Marriott’s purchase of Starwood Hotels was one of the biggest travel news items in 2015 and 2016. The saga continued for nearly a year, as Anbang and Marriott entered a bidding war, culminating in Marriott’s $13 billion purchase of Starwood Hotels and Resorts.
While there has been some trepidation among SPG loyalists as to how the merger will affect their beloved program, the initial steps have been positive. The reality of the merger for program members began to materialize in September 2016. Members are able to link their Starwood and Marriott/Ritz accounts, allowing both points transfer and status matches between the programs.
(SEE ALSO: 4 reasons to transfer Marriott points to Starwood (instead of the other way around))
(SEE ALSO: 4 reasons to transfer SPG points to Marriott (instead of the other way around))
The Impending Concurrent Promotion
In a new move, the Marriott-SPG-Ritz triumvirate is launching its first (sorta) joint promotion in Q1 of 2017. Members will be able to earn double points on their first three paid stays in each program.
While the details of the promotion are the same, the each program is running it under a different name: Marriott Megabonus, SPG Double Take, and Ritz Carlton Rewards Rewarding Adventures. But don’t be confused by that. They all offer the same 2x bonus for the first 3 stays.
Registration for the promotions is open between December 15, 2016 and March 15, 2017. Members must register for each one independently. Register here for SPG, here for Marriott Rewards, and here for Ritz-Carlton Rewards.
The earning period begins on January 16, 2016 and runs through April 15, 2017.
Do note that the terms of the Ritz-Carlton offer claim it is targeted. Similar language does not appear to be present in the SPG terms. The SPG offer also includes a “Double Take Bonus”. I am not sure whether this is customized/randomized for each member or if it is simply an extra part for the Starwood version.
I hope readers can put the new promotion to good use during early 2017!
Header image courtesy of Thomas Ledl under a creative commons license.
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
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