & Points rate for 7 nights at category 4 hotels is 35,000 Starwood points plus $525. That’s better than paying $2,100+ out of pocket for a similar stay at some hotels.
With Cash & Points you’ll still have to pay hotel taxes & fees. So before you book, I recommend checking the hotel policy to see if they charge resort fees.
And keep in mind, Cash & Points nights are subject to blackout dates. So having flexible travel plans can increase your chances of finding 7 consecutive nights.
Here are 7 excellent Starwood hotels you can spend a week using Cash & Points!
1. The Westin Puntacana Resort & Club
If you’re looking for some rest and relaxation, you might consider a 7-night stay at The Westin Puntacana Resort & Club.
TripAdvisor reviews say it’s an ideal location for a family vacation because there are golf activities, great dining options, and excellent service.
And you can bring children under age 12 to the hotel for free if they sleep in the same room.
A week here in June 2017 costs ~$1,717. Or you can pay 35,000 Starwood points and $525.
Using Cash & Points saves you ~$1,192 ($1,717 cash price of room – $525 cash co-pay). So it’s a great way to save money on a relaxing beach vacation with a loved one or family!
2. Aloft Nashville West End
Nashville is a very popular destination for folks looking to enjoy live music or dine at terrific Southern-style restaurants.
You can use Starwood points to stay at the Aloft Nashville West End, which is a ~5 minute drive from major attractions like the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Bridgestone Arena, and popular bars and restaurants.
Paying cash for a 7-night stay in June 2017 costs ~$2,135. Or, you can pay 35,000 Starwood points and $525.
That makes your points worth ~$1,610 ($2,135 cash price of room – $525 cash co-pay), or almost 5 cents each ($1,610 savings / 35,000 Starwood points).
So you get a fantastic value from your points! And you’ll have a week to see the sights in Nashville!
3. Aloft Long Island City – Manhattan View
I recently had a great experience exploring Queens.
If you’re looking to see other parts of New York City too, you can consider staying at Aloft Long Island City – Manhattan View, which is located in Queens. This hotel opened in December 2016.
As the name suggests, the hotel has a view of Manhattan from a rooftop terrace. Folks on TripAdvisor really love this perk.
I found a 7-night stay in early April 2017, which costs ~$1,295.
So your 35,000 Starwood points are worth ~$770 ($1,295 cash price of room – $525 cash co-pay).
This is a great option for folks looking to save money on a trip to New York!
4. Le Meridien Tampa
For a unique travel experience, you can stay at the Le Meridien Tampa, which is an old courthouse that was converted to a hotel.
One funny TripAdvisor review says going to court was never this nice. The hotel rooms are very large with comfortable beds. And it’s located within walking distance to the Tampa Riverwalk.
I found a 7-night stay at this hotel in July 2017 for ~$1,344.
Using Cash & Points to pay 35,000 Starwood points and $525 would save you $819 (~$1,344 cash price of room – $525 cash co-pay).
5. Aloft El Segundo – Los Angeles Airport
Folks traveling to the Southern California can book a week-long stay at Aloft El Segundo – Los Angeles Airport.
This hotel is close to the Los Angeles Airport. But it’s also near several fantastic West Coast beach destinations, like Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, and Santa Monica.
Team member Keith stayed at this hotel and liked that it is walking distance to many restaurants, including an In-N-Out Burger. And the hotel is a ~5 minute drive from The Point, which is a large shopping center with juice bars, fitness studios, and popular stores.
A week-long stay in May 2017 costs ~$1,456 if you pay cash. Or you could pay 35,000 Starwood points and $525, which would save you ~$931 ($1,456 cash price of room – $525 cash co-pay).
Paying only $525 out of pocket for a 7-night stay near California beach towns is a great deal!
6. Sheraton Anchorage Hotel & Spa
Looking to visit Alaska?
The Sheraton Anchorage Hotel & Spa is a top pick for many folks based on TripAdvisor reviews because of great service and the location. One tip for folks staying here is to request a room with a mountain view.
And if you have the AMEX Starwood small business card, you can take advantage of the lounge access perk to enjoy free breakfast and complimentary beer and wine.
You can book a week-long stay in July 2017 using 35,000 Starwood points and $525. This would save you ~$1,025 out of pocket because a 7-night stay costs ~$1,550 if you pay cash (~$1,550 cash price of room – $525 cash co-pay = ~$1,025 savings).
7. The Westin Turtle Bay Resort & Spa, Mauritius
Folks planning a romantic getaway or honeymoon can stay at The Westin Turtle Bay Resort & Spa, Mauritius.
TripAdvisor reviews mention this hotel is great for adults looking for peace and quiet.
Paying 35,000 Starwood points and $525 is a great way to save lots of cash.
Because a 7-night stay could cost you ~$1,945 on a sample week I looked at in May 2017.
So 35,000 Starwood points are worth ~$1,420 ($1,945 cash price of room – $525 cash co-pay).
Bottom Line
You can use the limited time 35,000-point sign-up bonus on the AMEX Starwood personal or small business card for a 7-night stay at fantastic category 4 hotels throughout the world.
Because Cash & Points stretches your Starwood points into longer award stays. This is a great option for a family vacation, romantic getaway, or honeymoon!
For example, you can pay 35,000 Starwood points and $525 for a week-long stay at hotels like Aloft Nashville West End. A similar stay costs ~$2,135 if you pay cash. So Cash & Points is a terrific way to save lots of money!
Which Starwood hotel would you book using Cash & Points?
Was thinking about doing this but when I checked the aloft in la for the dates I wanted there was no points and cash rooms available and I was looking in August. There doesn’t seem to be any award nights available anytime
I’d recommend checking available Cash & Points nights periodically as they can change frequently.
Totally not that easy. Maybe, you need to bold the resort fees for beach locations! $525, + Tax + $30-40/day resort fees.. not exactly 525 is it?
Or.. you can get the 80,000 chase ink business preferred card, link it to your chase preffered card (which im assuming any smart points buyer has) nad have the equivalent of $1200.00 and book the same properties with no $500 dollar extra spends.
Some good samples for SP use. But the ‘7’ in the name of article is misleading, as you can only have 1 (one) long-week vacation at those places for 35,000, not 7 weeks for that amount as it implies.
Otherwise good article.
Perhaps it’s been changed following your comment, but as it currently reads (7 week-long vacations…), the well-placed hyphen accurately identifies the list. A 7 week vacation would read “7-week-long…”
Thanks for the feedback! It would be great if you could get 7 weeks vacation with 1 sign-up bonus 🙂
Wish it would happen like that (7 weeks for 1 bonus), but even timeshares don’t offer bonuses like that 🙂
Anyhow I’ve used your card links in the past few times as you honestly providing best bonus sign-ups available, even without commission on some instances. Keep up the good work. I like your blog!
In previous article you mention the 5th night free perk at Starwood Category 3 to 7 hotels. So would it apply to Cash+Points bookings too?
If yes, then it would be 8 nights, not 7 for all the above properties.
Unfortunately, the 5th night free perk doesn’t work with Cash & Points stays.