When I asked my readers for which North American destination they aspire to travel to, an overwhelming response said Hawaii. While Hawaii can be a great vacation that’s the perfect mix of beach, scenery and adventure, accommodations are not cheap. I have selected five affordable Hawaii hotels that we can redeem with Starwood Preferred Guest points. In particular, I am going to focus on the affordable destinations where a couple can get a 5–6 night vacation for a reasonable amount of points.
Whether you want to visit Maui, Kauai, the Big Island or Oahu, every island has an affordable hotel where we can use our Starwood Preferred Guest points.
Earning Starwood Preferred Guest Points for a Hawaiian Vacation
Starwood Preferred Guest points can be earned either through Starwood hotel stays or the Starwood Preferred Guest Card from American Express. This Scard currently comes with a 25,000 point bonus after spending $5,000 in 6 months. You receive 10,000 points after your first purchase and another 15,000 after meeting the $5,000 spending requirement. The annual fee of $65 is waived the first year.
If $5,000 seems on the high side for a spending requirement, don’t forget we can earn miles paying bills by signing up for the Bluebird card, which is free and has no hard credit pull. You can earn miles for your rent, mortgage, tuition, insurance, you name it. I never have problems meeting minimum spending requirements this way.
Starwood members with the same address for at least 30 days are permitted to combine their points into one account. This means that a couple applying for one Starwood Preferred Guest card each will have 60,000 points total after meeting the minimum spending requirements. That’s enough for 6 nights in low season at each of the 5 hotels I’ve selected. It’s also enough for five nights in high season.
For each hotel, I am going to go over the points rates in high and low season as all but one hotel has high and low season rates. We’ll also look at the hotel rates so we can see exactly how much value we’d get per point.
1. Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa
Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa
Maui is definitely an expensive island for hotels and food and you can definitely reduce your bill by getting a free hotel. The Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa is a great choice to use Starwood Preferred Guest points in Hawaii.
The first two hotels on my list are right next to each other on Ka’anapali beach and I personally have a hard time distinguishing what they offer. I visited Maui a few years ago and walked along the beach to check out both. Ka’anapali is the long stretch of beach in Maui facing south and is about a 15 minutes drive from Lahaina, the main town where you can find plenty of restaurants and luaus.
The one reason I put the Sheraton first is that it’s situated by the black rock for some interesting scenery and good snorkeling. Jumping off from black rock was one of Adrenalina’s top then Maui experiences. As an island, Maui tends to be romantic, yet adventurous. Be sure to take a drive to road to Hana for waterfalls, a black sand beach, a red sand beach and natural pools. The scenery is unbeatable.
Points and Rates for 5 nights:
The Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa is a Category 5 Starwood Hotel. This year, peak season rates will be charged the following dates:
12/25/2014 — 12/31/2014
11/21/2014 — 11/27/2014
6/27/2014 — 8/7/2014
2/7/2014 — 2/20/2014
12/25/2013 — 12/31/2013
11/22/2013 — 11/28/2013
There is a $31.25 a night resort charge on all rates including points rates.
Peak Season:
Peak season rates are 16,000 points a night or 64,000 points for 5 nights using the Fifth Night Free option.
Room rates in high season June start at $419 a night + tax.
Low Season:
Low season rates are 12,000 points a night or 48,000 points for 5 nights using the Fifth Night Free option.
Room rates in low season March start at $389 a night + tax.
2. The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka’anapali
Westin Maui Resort & Spa
The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka’anapali is the other Starwood hotel situated on Ka’anapali beach in Maui. While both hotels occupy the same beach, the Westin has a far more expansive aquatic center. There are five separate pools and pool decks, a 120 ft. super waterslide, a smaller slide for the younger keiki, a swim-through grotto with twin waterfalls and a hidden whirlpool. There are also adults-only pools and jacuzzi with a pool bar. Though with Maui being such an exciting island, there is plenty to do outside the hotel.
Points and Rates for 5 nights:
The Westin Maui Resort & Spa is a Category 5 Starwood Hotel. This year, peak season rates will be charged the following dates:
11/21/2014 — 11/27/2014
6/27/2014 — 8/16/2014
2/8/2014 — 2/22/2014
12/24/2013 — 12/31/2013
11/22/2013 — 11/28/2013
6/28/2013 — 8/17/2013
2/8/2013 — 2/23/2013
12/24/2014 — 12/31/2014
There is a $31.25 a night resort charge on all rates including points rates.
Peak Season:
Peak season rates are 16,000 points a night or 64,000 points for 5 nights using the Fifth Night Free option.
