This is the time of year that SPG begins to really load up on some nice SPG Moments packages. Some of them are really good values when you consider what they offer but there are a few you cannot tell the value of until the auctions end. Still, I have watched many go for less than the cost that basic rooms at the hotels included go for! That means you can really get some nice deals on your stays. With all of that said, here are 5 great SPG Moments packages that just went up yesterday for you to consider.
5 Great SPG Moments Packages to Consider
Read: What Are SPG Moments Auctions & What Should You Look For?
St. Regis New York
Link: St. Regis NY Auction
What Is Included:
- Two-night (2-night) weekend stay, including breakfast, for two (2) in a suite at The St. Regis New York, checking in Friday, 28 April 2017, and checking out Sunday, 30 April 2017
- Access for two (2) to tour the hotel with an expert to learn about history of the iconic hotel and its architecture
- Access for two (2) to a Bloody Mary making lesson in King Cole Bar
- Afternoon tea for two (2) which includes an assortment of pastries and desserts as well as various blends of teas
Auction Details:
- End Date:  7 Apr 2017 – 11:00 AM EDT
- Starting Bid:Â 30,000 Starpoints
- Bid Increment:Â 500 Starpoints
- Current High Bid: 31,000 Starpoints (at the time of this post’s writing)
Analysis
The St. Regis New York is a top tier hotel that requires 30,000 Starpoints per night and commands rates often quite a bit over $800 per night. I certainly cannot speak to what the other elements of this package would go for but I would imagine, if you are interested in those details, you could put a decent value on them.
Remember, this package comes with a suite and I priced out the base suite for the previous weekends and saw a rate of $7,900 for the two nights (with breakfast). That is quite a price! Even if it was only $1,800 per night, that would still be a value of $3,600 per night just for the room and breakfast. If you put a value on your Starpoints of 2.2 cents per point, I would look for a higher value than that since you are pinned to one weekend and a particular hotel – just to balance it out. If this auction went to 75,000 Starpoints, that would be a minimum of about 4 cents per point so it would be a fantastic deal. If you went with the high price above, you could go up to 150,000 Starpoints (I wouldn’t advise that unless this is really something you want) and still get just a bit over 5 cents per point in value!
St. Regis Bahia Beach (Puerto Rico)
Link: St. Regis Bahia Auction
What Is Included (this auction has two packages available):
- Access for two (2) to a meet-and-greet cocktail reception with Chef Lior Lev Sercarz and the culinary team on Friday, 5 May 2017
- Access for two (2) to a trip to our an on property nursery and hydroponic garden on Saturday, 6 May 2017
- Access for two (2) to a spice class, where guests will learn about spices, spice blends, how to make the most of them, will create their own custom spices and enjoy lunch as a group
- Access for two (2) to a biscuit class on Sunday, 7 May 2017, where guests will make cookies with the spice blend they created the day before
- A tour of Old San Juan for two (2) customized for ‘foodies’ that the entire family can enjoy (tour to be scheduled prior to arrival)
- Three-night stay for two at The St. Regis Bahia Beach, on Friday, 5 May 2017 and Saturday, 6 May 2017 plus one additional night of members choosing (either Thursday, May 4 or Sunday, May 7)
Auction Details:
- End Date:  7 Apr 2017 – 11:00 AM EDT
- Starting Bid:Â 45,000 Starpoints
- Bid Increment:Â 500 Starpoints
- Current High Bid: 45,500 Starpoints
Analysis
This hotel also requires 30,000 Starpoints per night and rates above $600 per night. With 3 nights included, the minimum this package should go for would be 90,000 Starpoints. But, given that it is on fixed dates, it may go for less. This package, if it went to 100,000 Starpoints, should be worth it to you based on the other included elements since it is a basic room included with this. If we look at the rates that same weekend, it would cost a total of $2,650 for the 3 nights. Depending on what value you peg the other elements at, a win of 100,000 Starpoints would give you around 3 cents per point value. Not terrible but make sure it is what you want. On the plus side, there are two packages available so it might make sense if you wanted to go with friends or family.
