Cash and Points hotel rewards – Secret to high value for your points

Cash and points rewards are one of the best uses of points for travel today. We use them very regularly — enjoying their flexibility and most of all — great value for your points, with a cash return equivalent of 4% or more in many cases.

What are Starwood Cash and Points hotel rewards?

Starwood Preferred Guest allows you to use a combination of cash and points to redeem many of its hotel rooms. If you are new to rewards, Starwood is the points program for Sheraton, Westin, W, Four Points, Le Meridien, Aloft, and St. Regis hotels — over 900 worldwide.

Capacity for cash and points rewards is subject to controls and hotel participation, but a large number of their properties participate in the feature and we have found availability to be very generous.

The reward lets you pay with less cash than the outright cost of a hotel room and fewer points than required for an outright free redemption They are great rewards for people who aren’t big spenders or travelers because you don’t need many points to get some exceptional value. You can earn points toward cash and points rewards with the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express.

How many points do I need?

Cash and points rewards follow the below redemption table. As you can see, cash and points rewards offer you tremendous value, with a return of 3-4% on your points — better than traditional cash back offers from credit cards. This value is why this is one of our favorite rewards.

*Note ‘cash only’ levels vary widely by season and hotel property, and only included for illustration based on a search of select hotels in each category. The ‘cashback equivalent’ is the return you achieve on your credit card spending by using your points for a cash and points reward. Compare this to the 1% cash value per dollar you spend with a traditional cash back card.

Great hotels regularly available

We’ve had success with cash and points rewards at some great Starwood properties. Some of our stays have included the Sheraton Delfina near the beach in Santa Monica for $60 and 4000 points…a savings of $110 off the $210 rate that night, the Le Meridien in Montreal for $45 and 2800 points…a savings of $120 off the $165 cash rate, and the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco for $60 and 4000 points versus a $250 rate. These each offer a 3-4% return on your points with minimal hassles.

Fully refundable and changeable reward until 24 hours before arrival in many cases

Starwood hotel rewards carry no penalty for changing or cancelling your reservation as long as you follow the hotel’s cancellation window policy, which typically allows cancellations up until 24 hours prior to arrival. Some hotels may have earlier cutoffs but those are more the exception than the rule.

Mix and match during your stay

If you only have enough points for one or two nights, don’t worry, just book a regular room for the other nights you’re staying. The hotel will generally keep you in the same room throughout your stay. Also, if you notice cash and points rewards aren’t available for your entire stay you can book it for just the nights it is available and use cash alone or points alone for the other nights.

Get started with the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express

The Starwood Preferred Guest American Express is the only credit card that lets you earn Starwood points. You can earn points good for up to 5 cash and points nights just with the introductory bonus. If you spend $1,000 per month, you will earn enough points each year to use toward up to 6 cash and points nights. Learn more about the card and how to apply here, with the special introductory bonus points.

How do you search and book?

It’s easy — just go to www.spg.com, the Starwood hotels reservation site and search for the destination of your choice. The ‘cash and points’ option will have a check mark next to the hotel’s rate if it’s available. There’s no need to log in or remember a password to search. You can also call their reservation line directly to check availability. They’ll sometimes even have nights available for cash and points that you can’t see on the website.

Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program.