Airbnb Cancellation Policy & Fees Guide: (Guests & Hosts) [2020]

Way too many people these days make bookings for hotels and overnight stays without taking a moment to review the cancellation terms and conditions. Luckily, more companies like Airbnb are making their cancellation policies more easy to understand and also more clearly visible at the booking stage. 

In this article, I will tell you everything you need to know about the Airbnb cancellation policy. I’ll cover the different types of cancellation policies (flexible, moderate, and strict), cancellation fees, and also will show you what Airbnb “extenuating circumstances” means. Finally, I’ll provide some insight into the cancellation policies for hosts as well. 

What is the Airbnb cancellation policy for guests?

Airbnb has three different types of cancellation policies for guests that hosts can choose from:

  • Flexible
  • Moderate
  • Strict

Each of these offers a different range of flexibility in terms of the guest’s ability to seek a refund and the timeline allowed for cancellation. For example, one type may allow you a 100% refund while another may only offer a 50% refund (all depending on when you cancel).

I will go into detail about each of these different types of cancellation policies below and also talk about some of the less common cancellation policies known as “super strict.”

Airbnb Flexible cancellation policy (24 hours)

The Airbnb Flexible cancellation policy allows a guest to receive a full refund if the booking is canceled within a specified time. In order to get a full refund of accommodation fees the cancellation has to be made a full 24 hours before the listing’s local check-in time. 

For example, if you’re booking check in time is 2 PM central standard time on a Friday then that means that if you cancel before 2 PM central standard time on Thursday you can receive a full refund of the accommodation fees. If there is no check-in time that is listed, 3 PM will be the default time.

If the guest cancels within 24 hours of check-in time then they are responsible for paying the first night. This is a pretty standard type of cancellation fee that other major hotel programs like Marriott and Hilton offer (though you can cancel up to 48 hours or longer in many cases). 

If the guest chooses to leave early then they can get a refund on some of the nights. Basically, the accommodation fees for the nights not spent 24 hours after the official cancellation are fully refunded. So let’s say that you had a five night stay booked (Monday through Friday). And let’s say that your stay would like this:

  • Monday = Stayed
  • Tuesday = Stayed
  • Wednesday = Left at 2 PM
  • Thursday = not present 
  • Friday = present  

In this case if you left on Wednesday at 2 PM you would still be responsible for the accommodation fees on Wednesday night (that night would be within 24 hours after cancelling) but you would not have to pay for the accommodation fees on Thursday or Friday (those nights would fall outside of the 24 hour window). 

Airbnb service fee refund

The Airbnb service fee is refundable up to 3 times per year if the guest cancels within 48 hours of booking and at least 24 hours before check-in. It isn’t refundable if the guest cancels a reservation that overlaps with any part of an existing reservation.

The Airbnb service fees can be up to 20% of the booking subtotal (the nightly rate plus cleaning fee and additional guest fee, if applicable, but excluding Airbnb fees and taxes). So you definitely want to be mindful about them, especially since you need to cancel relatively quickly to avoid these fees. You can always view the service fee (and cleaning fee) before you book as shown in the image below. 

Cleaning fee refund

Cleaning fees are always refunded if the reservation is canceled before check-in so you’ll be in the clear regardless of what type of cancellation policy they have so long as you cancel before check-in. Cleaning fees can vary widely from something like $10 to $50+. These fees are determined by the hosts, and some hosts actually have Airbnb cleaners whiles others just take care of the cleaning by themselves. 

Airbnb Moderate cancellation policy 

The Airbnb Moderate cancellation policy allows a guest to receive a full refund if the booking is canceled within a specified time. In order to get a full refund of accommodation fees the cancellation has to be made a full five days prior to listing’s local check in time before the listings local check in time.

For example, if you’re booking check-in time is 2 PM central standard time on a Friday then that means that if you cancel before 2 PM central standard time on Sunday you can receive a full refund of the accommodation fees. If there is no check in time that is listed, 3 PM will be the default time.

If you cancel less than five days in advance the first night is nonrefundable but 50% of the accommodation fees for the remaining nights will be refunded. If you choose to leave early then you can get a 50% refund refund on accommodation fees for the nights not spent 24 hours after the official cancellation are fully refunded. 

Airbnb Strict cancellation policy 

The Airbnb strict cancellation policy allows a guest to receive a full refund if the booking is canceled within 48 hours of booking and at least 14 full days prior to listing’s local check-in time (or 3:00 PM if not specified) on the day of check-in. So getting a refund under this policy is not practical for last-minute stays.

If you cancel seven full days prior to the check-in time of your booking you can get a 50% refund on the accommodation fees. For example, if check-in is on Friday, you will need to cancel by Friday of the previous week before check in time in order to get the 50% refund.

If you cancel less than seven days in advance of check-in or you decide to leave early after check-in, the nights not spent are not refunded.

So when it comes to the strict cancellation policy you need to make sure that you make a decision before seven days prior to check-in. Otherwise you will likely be responsible for the full amount of accommodation fees, unless an exception applies. 

Airbnb Super strict cancellation policies

Airbnb also offers something called the “super strict” cancellation policies. These type of cancellation policies are not available to everybody. Instead, these only apply to special circumstances and are only available on invitation basis. There are different types of super strict policies and I will go over the different types. 

Super strict 30 day policy

The first is the super strict 30 day policy. In order to get a 50% refund on accommodation fees you must make your cancellation 30 days prior to the listing’s local check in time. If you cancel less than 30 days prior to the check-in time you would not get a refund on any of your accommodation fees. This includes any unstayed nights.

Super strict 60 day policy

The second is the super strict 60 day policy. In order to get a 50% refund on accommodation fees you must make your cancellation 60 days prior to the listing’s local check in time. If you cancel less than 60 days prior to the checking time you would not get a refund on any of your accommodation fees. This includes any unstayed nights.

Long-term policy

The next policy is the long-term policy and this cancellation policy applies to all reservations of 28 nights or more. If the guest books a long-term reservation and decides to cancel the reservation before the start date, the first month of the reservation is paid to the host in full and not refunded to the guest.

Airbnb also states: 

If the guest books a reservation and decides to cancel the reservation during their stay, the guest must use the online alteration tool in order to agree to a new checkout date. Regardless of the checkout date chosen, the guest is required to pay the host for the 30 days following the cancellation date, or up to the end date of the guest’s original reservation if the remaining portion of the original reservation is less than 30 days.

Airbnb cancellation exceptions

Airbnb states the following regarding cancellation exceptions:

Cancellation policies may be superseded by the Guest Refund Policy, extenuating circumstances, or cancellations by Airbnb for any other reason permitted under the Terms of Service. Please review these exceptions.

