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The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express is for those travel enthusiasts who enjoy staying at Starwood hotels and resorts and is also remarkably beneficial for those who often fly. The Starwood group has more than 1,300 properties in over 100 different countries and is comprised of the following 11 world renown brands: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, Design Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridian, Tribute Portfolio, Four Points, Aloft, and Element. It’s a collection of luxury and high quality yet accessible hotels and resorts that caters to the well traveled. The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express gives loyal patrons direct access to the highly regarded Starwood Preferred Guest(SPG) rewards program where special offers, rewards, and benefits are aplenty.

25,000 Bonus Starpoints

The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express offers 25,000 bonus Starpoints after spending $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. There are varied options to redeem Starpoints earned through the SPG rewards program, however, redeeming for hotel stays or transferring to frequent flyer mileage reward programs will return the most point value. We’ll dive deeper into the different redemption options further in our review of the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express.

Earn Up to 5 Starpoints

Becoming a member of Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express and using your card at Starwood hotels and resorts is the most effective way to earn Starpoints. It also offers a short cut towards Gold and Platinum status which will boost earning power and special hotel and travel benefits.

• Up to 5 Starpoints – Earn 2 or 3 Starpoints first as a SPG member and another 2 Starpoints for every dollar spent on eligible purchases with your card at Starwood hotels and resorts.
• 1 Starpoint – Earn 1 Starpoint for all other purchases.

Biggest Redemption Value

The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express has the biggest redemption value for a hotel card and perhaps overall travel card and is the primary reason why it’s so popular. Each Starpoint is loaded with value that’s estimated to be worth as much as 2.4 cents upwards to 5 cents per point especially when redeeming for hotel stays. Its earning power at first seems limited but even earning 1 point on everyday purchases can yield a return rate of 2.4% or more which surpasses leading cash back cards that offer 1.5% to 2%.

• Hotel – Starwood properties are categorized from 1 to 7 where Category 1 hotels only require 3,000 Starpoints to redeem and Category 7 hotels require the most points ranging from 30,000 to 35,000 points. There are no blackout dates, and you have the option to pay cash if you do not have enough points to redeem.
  • 5th Night Free – Redeem points for 5 award nights stays at category 3 – 7 hotels and get the fifth night free. It’s a fantastic incentive that let’s you keep your Starpoints for more rewards.
  • Nights & Flights – Save as much as 20,000 Starpoints when redeeming for 5 nights at category 3-7 hotels and 50,000 in air miles with airlines where the transfer rate is 1 to 1.
  • Upgrade – Starting at 1,000 Starpoints, upgrade to a suite or a larger room, or even a room with a view to make your stay even more memorable.
• Transfer to Airline Loyalty Programs – Starpoints can be transferred to more than 30 partner airline frequent flyer programs for miles mostly at a 1 to 1 ratio with a few exceptions. Additionally, transfer 20,000 Starpoints (airline partners with 1 to 1 ratio) and receive 5,000 bonus points which increases the value of each mile to 1.25. Once you’ve satisfied the spending requirements and earn the 25,000 bonus Starpoints, you can transfer them to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer at a 1 to 1 ratio for a total of 25,000 miles for example.
• Flights – Starpoints can also be redeemed for flights directly through SPG with over 150 different airlines and no blackout dates. Flights costing $150 or less require 10,000 points to redeem which puts each Starpoint at as much as 1.5 cents per point but is slightly less on average. You may get more value by transferring points to airline partners.
• More Options – There are several more options to redeem Starpoints, however, get more value for each point by redeeming for hotel stays and travel.
  • Car Rental & Rail – Points can be redeemed for ground transportation including car rental with Avis or Sixt and also transferred to Amtrak loyal program at a 1 to 1 ratio.
  • Gift Cards – Amazon, Gap, Starbucks, Nordstrom and iTunes are just few of the popular gift cards that you can redeem with Starpoints.
  • SPG Moments – Use Starpoints for tickets and VIP access to live music and performance, a wide range of sports, and unique experiences that may include food, photography, grand openings, and anniversary celebrations for instance.
  • Donate or Gift – Starpoints can also be donated to Clean the World, American Red Cross, and Unicef charities, or they can be shared or gifted to family or friends in the same household with an SPG account.

SPG & AmEx Benefits

The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express includes SPG and American Express benefits that compliments the already spectacular rewards program. All that this card offers makes the $95 annual fee, which is waived the first year, well worth it.

• Complimentary Internet – Receive complimentary premium internet access while staying at Starwood hotels. Unlimited Boingo Wi-Fi is also complimentary on up to four devices at more than 1,000,000 Boingo hotspots worldwide. That a savings of over $460 each year.
• Short Cut to Elite Status – Get a head start towards Gold and Platinum status with credit 5 nights and 2 stays credit every year. Book 20 nights or 8 stays more within the year to reach Gold status where you will get 3 points for every dollar spent at Starwood hotels, late check out, and room upgrades. Attain Platinum status by booking 45 nights or 23 more stays and enjoy all Gold status benefits plus a welcome gift(bonus points, breakfast, or amenities), best available room upgrade(including suites), and free health club, Club-level and Executive level access.
• Travel Benefits – The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express has no foreign transaction fees so it’s perfect for purchases outside the U.S. As you travel, get reassurance with car rental loss and damage insurance, travel accident insurance, and roadside assistance hotline.
• Purchase Benefits – Feel confident on purchases made with your card by getting extra coverage with purchase protection, return protection, and extended warranty.

Leading Hotel & Travel Card

The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express is the leading hotel card and is one of the best overall travel cards. If you love to travel and your favorite place to stay is at Starwood hotels and resorts, the Starwood Preferred Guest card will elevate every trip and hotel stay while allowing you to earn rewards towards future travel. You’ll earn Starpoints which are one of the most valuable reward currencies available and even earning 1 point per dollar on everyday purchases will return more rewards than cards that give you double or even triple points. Book your next trip and Starwood hotel stay with the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express and take advantage of the bonus offer of 25,000 Starpoints. Review our complete list of credit card bonus promotions.