Originally Posted by
hhoope01
And note that SPG recently "devalued" their version so that it is very rarely worth using any longer. I have just recently used the Hilton version and it is may have some value. IHG Rewards version can sometimes be worth a look. I can't speak to the Hyatt's version though as I don't stay nearly as much with them.
I agree the Starwood version is devalued now, the Hilton one is rarely offered but sometimes allows good value when it is.
I've also found that the cash portion is often more than the going rate on opaque sites like Priceline. But sometimes you need to be in a specific location or want a specific room type and either can't or don't want to pay the inflated rack rate or only get .6 cents per point using an award. The other chains C&P still have some value here, whereas the Marriott version has none. Marriott is mostly fooling themselves if they think they offer C&P and I'm guessing the number of customers who actually use the Marriott C&P is very small.
As I see it they have very little choice but to offer C&P, because if a customer is looking to stay in a particular area and has the constraints outlined above, they will choose the competitor.