The Guest Refund Policy makes clear that you may get reimbursed for your booking when “Travel Issues” occur. These could include situations where: 

  • The host cancels a booking shortly before the scheduled start of the booking
  • The host fails to provide the Guest with the reasonable ability to access the Accommodation (e.g. they do not provide the keys and/or a security code)
  • The Listing’s description or depiction of the Accommodation is materially inaccurate with respect to things like size, location, amenities, etc. (e.g., they don’t actually have a hot tub)
  • The listing is not generally clean and sanitary
  • Air conditioning doesn’t work
  • Lights or plumbing don’t work

It’s also possible that Airbnb will work with you (use “reasonable efforts”) to try to find you other comparable places to stay. Regardless of what happens, Airbnb notes that, “All determinations of Airbnb with respect to the Guest Refund Policy […] shall be in Airbnb’s discretion, and final and binding on the Guests and Hosts.”

Be aware: If you experience a travel issue, you must notify Airbnb within 24 hours of starting your booking or after you discover the issue. They might want to follow up with you on the issue so be prepared for that as well.

Airbnb will also want you to have used reasonable efforts to try to remedy the situation with the host prior to making a claim for a Travel Issue. So make sure you try to at least contact the host before you report them for a travel issue since the host could fix some of these issues. 

Airbnb cancellation for extenuating circumstances

Airbnb will allow you to be refunded and/or avoid cancellation fees when you’re experiencing “extenuating circumstances.” They are pretty clear about different scenarios that could constitute extenuating circumstances. Here are some situations that could qualify:

  • Death of a host, guest, or their immediate family member.
  • Serious illness of a host, guest, or any member of the traveling party.
  • Government-mandated obligations including jury duty, travel restrictions, court appearances, and military deployment.
  • Severe damage to the home that makes it unsafe to host guests, or that prevents guests from accessing basic amenities like running water
  • Airport and road closures that make it impossible to travel to your destination.

You should note that for all of the circumstances above you will need to provide documentation to support your claim.

There are also other situations that qualify as extenuating circumstances where you may not have to provide documentation. These include the following situations:

  • Open Homes reservations that have been cancelled.
  • Severe security advisories for political or civil unrest in the area that the guest is traveling from, traveling to, or that the host’s home is located in
  • Changes to visa or passport requirements that make it impossible to travel to the destination
  • Natural disasters that prevent the guest from traveling to or from the destination, or that make it unsafe to host guests. These could include the following situations:  
    • Severe weather
    • Earthquakes
    • Flooding
    • Tornados
    • Tsunamis
    • Wildfires
    • Blizzards or severe winter storms
  • Endemic disease or illness that suddenly affects a region or an entire group of people.

If any of the extenuating circumstances apply to you keep in mind that you need to file your claim within 14 days of the extenuating circumstances. Read more about these here. 

Special note

Some countries like Italy and Korea may have different types of cancellation policies. This is why it is very important to review the cancellation terms for your specific booking and I will show you how to below.

How to view your cancellation terms

You can see host’s cancellation policy when you are ready to make a booking, as shown in the image below. 

By clicking on “More Details” you can pull up specific information about the timeline for cancelling a stay. The timeline is very helpful and I honestly wish that more hotels would supply this type of graphic to make it easier to see when exactly you need to cancel. 

You can also cancel and review any penalties by viewing your travel plans and then clicking “Cancel” on your reservation. 

How to cancel an Airbnb booking

To cancel a reservation and/or review any cancellation penalties follow the steps below:

  • Go to Trips and choose your trip
  • Click Change reservation
  • Click Cancel reservation

A word before cancelling 

Before you decide to cancel your booking there is something that you should consider. A host will be able to see the number of reservations you have canceled over the previous 12 months when you submit a request to book. So just because you can get a refund or avoid/mitigate fees, that does not mean that you should be carefree about canceling. Some hosts in the future might see you as a liability and refuse to allow you to stay at their place. 

Airbnb host cancellation policy and fees

If you are a host and are thinking about canceling a booking then a completely different set of rules applies to you. Basically, after you cancel, a fee will be deducted from your next payout. The fee amount will depend on when you accepted the reservation and how soon before check-in you canceled it. Here’s what you can expect for the host cancellation fees: 

  • More than 7 days before check-in = $50 
  • Less than 7 days before check-in =  $100

You can avoid the cancellation fee if you have completed at least 10 consecutive bookings without canceling, either since you started hosting or since your last previous cancellation.

Keep in mind that cancelling as a host comes with additional consequences.

  • You’ll get hit with an automated review that will be posted to your listing’s profile showing that you have canceled one of your reservations. These cannot be removed, though you are allowed to write a public response to explain the situation. 
  • If you cancel on the day of check-in or later, guests can leave a public review on your listing’s profile.
  • Your calendar will stay blocked and you won’t be able to accept another reservation for the same dates of the canceled reservation.
  • You won’t be eligible to earn Superhost status for one year after your most recent cancellation.

Finally, you should note that if you cancel three or more reservations within a year, Airbnb might decide to deactivate your listing.

Final word

The Airbnb cancellation policies are pretty straightforward and provide a pretty nice degree of flexibility. I highly recommend that you review your individual cancellation policies for each of your bookings since they could vary depending on the location or perhaps the duration of your stay. Also, it’s a good idea to stay aware of what constitutes an extenuating circumstances in case you ever need to cancel on that basis. 

Hyatt Status Match Guide: (M Life, American & More) [2020]

Status matches and challenges can be great ways to shortcut your way to elite status so you can take advantage of valuable perks like free breakfast, upgrades, late check out and many more perks. But not every major hotel program is very generous with status matches. In this article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about Hyatt status matches, including those offered with M Life and American Airlines. 

How to do a Hyatt status match

Hyatt is known for not offering as many status matches as other programs like Hilton or Marriott and so it is not always possible to do a status match with Hyatt. With that said, there are some ways that you can status match and status challenge with Hyatt — you just have to be a little bit lucky or hold some type of other elite membership. I’ll talk about these methods below. 

Related: Check out our detailed list of all of the top hotel credit cards!

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

View from the Park Hyatt Bangkok.

What is a status match or status challenge?

Before I dive in, I just want to make sure we’re on the same page and you know exactly what a status match and status challenge are.

Status match

A status match is a way for you to jump to a certain level of status with a loyalty program. The level of status you’re given usually corresponds to the level of elite status you have with another program. For example, if you status match from Marriott Gold to Hilton, you might be given Hilton Gold. Many times a status match will be temporary but give you the option of retaining the status if you complete a status challenge. 

Status challenge

A status challenge requires you to make a certain number of stays within a certain window, such as 90 days. For example, you might have to finish 10 stays in 90 days to receive elite status.

