Tag Archives: Marriott Hotels

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Westin Denver Airport Review: Go from Gate to Hotel Room in 25 Minutes (or Less)

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Good morning everyone, happy Friday.  Last week, my girlfriend and I had a late night flight into Denver International Airport (DEN).  Due to a slight delay, we landed after midnight.  If you’ve ever flown into DEN, you know the airport is in the middle of nowhere, with no hotels closeby.  That was true until recently when the Westin Denver Airport hotel opened.  Nightly rates were $300+, so I opted to use 12,000 SPG.  Thankfully, the hotel is attached to the main terminal, so I was able to get from the gate to our room in 25 minutes.

According to the DEN Airport website, the Westin Denver International Airport has 519 guest rooms, 35 suites, and was “designed to resemble a bird in flight—its curved roof mimicking the concave shape of Jeppesen Terminal’s white peaked roof.”  Underneath the hotel, is the RTD train that connects DEN airport to Denver’s Union Station.  The one-way trip takes 40 minutes, costs $9 per person and runs pretty frequently.  In this post, I will share how to get to the hotel from the various terminals and show photos of our room.  Enjoy!

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Image source: https://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=3685

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SPG Amex Cards: Important Updates!

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Updates to both the personal and business Starwood Preferred credit cards from American Express went into effect on August 1. The one-time Starpoints conversion in SPG loyalty member accounts and the updates to Elite status will occur along with the broader Marriott loyalty program updates on August 18.

On August 1, the following updates were made to SPG Amex Cards:

How You Earn Points with Your Card

When you use your card you can earn:

  • 6X points for each dollar of eligible purchases at participating SPG and Marriott Rewards hotels
  • 2X points on all other eligible purchases
  • 4X points for each dollar of eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. gas stations, on U.S. wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers, and on U.S. purchases for shipping. (this update only applies to The Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card from American Express) Continue reading →
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Did I Upgrade My Chase Marriott, Hyatt & IHG Credit Cards?

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Good morning everyone, I hope you all had a great Fourth of July holiday.  Lately, there has been a lot of news about new Chase credit cards and upgrade options for 3 Chase hotel credit cards.  I have all 3 Chase hotel credit cards (Marriott, Hyatt and IHG) so I had to decide if I wanted to upgrade any, all or none of my credit cards.  The old and new credit cards are good for some people, but everyone’s situation is different.  I will share my thought process about keeping or upgrading each credit card.  Since everyone travels differently, you may agree or disagree with my decisions.

Before I share my decisions, here is where I stand on hotel loyalty programs.  I am very loyal to chain hotels and would rather stay at a chain hotel than an independent hotel or Airbnb.  But I do not have loyalty to a specific hotel loyalty program.  I consider myself a free agent and do not care about hotel elite status unless it is given to me free for having the credit card.  Lastly, I spend 1-2 nights a year at Marriott, 4-8 nights a year at Hyatt, and 5-7 nights a year at IHG (I divvy the rest of my hotel stays between Hilton, SPG, and Radisson Rewards).  I use points and free night certificates for the stays as much as possible, unless the cash rate is cheap.  Without further ado, let’s get started.

Upgrade Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card to Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card?

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Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Upgrade Bonus & Courtesy Adjustment Points Posted (30K Instead of 20K)

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Good morning everyone.  A few weeks ago, I upgraded my Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card to the Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card.  I upgraded to the new credit card since I was offered 20,000 bonus Marriott Rewards Points.  However, when I confirmed the upgrade offer with Chase, I was told I would only get 10,000 bonus Marriott Rewards Points for upgrading.  I then sent screenshots of the 20,000 bonus Marriott Rewards Points upgrade offer to Chase via Secure Message (SM) and the Chase rep honored the 20,000 bonus Marriott Rewards Points upgrade offer.

Fast forward to yesterday when my Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card statement closed.  On the statement, it showed that I received 20,000 bonus Marriott Rewards Points from “Bonus on Premier Plus Upgrade” and an additional 10,000 bonus Marriott Rewards Points as a “Courtesy Adjustment.”  I also earned 20,000 Marriott Rewards Points from a referral (thank you whoever you are), but let’s ignore that in this post.

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AMEX Cash Back & Membership Rewards Changes: SPG Transfers, Extended Warranties & More

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Good morning everyone, I hope you all had a great weekend.  Over the weekend, I reviewed my recent American Express credit card statements and spotted some major and minor changes to the terms.  A few months ago, I wrote about other changes: AMEX Membership Rewards Changes: No Points for Cash Equivalents (Gift Cards) & Person-to-Person Payments (Venmo).  Usually, whenever American Express makes a change to their program, it usually benefits American Express more than their cardholders.

In this month’s updates, there are some major and minor changes.  I reviewed the changes to my American Express Blue Cash Everyday Credit Card and there are some changes that affect cash back credit cards.  I also reviewed the changes to my American Express EveryDay Credit Card that earns Membership Rewards Points, and there are some changes there too.  Lastly, some changes affect all types of credit cards.  There is a lot to cover, so I will try to bold the most important stuff.

  • American Express will look at your credit report and may use the info for marketing purposes, to evaluate your account, and more.
  • American Express (and their affiliates and partners) may contact you at any phone number or email address to service your account or collect past due amounts.
  • American Express will specify when and how frequent you can use the Plan It feature.

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