Starwood Preferred Guest® and Emirates NBD introduce Middle East’s most rewarding hospitality card

Press release

Published October 21st, 2015 - 05:01 GMT

Emirates NBD Starwood Preferred Guest World MasterCard at check-in

Today,Starwood Preferred Guest® (SPG), the award-winning loyalty program from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., and Emirates NBD, a leading bank in the Middle East, launched the ‘Emirates NBD Starwood Preferred Guest® World MasterCard’.

The Emirates NBD Starwood Preferred Guest® World MasterCard will offer UAE consumers incredible rewards, including the ability to earn instant SPG Gold status that normally requires approximately 25 nights per annum and up to 50,000 bonus Starpoints - 25,000 Starpoints on activation - and another 25,000 Starpoints upon reaching a determined threshold* in the first three months.

“Our primary focus is to always strive to offer our guests more, whether that is through our various brands or through collaborations with like-minded businesses to expand benefit options,” said Daniel Kerzner, Vice President Digital, Loyalty and Partnership Marketing for Starwood Hotels & Resorts EAME. “With our new alliance with Emirates NBD, we will introduce SPG to their customer base and the SPG loyalty programme to a wider audience in the UAE.

“This region is SPG’s third fastest growing market globally with an increase of new frequent guests traveling throughout the UAE and around the world. This partnership reflects our commitment to provide more luxurious travel options with more rewards and benefits across the globe.”

Suvo Sarkar, Senior EVP and Group Head, Retail Banking & Wealth Management at Emirates NBD commented, “As the market leader in payment cards, we have consistently innovated by offering products with unmatched value and lifestyle benefits to our customers. Leveraged by our deep regional insights into customer behaviour, our partnership with Starwood Hotels & Resorts, a world leader in hospitality, has helped us create a truly compelling and world class product with rich rewards that revolve around hospitality and travel, two of the most important sectors in the UAE.

Emirates NBD Starwood Preferred Guest® World MasterCard cardholders in the UAE can redeem points across Starwood’s 1,200 properties and over 1,000 restaurants in over 100 countries across the company’s 10 internationally renowned brands - The Luxury Collection, St. Regis, W Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Le Méridien, Tribute Portfolio, Four Points by Sheraton, Aloft and Element.

The ‘Emirates NBD Starwood Preferred Guest® World MasterCard®’ offers 1 Starpoint per US Dollar on domestic and international spends and 2 Starpoints per US dollar at all SPG® participating hotels; renewal bonuses that include free nights at select SPG properties and automatic SPG Gold status, and up to 30% discounts at restaurants and spas across Starwood hotels globally. In addition, cardholders can benefit from discounts at participating restaurants, spas, health clubs and entertainment destinations via ‘Bon Appetit’, Emirates NBD’s dining loyalty programme.

Additional Emirates NBD benefits include access to over 500 airport lounges globally; complimentary local concierge services and airport transfers in the UAE; complimentary rounds of golf and privilege access to select courses across the UAE along with complimentary multi-trip travel insurance.

Eyad Al Kourdi, Senior Vice President and General Manager – UAE, MasterCard stated: “We are proud to continue our longstanding partnership with Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Emirates NBD. Through strategic partnerships, we are able to provide cardholders with a simple, safe and secure way of making payments, whilst providing them with peace of mind while shopping online, enjoying a day out with the family or even travelling abroad.”

For more information on ‘Emirates NBD Starwood Preferred Guest® World MasterCard®’, please visit emiratesnbd.com/spg

*threshold = 20,000 USD spent in first three billing cycles.

Background Information

Starwood Hotels

Starwood Hotels represents one of the world's largest hotel and leisure companies. It conducts its hotel and leisure business both directly and through its subsidiaries. Its brand names include St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Westin, Le Méridien, Sheraton, Four Points, Aloft, and Element

Starwood Hotels' business emphasizes the global operation of hotels and resorts primarily in the luxury and upscale segment of the lodging industry. It seeks to acquire interests in, or management or franchise rights with respect to properties in this segment. At December 31, 2009, its hotel portfolio included owned, leased, managed and franchised hotels totaling 979 hotels with approximately 292,000 rooms in approximately 100 countries, and is comprised of 63 hotels that it owns or leases or in which it has a majority equity interest, 440 hotels managed by the company on behalf of third-party owners and 476 hotels for which it receives franchise fees.

Company Profile

Emirates NBD

Emirates NBD, the leading banking group in the region, was formed on 19 June 1963, when H.H. Late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum signed the Charter of Incorporation of the National Bank of Dubai (NBD) which became the first National Bank established in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). With the blessings of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, NBD merged with Emirates Bank International (EBI) on 06 March 2007, to form Emirates NBD, the largest banking group in the region by assets. On 16 October 2007, the shares of Emirates NBD were officially listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM). The merger between EBI and NBD to create Emirates NBD, became a regional consolidation blueprint for the banking and finance sector as it combined the second and fourth largest banks in the UAE to form a banking champion capable of delivering enhanced value across corporate, retail, private, Islamic and investment banking throughout the region.