Marriott points worth so little
Dec 19, 2018, 5:18 pm
#16
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: La Jolla, CA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, Lifetime Titanium, Delta Plat, Hilton Diamond , Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,615
I have plenty of gripes with Marriott (mostly having to do with IT issues) but value of points redemptions is not one of them. As a matter of fact I am spending fewer points for amazing rooms than I did with Starwood. My problem with points redemptions is that it is not easy to use points for upgraded rooms as it was with SPG's specialty select so the options are either 1) apply an SNA 2) cross my fingers and hope for an upgrade at check-in or 3) arrange a paid upgrade in advance with the hotel. I have a wish list for Marriott and one thing I would love for them to adopt is an easy way to upgrade on points a la SPG or Hyatt. SPG's 1500 points per night was probably too good to last, but I think Hyatt's 6000/9000 points is reasonable when a suite is important.
Dec 19, 2018, 5:21 pm
#17
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: None - previously UA
Posts: 4,868
It depends on your travel patterns. If you spend or travel so much for business that you have more points than you can use, then your suggestion makes sense. But I personally hate paying 35K points for a room going for under $200 a night. And I've typically found that LNF claims can be found if the occupancy is low, meaning you can often get the room rate down to the $100 level, making points even less of a good deal. Close to 1c per point is a good baseline.
Dec 19, 2018, 6:04 pm
#19
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: Delta Diamond, Marriott Ambassador & Lifetime Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, United Silver
Posts: 6,334
I'm staying in Paris next week over Christmas.
The Renaissance Republique Hotel, a category 5 award-redemption, is $388 per night for a basic room or $409 per night for their better room. There's no way I would pay that kind of money. 35,000 points per night is a heck of a deal, if you ask me.
The Renaissance Republique Hotel, a category 5 award-redemption, is $388 per night for a basic room or $409 per night for their better room. There's no way I would pay that kind of money. 35,000 points per night is a heck of a deal, if you ask me.
Dec 19, 2018, 6:04 pm
#20
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: BNA (Nashville)
Programs: HH Diamond
Posts: 6,229
I have an outlier that proves to me why its important to have points with more than one program.
I want to spend 2 nights in Carlsbad NM in March. Apparently, there is an oil boom there, so there is a shortage of hotel rooms. I have these two choices for some random weeknight in March:
Fairfield Inn: 2 nights with tax = $896 or 35,000 points A sweet redemption of 2.56 cents per point.
Hampton Inn: 2 nights with tax = $808 or 100,000 points. A 'not bad' redemption of .8 cents per point, but actually a miserable redemption
I cannot imagine paying $400+ a night for a Fairfield or a Hampton, and I certainly can't imagine paying 50,000 points a night for a Hampton in the middle of the desert. But 17, 500 points a night for a Fairfield seems like a pretty ok deal.
This is one of those cases where the Hilton points being more pegged to the price and the Marriott being more pegged to the hotel classification really helps make the Marriott a valuable choice.
I want to spend 2 nights in Carlsbad NM in March. Apparently, there is an oil boom there, so there is a shortage of hotel rooms. I have these two choices for some random weeknight in March:
Fairfield Inn: 2 nights with tax = $896 or 35,000 points A sweet redemption of 2.56 cents per point.
Hampton Inn: 2 nights with tax = $808 or 100,000 points. A 'not bad' redemption of .8 cents per point, but actually a miserable redemption
I cannot imagine paying $400+ a night for a Fairfield or a Hampton, and I certainly can't imagine paying 50,000 points a night for a Hampton in the middle of the desert. But 17, 500 points a night for a Fairfield seems like a pretty ok deal.
This is one of those cases where the Hilton points being more pegged to the price and the Marriott being more pegged to the hotel classification really helps make the Marriott a valuable choice.
Dec 19, 2018, 6:42 pm
#21
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 845
It's not even that....No business travel, but we acquire points every year with sign up bonus and take a 2 week vacation in the winter. We've gone to Europe last 4 years. When should we use the points if not for our vacation? I don't look at it like ..the room is only $175-200 in the off season so it's not a good deal, but same room in peak season is $500, so great deal. We are staying for free at a time when we are able to travel.
Dec 19, 2018, 7:09 pm
#22
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: Delta Diamond, Marriott Ambassador & Lifetime Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, United Silver
Posts: 6,334
If you don't want to return to the same places year in, year out there will still be incredible deals once the new award-redemption chart with variable, peak and off-peak pricing takes effect. You just have to be flexible, willing to go to off-the-map destinations (like Samoa instead of Hawaii, Java/Bali, or Thailand) or stay at properties not in the touristy area of your destination. Like maybe the London Marriott Maida Vale instead of the London Marriott County Hall.
Dec 19, 2018, 7:32 pm
#24
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: EZE
Programs: UA Gold,Delta Gold Bonvoy Titanium Elite, HH Diamond , AA Platinum, EENational, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,548
I'm staying in Paris next week over Christmas.
The Renaissance Republique Hotel, a category 5 award-redemption, is $388 per night for a basic room or $409 per night for their better room. There's no way I would pay that kind of money. 35,000 points per night is a heck of a deal, if you ask me.
The Renaissance Republique Hotel, a category 5 award-redemption, is $388 per night for a basic room or $409 per night for their better room. There's no way I would pay that kind of money. 35,000 points per night is a heck of a deal, if you ask me.
Dec 19, 2018, 8:02 pm
#25
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: CHS
Programs: UA GS, Bonvoy Amabassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,589
Then wait for the 2019 rate charts which will have peak and off peak rates, then you save points when the rooms are cheaper
Dec 19, 2018, 8:05 pm
#26
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards
Posts: 4,956
Another good use of points can be to stay at places where you would never pay the cash rate. We stayed in Maui last year for a couple of days on points (40k), where the cash rate was over $500/night. Of course I never would have stayed there at that price (would have stuck with my condo for about half that), so what was my real redemption rate? In this case it didn’t matter as it was nice to stay at a beach resort for a couple days.
Dec 20, 2018, 2:09 am
#27
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: California
Programs: Hyatt Global, Marriot Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 2,282
Dec 20, 2018, 2:54 am
#28
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
I'm staying in Paris next week over Christmas.
The Renaissance Republique Hotel, a category 5 award-redemption, is $388 per night for a basic room or $409 per night for their better room. There's no way I would pay that kind of money. 35,000 points per night is a heck of a deal, if you ask me.
The Renaissance Republique Hotel, a category 5 award-redemption, is $388 per night for a basic room or $409 per night for their better room. There's no way I would pay that kind of money. 35,000 points per night is a heck of a deal, if you ask me.
Even with my Platinum whatever status with Marriott, for this hotel at that time, my reference point would be closer to $150-180/night at highest and then it comes across as another questionable value redemption again. But then again this is going to get worse for customers after Marriott insitutes its peak/off-peak point pricing game.
Last edited by GUWonder; Dec 20, 2018 at 3:04 am
Dec 20, 2018, 10:18 am
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 733
I've heard that philosophy more and more lately. It seems like there's a greater chance of points/miles becoming less valuable than more valuable.
Dec 20, 2018, 10:19 am
#30
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 733
It depends on your travel patterns. If you spend or travel so much for business that you have more points than you can use, then your suggestion makes sense. But I personally hate paying 35K points for a room going for under $200 a night. And I've typically found that LNF claims can be found if the occupancy is low, meaning you can often get the room rate down to the $100 level, making points even less of a good deal. Close to 1c per point is a good baseline.