When you complete a status challenge, you’ll usually be allowed to hold on to that status for up to two years, depending on when you complete the challenge. Sometimes you can find very cheap hotels to stay at and it can be very easy to complete a status challenge with only paying very little for all of your stays, so these can be very worthwhile. 

The Park Hyatt Milan.

Hyatt status matches 

There are currently no status matches open to the masses for Hyatt right now. However, you can jump on a unique status match if you qualify. Hyatt is offering a status match and challenge for certain corporate employees. There’s not a full list of eligible companies that I’m aware of but you can simply enter in your work email address here to see if you qualify. 

Here are the terms of the challenge: 

  • Register by November 28, 2019, to receive trial Explorist status for 90 days
  • Stay 10 qualifying nights at any Hyatt hotel or resort within 90 days of registration to maintain Explorist status through February 2021
  • Stay an additional 10 qualifying nights at any Hyatt hotel or resort within 90 days of registration and earn Globalist status through February 2021. Enjoy even more rewards with Globalist status like 30% Bonus Points, Club lounge access including breakfast, and more

So this is another type of challenge that offers an upfront status but you can get it by just registering for the challenge. If you want to maintain it you’ll need to make 10 qualifying nights within 90 days of registering and if you want Hyatt Globalist you’ll need to make an additional 10 qualifying nights. 

This is a pretty solid challenge in my book (since it allow for nights) but it’s just not clear to me who exactly qualifies for it. Here’s what Hyatt states if you have any questions: 

Offer only valid for World of Hyatt members who are employed by an entity that has received an invitation from Hyatt for its employees to participate in this offer (any a “Qualifying Entity”).  If you are not sure whether you work for a Qualifying Entity, check with your corporate travel manager. 

Hyatt M Life status matches 

One interesting thing you can do with your Hyatt status is use it to match to M Life. If you aren’t aware, M Life is a loyalty program for several large Las Vegas resorts like the Bellagio, Aria, MGM Grand, etc. 

M life Rewards members enjoy exclusive benefits including: discounts on rooms, shows and participating retail shops, plus pre-sale tickets to events, concerts, flights and more. For example, you can match from Hyatt Discoverist status to M Life Pearl, Explorist to Gold, and Globalist to Gold. You’ll need to opt-in to make this happen.  

M Life status usually drops down in October and since your Hyatt status won’t drop down until March, you may need to re-match your status every year in the fall. 

You can also match from M Life to Hyatt. 

Random Hyatt status matches 

It’s possible that Hyatt could randomly issue out status to people via the internet. This sounds really sketchy and I wasn’t sold on it until I saw tons of reports from reputable users that this was actually happening. Back in November of 2018, Hyatt was giving out Explorist status like candy to whoever sent in their details on Reddit. They gave Explorist for 90 days and then allowed you to keep it if you made 10 stays in a 90 day period.

I have no idea if Hyatt will resort to these generous shenanigans in the future but this is definitely something to keep your eyes out for if you’re a regular Reddit user.  

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Requesting a Hyatt status match via email 

You can also request a Hyatt status match by simply sending in an email to: worldofhyatt@hyatt.com. You might not have much luck though. I’ve seen reports of many people getting denied for status matches from programs like Marriott Bonvoy, Wyndham Rewards, Hilton Honors, IHG, etc. Still, you never know until you try.

Hyatt status match with American Airlines 

If you have status with American Airlines you may be eligible for a status match or fast track to elite status with Hyatt. For example, American Airlines Concierge Key members may receive automatic World of Hyatt Globalist status. If you have a lower level of American elite status like Platinum, Platinum Pro or Executive Platinum you might be eligible for a challenge like this one: 

  • Stay 10 nights within 90 days of registering to keep Explorist status through February 2021
  • Stay 20 nights within 90 days to earn Globalist through February 2021

This challenge is part of the partnership between American Airlines and Hyatt that allows you to earn additional points or miles. In case you didn’t know: 

  • American elite members earn 1 AAdvantage mile per dollar spent with Hyatt 
  • Hyatt elite members earn 1 Hyatt point per dollar spent on American Airlines 

To take advantage of these offers: you must link your AAdvantage account to your Hyatt account to receive these benefits and the name in your AAdvantage account must match the name in your World of Hyatt account. Click here for more on that program and to link your accounts. 

You don’t get all the perks 

When you status match or challenge with Hyatt you won’t receive all of the perks that someone would receive if they finished actual stays at Hyatt properties. 

For example, if you were to make 30 stays you’d receive Hyatt Explorist status and you’d also receive a free night award in a Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort, Small Luxury Hotels of the World hotel, or M life Rewards destination. You’d also get two Club lounge access awards.

If you were to make 40 stays you’d receive your choice of 5,000 Bonus Points, a $100 Hyatt Gift Card or save 10,000 points on a FIND experience. And if you made it fo 50 nights, you’d get two suite upgrade awards. 

But now let’s say you didn’t make those stays and instead you only received Explorist through a status match or status challenge. In that case you wouldn’t receive the free night, club lounge access, or the suite upgrades. Instead, you’d be limited to the standard Explorist benefits, which include: 

  • 20% point bonus on the Base Points earned on the Eligible Rate and Eligible Incidental Charges
  • Upgrades to best room available
  • 72-Hour Room Availability
  • Special Reservation Phone Line
  • Premium internet access
  • Dedicated Check-In Area
  • 2:00 PM Late Checkout

Are they worth it?

It’s great to get a sense of what a certain type of hotel elite status will offer you but unless you have a lot of stays lined up, it can be difficult to measure the value of an elite level status with only a few stays, especially if you’re not staying at hotels that are known for better elite treatment. 

But if you have a sense of the value you’ll get, you should look into doing mattress runs if needed. Mattress runs are when you book and stay (or at least check in) at the cheapest properties you can find near your area.

You stay enough nights or stays to earn status so it’s like paying cash for elite status. Once you factor in the points you earn from the stays, possible promos, cash back portals, and your credit cards, these mattress runs aren’t as expensive as you might think. 

Final word 

Overall, it’s a little frustrating that Hyatt doesn’t come around with more status matches and challenges. Unless you fall into a certain group or just get a little bit lucky, it’s very tricky to shortcut your way to elite status with Hyatt. However, if you have the Hyatt credit card you can spend your way to elite status so there are ways to get status with Hyatt without actually staying in properties. 

The Marriott Moments Program Review [2020]

Booking airfare and hotels is the traditional route for many when choosing to cash in on their miles and points. But there’s a whole world of opportunity out there for other experiences like sporting events, concerts, and many other unique experiences.

The Marriott Moments Program is your way to tap into these programs and in this article, I’ll give you a breakdown of what you can expect with the program.

