Originally Posted by
JT_BOS
The free certs are not transferable. Award reservations using points are.
I can sympathize with the OP. In my case, I have one expiring on Dec 31. The closest cat 4 property in Boston is about ~25 miles away. OK, there is one Court Yard north of airport, but only if I have a 6am flight out in the morning...
There is also the award category inflation to think of. I can't remember when was the last time that happened.
I don't know where you live around Boston, but there is at least one decent option. The Courtyard Cambridge overlooks the Charles River. I spent a Cat 4 certificate there in October. The weekday night would have been $209.
Finding the Cat 4 in a major city takes a little work; it tends to be a Courtyard. Even Paris has one, near the business park. I've been satisfied with my nights in Boston or San Diego (Courtyard Liberty Station). But, yeah, it's not as good as the Park Hyatt Zurich-Paris-Milan run.