Starwood Preferred Guest Card Review
Submitted by CardMaster on February 9, 2009 – 6:34 pm2 Comments
The Starwood Preferred Guest Card is a must-have for regular travellers. This card comes with an attractive signup bonus (up to 6 free nights at a hotel), introductory rate on purchases and balance transfers, and a great rewards program for both flights and accommodation.
What we like about it:
- Generous Rewards Program. You earn one Starpoint for every dollar of eligible spending and double Starpoints at participating Starwood properties and retail outlets, which you can then use for free nights and upgrades at over 860 participating Starwood hotels and resorts in 95 countries.
- Great Signup Bonus. Earn 10,000 Starpoints with your first purchase – enough for up to 3 free nights at a Category 1 or 2 hotel and a further 15,000 Starpoints when you spend $15,000 in 6 months.
- Points are transferable. Like the AMEX Gold Card, you can transfer your Starpoints – almost always on a 1:1 basis – to the frequent flyer programs of over 30 major airlines.
- Makes Travelling Safer. As well as the standard travel accident insurance, this card also comes with Assured Reservation and Emergency Check-In features, greatly reducing the chances that a mishap will ruin your trip.
- Honeymoon Rate. There’s an introductory rate of 2.9% on purchases and balance transfers for 6 months.
What we don’t like about it:
Annual Fee. There’s an annual fee of $45, though this is waived during your first year.
Conclusion:
If you plan to pay off your balances on time and in full every month and you enjoy travelling, this Card is a no-brainer. The great sign-up bonus alone makes applying worth your while.
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This is my next card – once I recover my 50 FICO points I just lost. I travel quite a bit and I usually stay with this chain when I can. so, you’re right. It’s totally a no-brainer for me, despite the $45 fee – which isn’t bad. Doesn’t the black card come with something like $200?
we had been driving for 10 hours as my husband works out of state. So he went on to his IPHONE and searched for an airport hotel with club level. My husband looked up expedia’s web site and was quoted a rate on club level at the sheraton for $94. When he called Sheraton Reservations he mentioned expedia’s quoted rate. Then he asked should he go ahead and book the $94 club level rate She said no she would book the club level room. She also mentioned that club level has a bar. When we arrived they quoted $125. We asked for a GM and were told at 5:45 there was no GM or manager available. Club level always includes food and beverage. The beverage as in alcohol is usually additional. When we arrived at club level no bar only beer and wine was available. My husband then had to go to the bar and get me cocoktails. When he arrived at the bar the hotel had to find the bartender??? REALLY???