Huge Marriott Devaluation coming

[redpat]

Thought about heading back or mixing stays w/ Hilton.  I think their points value maybe be getting closer to Hilton.

Marriott really screwed this merger up w/ SPG.  Might as well either get 5x on plat using their portal, or Rockmiles MR and Rakuten/w MR and counts for stays rather than use Hilton Card or thought of going back to get Marriot Biz Card. 

Well this made it clear to me that Marriott card is out.

https://loyaltylobby.com/2020/02/05/brutal-marriott-bonvoy-award-category-changes-march-4-2020-tight...

[Anonymous]

Yes.  This reclassification on the heels of the peak pricing plan mean a lot of 2018 Cat 5 hotels are no longer available for the 35,000 point free night certificate.  Sucks.

But there's still a ton of Cat 5 (and Cat 4) hotels where you can use the certificate and get WAY more value than the $95 annual fee.  For example, the Renaissance Phoenix downtown is Cat 4, and I used a free night certificate on a $400 suite (after they upgraded me for free).

[redpat]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Yes.  This reclassification on the heels of the peak pricing plan mean a lot of 2018 Cat 5 hotels are no longer available for the 35,000 point free night certificate.  Sucks.

But there's still a ton of Cat 5 (and Cat 4) hotels where you can use the certificate and get WAY more value than the $95 annual fee.  For example, the Renaissance Phoenix downtown is Cat 4, and I used a free night certificate on a $400 suite (after they upgraded me for free).

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Still that's just your annual certificate.  The point value for other redeemptions are going up.  Their whole point system is being devalued because of the Cat changes going up. 

[Anonymous]

"Marriott Rewards award pricing always was based on the volume of redemptions that the property received rather than the price itself. Hotels that receive a high number of awards are priced higher using points than what their cash rates would justify."

The opposite can occur too, but....

This and other point "adjustments" is why I don't like travel point rewards cards. By the time you store up a ton of points for future trips, something happens where you lost value. I've compared hotel prices by using rewards where my card can convert points for, and often found its more expensive to do so, based on the property.

[Anonymous]

Well that's bit of a bummer, it already seems like everything is already Cat5 or higher. Every Marriott/Fairfield etc I've ever checked has been the 35K points per night aside form weekends. I just recently booked a stay for April in Anaheim, and it was 35K per night 45K on Friday.

I also couldn't get the free fifth night for some reason, even though I booked 6 nights. I realize it ahs to be a paid night to qualify, but I was only going to redeem for Friday and try to get one of the other days free. No go

That said, it shouldn't affect the perks with the cards, right? It's basically just an award issue, at least the free cert night offsets the AF on the Bonvoy BIZ. The category increase just means there will be less places to redeem it. 

I'll give it another year and if I don't see any benefit, then I decied if it's time to cancel or not.

[redpat]

FHR is great.  I stayed at a Ritz club level using MR points which was less points than using Marriott points for a regular room, I also had a $100 property credit for food and drink.  Two, night stay for the price of one night.  IDT you can even get club level w/ Marriott point redemptions.

[K-in-Boston]

I just booked a room that would have been $2035.32 after taxes for 85,000 points.  That's 2.4 cents per point.  My Hilton options were Hampton Inn, Embassy Suites, and Hilton Garden Inn (3 lower-end brands) for 200,000 to 400,000 points for the same nights.  I'm not a mathematician by trade, but it seems like I'm getting "slightly" better value from Marriott?

Category changes have always happened and always will as long as award stays aren't based on revenue amounts.  It's in my best interest for people to leave Marriott for Hilton and others, so I'll go along and say Marriott's horrible, please move to Hilton.  

[redpat]

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@K-in-Boston wrote:

I just booked a room that would have been $2035.32 after taxes for 85,000 points.  That's 2.4 cents per point.  My Hilton options were Hampton Inn, Embassy Suites, and Hilton Garden Inn (3 lower-end brands) for 200,000 to 400,000 points for the same nights.  I'm not a mathematician by trade, but it seems like I'm getting "slightly" better value from Marriott?

Category changes have always happened and always will as long as award stays aren't based on revenue amounts.  It's in my best interest for people to leave Marriott for Hilton and others, so I'll go along and say Marriott's horrible, please move to Hilton.  

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OK K, I'm going to see if I can get the same for Ss&Gs.  

[CaptJOB]

I got 1.4 cents per point on a category 2 redemption yesterday. Two nights for 20k points when the cash rate with tax was $282(not that most people play the points game to stay at Courtyards though). Feel like it'll be a while before this program is fully nerfed.

[CreditCuriosity]

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@K-in-Boston wrote:

I just booked a room that would have been $2035.32 after taxes for 85,000 points.  That's 2.4 cents per point.  My Hilton options were Hampton Inn, Embassy Suites, and Hilton Garden Inn (3 lower-end brands) for 200,000 to 400,000 points for the same nights.  I'm not a mathematician by trade, but it seems like I'm getting "slightly" better value from Marriott?

Category changes have always happened and always will as long as award stays aren't based on revenue amounts.  It's in my best interest for people to leave Marriott for Hilton and others, so I'll go along and say Marriott's horrible, please move to Hilton.  

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Need info as i might just take a quick nice vacation and we can meet up for that valuation .. I am sure it exists, but must be a nice hotel for that cost.