Originally Posted by Horace

A 7-night Category 8 Hotel (40,000-points-per-night) e-certificate would be a 7-night 40,000-points-per-night e-certificate.

A 7-night Category 9 Hotel (45,000-points-per-night) e-certificate would be a 7-night 45,000-points-per-night e-certificate.

Yes, there are not hotels exactly at these levels beginning August 18.

Beginning August 18, if a member calls Marriott to attach such an e-certificate to a 7-night reservation, the rep would make the appropriate adjustment, whether that means refunding points or using additional points. This can happen today too. The functionality is already in the system.

Examples:

— 7-night, 45,000-points-per-night Hotel e-certificate for a 7-night, 50,000 points-per-night Hotel. 30,000 additional points (6 x 5,000, reflecting 5th night free) would come out of the account.

— 7-night, 45,000-points-per-night Hotel e-certificate for a 7-night, 35,000 points-per-night Hotel. 60,000 points (6 x 10,000, reflecting 5th night free) would be put back into the account.

— 7-night, 35,000-points-per-night Hotel e-certificate for a 7-night, 35,000 points-per-night Hotel. There would be no additional points, and no refund of points.

Ignore the Category numbers, old and new. Concentrate on the points, and it all works. In some cases the new point levels will not be advantageous, but that's a separate issue that also applies to members who just have point balances in their accounts, not unattached e-certificates.

That's what I expect. Again, we'll all know the real plan soon enough.