St. Regis Osaka
Link: St. Regis Osaka Auction
What Is Included:
- Chef’s table dinner for 2 (two) with paired wine on 11 May 2017
- Personal welcome by Chef Mauro Zanusso at Chef’s table
- One-night (1-night) stay at Grand Deluxe Room with breakfast for 2 (two) on the night of 11 May 2017
Auction Details:
- End Date: 10 Apr 2017 – 04:00 AM EDT
- Starting Bid: 12,000 Starpoints
- Bid Increment:500 Starpoints
- Current High Bid: 15,500 Starpoints
Analysis
I actually changed the dates above for them as they had it for December 15, 2016. 🙂 But, the auction listed this as being May 11 – 12. So, if this is something you are interested in, the mix-up on the dates may prevent some from bidding – you never know! But, keep in mind that this one is in Japan and is only for a night. So, it would make a nice special night kind of thing if you are planning to head to Japan in May but I would not bid a lot just to go for the package. At the same time, such circumstances may keep the bidding low so something to consider if you are an impulsive points’ traveler that would love to just jet off to Asia and build a weekend trip around this auction. 🙂
As for the points and cost, it costs 20,000 points per night and is around $280 for the night – certainly not a big dollar hotel. The Grand Deluxe room is an upgrade that would run $400 so that is what you should look at. If you are a foodie, this could be a nice package, especially since I think the auction price will not go above 25,000 points. So, it will be up to you!
Westin Excelsior Florence
Link: Westin Excelsior Auction
What Is Included:
- Two-night (2-night) stay, including breakfast, for two (2) in a Premium Deluxe room overlooking Arno river at The Westin Excelsior Florence, checking in Friday, 12 May 2017, and checking out Sunday, 14 May 2017
- Access for two (2) to a private Art & Architecture tour through Florence on Saturday, 13 May 2017
- Round-trip transfer for two (2) between the airport or train station depending on how you arrive
Auction Details:
- End Date: 20 Apr 2017 – 07:00 AM EDT
- Starting Bid:Â 20,000 Starpoints
- Bid Increment:Â 500 Starpoints
- Current High Bid:Â 20,000 Starpoints
Analysis
This is the first package on this list that is not a St. Regis but it is still a fine hotel. I had a family member stay here a while back and they loved it! It costs 25,000 points per night for a basic room but this package comes with a Premium Deluxe room. That costs over $1,200 for the two nights on those nights, $1,400 when you figure in a rate with breakfast.
If you are into art, this could be a really nice package! You would know what the private art tour would cost and can figure that in with your analysis of the package. I do like the airport transfer as that can be the perfect touch for the people that do not want to have to figure out the transportation on their own. My wife did a package last year that had it and it made it much more simple for her.
All in all, I would consider anything around 60,000 Starpoints for this package to be a pretty good deal, depending on how you value the art and architecture tour. It would give you over the 2.2 cents per point and could be a nice way to explore Florence.
Dinner in the Sky Athens
My daughter at Dinner in the Sky last year
Link: Athens Dinner in the Sky
What Is Included:
- One (1) Dinner in the Sky experience for two (2) at the Technopolis in Gazi, Athens, on 27 May 2017, at 8 p.m.
- A two-night (2-night) stay for two (2) at the Hotel Grande Bretagne, a Luxury Collection Hotel, in Athens, Greece, checking in 26 May and checking out 28 May 2017
- Daily breakfast for two (2) and complimentary Wi-Fi during your stay at the Hotel Grande Bretagne
- Private complimentary transportation from and to the airport
- Private complimentary transportation from and to the Technopolis
Auction Details:
- End Date: 25 Apr 2017 – 07:00 AM EDT
- Total Packages:Â 10 (2 people per package)
- Starting Bid: 20,000 Starpoints
- Bid Increment:500 Starpoints
- Current High Bid: 20,000 Starpoints
Anaylsis
My wife and daughter did this package last year and loved it – and both of them are not fond of heights! This dinner takes place 150 feet in the air but they still loved it and had a great time. The hotel was terrific in hosting all of the people and my wife was even able to speak with the manager at the dinner for a while as he went around to check on everyone’s experiences.
We paid 45,000 Starpoints last year (around that, I think). As for the cost, it is 25,000 points per night regularly and it would cost over $915 for the room and breakfast package on this trip. The dinner itself sells for about $130 per person so tack on another $260 to your total with this value. Finally, the transportation was a big deal for my wife and it was a help to let her and our daughter enjoy their special trip a bit more since they did not have to worry about how they would get around. All in all, if you spend about the same as I did for last year (45,000 Starpoints), I think you would be getting a pretty good deal and would find the experience very special!
Takeaway
SPG Moments are a very special way to get some extra value from your SPG Starpoints, for sure! I love what is possible with them and these are just 5 great packages to check out to see if they fit in your schedule. Either way, if these look attractive to you but the time is not right, keep collecting those Starpoints so that you can jump on later packages!
What was the best SPG Moments package you ever redeemed for?
