The Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) loyalty programme has amended the conditions for earning elite status to include SPG Award stays, which will now be counted as part of the number of stays required to progress to Gold or Platinum tier.
The initiative applies to all free SPG Award Nights redeemed by members, including the Cash & Points Awards, which enables members to redeem nights using a combination of Starpoints and cash, as well as those earned through promotions, such as the SPG Getaway Free campaign.
This also applies to the Fifth Night Free benefit enjoyed by members, whereby after four consecutive nights the fifth night will be complimentary. If a member redeems four consecutive nights, they will count towards elite status and the fifth free night will still be provided.
However, though Award stays can contribute towards climbing up to elite tiers, they cannot benefit from promotions that offer double and triple points for stays, which only apply to eligible paid stays, defined as bookings made directly with the hotel under the published rate.
To earn Gold Preferred Guest tier, a minimum of 10 stays or 25 nights are required and for Platinum Preferred Guest tier, a minimum of 25 stays or 50 nights in a calendar year are needed. Starwood’s SPG is one of the few loyalty programmes that has no blackout dates for Award Nights.
For our analysis of various loyalty programmes and their requirements for earning elite status, click here. For more information, visit www.starwoodhotels.com
Alisha Haridasani
