TRAVEL / FREQUENT FLYER TIPS

This expires TODAY – September 4th, 2012. The terms this time around are as follows:

You’ll get 10,000 Starpoints with your first purchase and another 20,000 Starpoints when you have spent $5,000 within your first 6 months of cardmembership.

What can you get with 30,000 Starpoints? You could get a 5 night stay in a Category 3 hotel! That could easily be worth $750 or more. Or 3 nights in a category 4 or 2 nights in a Category 5. Traveling to Asia? In a Category 1 or 2 hotel, these points could buy you 10 nights worth well over $1,000. It’s ALL about how you use the points.

If you have questions, please post in the Comments.

You can read all about and apply for the personal flavor of the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) Credit Card from American Express here .

You can read all about and apply for the Business version of the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) Credit Card from American Express here.

If you have a small business you CAN apply for both cards and get both bonuses – provided you haven’t gotten them before.

The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express is one of the best travel rewards credit cards out there. We go into the “why?” on the pages that review the Personal SPG Amex credit card and the Business version of the SPG Amex

But for the last two years (and now this makes three), American Express has launched an offer around this time offering more bonus points for a new cardmember.

It is back as of THIS MORNING and only until September 2nd, 2012 (so get on it – don’t “think” too long). The terms this time around are as follows:

You’ll get 10,000 Starpoints with your first purchase and another 20,000 Starpoints when you have spent $5,000 within your first 6 months of cardmembership.

What can you get with 30,000 Starpoints? You could get a 5 night stay in a Category 3 hotel! That could easily be worth $750 or more. Or 3 nights in a category 4 or 2 nights in a Category 5. Traveling to Asia? In a Category 1 or 2 hotel, these points could buy you 10 nights worth well over $1,000. It’s ALL about how you use the points.

If you have questions, please post in the Comments.

You can read all about and apply for the personal flavor of the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) Credit Card from American Express here .

You can read all about and apply for the Business version of the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) Credit Card from American Express here.

If you have a small business you CAN apply for both cards and get both bonuses – provided you haven’t gotten them before.

Starwood just upped the bonus on the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) Credit Card from American Express (personal/consumer card).

The old offer was 10,000 Starpoints. The new offer is still a base 10,000 Starpoints, but with an additional 15,000 Starpoints if you spend just $5,000 within 6 months of cardmembership.

When they’ve done bonus offers in the past, it was usually 15K bonus points for $15K in additional spend, so this is quite a bit easier to qualify for.

There have been slightly better offers in the past, but usually only offered for a few days in a year – so overall this is a solid offer if you can spend the required $5,000.

25,000 Starpoints can get you a night or two in some really amazing properties world-class properties, or up to a whole free week in someplace like Chiang Mai, Thailand (at the Le Meridien).

More info and a link to apply here:

Starwood Preferred Guest SPG credit card – 25,000 bonus points

Starwood Hotels announced today that Platinum members (those who stay 25 times or 50 nights in a year) will now get comped in-room Internet access.

Details are here

It’s a great move to reward their most loyal guests, but I wonder if comping only the Platinum level is the right move. Gold members (10 stays or 25 nights a year) would still have to pay at a Sheraton, for instance, whereas they could go to the cheaper Four Points where gratis Internet is included anyway. It also rewards only the tier that is most likely to have a corporate bankroll footing the Internet bill anyway….

Comments?

aLoft Launch Party

By: Dave Grossman, Hotel Magician

I was quite fortunate to be invited to the red carpet (literally) launch party for the new aLoft brand (from parent company Starwood Hotels). Michelle Williams performed, we toured two sample guest rooms, the bar, and common areas (in a warehouse converted to look like a hotel).

It was a class act all the way and aLoft looks like it will be a great new brand of hotels. It’s like a W in style but it’s not full service – meaning there aren’t restaurants on site and you’ll, in general, have less staff about to dote on you. But that also means lower prices than the W and that’s good news all around. Expect a price point along the lines of Four Points.

I really liked the room concepts. Stylish yet simple and I’m definitely a fan. I would only suggest a way to swivel the wall mounted flat panel TVs, though. They will have Bliss bath products in the rooms similar to those at W Hotels and I think, in general, if you are a fan of the W you will be a fan of aLoft. Bottled water and Wifi is also free at aLoft.

I was able to get a bunch of pictures in, but, somehow never got any of the rooms! Shame on me! Meanwhile, here are some assorted pictures to get you started.

WXYZ Bar

You can buy products like Bliss Amenity Kits here

Part of the Pantry snack area at aLoft

Michelle Williams performs at aLoft launch

Pool table

I really don’t know how I managed to not get a picture of the room prototypes. Too busy talking to people! If you have a photo of the rooms, please post in the comments… See more pictures taken by Starwood and get more information at aLoft

The following aLoft hotels are now bookable at HotelMagician.com:

aLoft Montreal Airport (Montreal, Quebec, Canada)

aLoft Beijing (China)