Two exciting new benefits added to the SPG® Credit Card from American Express (U. S.)
 

On October 14, 2010, the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express gets even more rewarding with two new benefits.

New - It will be even easier to reach elite status. SPG and Amex will provide Cardmembers with five night credits each year. That means only 20 nights to achieve Gold status or 45 nights to reach Platinum status.

New - Cardmembers can also receive a complimentary third night when they use their Card to purchase a two night minimum stay at participating Sheraton hotels and resorts worldwide. This is an exclusive offer only available to SPG Cardmembers.

These two new benefits will replace the existing annual 50 percent–off Award. The annual membership fee for the Card will increase to $65 from the previous $45, but the first year of Cardmembership is still free. (Cardmembers will not pay the new annual fee until their next anniversary date.) Cardmembers should expect a letter detailing the changes including the new benefits in the next day or so.

Cardmembers will continue to enjoy access to best-in-class benefits such as earning at least 4 Starpoints per dollar at participating hotels and resorts, and the ability to redeem Starpoints for stays at more than 940 participating hotels and resorts in more than 93 countries and for flights on more than 350 airlines -- both with no blackout dates. Visit SPG.com to book reservations or redeem Starpoints.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

Awesome!

Too bad there's no bump in qualifying stays (only nights).. maybe 2 stays or something. :p Anyway, this is better than nothing.

Is the complimentary 3rd night a once per year benefit or unlimited?

Neither benefit is exciting, and the $65 annual fee (over double what it was just a couple years ago) is :td::td::td:

Wow. That's nice to hear for our neighbours to the south.

Wish we could earn bonus points for staying at Starwood properties and take advantage of these two bonus benefits here with the Canadian SPG Amex.

Sigh.....

Redstorm

Is the Sheraton Buganvilias in Puerto Vallarta one of the participating Sheratons? I've already booked a four night stay there for next week using my card. How would I get this benefit?

Very good news in general, BTW.

All these answers will be forthcoming when the web site to book them is launched.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

I wonder if you get the third night if you use points but your card to cover any additional costs. The 5 free nights is useless as most the people who have the card travel frequently and it's not difficult to reach or keep platinum

No, these would be a pay for two nights and get a third night free option.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

:td::td::td: on the fee increase and no comped stays.

We will have to see what the website says, but I am hoping for the same thing. 3 stay credit for card in lieu of nights. I always re-qualify on stays.

Hoping also the 3 for 2 is not at rack rates. Don't like the annual fee hike either.

What usually ruins this type of offer is that the rate for each of the two paid nights is near the rack rate for the hotel. If all normal discounted rates are allowed then it becomes more valuable.

Will the 3-for-2 at Sheraton be on best available rate? Or will it be on a 'special' rate that will mean you essentially the pay same that you would have done anyway?

+1, and considering that most of us qualify on stays these 2 benefits mean nothing.

:(

Sounds like the regular Z3H/Z3R promo which exists now anyway for anybody. Basically they are taking away the SPG50 and charging a higher annual fee with very little given in return.

If it's the same as the current Z3H requiring you to book a special 2 night rate in order to get the 3rd off, then this isn't really a benefit whatsoever.

Evidently, SPG is aligning themselves with Delta's best-in-class benefits!! Well, an annual fee increase right off the bet. It sure seems like Delta's strategy!

SPG is getting Stingier by the minute. Seriously, did they recently hire somebody from SkyPesos to run Starwood Preferred Guest?

If that's the case, then it's very deceitful and there's only one new "benefit" - achieving elite status a little faster. In my particular situation, I get zero new benefits because I achieve Gold through $30K spend, but I never rack up enough nights/stays for Plat.

The one thing I do get is the 44% increase in annual fees :(

Same for me.
:td::td::td: on increase in annual fees.

Here's something innovative: let customers choose between the benefits and increased fee or no benefits and no increased fee! More choice for consumers is always ideal, IMO.

