Hard to believe it’s August already. The “back to school” ads and commercials are annoying kids across the country, and I’ve got a serious case of Vacation Brain. I can’t be the only one feeling summer slip through my fingers, like sand on the beach (which is where I’ve been frittering away a lot of my recent summer days). In light of this, I’ve partnered with Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express to give away 50,000 Starpoints rewards to one lucky winner. That’s right, this is an official Starwood Starpoints Rewards giveaway — someone will win 50,000 Starpoints, redeemable at any Starwood property. Imagine stretching out your summer vacation with a stay at, say, a world-class luxury tennis resort like The St Regis Punta Mita Resort, or The Phoenician, a Scottsdale resort that has its own professional tennis instructor on staff. Or, how about Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas, with access to the Princeville Tennis Club? It’s in Kauai — and a tennis-filled Hawaii vacation would make for one amazing travel memory!
If it sounds like I have tennis on the brain, it’s because I do. Tennis fans know that Grand Slam is made up of the four most prestigious tournaments of the year, namely, the Australian Open, Wimbledon, the French Open and the US Open. The US Open is the final major tennis tournament of the year, held in New York City. Well, it’s held in Queens, but everyone except the snobbiest Upper East Sider knows that Queens still pretty much counts as NYC! This year, I get to go to the US Open, and I get to take a guest along. All five of the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express “AmEx Stars” will be there, hopefully on our best behavior (hooting and hollering for our favorite tennis player, and throwing empty cans on the tennis courts, appears to be frowned upon).
I’ll be stretching out my summer by attending the US Open in New York City. Hey, this counts as an extra vacation, it involves travel since I’m not a New Yorker anymore…and better yet, air travel, always a delight. Travel, be it via short getaways or an extra week’s vacation, certainly count as a great way to stretch out your summer. To enter this 50,000 Starwood Starpoints rewards giveaway, please tell me in the comments section which Starwood resort you’d pick to stay in and to stretch out your summer just little bit longer. You can also enter every day by tweeting me, using the hashtag #spgamex, the same information. However, for your second entry to count, you must tell me in the comments section below that you did this. A third entry may be had by “liking” The Vacation Gals on Facebook, and again telling me in a comment below.
The Stretch the Summer Giveaway does NOT require that you be a current cardholder to enter. However, if you do want to sign up for a Starwood Preferred Guest AmEx card, keep in mind that it’s incredibly highly rated, free to join, and — if you sign up between August 7 and September 4, you get 30,000 Starpoints as a sign-up bonus. There’s some small print-type mumbo jumbo related to this limited time offer, so hold on to your hats and muddle through it along with me:
- 10,000 bonus Starpoints after first purchase
- 20,000 bonus Starpoints after spending $5,000 in 6 months of SPG card membership
- Enjoy a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $65 annual fee in subsequent years
- Offer expires September 4th, 2012
30,000 Starwood Starpoints have an approximate retail value of $750, while the Stretch Y0ur Summer Giveaway sweepstakes prize of 50,000 has an approximate retail value of $1250. Imagine how far your travel dollars will go at any Starwood hotel or resort with a world-class tennis facility…pretty great, isn’t it? A swanky vacation is certainly a great way to stretch out your summer, but these points are redeemable in the fall, winter, any time. This is a wonderful prize.
Long story short? Here’s how to enter to win 50,000 Starpoints, to use at any tennis resort Starwood property:
- Tell me in a comment below what Starwood property you’d like to stretch out your summer in. You can enter once a day this way.
- Tweet The Vacation Gals and use the hashtag #spgamex for another daily entry, but that entry only counts if you tell me in another comment. Tweet something like, I entered @TheVacationGals’ 50,000 Starpoints giveaway and would stay at The Phoenician http://bit.ly/starpoints #SPGAMEX but with your hotel choice. You can enter once a day this way.
- For a third entry, “like” The Vacation Gals on Facebook — but again, for the entry to count, please leave a separate comment below telling me you did so.
- The Stretch Your Summer Giveaway sweepstakes ends August 14th, 6:00 PM PST.