Room rates in high season June start at $419 a night + tax.
Low Season:
Low season rates are 12,000 points a night or 48,000 points for 5 nights using the Fifth Night Free option.
Room rates in low season March start at $389 a night + tax.
3. Sheraton Kauai Resort
Sheraton Kauai Resort
I have yet to visit Kauai, but it’s definitely on my list. Kauai is an extremely beautiful island, but with beauty always comes a price. Certain parts of the island are rainy at different times of the year. The Sheraton Kauai Resort is located in Koloa tends to be rainy October through March and drier in summer. Its located on Poipu beach is excellent, though, when it’s sunny.
Kauai has an amazing natural beauty. The Na Pali coast, Waimea canyon and numerous waterfalls are definitely worth a visit. This is where the move Jurassic Park was filmed!
Points and Rates for 5 nights:
The Sheraton Kauai Resort is a Category 5 Starwood Hotel. This year, peak season rates will be charged the following dates:
12/25/2014 — 12/31/2014
4/14/2014 — 4/20/2014
2/13/2014 — 2/19/2014
12/25/2013 — 12/31/2013
There is a $31.25 a night resort charge on all rates including points rates.
Peak Season:
Peak season rates are 16,000 points a night or 64,000 points for 5 nights using the Fifth Night Free option.
Room rates in high season June start at $299 a night + tax.
Low Season:
Low season rates are 12,000 points a night or 48,000 points for 5 nights using the Fifth Night Free option.
Room rates in low season March start at $239 a night + tax.
4. Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa on Big Island of Hawaii
Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa
The Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay is the hotel that costs the least number of points on all of Hawaii. The Big Island of Hawaii is home to the largest volcano and highest point in Hawaii, Mauna Kea. This mountain stands at 13,796 feet and a visit to the summit is one of the island’s top attractions. Other attractions include Akaka Falls, Mauna Kea Beach, Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden and Kealakekua Bay.
Points and Rates for 5 nights:
The Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa is a Category 4 Starwood Hotel. This year, peak season rates will be charged the following dates:
There is a $31.25 a night resort charge on all rates including points rates.
Peak season rates are 10,000 points a night or 40,000 points for 5 nights using the Fifth Night Free option.
Room rates in high season June start at $279 a night + tax.
Room rates in low season March start at $239 a night + tax.
The Cash & Points rate is also readily available at 5,000 points a night + $75. That’s 25,000 points + $375 for 5 nights (excluding resort charge).
5. Sheraton Waikiki on Oahu
Sheraton Waikiki
The Sheraton Waikiki sits on the busiest beach on all of Hawaii right in Honolulu, Hawaii’s most populous city. Waikiki is a popular surfing destination. Other than relaxing by the hotel’s infinity pool, popular attractions in Oahu include a visit to Pearl Harbor Memorial, Diamond Head volcano hiking trail and enjoying numerous other beach around the island.
Points and Rates for 5 nights:
The Sheraton Waikiki is a Category 5 Starwood Hotel. This year, peak season rates will be charged the following dates:
There is a $31.25 a night resort charge on all rates including points rates.
Peak Season:
Peak season rates are 16,000 points a night or 64,000 points for 5 nights using the Fifth Night Free option.
Room rates in high season June start at $385 a night + tax.
Low Season:
Low season rates are 12,000 points a night or 48,000 points for 5 nights using the Fifth Night Free option.
Room rates in low season March start at $285 a night + tax.
Summary
My picks for five best value Starwood Hotels in Hawaii include four Category 5 hotels and one Category 4 hotel with at least one hotel on every major island in Hawaii. A five night stay at these hotels can range from 40,000 to 64,000 Starwood Preferred Guest points.
A couple can sign-up for the Starwood Preferred Guest Card from American Express and each earn 25,000 points after spending $5,000 within 6 months. They will then have 60,000 points after meeting the spending requirement.
64,000 points is enough for a five night stay at any Category 5 hotel during peak season. Non-peak season is only 48,000 points. This can save thousands of dollars in vacation costs!
Application Link: Starwood Preferred Guest card from American Express
(In the interest of full disclosure, I earn a referral if you apply for some credit cards mentioned on the site through my links. I only include the best offers and only recommend cards I value highly myself. If you do decide to apply through my links, thanks very much for your support!)
Check out some of my other posts about Hawaii:
The Top Ten Maui Experiences by Adrenalina
West Coast to Hawaii for 12,500 British Airways Avios Each Way!
The Miles Professor - Taking miles and points to the limit!