How to save up to 50% on staycations by buying Ascott Star Rewards points

Ascott Star Rewards points are on sale until 31 August 2020, and there's an opportunity to unlock even cheaper staycations.

It’s generally not a good idea to redeem hotel points for staycations, especially when hotels are offering rock-bottom rates. I learned this the hard way during my recent big brain moment, when I disregarded my own advice and redeemed Marriott points for a W Sentosa staycation.

However, fixed value points are an exception to the rule. These are particularly useful during periods of low demand, because they allow you to capitalize on cheap cash rates. Accor Live Limitless probably has the best-known fixed value points, but I recently started thinking of a much smaller program: Ascott Star Rewards.ย 

Buying Ascott Star Rewards points for staycations

From now till 31 August 2020, Ascott Star Rewards (ASR) is offering up to a 100% bonus on ASR points purchases.

Buy Bonus Equivalent to a discount of…
โ‰ค30,000 points 0% N/A
40-70,000 points 25% 20%
80-150,000 points 40%ย  29%
160-190,000 points 50% 33%
โ‰ฅ200,000 points 100% 50%

ASR points have a fixed value of 0.25 cents each, so by buying points with a 25-100% bonus, you’re basically locking in a discount of 20-50%.ย 

Now here’s where it gets interesting. Consider the following staycation rates at these approved properties:

Property Package Cost* Includes
lyf Funan Ultimate Local Vacation S$127 nett
(1 night)
โ€ข6 p.m check-out
Ascott Orchard Ultimate Local Vacation S$230 nett
(1 night)
โ€ขFree parking
โ€ขBreakfast
Ascott Raffles Place Ultimate Local Vacation S$260 nett
(1 night)
โ€ขBreakfast
โ€ข3 p.m check-out
*Special rate available to healthcare professionals: lyf Funan (S$106 nett), Ascott Orchard (S$212 nett), Ascott Raffles (S$240 nett)

By buying ASR points, you’re able to score an even bigger discount on these already discounted rates.ย 

For example, I could pay S$500 for 200,000 points, and receiveย a total of 400,000 points post-bonus (valued at S$1,000). By using these points to offset the cost of my stay, I basically save 50%.ย 

Of course, that assumes you’re willing to spend S$500 on a staycation in the first place. But even if your budget is lower, you can still get a smaller discount by buying points instead of paying directly. Here’s the minimum initial outlay you’ll need to trigger each discount:

  • 20% discount: S$100
  • 29% discount: S$200
  • 33% discount: S$400
  • 50% discount: S$500ย 

Another way to think about it is that your out of pocket expense will be S$100-500, depending on how many points you buy. However, your spending power will become $125-1,000 – helpful for another night, or to score a larger room than the one you’d otherwise have booked.ย 

Redeeming Ascott Star Rewards points for staycations

lyf Funan

Redeeming Ascott Star Rewards points is fairly straightforward, and you can use them to pay for any rate that’s bookable online.ย 

For example, in the screenshot below I’ve selected the “Ultimate Local Vacation” rate at the Ascott Raffles Place. At check-out, I can click on “Redeem points”, and select the number of points I wish to use (1 point= 0.25 cents)

Here’s a similar illustration from the lyf Funan.

So tl;dr: if you fancy any of the Ascott properties, then it’d make a lot more sense to buy points instead of paying cash rates.

Here’s the full list of ASR participating properties in Singapore. Remember, not all of them are approved to take staycation guests yet.ย 

  • Ascott Orchard Singapore
  • Ascott Raffles Place Singapore
  • Citadines Balestier Singapore
  • Citadines Fusionopolis Singapore
  • Citadines Mount Sophia Singapore
  • Citadines Rochor Singapore
  • D’Hotel
  • lyf Funan Singapore
  • Somerset Bencoolen Singapore

Are there any risks involved?

Dabbling in any kind of loyalty currency entails risk, but you mitigate that risk when you buy and burn, not buy and hold. If you’re looking to take your staycation in the next couple of months, I’d feel perfectly comfortable buying points under the current sale.ย 

I’d feel less comfortable buying points and holding them until travel restrictions are lifted, however. That timeline is still fuzzy, and the last thing you want is to be holding on to points you can’t use.ย 

Conclusion

ASR’s points sale runs until 31 August 2020, so you still have some time to think it over.ย 

As a reminder, AMEX Platinum Charge cardholders can enjoy ASR Platinum status for two years when they register here by 31 December 2020. Do note that the landing page has not been updated, but I’ve managed to get my account upgraded by sending a copy of my card to ASR membership services.ย 

Aaron Wong
Aaron Wong
Aaron founded The Milelion to help people travel better for less and impress chiobu. He was 50% successful.

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Jerry

TBH i wouldnt bother. Not a real 50% off deal, plugged in some random dates and its less than 10% off the lowest rates without the deal.

Even the Trip.com Flash sale rate are cheaper

Last edited 4 years ago by Jerry
Bill

so this ASR promo will knock 50% of $230 for Orchard exclude brekkie?

Lifshitz

Any of these properties worth staying? I stayed at a Citadines before and it seemed like a four points with supersized rooms. But good find!

Jackson

Which card to use for this?

Shawn

Thanks for this. I’m looking to do a staycation, so I did some comparisons. Ascott Orchard’s staycation rate of $230 nett seems to be a weekday rate. I searched for a weekend and it was $270 excl. taxes. For weekends, the Klook package made a lot more sense. Agree this option using points could work for certain scenarios, but definitely not for weekends.

Cappy Hamper

How is this a 50% saving when only $5 worth of points can be redeemed in the example shown above? Will the maximum allowable points for redemption increase the more points one has?

Cappy Hamper

I was looking at the lyf@Funan screenshot. It says you have 0 available points yet the slider allows up to a maximum of 2,000 points. I assumed the slider functions regardless of available points and an error message would be displayed if you tried to proceed.

Jerry

Heads up for those of you looking to book for friends/family.
ASR is quite stingy whereby points are NOT awarded to your account if you do not actually stay yourself( stated explicity in the T&C’s).
So if your thinking of earning points from your friends booking look elsewhere.

Furthur the top tier ASR effectively gives a measly 4% cashback. As an IHG Spire i would get an effective 10% rebate on points when i book for someone else

Jerry

IHG allows, as does Agoda

ecco

I got an email form ASR saying I had a birthday voucher with โ€˜40% off the best flexible rateโ€™. When I went into my account to use the voucher it turns out that it states the booking condition is that the reservation is non refundable. This is a bull sh*t program. In no way is 40% off the best flexible rate meant to mean a non refundable booking rate. This is misleading advertising. They could be taken to the commerce authorities over the wording of their promotional birthday voucher. At the very least they need to change that voucher to… Read more »