What is the Marriott Moments program?

The Marriott Moments program is a special program that allows you to access to sporting events, culinary experiences, entertainment packages and other types of interesting and unique experiences.

These experiences can be purchased with cash or points, or you can also bid on these experiences auction style with points. I’ll explain how the program works below and what types of experiences you can expect.

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

How does the Marriott Moments program work?

The Marriott Moments program works in a few ways.

First, you can head over to the Marriott Moments program portal here.

Once there, you can see different types of experiences listed on the webpage, which include:

Once you see a category that you like, you can click on that or you can visit the main pages for certain categories, which I’ve listed below:

I’ll use the sports page below to illustrate how the program works.

At the top of the page, you’ll be able to filter results using the following criteria:

  • Point range
  • Location
  • Date range
  • Auctions versus redeem now
  • Sort by

You don’t have to select all of the filters to see the results. All of the filters are pretty self-explanatory but the difference between auctions and redeem now is that you can purchase the experience immediately with redeem now. The auctions events are going to work just like a traditional auction, so you’ll need to place a bid and try to outbid others.

I clicked on the redeem now options and here are some of the events that showed up:

  • Watch the LA Clippers this Season from a Custom Luxury Suite at STAPLES Center (50,000 Points)
  • SPG Luxury Suite: Madison Square Garden – Knicks – Stadium Seats (50,000 Points)
  • See the Professional Bull Riders from a Custom Luxury Suite at STAPLES Center (50,000 Points)
  • SPG Luxury Suite: Madison Square Garden – Rangers – Stadium Seats (50,000 Points)
  • Score a Slam Dunk with Tickets to Washington Wizards vs. Detroit Pistons + Access to High Five Fan Tunnel (75,000 Points)

So a lot of the luxury suite events are priced at around 50,000 points. If you value Marriott points at .8 cent per point, that’s $400 worth of Marriott points for a luxury suite experience. If you click on the “See Details” for each event, you’ll see the full details for your package.

In this case, the following were offered for the STAPLES center events for the Clippers.

  • Tickets to a custom Luxury Suite for the LA Clippers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder at STAPLES Center on March 8, 2019 at 7:30 pm
  • Complimentary food and beverages while in the suite
  • Access to Hyde Lounge
  • A 20% discount to the TEAM LA Store located adjacent to Star Plaza
  • Experience is for two people

So getting tickets to a custom luxury suite for two people which includes food and beverages, lounge access, and a 20% discount at the team store for about $400 would be a bargain for some fans (surely depending on the opponent).

I’m not sure exactly which suites are usually booked or in what section but SuiteHop states that individual “shared Clippers suite tickets range from $50 to $350 depending on the event, the type of suite, and the location of the suite.” So these experiences can be pretty lucrative even for a shared suite with the right event.

And for the auction events coming up, here’s what was showing up when I searched:

  • Super Bowl LIII Field Level Suite Tickets presented by Visa + a $100 Visa Gift Card + Hotel Stay (Current Bid: 657,500 Points)
  • Rock Out with On-Field Access to Watch the Pepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show (Current Bid: 100,000 Points)
  • Hit the Slopes during a Master Class with Olympic Snowboarder Shaun White at Mammoth Mountain (Starting Bid: 45,000 Points)

The auction prices can get very high for big events like the Super Bowl and you can often find them for those bucket list type of opportunities like attending a World Series, Coachella, etc.

Bids have to be made in 2,500 point increments and once your bid is confirmed, it is final and cannot be retracted. Also, points are not deducted from your account until the winning bid is determined and you will receive an email if your bid is no longer the highest (and you can increase your bid at that time).

Marriott recommends that you make max bids to make things easier for yourself.

Here’s the example scenario Marriott gives for how a max bid works:

  • If the current bid is 50,000 points and your max bid is 100,000, we’ll bid 52,500 for you.
  • If no one else bids, you win! You’ll pay 52,500 points.
  • Or, if someone else bids 75,000 points, we’ll bid 77,500 for you.
  • We’ll continue to bid to keep you in the lead, up to your max bid.
  • If someone else bids 102,500, we’ll notify you via email that you’ve been outbid.
  • If two people bid the same amount, the first bid placed has priority.
  • Your max bid will remain hidden from everyone else.
  • All bids are placed in minimum increments of 2,500 points.
  • Once you confirm your Max Bid, you may not decrease or remove it.

Marriott Moments FAQ

Are there any limits for redemptions or bidding?

The only limit is specific to auction packages within a single event. A member cannot have the highest bid across more than two packages with one single event at any given time.

Can you use points and cash?

Marriott does not currently allow you to use both points and cash when redeeming for Marriott Moments.

Can I return my experience after purchase?

Marriott states that all purchases are final and cannot be refunded for any reason.

Can I transfer my purchase to someone else?

If an item does not require a  “will call” pick up then it can be gifted.

However, items that require “will call” pick up at a location cannot be gifted or transferred to another individual without prior verification with Marriott Rewards. If you want to transfer one of these experiences then contact Marriott at 1-844-892-0634 or email them at Marriottrewardsmoments@maritz.com.

Can I resell my purchase?

Marriott has a strict anti-resell policy and states that experiences purchased through the experiences marketplace may not be resold for any reason. Violators may be subject to removal from the Marriott Rewards or Ritz-Carlton Rewards Program and forfeit their Rewards Points balance.

What’s the difference between Marriott Moments and Marriott Rewards Moments and SPG Moments?

The Marriott and SPG merger has made things confusing in a lot of areas as the SPG brand is still used in many instances. Here’s what Marriott has to say about the difference between these two experiences:

Marriott Moments offers travel experiences for Members and non-Members, offering thousands of travel experiences globally. Marriott Rewards Moments (moments.marriottrewards.com) and SPG Moments (spgmoments.com) offer exclusive once-in-a-lifetime Member experiences to Rewards Members only, which can only be paid for using Rewards points.

Final word

Marriott Moments can be a fun way to use your points for special events and experiences. In some cases, it can also offer some nice value as well. I would stick to a valuation for your Marriott points so that you don’t get swept up into a bad deal but many of these events are special experiences where you might be okay with poor value for your points if it’s something you’re really interested in trying out.

World of Hyatt Elite Tiers Review (Discoverist, Explorist, Globalist) [2019]

Hyatt is one of the most rewarding hotel programs and offers a lot of value for those who choose to stay at their properties, especially when it comes to free nights. The World of Hyatt tiers each have their strengths and this article will walk you through the highlights of Discoverist, Explorist, and Globalist status so that you’ll know what type of benefits to expect.

If you’re looking to search Hyatt hotels by their award tiers, you can do that here. 

