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Since the Starwood-Marriott merger was finalized, the process of integrating the brands has been fairly swift. Almost immediately after the announcement, members (including Ritz-Carlton) could link their accounts, allowing elites to status match with the other chain, transfer points between them and, a bit later down the line, get reciprocal earning on co-branded cards. And now, we have another sign of integration, as for the first time, the three are offering the same promotion, giving members a chance to earn bonus points no matter which brand they’re staying at.
With the latest promotion from the combined Marriott-SPG-Ritz-Carlton, you can earn double points for your first three stays at Starwood properties, as well as Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels. Effectively, you can earn double points on six stays — three each with Starwood and three with Marriott or Ritz. Since each brand is on its own with this promotion, you’ll need to register for each separately — although keep in mind that it’s technically not possible to have a Ritz-Carlton and Marriott Rewards account. In order to earn double points, you must register for the promotion(s) between December 15, 2016 and March 15, 2017 (here are the links to register for Starwood, Marriott and Ritz-Carlton promos). The earning period is for stays between January 16, 2017 and April 15, 2017.
This promotion looks to be best for stays at Marriott properties. For example, if you were to book a one-night stay at a Marriott property that cost you $215 per night, you’d earn 4,300 Marriott points with the promotion (2,150 without the promotion) at a base earning level of 10 points per dollar (before factoring in any elite bonus). Based on TPG’s most recent valuations, those points are worth $39 ($19 without the promotion). If you were to stay at a Starwood property for the same rate, you’d earn 860 Starpoints with the promotion (430 without it) at a base earning level of 2 points per dollar. Based on TPG’s most recent valuations, those Starpoints are worth $23 ($12 without the promotion). These values do not include elite bonuses, and since the promotion offers you the ability to earn bonus points for three stays at Starwood and Marriott/Ritz, it’s best maximized by doing just that.
Keep in mind that because you can now transfer Marriott points and Starpoints between each other, this could be a great promotion to maximize by earning bonus points with Marriott and transferring them to SPG. If you stay three nights at a Marriott property and then transfer those double points to your SPG account, you could be coming out with a favorable rate. This could also work in the opposite direction, especially if you have a specific redemption in mind. Check out these links for when it makes sense to transfer Marriott points to Starwood and when it makes sense to transfer Starpoints to Marriott.
You can earn even more bonus points by using one of the hotel’s co-branded credit cards. Now that you can earn reciprocal points with the co-branded cards, such as the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from Amex, the Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card and the Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card, there’s even more opportunity to maximize this promotion. You’ll earn 2 Starpoints per dollar spent at Marriott hotels when you use your SPG Amex and 5 points per dollar when you use the Marriott Card or Ritz Card at Starwood properties.
Source: thepointsguy.com