Originally Posted by
ethernal
Perhaps more importantly I don't think you can even find a date where you even get .6 cents per point at the 35K/rate. Even over Spring Break periods, holiday weekends, etc - the rate stays comfortably below $200/night (even when booking direct). I thought 7K Starpoints (so 21K Marriott points) was reasonable even if it wasn't a great deal - 35K is just a joke. You can stay at a lovely hotel like the Boscolo Exedra in Nice for the same number of points. That versus a dumpy Westin in a low cost of living area? Pretty crazy.
There are many theories on how hotels get their award-redemption category. Some day it's strictly based on demand. The more redemptions, the higher the category. Others have said owners and properties can game it. Case in point: Brand new properties starting at category 5 or 6, which seemingly contradicts the prevailing belief that the category is based on the number of redemptions. One thing, however, is for certain: There is no correlation between the hotel's award-redemption category, its brand and its quality or star rating.
Cancun was fun in high school and college. I don't see the draw now, other than cheap flights. All things being equal, I would take Los Cabos over Cancun. All the beach resorts in the Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific are basically the same until you get into the category of super-expensive, luxury resorts on isolated islands, etc.