rylan

Call my cynical, but I'm more interested in what the devaluations are going to be. Marriott has a clear track record of mass-devaluation 'enhancements'.

cfischer

let's wait and see. If they go the Hilton way then there are some real point and cash possible. Got a Hilton stay upcoming @ $65 + 16k points instead of 40k points or $150. points+cash was a no-brainer.

award nights counting towards status was a long time coming ... catching up w/ competition ... and yes, i am wondering where the devaluation will come.

lougord99

How many bog posts have you seen that are just plain false?

That is why I don't read travel blog posts.

sdsearch

That's why I miss Inside Flyer magazine and its journalistic approach to travel program news. Since it went away in the past year, I haven't found a replacement in that sense of a source (online or offline) that's journalistic in its approach.

GetawaysRus

Frankly, this may be too little and too late for me. I'm likely to jump ship. I have both Marriott Gold status and Starwood Gold status. I think I get much more value from SPG points in the Starwood program than from Marriott reward points. Marriott has devalued their program too heavily. I'm a Marriott timeshare owner, and I've been loyal to Marriott for years. But in 2016, I'll probably focus more on SPG stays and earning SPG points than MRPs.

I'm in Peru at the moment. Yes, the JW Cusco is a nice hotel, and I did get complimentary breakfast as a Gold, but my room was so small that my wife and I had a hard time not bumping into each other. (This stay was a points redemption.)

Now I'm at the (Starwood) Tambo del Inka in Urubamba. This is also a points redemption (and the cost was about half the number of points as the JW Cusco). Upgraded at check-in (without even needing to ask) to a lovely and large Junior Suite.

swag

Confirmed now on https://www.rewards-insiders.marriot...exclusive-news, with a promise of details on Monday.

NDN

That would be a pretty decent.

MSPeconomist

Remember that a SPG point is not the same as a MR point. You cannot just compare numbers. Rather, you must calculate the spend needed to earn those points. Ignoring affiliated credit card benefits, at most Marriott family hotels, $1 spend on eligible charges (room rate excluding tax, etc.) means 10 MR points, while at Starwood, $1 in eligible charges translates to 2 points for base members and 3 or more for elites. Welcome amenity bonuses and promos further complicate the comparisons.

If you care about elite benefits, there are also major differences in upgrades, breakfast entitlement, late checkout policies, etc.

joeags

I just read the post on Marriott Insiders, and it mentions a cap of 50K points transferred between accounts. Has there always been this cap? I always assumed I'd be able to transfer higher numbers than that in order to purchase a large travel certificate.

nacho

That's exactly my thoughts - with the reward nights count towards elite status, Marriott might bring in a new top tier level after Plat, which will solve some problem:

1. ever growing population of lifetime Plats;

2. overcrowding in lounges.

There is no free lunch in this world.

joshua362

Brace for impact...

escapefromphl

I doubt it, these changes don't actually cost Marriott a lot. The other thing is they don't usually announce devaluations on a Monday, those are usually left for Friday

joshua362

... of a holiday weekend! Hopefully, I am wrong!

CMK10

This is definitely good news, the stays on points is my favorite though having cash and points as an option is good too ^

spotfin

Great news and I am hoping that the accompanying devaluations are not significant. I do believe Marriott is feeling the competitive pressure from Hilton and IHG.