Starwood Preferred Guest - Does a no show get points

Just got my Starwood Amex. With my first reservation I get 1000 *Wood points. Now, with the new promotion, I should be able to get an extra 500 points using my Amex. The Problem is this promotion expires at the end of June. I don't have any stays planned by that date.

If I make a reservation for one night at a cheap property but don't show up, will I still get these bonus points? There aren't any *Woods all that close to me. The closest is either in Philadelphia or at the airport, but either way it's at least a 30-45 minute trip for me to get there. Plus, the cheapest rate is around $85/night. I was hoping if I just found a really cheap hotel somewhere in the country, just booked the reservation, and never cancelled I might still get the points. If I got a rate of around $50-$60 for a night it might make sense to book it to get 1500 points. (Then again, 1500 points at $60 is $.04 per point. Is that too much?)

Any thoughts?

I assume you plan to both book and pay. According to the terms and conditions found in the fine print someplace in the miriad of documentation, you do not get credit. reads "pay and stay" or some such.

However, as a practical matter, you do have a reasonable chance of getting points, as the system of checks and balances is still quite flaky. Overall, not worth the risk.

However, as a practical matter, you do have a reasonable chance of getting points, as the system of checks and balances is still quite flaky. Overall, not worth the risk.

I would take issue with the "reasonable chance" statement of getting points. In view of the fact that there is no check-in generated nor a customer folio I would say that there is a slim to none chance of getting credit. As to not being worth the risk, I am definitely in agreement.

In the past (as in just last year), there were a number of Starwood properties that did give points & stay credit for 'no shows'. Alas, I think that has been corrected, and now an actual 'check in' is required.

Thanks for the advice. Think I'll just save my money.

In my experience, when I've been charged for a no show the accompanying points and stay have been credited to my account.