I have been a serious Marriott guy for six plus years now. I have been earning 20 Marriott points/$ spent for that time. Living in Dallas, I had a key interest in the travel packages with American Airlines. Last June, Marriott dropped that partnership. I had over 1.5 million Marriott points (it impressed some desk agents), which I quickly spent on 3 weeks in Cat 8 hotels plus one week in a Cat 7 hotel, plus 480,000 American Airlines miles in one month.

So, yes, 40,000 Marriott point per night does seem like a lot. But for me that's only $2,000 spend (ignoring promotions), plus, until last year, a huge benefit on American Airlines.

YMMV, as they say;your desires and location determine what makes sense for you. For me, 40,000 points for a Cat 8 hotel is expensive. But compared to what? Marriott has more hotels available in more locations for me to choose on trips. And for the places I want to spend points, Marriot usually has a hotel there.