Interested in finding out the top travel credit cards for this month? Click here to check them out! 

What are the World of Hyatt tiers?

  • Discoverist (10 qualifying nights, 25,000 Base Points, or holding 3 qualifying meetings/events per year.)
  • Explorist (30 qualifying nights, 50,000 Base Points, or holding 10 qualifying meetings/events per year.)
  • Globalist (60 qualifying nights, 100,000 Base Points, or holding 20 qualifying meetings/events per year.)
  • Lifetime Globalist status (Earn 1,000,000 Base Points over the course of your program membership)

Note that Hyatt goes by nights and not stays for elite qualification.

Your status will be good through February of the second Calendar Year following qualification. So if you finish 10 stays in May of 2018 you will retain Discoverist status through February of 2020 (the second calendar year).

Free nights with elite status

As you make your way up the elite tiers of Hyatt by actually staying in hotels, you’ll be able to earn different types of free nights. This is a unique benefit offered by Hyatt that really helps to add value to those who earn status the old fashioned way — by actually staying at properties.

Actions Needed Rewards
Stay at 5 different Hyatt brands and pay an eligible rate starting March 1, 2017 Free night award in a Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort (valid for one year from issuance)
Stay 30 qualifying nights or earn 50,000 Base Points in a calendar year Free night award in a Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort 
Stay 60 qualifying nights or earn 100,000 Base Points in a calendar year Free night award in a Category 1-7 Hyatt hotel or resort Maintain Globalist status after 55 qualifying nights each subsequent year
Stay 70, 80, 90 and 100 qualifying nights in a calendar year Choose to receive 10,000 Bonus Points or a suite upgrade award

With these free nights, you’ll typically want to maximize your value and stay a property that is the best you can book. For most free nights this means staying in a Category 4 hotel. For a breakdown on the different Hyatt category 4 hotels, you can click here. 

The World of Hyatt Card

Update: Some offers are no longer available — click here for the latest deals!

The World of Hyatt Card is one of my favorite hotel credit cards and it comes with the following perks:

  • Bonus earning: 
    • 4X spent with your card at Hyatt hotels, including participating restaurants and spas
    • 2X on local transit and commuting, including taxis, mass transit, tolls and ride-share services
    • 2X at restaurants, cafes and coffee shops
    • 2X on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline
    • 2X spent on fitness club and gym memberships
  • Free nights: 
    • Receive one free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort every year after your cardmember anniversary
    • Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort if you spend $15,000 during your cardmember anniversary year
  • Elite status:
    • Receive 5 qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every year
    • Earn 2 additional qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card
  • $95 Annual Fee ($20 higher now)

The World of Hyatt card allows you to receive 5 qualifying night credits towards elite status and allows you to earn 2 qualifying night credits every time you spend $5,000. The ability to climb the elite tiers by putting spend on your Hyatt card is a great perk and starting off with five free qualifying nights and is a good way to jump start your progress toward obtaining elite status.

If you’re a high spender and a Hyatt loyalist then this card is pretty much made just for you.

Hyatt Discoverist

Qualifying

  • 10 qualifying nights
  • 25,000 Base Points
  • 3 qualifying meetings/events per year
  • As shown above, you can achieve Discoverist status with the World of Hyatt credit card.

Hyatt Discoverist is the lowest elite level for World of Hyatt and so as you would expect it doesn’t offer the richest line-up of benefits. But it’s not worthless either.

Bonus points

As a Discoverist, you’ll receive a ten percent (10%) point bonus on the Base Points earned on the Eligible Rate and Eligible Incidental Charges incurred during such stay.

Note that point bonuses are Bonus Points, not Base Points, and do not count towards the Member’s elite status qualification.

A 10% bonus rate for bottom tier status is not the best as Marriott and Hilton both offer higher bonus rates. However, Hyatt allows you to earn 5 base points per dollar spent and their points are worth more than other programs. If you value Hyatt points at 1.5 cents per point (which is on the low side) that’s a return of 8.25% back, which is actually a very competitive earning rate for bottom tier status compared to Hilton, SPG, IHG, etc.

So for a bottom tier status, Discoverist gives you a very decent return on spending when compared to other major hotel programs. 

Upgrades to preferred rooms

The official World of Hyatt Terms And Conditions state:

Subject to availability, Discoverists will be offered a preferred room at time of check-in at Hyatt hotels and resorts. Preferred rooms are determined by each hotel or resort (in its sole discretion) and include rooms on higher floors, corner rooms, or rooms with more appealing views.

So with Discoverist you can hope for an upgrade to a better room but you’re most likely not going to get an upgrade to a suite.

Premium internet access

At Hyatt hotels and resorts offering premium in-room internet access, Discoverists will be offered complimentary access during all stays.

Dedicated Check-In Area

At participating Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt, Hyatt Centric, Hyatt Zilara, and Hyatt Ziva hotels and resorts, Discoverists will have access to a dedicated check-in area for elite Members

2:00 PM Late Checkout

Upon request, Discoverists will receive a 2:00 PM late checkout (local hotel time) on day of their departure at Hyatt hotels, provided that (a) late checkout is subject to availability at hotels with a casino and Hyatt resorts; and (b) late checkout is not offered at Hyatt Residence Club resorts or M life Resorts.

Park Hyatt Milan.

Hyatt Explorist

Qualifying

  • 30 qualifying nights
  • 50,000 Base Points
  • 10 qualifying meetings/events per year

Bonus points

When choosing points for a stay, Explorists will receive a 20% point bonus on the Base Points.

An additional 20% bonus means that you’ll be earning 6 points per dollar spent. At a valuation of 1.5 cents per point, this amounts to a 9% return on Hyatt purchases. 9% back is a pretty solid return rate for a mid-tier status.

Upgrades to best room available

Explorists will be offered the “best room available” at the time of check-in at Hyatt hotels and resorts, excluding suites and Club lounge-access rooms. The best room available will be determined by the applicable hotel or resort in its sole discretion and may vary from stay-to-stay. The “best room” may, but will not necessarily be, of a room type/category higher than that booked by the Member.

Hyatt explicitly excludes suites and club lounge-access rooms but it’s not unheard of to be bumped to one of those rooms. One important thing to know is that upgrades for Explorists are not limited to rooms within the same type of category. So don’t be afraid to request for upgrades that above the category of room that you initially booked.

Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards

The defining perk of Explorist status is that if offers you four complimentary awards redeemable for Club lounge access. This is a nice perk but its subpar when compared to Hilton Gold which offers free breakfast. However, if you only travel a few times a year then this benefit might be all you need to get a free breakfast for your travels.

Here are a few basic things to know about these awards.

Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards are valid for one (1) year from the date of issuance and must be redeemed in connection with reservations with a checkout date before the expiration of the Explorist Club Lounge Access Award.

It’s really important to remember that this perk is limited to nights booked with points, cash, or cash + points. Free night certificates awarded via the sign-up bonus of the Hyatt Visa Card or its anniversary night are not eligible nor are other free nights described below.

There are a few things you should be aware of when it comes to using these club lounge passes and you can read more in detail about some of the different quirks of this benefit here.

72-Hour Room Availability

Hyatt Explorist offers a guaranteed 72-hour room availability (subject to many restrictions).

Earn a Free Night Award: Category 1-4 Hotel

If you earn your free night by completing 30 Tier-Qualifying Nights or earning 50,000 Base Points in a Calendar Year, you will receive one standard-room Free Night Award redeemable at a category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort.

Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall Jamaica.

Hyatt Globalist

Qualifying

  • 60 qualifying nights
  • 100,000 Base Points
  • 10 qualifying meetings/events per year

Hyatt has offered status challenges/fast track in the past which have allowed you to earn Globalist status with only 20 nights stayed so be on the lookout for those offers. Some of these tend to go out to Hyatt credit card holders, so you might want to think about getting the card for that reason.

Bonus Points

If you’re a Globalist member, you’ll receive a 30% bonus on your base points, which amounts to 6.5 points per dollar spent. 

If you value Hyatt points at 1.5 cents per point, that’s 9.75% back. Compared to other programs, which is one of the worst returning rates for a top-tier status. However, if you value Hyatt points closer to 2 cents per point, it’s actually a decent return on your hotel spending.

Suite upgrade awards

You’ll receive 4 suite upgrade awards after 60 qualifying nights or 100,000 Base Points each calendar year. Being able to guarantee a suite upgrade is one of my favorite Hyatt Globalist benefits since you don’t have to deal with the anticipation and potential letdown that comes with relying on status for upgrades sometimes.

Complimentary Suite Upgrade Awards are valid on nights for which the Member has paid an Eligible Rate or has redeemed points for a standard-room Free Night Award, a Club Free Night Award, or a Points + Cash Award, up to a maximum of seven consecutive nights.

Note: complimentary Suite Upgrade Awards are to be used for standard suites — they cannot be redeemed for premium suites.

Late check-out

With Globalist you’ll be able to check out as late as 4pm.

Upgrades

Globalists may be upgraded to the best room, up to standard suites. In many cases, you’ll have to proactively seek out your upgrade by asking the front desk about upgrades. Make sure that you’re specific about upgrades for Globalists, too.

Club Lounge Access

Globalists will be given Club Lounge access.

Complimentary parking

Globalists will be given complimentary parking on free night awards at participating Hyatt hotels and resorts with parking that can be charged to a guest’s room.

48 hours

Globalists can get a room at participating Hyatt hotels 48 hours in advance of arrival (blackout dates apply.)

Gold status with M-life Rewards

Globalists get Gold status with M-Life, which can get you the following benefits:

  • Extended Expiration For Points and Express Comps
  • Invitations to Members-Only Events, Tournaments or Promotions
  • 20% Bonus on Points Earned Playing Slots at M life Rewards Destinations Nationwide
  • 20% Bonus on Express Comps Earned at M life Rewards Destinations Nationwide
  • Read more about M-Life Gold status here. 

Guest of Honor

You can share in-hotel benefits with friends or family when you gift an eligible award. (Note: this is not available on paid stays and these need to be booked over the phone.)

Hyatt breakfast at the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome.

Lifetime Globalist status

Qualifying

  • 1,000,000 Base Points over the course of your program membership

Final word

Hyatt has a solid loyalty program. The features that I like most about the program are the following:

  • Ability to use the World of Hyatt credit card to climb the elite tiers
  • Lounge passes for Explorist members
  • Suite upgrades for Globalist members
  • Guest of honor benefits
  • Free nights when obtaining elite tiers

The biggest knock I have against the program is that it takes earning the top-tier status, Globalist, just to have a guaranteed breakfast. Meanwhile, Hilton Honors Gold, an easily obtainable mid-tier status offered by Hilton offers breakfast as a perk. Also, the bonus earning rates are a little on the low side compared to other programs at similar tiers. And finally, forcing people to qualify by nights with no option for stays, really makes it difficult for those who do longer stays (though they can still qualify with points earned).

But other than that, I think that the World of Hyatt tiers have a lot to offer in terms of their value proposition.

Hilton Honors Levels: How to Get Silver, Gold, and Diamond [2018]

Hilton Honors is the official loyalty program of Hilton. While Hilton Honors points are one of the weakest hotel currencies, I still am big on Hilton Honors because it’s easy to climb your way up the different Hilton Honors levels and there are some solid benefits given out even at the mid-tier level.

Here’s everything you need to know about the different Hilton Honors levels: Silver, Gold, and Diamond. 

Update: Some offers are no longer available — click here for the latest deals!

Hilton Honors levels

The Hilton Honors elite levels are divided up in to the following tiers:

  • Member
  • Silver
    • 4 stays in a calendar year or
    • 10 nights in a calendar year
  • Gold
    • 20 stays in a calendar year, or
    • 40 nights in a calendar year, or
    • 75,000 Hilton Honors Base Points in a calendar year
  • Diamond
    • 30 stays in a calendar year, or
    • 60 nights in a calendar year, or
    • 120,000 Hilton Honors Base Points in a calendar year

One thing that makes the different Hilton Honors levels special is that they can all be obtained via credit card approvals. And not just that, but some of those credit cards are fantastic travel rewards cards that come with valuable perks (which I discuss more later).

So Hilton is definitely a loyalty program that’s not hard to maintain status with even when you’re primarily focused on another hotel loyalty program, such as Marriott/SPG, Hyatt, or IHG.

 

Hilton Honors Levels
The different Hilton Honors levels.

Hilton Honors Member

Anybody can become a Hilton Honors Member instantly just by signing up online. In fact, you can do this right now — just click here to join Hilton Honors.

Just by signing up you’ll be granted a few perks like:

  • Hilton Honors discount rates
  • Complimentary in-room and lobby Standard Internet access
  • Late check out (must be requested and is subject to availability)

The biggest reason to become a member is so you can start earning points on your Hilton stays. If you’ve recently stayed at a Hilton with the past 30 days but weren’t a member you can still get points but you”ll need to submit a written request to the nearest Hilton Reservations and Customer Care office.

But beyond earning points, it’s also nice to receive complimentary wifi and even late check out when available. While these perks are nice, you’ll want to be at one of the higher Hilton Honors levels to start reaping real value.

The Hilton Auckland, New Zealand.

