How to Link Your Marriott and Starwood Accounts?

After Marriott’s acquisition of Starwood closed last week, both companies are getting closer and closer to a full merger. You can now link your Marriott and Starwood accounts and start receiving benefits from both companies. Loyal customers of both programs have strong feelings about this merger, but as of now it doesn’t seem so bad.

How to Link Your Marriott and Starwood Accounts?

• Go to this link

• Click to start on either account (I started with my SPG account)
• Sign in to your SPG account

• Click link to Marriott Rewards

• Sign in to your Marriott account

• Follow the instructions
• Done!

Benefits of linking your Marriott and Starwood Accounts:

• If you’re an elite member of one program, you will be granted elite status in the other.
• You can now transfer your points between the two programs
  •  1 Starwood Points = 3 Marriott Rewards Points

Things to keep in mind in regards to the merger between Marriott and Starwood:

• The loyalty programs will continue to operate as separate entities until 2018.
• You’ll only earn credit for stays at a hotel if you’re enrolled in the program associated with that hotel, so it’s a good idea to sign up for both SPG and Rewards if you haven’t already.
• Because the programs remain separate, you earn Elite nights in the program associated with the hotel you’re staying at.
• Status Match gets applied automatically, and points transfer is available immediately after you link your accounts.

Bottom Line:

If you’re a member in both programs it makes total sense to link your accounts. If you’re a member in one and not the other, you should join and link your accounts. This is a great option for getting a free status match and become an elite member in two large hotel portfolios. There’s also large value in being able to transfer points from one program to another. This will help you move points to the other program’s partners that you weren’t able to transfer points to before.

If you have any questions please comment below, tweet me @pointspointers or email me at pointspointers@gmail.com