I'm pleasantly surprised at how constructive the discussion in this thread has been. Based on the subject line and the first paragraph in the OP I thought it was going to be another carp-fest about how Cat 1-5 certs are "worthless". Certainly it's difficult in the U.S. to find a Cat 5 property anymore in a touristy location-- either downtown in a major city or near a resort. Even the Courtyards and Fairfields in these places frequently have inflated to Cat 6, Cat 7, or higher. But this doesn't make the Cat-5 certs worthless; it just makes them worth less than before. They still have value. We've just got to think differently about where to find it.

The past few years I've been using a lot of my certs when visiting family who live in the suburbs outside a major city. Downtown everything is Cat 7 or higher, but decently far out in the 'burbs where they live it's mostly Cat 5 or lower. Weekend rates are low enough that I'll usually opt to pay the cash rate, but midweek rates occasionally climb to $150, $200, more. Sure, I could use points, but these are also good opportunities for certs.