Tip: Start the Year off Strong With Elite Credits From the SPG Amex Cards
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
One of the best ways to start out your year with regards to qualifying for hotel elite status is with the SPG Amex cards. If you're a cardholder of either (or both!) the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express or the Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card from American Express, you're already starting 2017 off strong with elite-qualifying nights and stays.
One of the lesser-known perks of both of the SPG credit cards is that you get five nights and two stays of elite credit annually toward your status qualification. In effect, if you have both cards, you'll get four stays and 10 nights directly toward qualifying for elite status — 20% of the way toward Platinum status without spending even one night in a hotel.
SPG Platinum status requires 25 stays or 50 nights, and you can earn late checkout, room upgrades and complimentary club access, among other benefits. By starting the year off with complimentary nights and stays from the SPG Amex cards, you could be well on your way to achieving status with SPG. For the bonus night and stay credits, the $95 annual fee (for both cards) can be entirely worth it. As a reminder, each card comes with a sign-up bonus of 25,000 points after you spend $3,000 in the first three months with the personal card and $5,000 in the first three months with the business card.
To read more on this perk, read TPG's post on how he starts the year off strong with SPG.
