Originally Posted by
Marriott Concierge
Many of you have pointed out there is an element of point inflation. I can not say that this change will be better for all of you. The fifth night free enhancement was brought on, in part, to mitigate this effect. For Platinum members this effect is further mitigated by the increased elite bonus. You may be spending more, but you will also be earning more.
The primary goal of this change is to make reward redemption more accessible to all Marriott Rewards members.
For those of you, who do not have the luxury of booking redemptions stays significantly in advance, or can not use your points for long stays at a single location, I trust you will find these changes rewarding. Using your points for a spur of the moment weekend trip will be easier, and adding a night to your stay will be simpler because instant redemption will not require anytime rewards.
Yes these are all very good points, well reasoned. I'd still like, however, a way to get the 7-night points + miles redemptions at a level similar to what they currently are (at least not so much as a 50% increase for the hotel portion). Or at least add an option to add on the miles to a 5-night stay as well as a 7-night stay. Don't know how likely it is that you could tweak the new system in either of these ways, but I'd sure appreciate it if you could.