In three short months, the inevitable will be complete: Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest will roll into Marriott Rewards. The biggest changes come not from Marriott’s luxury brand, but rather from the Starwood properties. After August 1, regular guests will start collecting Marriott Rewards points instead of Starpoints, while the price of certain Starwood hotels will change in price.
Perhaps the biggest change will come in the “new” Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Cards from American Express. With the merged program taking shape, the Centurion is making changes to their base-level consumer card, while introducing a new credit card for high spenders. Will they be as good as the previous versions of the cards?
Before deciding on holding the card, folding the card, or upgrading the card, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of the new program. Let’s take a closer look at how your earnings will change and what it means for the future.
Going away: higher earnings, credits for nights and stays
The most noticeable change going away is the two elite qualifying stays and five elite qualifying nights credits granted with The Starwood Preferred Guest Card from American Express. If you regularly earned points and status from staying at hotels every year, this is going to be a major blow. Without credit for two stays or five nights, earning status in the five-tier program is going to be difficult: gold status requires 25 hotel nights.
Earning points when you spend will also drop. After August 1, using your card will earn 6X Marriott Rewards points at participating SPG and Marriott Rewards hotels, and 2X Marriott Rewards purchases for all other eligible purchases. The six points per dollar at Starwood and Marriott hotels is in line with the promise of earning triple Marriott Rewards points for every Starpoint when the programs merge, but you will only earn two-thirds value of one Starpoint point everywhere else.
Coming soon: free anniversary night, starting with Marriott Rewards silver status
Although the lost points and status credits are a hard hit, there is a silver lining to the dark cloud of lost points. First, much like the Marriott Rewards credit card from Chase, guests will get credit for one free hotel night on their account opening anniversary. For the $95 annual fee, you can book one night at any Marriott or Starwood hotel valued at 35,000 points or less. Considering some hotels may cost more than the card’s annual fee, this isn’t a bad deal for the casual guest.
In addition, cardholders in 2019 are granted credit for 15 elite qualifying nights – which is enough for Marriott Rewards silver elite status. Although silver elite status isn’t much of a reward in of itself, you would earn 10 percent more points when staying at participating hotels and can request a late checkout if it is available. More important is the fact that instead of getting silver elite status alone, the 15 qualifying nights puts you ten stays away from earning gold elite status.
How does it compare to the premium Starwood Preferred Guest card?
It seems anymore that every luxury brand needs to have an upgraded card with a high annual fee. The Starwood side of Marriott is no different – and American Express is happy to deliver. When the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Luxury Card launches, the $450 annual fee card will earn six points for every dollar spent at SPG and Marriott hotels, three points for every dollar spent at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines and two points per dollar spent on all other purchases. Much like the lesser version of the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express card, your points earning everywhere but hotels will be cut down by one-third.
But on the other hand, the card also comes with a $300 statement credit for purchases at participating SPG and Marriott hotels, an annual free night at renewal at hotels valued at 50,000 points or less and automatic gold status. If Starwood and Marriott are your primary hotel chains, you can effectively cut the annual fee down to $150 from the statement credit, while benefiting from gold status.
The verdict: a balanced devaluation
Overall, the lost points earnings are a hit for those of us holding Starwood points in high esteem. But the free night and silver status is a good consolation for the lost benefits. For casual travelers who aren’t staying more than 10 nights at Starwood or Marriott properties, the new Starwood card isn’t bad. But if you plan on making Marriott and Starwood your preferred hotels, wait for the elite card to come out later this year.
Are you going to keep your Starwood Preferred Guest credit card, upgrade it, or cancel it entirely? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Written by Frugal Travel Guy @ https://www.frugaltravelguy.com
Written by Frugal Travel Guy @ https://www.frugaltravelguy.com