Hilton Honors Silver

  • Requirement:
    • 4 stays in a calendar year or
    • 10 nights in a calendar year

Hilton Silver is very easy to obtain since you only need four stays. Since this is the bottom tier status level, you won’t get a lot of super valuable benefits but you do get come solid perks such as:

  • 5th night free when booking a reward stay of five nights or more using all Points
  • 20% bonus on all the Hilton Honors Base Points you earn
  • Complimentary in-room and lobby Standard Internet access
  • Two complimentary bottles of water per stay

The fifth night free benefit can end up being an extremely valuable perk, especially if you use your points to cover a night at an expensive Hilton property.

I broke down the costs in points and cash at some of the top Hilton properties like the Conrad, Waldorf, and Curio Collection, so you can see how much value you can get out of this perk alone (it’s a lot).

The 20% bonus on base points is okay but there’s not any notable benefits of Hilton Silver that standard Members don’t get besides the above. Thus, Silver really only adds a lot of potential value with it’s 5th night free perk.

How to get Hilton Silver Status

Hilton Silver status can easily be achieved with the Amex Hilton Honors card. That card earns 7X on Hilton purchases, 5X at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations and comes with no annual fee. So you’re basically getting these perks like the 5th night free for no cost, which is not a bad deal.

The 5th night free at a property like the Conrad Maldives could be very valuable.

Hilton Honors Gold

  • Requirement:
    • 20 stays in a calendar year, or
    • 40 nights in a calendar year, or
    • 75,000 Hilton Honors Base Points in a calendar year

Hilton Gold status is where things really start to heat up in the benefits department. With Hilton Gold you’ll be given the following benefits:

  • Upgrades (when available)
  • Free breakfast
  • Lounge access (but only at certain properties or when upgraded)
  • 80% bonus on all the Hilton Honors Base Points you earn

Hilton Gold status can land you upgrades at Hilton hotels. While you likely won’t receive as many suite upgrades as a Diamond member, it’s still possible to get bumped up to better rooms. The real benefit to me is the free breakfast, though.

That’s where a lot of the value of Gold status is since many travelers mostly look forward to saving some cash on breakfast each morning with their elite status.

The 80% bonus on base points amounts to a return of about 7.2% for money spent at Hilton properties.

That makes Hilton one of the lowest earning hotel loyalty programs in terms of cash back on dollars spent at the hotel. However, Hilton often runs promotions that allow you to earn more points so their return rate is more competitive than it appears.

  • To learn more about Hilton Honors Gold Status, click here. 

How to get Hilton Honors Gold

Aspire vs Ascend

Hilton Honors Gold can be obtained in a number of ways. In terms of credit cards, one popular method is going with the Amex Platinum Card, which comes with a host of benefits but a $550 annual fee.

A cheaper option is to go with the Amex Hilton Ascend which is a new credit card offering 12X on Hilton purchases, 6X at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations, and comes with a free weekend night after you spend $15,000 in a calendar year. The annual fee is only $95 and the card usually comes with a great welcome offer.

Hilton Honors Diamond

  • Requirement:
    • 30 stays in a calendar year, or
    • 60 nights in a calendar year, or
    • 120,000 Hilton Honors Base Points in a calendar year

Hilton Diamond is the top tier elite Hilton Honors level and will offer you the following benefits.

  • 100% bonus on all the Hilton Honors Base Points you earn
  • Executive lounge access
  • Free breakfasts
  • Eligible Diamond members can choose to extend their status for an additional year beyond the expiration date, one-time, for any reason
  • You are guaranteed a room when you make a reservation at least 48 hours prior to your arrival
  • Complimentary in-room and lobby Premium Internet access

The biggest perks are the upgrades, executive lounge access, and the 100% bonus on points earned.

A lot of Diamond members aren’t happy about their upgrade experiences. I know they can’t happen all of the time, but honestly I’ve had an overall positive experience with getting upgrades.

Lounge access is another valuable perk of Diamond status. I’ve experienced some nice lounges which is usually where you’ll have breakfast and other light snacks/meals throughout the day. Having access to a quality lounge can really make your stay more relaxing and enjoyable.

The 100% bonus on spending puts Diamond status cash back earning at around 8%. Like Gold, this is not a high return but the constant promos help these earnings to become more lucrative.

  • To learn more about Hilton Honors Diamond Status, click here.

How to get Hilton Honors Diamond

Hilton Aspire Bonus
The Hilton Aspire comes with automatic Diamond status.

Hilton Honors Gold can be obtained by getting approved for the Hilton Aspire credit card.

The Aspire is one of the best travel rewards credit cards. With it you’ll earn 14X on Hilton purchases, 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies and at U.S. restaurants. Plus, you get a free night every year.

You’ll also get Priority Pass, a $250 airline statement credit, $250 Hilton resort statement credit, and $100 on property credit at Waldorf and Conrad hotels. All of these perks combine to form one amazing travel card that also gets you automatic Hilton Honors Diamond status.

Lifetime Diamond status

There’s no level above Hilton Diamond status but there is lifetime Diamond status.

Lifetime Diamond status will be given if you have earned Diamond Status for at least 10 years (non-consecutive) and who have completed stays totaling at least 1,000 paid and reward nights OR who as of December 31st, 2016 have earned Diamond Status for at least 10 years (non-consecutive) and who have earned at least 2 million Base Points over life of membership.

You can read more bout lifetime Diamond Status here.

Final word on Hilton Honors levels

It’s incredibly easy to climb up to the top of the Hilton Honors levels via signing up for the right credit cards. A good idea is to just evaluate the perks that come with each Hilton status tier and determine which benefits you value the most. From there you can choose the right credit card that will supply you with all the perks you need.

What Are The Benefits of SPG Platinum Status?

SPG Platinum status offers an extensive range of valuable hotel and airline benefits that can enhance your travels both in the sky and when you stay at a Starwood Preferred Guest property. Here’s a rundown of some the benefits you can expect to enjoy when you obtain SPG Platinum status. 

How to earn SPG Platinum status

You can earn Platinum status in a few ways: 

  • Complete 25 eligible stays or 50 eligible nights in a calendar year.
  • Complete a status challenge from SPG Gold to SPG Platinum (you can automatically hit SPG Gold status by holding the The Platinum Card® from American Express). 
  • Earn Marriott Platinum status and link your SPG account to automatically become Platinum. You could do this by completing a Marriott status challenge or by spending $75,000 in a calendar year on the Ritz-Carlton Rewards card.

Marriott Platinum/United Silver status

If you hit SPG Platinum you’ll be given Marriott Platinum status that comes with many of the same benefits as SPG Platinum like complimentary breakfasts, lounge access, better upgrades (which include suites), etc. One of the best perks of Marriott Platinum is that you’re also given United MileagePlus Premier Silver elite status, which can offer you complimentary upgrades to both economy plus and first class and benefits like priority boarding and free checked luggage.

