Primary Benefits:
- Earn 10,000 Starpoints® with your first purchase -- enough for up to 3 free nights and a Category 1 or 2 hotel
- Plus– earn an additional 15,000 Starpoints when you spend $15,000 in 6 months
- Earn Gold Preferred Guest status (good for one year) in Starwood Preferred Guest when you spend $30,000 in a calendar year
- * Winner -- "Best Affinity Credit Card" at the 19th Annual Freddie Awards-- voted on by frequent travelers
- Use Starpoints® for free nights and upgrades at over 825 participating Starwood hotels and resorts in 95 countries
- Transfer Starpoints® -- almost always on a 1:1 basis -- to the frequent flyer programs of over 30 major airlines
- Earn one Starpoint® for every dollar you spend and double Starpoints® at participating Starwood properties and retail partners
- No annual fee for the first year and $45 thereafter
- Express Approval. Get a decision in less than 60 seconds.
Please refer to Terms and Conditions on the American Express website for details on the above statements.
Our Review
You also receive Preferred Plus status in the Starwood Preferred Guest program -- good for small upgrades (when available) and 4pm late checkout (of course, subject to availability). The 4pm checkout is one of the best benefits of the program and we've used it often.
It's probably helpful to list the Starwood brands, as you might not recognize them as SPG, but you know the brands: Sheraton, Westin, W Hotels, St. Regis, Four Points by Sheraton, The Luxury Collection, and aLoft.
The Starwood Preferred Guest AMEX card is our current running favorite travel rewards credit card for two reasons:
- There are no blackout dates on redemption. If a standard room is available, it's yours for points. This editor has personally redeemed points for valuations as high as 8 cents per point -- giving an effective 8% cash back yield. Of course you won't always find such great redemption opportunities but they are out there. Given the no black out rule, some of the best uses are on holidays. New Years Eve hotel rates might be through the roof but, for example, if you want to stay at the Westin Times Square in New York City on NYE and the rates are giving you a nosebleed, know that it's the same amount of points as any other day and if there's a room available, it's yours. Priceless.
- You can transfer Starpoints out of the SPG program into most major airlines at a rate of 1.25 to 1 when you transfer a block of 20,000 points (20,000 Starpoints = 25,000 airline miles (click here for current list of partners).
Get up to 25,000 Starpoints® from American Express – enough for up to six free nights!