- The winner of 50,000 Starpoints will be chosen using a random number generator. If I don’t hear back from the winner after one week, another random winner will be chosen.
- Close family members of The Vacation Gals may not enter.
- Good luck!
This giveaway is now closed. The winner is entry number 2049. Thank you for entering!
Disclosure: I’m hosting this Stretch Your Summer Starwood Starpoints Rewards giveaway sweepstakes because I’m one of the “SPG AmEx Stars,” and receiving travel and compensation as a result.
Swan Dolphin in Orlando!
Le Méridien Cyberport in Hong Kong
Also tweeted
Westin Bayshore, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers
The Goldener Hirsch, Salzburg
Tweeted
I’d stay at The St. Regis Princeville.
I also tweeted!
The Westin Maui Resort & Spa
I’d stretch my summer at the St. Regis Bali
St.regis Princeville!
st. regis singapore
It’d stretch my summer at the Westin Sydney.
Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers
Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa
W Maldives
Westin Portland!
W Maldives!
W Taipei
Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa
W Ko Samui
St. Regis Bora Bora in an overwater bungalow.
8/14 – @TheVacationGals’ 50,000 Starpoints giveaway and would stay at The Phoenician http://bit.ly/starpoints #SPGAMEX
I would like to visit The Nines, Portland
Tweeted The Nines, Portland
I’d “stretch out” at The Westin Grand, Vancouver
Tweeted about The Westin Grand, Vancouver
St. Regis NYC
Four nights in Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa
Tweet 8/14
Vedema
Oops I meant Vedema Resort Santorini
Sheraton Sioux Falls & Convention Center.
I would book the St. Regis Bangkok.
The St. Regis Punta Mita would be awesome. Thanks.
Tweeted!
https://twitter.com/cdcookin/status/235485570686660608
The Sheraton Maui would suite me
St. Regis Bora Bora!
I’d stretch my summer by spending a night at the Westin Key West! Love it!
I just tweeted at you! I’d stretch my summer by spending a night at the Westin Key West! Love it!
Le Meridien Koh Samui Resort and Spa
Tweeted.
I would stretch out my summer at The Phoenician in Scottsdale
To earn an additional contest entry, I just tweeted ” I entered @TheVacationGals’ 50,000 Starpoints giveaway and would stay at The Phoenician http://bit.ly/starpoints #SPGAMEX”
St. Regis Bali
W Hong Kong
I would love to stretch my legs a Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa!
https://twitter.com/hbbs55/status/235508300941230080
I’d like to spend 4 nights at Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa!
St Regis Bali pleaseee!
I’d like to go to The Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki
Sign me up for the Pink Palace of the Pacific – the Royal Hawaiian! I could seriously stretch out (myself and my summer) there!
The Tweet is in as well! (Entering @TheVacationGals 50k Starpoints giveaway. Should I pick @Royal_Hawaiian or @MeridienTahiti if I win? http://bit.ly/starpoints #SPGAMEX)
And you’ve been Liked on FB!
I would love to stay at st Regis bora bora!!!
I’ve tweeted everyday! St. Regis Bora Bora!!!
I twitted
I entered @TheVacationGals’ 50,000 Starpoints giveaway and would stay at The St. Regis in bora bora http://bit.ly/starpoints #SPGAMEX
I would pick the Westin Dawn in St. Maarten
Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
tweeted https://twitter.com/jayhawknj/status/235530190665682944
I would love to stay at st Regis bora bora
“like” The Vacation Gals on Facebook
I would like to do it in the Le Meridien Bora Bora.
I like The Vacation Gals on Facebook.
Sheraton at the Nassau Bahamas
The St. Regis Princeville Resort
I would stretch my summer with 4 nights at the Westin Maui Ka’anapali.
tweeted https://twitter.com/aususa01/status/235537203365822464
“like” The Vacation Gals on Facebook —
I’d stay at The St. Regis Princeville…thanks!
just tweeted…I entered @TheVacationGals’ 50,000 Starpoints giveaway and would stay at WDW Dolphin #SPGAMEX