SPG Double Points May 1-July 31, 2013

Double Take is the next major promotion from Starwood Preferred Guest offering 2 bonus points per dollar at about 1,000 hotels globally from May 1 through July 31. There are about 150 hotels not participating so check the list carefully. Four of the nearest Starwood Hotels to Monterey, California are not participating.

SPG Double Take registration required by June 30, 2013. One of SPG’s great hotel loyalty features is the common practice for allowing stays made during the promotion period, but prior to registration, eligible retroactively for these bonuses.

The SPG promotion registration page is not currently active. SPG members can register for a text message notification when promotion registration opens.

Double Take Earning Rates:

Double points means only the 2 base points per dollar are doubled to earn 4 points per dollar. Elite bonus points are earned in addition to the 4 points per dollar, but these points are not doubled. Add SPG American Express payment and members can earn up 6 to 8 points per dollar for Starwood Hotel stays for three months in 2013.

• Base Member = 4 points/$1
• Gold/Platinum elite = 5 points
• 75-night Platinum = 6 points
• SPG American Express payment for Starwood stays = 2 bonus points/$1
• SPG free award nights and Cash & Points nights do not earn bonus
• Double points are earned on the entire stay for a stay with nights before and including May 1 or including and after July 31.
• Double Take promotion may be combined with other SPG promotions like $50 TicketMaster credit through May 5.

500 points Mobile Booking Bonus

Even better than double points for low spenders is 500 points per stay online booking bonus.

Someone booking an average room rate at $100 per one-night stay over 6 stays will only earn 1,200 bonus points from Double Take double points ($600 x 2 points), yet these same six stays can earn an additional 3,000 bonus points with six mobile bookings.

Mobile booking bonus applies to stays booked before the start of the promotion, however, only stays during May 1-July 31 earn 500 bonus points. 

How can I earn the mobile web and mobile app booking bonus?

Registered members are eligible to receive 500 bonus Starpoints for each completed stay during the promotion period that was booked through a Starwood mobile website or mobile app. The following channels are included: SPG.mobi, Sheraton.mobi, Westin.mobi, StRegis.mobi, WHotels.mobi, Alofthotels.mobi, Elementhotels.mobi, Luxurycollection.mobi, FourPoints.mobi, LeMeridien.mobi, the SPG App for iPhone^®, the Chinese SPG App for iPhone, the SPG App for Android™, the SPG App for BlackBerry and the W Hotels App for iPhone. Please note tablet bookings made through the SPG App for iPhone or SPG App for Android will also qualify for the 500 Starpoints bonus, but tablet bookings made through a web browser will not qualify.

SPG Double Take FAQ

Time for me to download the SPG app on my wife’s iPhone.

SPG Points Analysis

Assume $600 in spend on six stays:

• 1,200 base points
• 600 elite bonus points (Gold/Platinum)
• 1,200 Double Take bonus points
• 3,000 mobile booking bonus points (6 x 500 points)
• 1,200 SPG American Express payment

7,200 points for $600 hotel spend. This is about a $200 value in points based on the rate SPG sells points at $28/1,000 during promotions. Sufficient for two nights at Category 2 hotel or one night at Category 3.

This is a decent rebate for an elite paying low rates and earning all bonuses possible. This is the kind of stay pattern I would predict for my travel.

The value declines at higher spend levels on fewer stays.

Assume $600 in spend on one stay:

• 1,200 base points
• 600 elite bonus points (Gold/Platinum)
• 1,200 Double Take bonus points
• 500 mobile booking bonus points (6 x 500 points)
• 1,200 SPG American Express payment

4,700 points for $600 in spend. $130 value. Drop the SPG Amex payment and elite status and the points drop to 2,900 points with $600 in spend. This is about a $100 rebate value on spend. One free weekend night at a category 2 hotel.

I am planning a long road trip through the desert and somewhat deserted southwest states in May. There are not too many Starwood Hotels along the way. I might find myself staying again in that big smog town of Bakersfield, California with the oil jackpump in the parking lot of the Four Points Bakersfield hotel. That hotel is so quintessential Bakersfield.