SPG & Marriott Status Match and Points Transfers Live

It's been roughly a year since Marriott launched its takeover bid for Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and the following months have read like a Hollywood rendition of a corporate takeover. The surprise intervention of Chinese conglomerate, Anbang Insurance Group, creating a bidding war between itself and Marriott, culminating with Anbang pulling the pin at the eleventh hour and handing Marriott the win.

After what feels like months with the merger bogged down by regulators, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce finally gave the Marriott/Starwood merger a full bill of health, and Marriott has wasted no time having the deal put to rest back home.

With the deal now closed, Marriott is officially the largest hotel operator in the world, existing under one corporate umbrella.

And, surprisingly, that was not the biggest Marriott news of the day!

For all of us in the points and miles blogosphere (myself included) that threw shade on the merger, theorizing a host of adverse effects for SPG members. Marriott has been quietly performing the heavy lifting in the background and on the same day the merger closes, have launched status matches and points transfers between Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards, and SPG!

Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest Launch Reciprocal Benefits

So, with a combined 30 brands, over 1 million rooms spread throughout 110 nations, two of the most valuable rewards programs in the world, and tens of millions of anxious loyalty members waiting to hear which of their programs would be on the losing side, how did Marriott deal with members expectations?

It turns out Marriott was well on top of its game, announcing the first steps it will take in merging SPG with the loyalty programs of Marriott and The Ritz-Carlton.

As of today, members of all three rewards programs will have the ability to link accounts, status match, and transfer points between programs.

Marriott Rewards and SPG Status Match

Starting today, Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Rewards members will be able to status match to the equivalent SPG status and vice versa. The programs will be remaining separate entities, but if you hold SPG Gold Preferred status, for example, you can register for a status match to Marriott Rewards Gold status, giving you elite benefits at Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels.

Marriott has launched a dedicated page for status matching at members.marriott.com.

• Marriott Rewards Member ↔ SPG Preferred Guest
• Marriott Rewards Silver ↔ SPG Preferred Plus
• Marriott Rewards Gold ↔ SPG Gold
• Marriott Rewards Platinum ↔ SPG Platinum (only base platinum, not 50, 75, or 100)

You can find in-depth guides to elite status benefits of both Marriott and SPG below.

• The Complete Guide to Marriott Rewards Elite Status
• The Complete Guide To Starwood Preferred Guest Elite Status

Marriott Rewards and SPG Points Transfers

Points transfers are now live at a ratio of 3 Marriott/Ritz-Carlton points to 1 Starpoint. A 3:1 ratio is a huge win for SPG members (although Marriott members may not feel that way inclined) and is a clear indication that Marriott is trying to keep Starwood members onside moving forward.

This means you can transfer 90,000 Starpoints to Marriott, and redeem for seven nights accommodation at a category 1-5 Marriott hotel, and 120,000 Rapid Rewards points, enough to score you a Companion Pass with change in the bank.

Alternatively, If your Marriott account is brimming with Rewards points and you want to fly one of SPG’s 30+ airline partners, you can transfer points from Marriott to Starwood and redeem on SPG travel partners.

Final Thoughts

There are still plenty of questions that remain unanswered for members of both programs. How will lifetime status be affected? What will happen to the current co-branded credit cards? And questions surrounding the benefits for Platinum members. However, Marriott has made a fantastic start to incorporating the two loyalty programs.