Originally Posted by
sfpaul900
IMHO, the ability to redeem MR points at the Ritz is one of the program's best benefits. And now that the Ritz (along with other luxury chains) are hurting, the Point Savers make it a great choice. As far as upgrades go, I've redeemed points for rooms in SIN, Tokyo, PHL, and Osaka, and never been able to upgrade with $$.
You can indeed pay for upgrades to club level at RC Tokyo and Osaka, even on a points stay, thought it is quite expensive (12,500 yen a night, about $160 as of now...)