Originally Posted by
InkUnderNails
Very unscientific numbers based on too darn few properties for a good sample: I used to book a week of stay at the beach for 300K. When I got to 350K I tried another stay in a property I had used before and it was a bit over my 350K. I earned more and tried again and it was 400K. Don't misunderstand, The base rate did not change. The rate for a room that actually had a view of the beach keeps creeping out of range. I just rechecked and found that the room that was 30K per night just 4 years ago is now 100K per night for a similar week. I can get the parking lot view for 50K with no guarantee of upgrade.
If I can ever sneak up on a week, I will burn the points and be done.
Rates often vary quite a bit depending on when you book it. For me, the sweet spot is by booking in multiples of 5 nights, so you get the one free night. Unless they are priced fairly close, I book the base room, and then try for an upgrade from there.
I booked some nights in Sydney recently, for 5-6 months in the future. Using the 5th night free, it averaged at about 40k points per night. For the last week, it now shows more than double that rate.
I always recheck every month to see if the rates have gone down or not. Right now with the global sale going on, if the paid rate is linked to the amount of points, it can be a good time to book.