I apologize if this topic has already been discussed.

As expected, the redemption value of spg/marriott properties has been a mixed bag since the merger. Some of my favorite properties have gone up, and others have gone down. In most cases the change is not terribly significant (10-20%). What has taken me off guard is what Marriott did to the point cost of upgrade certificates. My wife and I are big fans of resort properties that have buy-up club levels, such as the Ritz in Cancun and the Marriott in Aruba. Looking specifically at the Ritz in Cancun -- we stayed there just prior to the merger. Here's where that property stands:

* Pre Merger: Standard room redemption 60K points. Club level (Ocean view, not ocean front): 85K points (I think that's 5 upgrade eCerts at 5K a piece)
* Post Merger (literally the next week): Standard room redemption 50K points (increasing the value of our points). Club Level Ocean view: 125K Points

This represents about a 50% increase in the cost of the club level room, and more than DOUBLE the cost of a regular room. I just did a quick search and it looks like similar increases are in place for other resort properties when trying to reserve upgraded rooms/suites.

Were others aware this was coming? We enjoy redeeming for upgraded rooms, from our perspective this represents a far more significant devaluation than we anticipated. Wouldn't it be foolish for me to redeem 125K points for a club level room at that point? The value seems to be gone. I enjoy the club there very much, but you most certainly aren't getting more than $450 worth of value.