Amex and Starwood launch new credit card

Deal aimed at frequent travellers 

American Express and Starwood Hotels have launched a co-branded credit card for the hotel chain's frequent travellers. The Starwood Preferred Guest card will be available to business and leisure travellers in the UK from today (May 1).

The card will cover nine of Starwood's brands including St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Westin, Le Méridien, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, Aloft and Element covering 1,000 properties in 100 countries.

Points accrued by card holders can entitle them to free room nights, room upgrades, free flights and various special offers.

American Express said its research showed 57% of Britons had a credit card which rewarded them for their spending.

But just over a quarter (28%) of this group had a card which offered free hotel stays or flights.

Katrina Cliffe, Amex's head of consumer cards, said: "Reward cardholders are increasingly looking for new ways to be able to accumulate travel related benefits for their everyday spending.

"This is an ideal card for today's discerning travellers, particularly those who have an existing affinity to the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) programme and want to be able to earn Starpoints for all of the spending on their plastic."

Chris Holdren, senior vp of SPG, said: "SPG's new Credit Card partnership with American Express gives us another way to provide rich rewards to our most loyal guests."

www.aexp.com/spg   www.starwoodhotels.com