United first class on the 737.

5th night free

This benefit is not exclusive to Platinum status but it’s still worth mentioning. When you redeem Starpoints for five free night awards, SPG will cover the fifth night. This is available for any of their Category 3-7 hotels. 

Bonus earning rate

  • Earn three Starpoints for every U.S. dollar spent on eligible stays — a 50% bonus over Preferred.

This is the same earning rate as SPG Gold. (However, if you stay 75 nights or more this rate will bump up to 4 Starpoints per dollar spent.) At 2.4 cents per point, 3 SPG points per dollar spent, is like a 7.2% return. Compared to top tier status with other major hotel programs like Marriott, Hilton, IHG, and Hyatt, this rate is actually one of the lowest. 

Late check out

  • 4 PM late checkout, subject to availability.

4 PM late checkout can make your trip to the airport much less stressful by giving you plenty of time to relax in your room before having to pack. This benefit is guaranteed at all hotels, except at resorts, conference centers, and convention hotels, where it is based upon availability. Both Marriott and SPG are great about honoring this benefit, so I’m looking forward to them maintaining it as the merger between the two hotels completes. 

Upgrades

  • Platinum members receive upgrades to the best available rooms, including Standard Suites, subject to availability for the entire length of stay at time of check-in. Not offered at Aloft® or Element℠ hotels.

Gold members receive upgrades to “enhanced rooms,” subject to availability, which are rooms on higher floors, corner rooms, newly renovated rooms and rooms with preferred views. However, as a Platinum member you should be upgraded to a suite if there is availability. If you’re interested in your odds for an upgrade simply search “[Your hotel name] upgrade flyertalk” and you’ll probably be able to get a good idea on others’ experiences with getting upgraded.

W Dubai suite.

Welcome Gift

  • Your choice of welcome gift upon arrival — choose from bonus Starpoints, continental breakfast or local amenity.

The major difference between this benefit and what you get with SPG Gold status is that Platinum offers you the option to take a complimentary breakfast. Sometimes you get to double up on these perks. For example, at the new W Las Vegas, I was offered two free breakfasts (one for me and one for Brad) in addition to two free drink coupons. All together it was a total of $60 worth of freebies. 

Free $15 drinks at the W.

The free breakfast perk for SPG Platinum is particularly valuable since they offer free breakfasts at even their most luxurious properties. Contrast this with Marriott who will often leave you hanging for breakfast at top properties.

Complimentary premium internet access

  • Complimentary in-room, premium Internet access when you book on SPG digital channels. (Preferred level does not get premium internet.) This is in addition to your welcome gift.

When a reservation is booked at any SPG-participating hotel through Starwood-branded websites (e.g., spg.com, Sheraton.com, Westin.com) or through the SPG app, all SPG members receive complimentary in-room Internet access. That means that you can get your complimentary internet and still request a free cocktail or bonus points as your welcome gift. However, if you made your booking through a website like Expedia.com (an OTA), you would not receive complimentary internet in addition to your gift.

Complimentary health-club, Club-level and Executive-level access.

  • Platinum members receive complimentary access to the Sheraton Club lounges, Westin Executive Club Lounges and Le Méridien lounges, where available.

Complimentary snacks and champagne at the Executive Club at the Westin Cape Town, South Africa.

Promo offers

While this isn’t officially discussed in the benefits on the SPG website, SPG has been known to send out special promotions to members with Gold or Platinum status and offer special discounts, such as 25% off redemptions.

Delta Crossover Rewards

SPG Gold and Platinum members can register to earn one Starpoint per dollar spent with Delta Crossover Rewards on eligible Delta flights. Also, if you are registered for Crossover Rewards and are a Delta Medallion member, in addition to earning Starpoints for Stays at SPG Participating Hotels, you will earn one Delta mile for every one U.S. dollar or its foreign equivalent spent on eligible SPG stays.

However, SPG Platinum members can receive exclusive additional elite benefits, such as:

  • Priority Check-in
  • Priority Boarding (up to 8 passengers)
  • Unlimited Complimentary Upgrades (First Class and Delta Comfort+)
  • First checked bag free (up to four passengers)

Register for Delta Crossover Rewards here

Your World Rewards with Emirates Skywards

Similar to Delta, Crossover Rewards, as a Platinum Member you can receive

  • Priority check-in,
  • Priority boarding
  • Complimentary e-gate access

Read more about the program here.

Also, SPG has a partnership with China Eastern where you can earn one Starpoint for every 4 China Easter miles earned. You’ll also be able to enjoy elite in-airport benefits, including priority check-in, boarding and luggage handling as well as an excess-luggage allowance and access to the China Eastern business-class lounge. Register for that benefit here.

Bonus earning for events

  • Earn one Starpoint for every US$2 in eligible revenue when you book a group for any occasion, business or pleasure. From weddings to meetings to family reunions.

Guaranteed room

  • Guaranteed room availability when your room is booked by 3 p.m., 72+ hours prior to arrival.

Uber benefits

  • Register and earn with Uber. Earn 1 Starpoint per 2 U.S. dollars spent with Uber every day, and 2 Starpoints per U.S. dollar spent with Uber during your stays with SPG.

You’ll need to have one qualifying stay with SPG before you’re eligible to start earning points. You can find out more about this benefit here and here.

Increased awards for 50 night and 75 night stays

SPG Platinum is further divided into tiers, so that you are continuously rewarded for your stays as you hit higher thresholds. When you hit 50 nights you can choose from a range of different rewards to receive including:

  • 10 Suite Night Awards
  • The gift of Gold status for a friend or family member
  • One Free Night Award
  • Five Elite-Qualifying Nights
  • SPG donation to UNICEF
  • 40% off your favorite hotel bed

When you hit 75 nights you’re granted additional perks including:

  • Earn 4 Starpoints for every eligible U.S. dollar spent — a 100% bonus over the Preferred level
  • Your24™ — have the flexibility of choosing your check-in. For example, check in at 9 p.m. and check out 9 p.m. on the day of departure.
  • 2 points per $1 spent during a stay

When you hit 100 nights you can enjoy SPG Ambassador service.

And of course there’s lifetime status, achieve 500 eligible nights total and 10 years of Platinum status to earn SPG Lifetime Platinum status.

Final word

Although Marriott is my favorite mid-tier status, my favorite top tier status is probably SPG. I love that you’re offered so many perks for different airlines and can match to Marriott Platinum. The free breakfasts at top properties is nice and I like that upgrades to suites are based on availability.

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