Miles & Points

St. Regis Maldives Now Bookable with Points (Web and App)

Beach in Bali, Indonesia. Recently, Marriott and SPG merged which, aside from having some downsides, created a few opportunities.  For example, you can book high-end Marriott and SPG properties for 60,000 points per night, with the fifth night free.  Unfortunately it has taken Marriott awhile (too long) to make its entire portfolio bookable online so favorites, such as the St. Regis Maldives, have not been easily bookable. The St. Regis Maldives is now bookable with points both online and though the Marriott app.  The St. Regis Maldives charges 60,000 points per night, $6 in fees per night, and $695 per…

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SPG and Marriott Merger Complete: 3 Things You Need to Do

My favorite hotel breakfast so far!  mmmmm mango juice Big news in the hotel industry happened today:  the Marriott and SPG merger completed following Chinese regulatory approval.  The merger is significant because of the uncertainty it brings for folks who are loyal to either SPG or SPG Starpoints.  Starpoints are often viewed as one of the most valuable point currencies because you can transfer them to a large number of airline programs for favorable rates (1:1 with a 5,000 bonus for transferring 20,000).  Marriott is valuable because it offers Hotel + Air Package where you can redeem, for example, 200,000 Marriott points…