Actually the math lies in looking at the reward chart. With SPG, you redeem rooms for the following amounts of points:

2k,3k,4k,7k,10k,12k,16k,20k,25k

depending on the hotel and peak/low season if applicable (see reward charts for more details)

where with PC it takes a min of 10k points for a lowly holiday inn express on up to 30k for a night at an intercontinental.

That is where pinniped is deriving the value per point from, based on how much you would spend for the hotel compared to its point value. Last year, for 10k points (now up to 12k points), I stayed at the W Times Square when rates were over $500 per nght. Again, 10k in PC gets you a night in the lowly holiday inn express. The lowest SPG properties are 2k per night on weekends.

Also, this does not consider capacity controls. I am not sure about PC, but as far as I know, SPG is the only hotel program that does not implement capacity controls - if there is a night available, you get it. You can also cancel the rez up to the night before (or possibly day of, I cannot remember).

I do not think I would get much of an argument on this forum in saying that 1 starpoint is worth much more than 1 PC point.

allen074, I forgot a couple other things. One is that the HH program gives 2 (visa) or 3 (amex) points per dollar and not 1 like PC and SPG. The other is that hotel program are very different from one another unlike many airline programs. You can look at the "big six" airline programs and they are pretty similar in their method of rewarding miles and redeeming. However, the hotel programs have a lot of differences in them, in terms of how much a point is expected to be worth. Maybe here is an interesting way to compare. If you have PC points you can transfer them to an airline at 4 PC --> 1 mile. If you have SPG, you can transfer them (to most airlines) at 1-->1, or even 20,000--> 25,000.

Hope this helps. I was very happy to switch my point earning to focus on SPG. The only bad thing was that I did not do it sooner.

i think this is what sold me when i read your earlier msgs... forget staying at the hotels... it is for the regular purchases that i want to maximize on and clearly spg is there...

to this end, yesterday i opened a spg amex, and am planning to do the 20k starpoints with ameritrade this weekend.

so i should have about 30k starpoints by end of november.

thanks :)

I have to add to the recommendations for the SPG AMEX. Starwood points are incredibly valuable both for hotel rooms and for airline miles. Why limit yourself to one bankrupt airline?

Nice work! I think you'll be pleased with SPG Amex.

A tip for the common SPG Amex sign-up bonus: to earn the "First 10 Starwood purchases" bonuses, you simply need to do any purchase that registers as a hotel charge. You do not need to do an overnight hotel stay. I logged most of my bonuses knocking back beers at the lobby bar at the Country Club Plaza Sheraton. :) 500 points per beer: I'll drink to that!! ^

Just beware of non-hotel restaurants leasing space inside a hotel: you won't earn points at those.

OH MY!

I am taking an intense german speech class at colony center in atlanta and there is a SPG hotel in the building... how can I tell if the breakfast qualifies?

Thanks!!

Well, for starters, I'd simply charge breakfast on my SPG Amex and then look online a couple of days later to see how it hits your account. If it hits your account as "Altanta Westin" (or whatever), you're in business. If it hits your account as "Joe's Bagel Shop", you aren't.

Only reason I don't suggest asking the waitress/clerk is because they aren't going to have a clue. But you could try...

Usually, if it's the standard hotel casual-dining eatery where they set up the breakfast buffet and that kind of thing, you're good. In most cases you can tell when it's not going to be a hotel charge - for example, if it's a name-brand restaurant like Ruth's Chris or something.

pinn - what do you think of this?
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/prefer...XX&H=250&W=491


looks like neither resteraunt will work ? thanks

Actually, both of those look quite promising. Especially "Lobby Lounge". Even 14th St. Grill is probably OK. I would try an experiment: procure a golden, hopsy, foamy beverage from each establishment and see what happens... :)

Great! I am sure you will be happy with the decision.

only one problem :( i dont drink the foamy and hoppy :)

So buy a coke. Same result.

heh - true

i went over there before class - they have a very nice looking breakfast buffet - no idea how much it is but they have hot, cold, etc...
i will call over there and ask the price before next sat.

i hope this works!!! :)

ok one last question - if i do the breakfast or the beverage - do i give the server the spg card and the spg amex? or just the spg amex

wanna make sure i get all that i should!

thank you

For the purposes of the Amex sign-up bonuses, just the Amex card.

However, the SPG program itself allows you to earn your regular points on hotel spending even without a stay. So, if you present the membership card, the waiter/bartender should be able to fill out a form and process it to earn you 2 points per dollar.

I never bothered with this step on a $10 bar tab. Many bartenders aren't aware of the process because I don't think many people do it. Unfortunately, they can't just swipe the card and be done with it. It's a manual process.