What Are The Benefits of SPG Gold Status?

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SPG Gold status offers some decent benefits that can enhance your travel when you choose to stay at a Starwood Preferred Guest property. Here’s a rundown of some the benefits you can expect to enjoy when you obtain SPG Gold status. 

How to earn Gold status

You can earn Gold status in a few ways: 

  • Complete 10 eligible stays or 25 eligible nights in a calendar year.
  • Get approved for a Platinum Card from American Express and automatically receive SPG Gold status 
  • Spend $30,000 or more on the SPG credit card from American Express 

5th night free

Not exclusive to Gold status but 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 a nice way to rack up valuable SPG points when paying for stays. Don’t be turned off by what might look like a low earning base-rate at only 3 points to the dollar. While Hilton HHonors Gold members earn 12.5 (including the 25% bonus rate), the value (as calculated by many people) of those points still will usually come out to a little less than what the SPG points are worth. For example, if you value SPG points at 2 cents per point and HHonors points at .4 cent per point, you’re still getting a full cent more worth of value with each dollar spent with SPG.  

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 resort, conference center, and convention hotels, where it is based upon availability.

Upgrades

  • An upgrade to an “enhanced room” at check-in — corner room, higher floor, or better view.

Gold members receive upgrades to “enhanced rooms,” subject to availability for the entire length of stay at time of check-in. Enhanced rooms are rooms on higher floors, corner rooms, newly renovated rooms and rooms with preferred views. While enhanced rooms do not include suites (that’s a platinum benefit), it is possible to be upgraded to suite level rooms with Gold status.

Upgrades seem to be a little sporadic for Gold members but some members have had luck with calling ahead and notifying the hotel that they would be interested in an upgrade if one becomes available.

Welcome Gift

  • Your choice of welcome gift upon arrival – choose from bonus Starpoints, complimentary premium in-room internet or a beverage on us.

The major difference between this benefit and what you get with Platinum status is that the latter offers you the option to take a complimentary breakfast. The lack of a complimentary breakfast would be the one knock against SPG Gold status, as other hotels, such as Hilton HHonors, provide this benefit for mid-tier status.

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, you would not receive complimentary internet in addition to your gift.

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

  • 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.

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.

With Uber now so popular and in so many different locations, it should be easy to rack up SPG points as you explore your destination. You’ll need to have one qualifying stay with SPG before you’re eligible to start earning points, however.

Other benefits 

  • Register to earn one Starpoint per dollar on eligible Emirates® flights.
  • Earn one Starpoint for every US$2 in eligible revenue when you book a group for any occasion, business or pleasure.
  • Go Gold — for life. Achieve 250 eligible nights total and five years of elite status, and you’ll earn SPG® Lifetime™ Gold status.

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4 comments

  1. Pingback: Should You Apply for a Card with a High Annual Fee? - Upon Arriving
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  3. When arriving at Westin Kaanapali North villas, what are the perks for being Starwood Gold Elite?

    1. I would search “Westin Kaanapali North villas flyertalk” to see what kind of experience other elites had. Or if you were curious about a particular type of benefit, you could always call the hotel and ask what they can do for you.

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