Starting March 5th, Starwood is increasing the requirements for Cash & Points awards. You can see the old and new rates below – they’ve increased required points and cash by roughly 10-20%. Not a huge deal, but still. That said, cash and points are a great option (I generally redeem them over full points when available).
On a positive note, they’re allowing cash and points for upgraded rooms and suites. I think my biggest surprise is that Category 1 hotels offer suites. On the category 4-5 hotels, the cash and points option for a suite is pretty reasonable in many cases because it will allow many families to get 1 room instead of 2 so the kids can fit.
| Category 1 | Category 2 | Category 3 | Category 4 | Category 5 | Category 6 | Category 7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Prices | 1,200 points + $25 | 1,600 points + $30 | 2,800 points + $45 | 4,000 points + $60 | 4,800 points + $90 | 8,000 points + $150 | 15,000 points + $275 |
| New Prices for Standard Room | 1,500 points + $30 | 2,000 points + $35 | 3,500 points + $55 | 5,000 points + $75 | 6,000 points + $110 | 10,000 points + $180 | 15,000 points + $275 |
| Prices for Upgraded Room | 2,000-2,250 points + $50-60 | 2,500-2,750 points + $55-65 | 4000-4,250 points + $75-85 | 5,500-5,750 points + $95-105 | 6750 - 7250 points + $135-150 | 10,750 - 11,250 points + $210-230 | 15,750 - 16,250 points + $290-315 |
| Prices for Suites | 3,000 points + $75 | 4,000 points + $95 | 7,000 points + $125 | 10,000 points + $175 | 12,000 points +$275 | 20,000 points + $450 | 30,000 points + $625 |
(Thanks to reader XF for the heads up)
Aw, one of the best travel deals in the world just got a little worse. Still one of the better deals, but it will probably cause me to reduce my use of the SPG program slightly. 6000 points and $110 is becoming real money, and since SPG is chinzy on things like free breakfast for mid-tier elites, there may likely be better sale prices at other hotels.