I am sure the SPG Promotion professionals will realise that giving 5 nights credit and no stay credit is unfair and probably not intented and when the detailed rules come out, will give us a token 2 or 3 stay credit

:td:

New benefits are useless. There is already a ZH3 code and how often would I really want to stay at a Sheraton? I qualify on stays, not nights so this won't really help. And the fee is getting to be high enough that I'm going to seriously re-consider whether I keep the card (especially depending on how my SPG travel shakes out for the next year)

And yes this does remind me of SkyPesos

As someone who often uses the Z3H rate I would disagree. The Z3H rate while not based on the cheapest bookable nightly rate invariably gets me a lower average rate than otherwise bookable at the Sydney hotels I use it at.
The Z3H rate requires a Fri or Sat arrival so if this new benefit doesn't have this same restriction and books at the same rate as the Z3H rate then it is indeed a worthwhile benefit.

All this of course is pointless speculation for me as SPG doesn't offer the card in Australia :(

thats what I thought the sec I just read Williams post.

although it will help out those who actually get status based on Nights,it really should have been chose between say 2 stay credits or 5 nights

bout I will end up with is an Increase in the Annual Fee :mad:

I wonder what would happen if we don't accept the terms of the agreement. Do we just continue to pay $45 annually until our credit card expires and then the card will cancel automatically? Because the new benefits do not justify the fee increase IMHO.

Lurker,

Is the SPG-50 award going away all together or just the free certificate you get with the AMEX card ?

That should read "Amex is getting stingier by the minute".

+1

Definitely not impressed, oh well as long as they don't mess with a 1:1 transfer on AA ill pay the sixty-five bucks.

I hope we get stay credits instead of night credits. I always qualify thru stays, not nights since my trips are usually 1 night, deposition, go home.

BTW.. I have 2 SPG AMEX business cards, would that still qualify?

I will wait until seeing the details of the 3 for 2.

A couple days ago, I was over the phone with an Amex CSR who indicated a website address (did not bother to write it down) which has something to do with Z3H/Z3R. If that is really what we get, then this is purely a degrading.

Uh oh. Is this website being built by Starwood's web "gurus" or (hopefully) AmEx's web professionals? ;)

The SPG50 certificate was worth way more to me. How about waiving the annual fee at 100 nights?

As far as I am aware, just the one that SPG/AMEX cardmembers receive.

Best regards,

William

It will be night credits, not stay credits.

I won't have an answer to this until next week.

Best regards,

William

To me, these new "benefits" are just as useless as the SPG50. So it's just a fee hike with no additional benefits. But seeing fees go up on credit cards is certainly nothing new, and it's the basic cost/benefit calculation that will determine what happens. I still think the Starpoint earning is still worth it (and is the only reason I got the card in the first place), though probably just for me - we'll definitely cancel + 1's card when it comes up for renewal.

Oh BOO!! I finally got the SPG Amex card and now they increase the annual fee on me?!?! UGH!!!!! Not happy!!!!! I'm going to see how this card turns out for me this year before I decide to keep it or not.

No. SPG is, and we all know that. From upgrades, to annual Platinum "gift", to the promos, and then their CC. Truly, best-in-class!!

I know you came in to the game a little later, but trust me when I say SPG used to be far more generous.

Fine, but in this case it's the partner, not SPG. Amex has total control of the CC. SPG has none (except how much they charge Amex for the points).

$30 K spend
 

Will $30,000 spend still earn Gold status?

Yes.

Best regards,

William

If you have both SPG Personal and Business cards, will you get 10 nights total credit or still only 5?

agreed.

William, -- preferring to see the glass as half full....

For me, the five nights' credit works out perfectly. I only just barely qualified for PLT for the first time last year using the multipliers at the end of the year, and could be in the same boat this year. After next week's trip, which could be my last for 2010, I'll be exactly six nights short of requalifying, so this is great for me.

As far as the 3 for 2 at participating Sheratons, the value determinative factors will obviously be which properties participate and what rate is applied to the two paid nights.

With regard to the fee increase, I don't care about a fee increase of just under US 39¢ per week.

Although promotions and specials are always attractive to some people but not others, I give Starwood credit for mixing things up and trying new ideas. Not all will be successful, but I've always believed that it's good to try them.

Thanks.