From Miles to Smiles Stylish travel for professionals seeking luxury at affordable prices
SPG rewards loyalty
Regular readers may recall that I have stayed in a number of SPG hotels and have yet to have a bad experience. Better yet, is that their reward scheme offers redemptions from as low as 2,000 points, making a FREE night accessible to even the most infrequent of travellers. Armed with an SPG Amex you can earn yet more SPG points and bag yourself free nights without staying one single night in a SPG property. I really like this reward programme, although more SPG hotels in the UK would be very much appreciated (hint, hint!).
SPG points offer
There is more good news on the horizon however with the latest announcement. Starwood Preferred Guest members can earn double or TRIPLE Starpoints when staying at one of 147 Starwood Hotels in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Is it too late to sneak a cheeky weekend away before the Christmas onslaught? If this floats your boat, check out this Christmas inspired list of options.
Pre Christmas inspiration
Whether you fancy a weekend away Christmas shopping, or time to relax before the barrage of things to do on your Christmas list rears its head, we have you covered. If you sign up for a SPG credit card now, you may even bag yourself a FREE night before Christmas. Just pop all your Christmas shopping on the SPG AMEX and before you know it, you will have spent enough to earn the 11,000 points (you get an extra 1,000 with my referral link), enough to pay for 5 FREE SPG Rewards nights. You just need to spend £1,000 in three months which is easy peasy with Christmas on the horizon!
Aloft Liverpool
Liverpool is one of the most vibrant cities in the North with a rich musical heritage and plenty of bars and restaurants to keep you entertained on a weekend break. By day, you can shop until you drop in the city centre, before a short walk back to your hotel for cocktails and evening fun. This converted bank has magnificent public areas and super comfortable rooms. Read my review here.
Earn double points on classic rooms or triple points on deluxe rooms with from £63*
The W Leicester Square London
London is another great place to finish off your last minute Christmas shopping before embracing the evening entertainment scene. This hotel is ideally placed for the shops of Oxford Street and Covent Garden, as well as for a lively night out in the West End. If you are lucky, you may even glimpse a view of a celebrity at a Leicester Square Premiere.
Earn double points on classic rooms or triple points on deluxe rooms – from £459*
Sheraton Carlton Hotel Nuernberg
If you like your run up to Christmas to be sprinkled with Christmas markets, then head to Germany and the historical old town of Nuremberg. Here, you can indulge in the Sheraton Carlton Hotel Nuernberg, just a short walk from the main attractions.
Pick up some treats for Christmas and feast on mulled wine and oversized bratwurst while wandering the quaint Christmas market in this beautiful town.
Earn double points on classic rooms or triple points on deluxe rooms – from €155. You can also earn a flat 3,000 points if you book a suite.
The Pine Cliffs Residence, the Algarve
If the Christmas bustle is already driving you nuts, then the Pine Cliffs Hotel is for you. Hedged by an immaculate golf course with sheer cliffs to a stunning beach, this hotel has enough to entice you to stay indoors for an entirely weekend. Pamper yourself at the spa, head to the golf course or take a leisurely stroll on the beach before wining and dining in a dramatic location.
I visited in December and by day the temperature was in the high teens. The beach, packed to overflowing in summer, was gloriously empty allowing the majestic surroundings to soothe your soul.
Earn double points on classic rooms or triple points on deluxe rooms – from €132.
The W Verbier, Switzerland
If your Christmas escape needs more of an adrenaline rush, you could head to the W Verbier. Situated bang next to the cable car, you won’t have far to walk to the ski lifts and if snow is in short supply, you can always head to the pool or spa.
Earn double points on classic rooms or triple points on deluxe rooms – from CHF 646 per night.
*rates quoted for 22/12/17 to 23/12/17
Don’t miss out on your SPG Rewards
This is not a sponsored post. I have no qualms promoting SPG, as their offers represent great value and I really like the fresh and modern design of their hotels. Admittedly, I earn bonus referral points if you use my link for the SPG credit card, but you also earn an additional 1,000 points. It is a win win for both of us. That aside, I have booked seven reward nights with them solely through using the credit card so you can bag some great deals with this card.
I have to say Brits are so much worse than our American cousins at capitalising on these programmes. I really need to get my act together – especially as I DO travel a lot and stay in hotels. Aloft Liverpool looks like a find – it’s a really fun city and a must for any Beatles fan!
Yes it’s definitely something that Brits seem less keen to do which I get with the airlines, as the taxes are so high. However the hotel credit cards are just a steal because there are no taxes to pay and you really do get a free room. That is a no brainer to me.
I’m embarassed to admit I don’t know anything about SPG awards. I’ve used credit cards issued by airlines to rack up reward miles, but hadn’t considered using one for hotel stays. I’m thinking I should re-think this. Certainly, accomodations are another big travel expense! Thanks for your practical information!
We must take a leaf out of you and start utilizing our loyalty points. Have not stayed at an SPG property till now but the programme seems really useful. We have not been good at this and never utilized airlines as well as property loyalty programmes. Want to start doing that now.
This is truly great. While I have not been a member of SPG loyalty scheme , I have had a couple of others. and I think the loyalty points definitely helps in booking rooms and reducing prices too. After reading this article I am tempted to check out SPG.
Your detailed post on Spg Rewards can be really helpful to the Amex cardholders. I had never earlier heard about the SPG group of hotels. Their properties looks really nice.
I always find articles like this very helpful so thanks for sharing. The W Verbier looks like a place I’d stay even though I don’t ski. The view is incredible! I’m an SPG member and it’s awesome …their hotels are pretty fantastic!
Such an awesome info, Anne. This is the first time I’m hearing about SPG hotels and yet their loyalty reward is astonishing.
Thanks for all this great info. I don’t really need another Amex but I do love the idea of tripling my SPG points. It may be time to book an end of the year trip!
I never even heard of SPG hotels and looks like you get quite a bit with their reward programme. But I will have a look into this.
This is the first time I hear about SPG hotels. Looks like their loyalty program is indeed very rewarding unlike other hotel programs where you are granted a free bottle of water if you spend like 3,000 pounds beforehand. Will keep an eye out for them on my next travels.
I love SPG hotels too- especially Westins because of their heavenly beds. Great points program too!