What's Your Opinion on Starwood's Make A Green Choice Program?
This past week, TPG reader Clement tweeted me to ask:
@thepointsguy– "What are your thoughts on Starwood's Make a Green Choice program, where you can earn $5 or 500 points every night you decline housekeeping? Do you do it?"
Starwood offers a program called Make a Green Choice where you can earn either vouchers or Starpoints for declining housekeeping.
Details of the Program
- To participate and be eligible for the $5 food or beverage voucher or the 500 Starpoints, hang the Make a Green Choice doorhanger on the outside of your guestroom door by 2 a.m. or let the hotel know during check-in that you're interested in opting-in to the program.
- You are not eligible to participate in the program on the day of departure; it is only on stayover nights. The $5 F&B voucher is only valid at time of purchase and cannot be combined with other offers. Unused $5 F&B vouchers may be turned in at the front desk before check-out for 500 Starpoints each.
I'm loyal to SPG, but I've never actually taken advantage of this program. When I stay at any hotel, I generally make a mess of my room while working and eating room-service meals, so I count on daily housekeeping to help me maintain a clean, organized environment. I do wish SPG members could earn points for not getting their sheets and towels changed or washed, but that's not how this program works: you have to forgo room cleaning entirely. So while 500 Starpoints would be a nice perk, the idea of trying to work in a messy room isn't really moving the needle for me.
However, even though I don't personally participate in the program, I still think the promise of 500 Starpoints is a good way to inspire people who spend most of their travel time outside their room to be more eco-conscious.
Since I pay a lot for the pleasure of returning to and working in a sparkling, orderly room, not getting the cleaning service seems counter-intuitive to me. But I'm curious to know, who out there does take advantage of this program? Would you like to see other hotels offer this sort of incentive to be green?
If you have any other questions, please tweet me @thepointsguy, message me on Facebook, or send me an email at info@thepointsguy.com.
[card card-name='Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express' card-id='22035076' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.