Uh, perhaps that’s because the “best” Marriott, JW Marriott, and Renaissance properties in NYC aren’t quite as nice in the overall scheme as too many Marriott members believe. Those certainly don’t stack up remotely against the SPG 5* St Regis, Chatwal, and Gramercy Park hotels, nor the 5* RC hotels.

The categories are determined primarily based on average daily rate, though seasonal and other factors can also impact the determination. The demand for award rooms also can be a major factor. The average cash rates for many of the hotels you mention aren’t always so different—hence their categories are also similar. It has never had much to do with quality per se and more to do with pricing and award demand (i.e. supply and demand).

Also, current Category 8 and 9 Marriott properties cost 40,000 or 45,000 points. The NEW category 8 hotels will be the very best hotels in the entire Marriott portfolio—like the StR NYC, the RCs NYC, the Gramercy Park Hotel, the Chatwal. Those proper 5* luxury hotels will be the new Cat 8 hotels and cost 70,000-100,000 points in the new chart. The current Cat 8 and 9 hotels will become likely new chart Cat 6 hotels requiring 40,000-60,000 points depending on peak/standard/non-peak. Or maybe Cat 5 (less points). Hard to say for sure. But more likely Cat 6 in the new chart. Not that much more points necessarily.

Again, needless hysteria.