I was suspicious of this new program and booked my next 6 night trip the other night using a combination of points and old points/money reservations. I am VERY glad I booked previously.

It is my observation that all hotels that had variable category pricing in the past, the previous "high category" is now the "low category." For instance in Sacramento, CA area which is close to me and where I go fairly often for a night, had about 8 20,000 point per night properties during low season (e.g. now); no more; now all of those properties now are 30,000 points a night during the week; there are a couple left on weekends at 20,000 points, in outer suburbs.

Here is what I found out with my latest trip:

Night 1: I booked at 20,000 points- under the new program it is now 30,000 points.
Night 2: I booked at 20,000 points+$85 (full point option was 60,000 points)- under the new program it is now 20,000 points+$200(two hundred!!?!?!??) or 70,000 points if booking full points
Night 3: I booked at 40,000 points- under the new program it is now 48,000 points
Night 4: I booked at 30,000 points- under the new program it is now 38,000 points
Night 5: I booked at 37,800 points HHonors Special Premium Room- under the new program the same premium room is now 75,000 points (the lowest available room on my night is 51,000 points)
Night 6: I booked at 20,000 points+$85 (full point option was 50,000 points)- under the new program is is now 20,000 points+$203 or 70,000 points if booking full points
Looking at totals, I spent 167,800 points+$85 for my 6 nights under the old program. Had I used full points under the old program it would have been 237,800 points.
Under this new program, I would spend 231,000 points+$403 for my 6 nights or using full points 331,000 points.

Ouch ouch ouch ouch. This is a devaluation if I've ever seen a devaluation. It also takes away the ability to shop around for bargain redemption options. It definitely simplifies things... I feel bad for the people holding a lot of points.

Ouch. This is the biggest screw of screws. Previously I liked to use my points to stay at places where the cash rate was above my usual budget, and could sometimes find some good deals between points and money and the HHonors Specials on premium rooms. Now, this changes everything. Now it is most beneficial to use points on the lowest dollar redemptions, and potentially in places with larger fixed dollar hotel taxes/assessments...

Oh well- all good things must end some day.