This year saw the end of the SPG points that we all knew and loved as it was rolled in the new Marriott Rewards program. So, your SPG points are still there but they are now officially at the 3x amount that we used to be able to move them back and forth with Marriott at and they are actually Marriott points. With the end of the year approaching, as well as a major time of gift giving, I wanted to highlight what was my favorite SPG point redemption.
My All-Time Favorite SPG Point Redemption
My Dad and brother enjoying the 2018 All-Star game, courtesy of SPG points
The Incredible Flexibility and Value of SPG Points
SPG points were among the hardest to earn and were generally considered to be the most valuable of reward currencies as well. Part of that value came from the awesome flexibility. Here were some of the things that I was able to do with SPG points:
- Stay in many SPG properties around the world with points or points and cash
- Transfer to airlines for awesome business and first class award redemptions
- Book flights directly (only once!)
- Use for a 5 night hotel package and miles
- Book some awesome experiences with SPG Moments (one of which was for my wife and daughter to have a 2 night trip in Athens with a dinner 150 feet above the city!)
It was that last bullet point that was actually my favorite redemption use – and the one I am talking about did not even involve a hotel stay (with hotel points, imagine that!).
My Favorite SPG Redemption
I had mentioned last year how I missed out on getting my Dad a package for the 2017 MLB All-Star game and I had really wanted to find something for him this year for Father’s Day. Unfortunately, the packages all were gone or went for really high prices.
However, one day in June, Marriott and SPG loaded packages up for direct buy options (so, no bidding). The SPG one was gone while I was trying to get it and the Marriott ones were there (always pays to check Marriott as well as SPG – could save a ton) – but Marriott’s site was down for technical reasons. I spent the next two hours on the phone, being transferred all over the place, to try and redeem the package. It turns out that, apparently, there is no way to book such a package over the phone!
I kept hitting refresh waiting for the opportunity to come up again and it finally did! I snagged one of the 3 remaining packages and checked out – done!
What Was Included
To get the package, I transferred 45,000 SPG points to Marriott to equal 135,000 Marriott points (hence why I describe this as my favorite SPG redemption). The value that many people would have put on those SPG points is about $950ish.
What I got for that package was 2 Suite tickets to the MLB All-Star game in DC this year (this included unlimited drinks and food). This was in SPG’s suite so there weren’t actually tickets being sold for that but similar (non-suite) tickets were going for around $1,200 a ticket! Instead, I redeemed just points for this and my dad and one of my brothers were able to go to the game. It was a pretty incredible game and I was thrilled they got to enjoy it. (oh, and to give an idea of the suite location, one of the people in the suite next to them was outgoing Speaker of the House Paul Ryan).
So, yes, my favorite SPG redemption did not include a hotel stay and I was not even part of the use of the points. I could have used those points for a couple of nights at a mid-category hotel or even booked a business class flight with them but this use made me much happier and I was thrilled that it worked out.
With Christmas just around the corner, if you are still looking for that special gift for someone, check out the SPG and Marriott Moments pages to see if you can surprise that person with a unique gift!
What was your favorite SPG redemption? Hotel, airline, experience, or something else?
