Under PEAK award the 35k free nights don't get you a Cat. 5 but only Cat. 4!
 

I think this is worth a thread on it's own instead of being buried in the PEAK awards thread since it likely is going to impact a LOT of people.

Everyone needs to be aware that their 35k free night certificates that they get with the various credit cards will be worth much less with the implementation of the PEAK awards! Currently we can book a Cat. 5 hotel standard award with the certificates. Under the new Peak/Non-Peak awards plan being implemented on Sept. 14, members holding these certificates will only be able to book a Cat. 4 hotel with these certificates during PEAK times. During Non-Peak and Standard times, we will continue to be able to book Cat. 5 hotels with the free night certificates.

Examples:
- In NYC this elimates 50 properties alone from the certificate redemptions during PEAK awards! (leaving us with ONLY 13 hotels left to pick from and all of the option are either Downtown, Financial District, Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island options )
- In a city like Chicago, this eliminates 19 properties for the redemption of a 35k free night certificate during PEAK times. Basically gets rid of all the good properties!
Eliminates the following which is a big hit:
JW Marriott Chicago
W City Center
RI Chicago Downtown/Loop
The Blackstone
Renaissance DT
Westin River North
Hotel Chicago DT
SHS Downtown/River North
RI Downtown/River North
The Gwen
Sheraton Grand
Marriott DT Mag. Mile
CY DT Mag. Mile
Hotel EMC2
W Lakeshore
Westin Mich. Ave.
Marriott Marquis
Marriott Medical Dist/UIC
The Robey

I agree that this is the biggest pain point of peak pricing going into effect. If you're paying in points, an increase from 35K to 40K is about a 15% increase, about what we might be used to with the inevitable periodic devaluations. Paying with a cert, though, you're 100% SOL.

Before the merger, the Marriott certs were good for a 25K hotel. A decade ago, they were pretty useful, but after years of category creep, they became much harder to use, especially in examples like yours of domestic big city redemptions. Bumping the cert value to 35K largely resolved that, but as peak awards roll out, that solution will be fleeting.

And I'm sure you won't be able to go up a category if/when there is ever a points-saver for a hotel and it is charging less points.

You cannot go up since the Cat. 6 Off-Peak is 40k so you are SOL.

Exactly, so another one-way 'enhancement'. Prepare to get Bonvoyed!

Most annual credit card certificates are for one night up to 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. Unlike the old Marriott Rewards e-certificates before the introduction of the new loyalty program a year ago, the current e-certifcates are not tied to a specific category.

So if a hotel is 35,000 points (or lower), regardless of category — even if it is a PointsSaver — the rules of the e-certificate allow it to be used.

That's true for Category 6 Off-Peak, but @rylan was referring to the PointsSavers chart. A Category 6 Off-Peak PointsSaver is 35,000 points.

https://www.marriott.com/loyalty/red...oint-savers.mi

It remains to be seen how often Category 6 Off-Peak PointsSaver nights are available, but there should be times when this will be a good way to use an "up to 35,000 points" credit card anniversary e-certificate.

Are we expecting the PointsSavers to stick around if they are offering Non-Peak? I would think the Non-Peak is the replacement for the PS.

You think they will have PointsSavers, Non-Peak, Standard and Peak?

According to Marriott, PointsSaver rates will continue to be part of the Marriott Bonvoy program.

The new PointsSaver chart has added columns for Off-Peak PointsSaver and Peak PointsSaver, both "coming September 14th," in addition to Regular PointsSaver.

https://www.marriott.com/loyalty/red...oint-savers.mi

Anyone have had good DPs on getting PointsSavers at Category 6 type properties in desired locales?

Conboyed.

I'm cancelling my Bonvoy cards because of this. I actually put a fair amount of spending on them, but this completely ruins the FNC, which is the primary benefit of holding these cards. Also going to burn my points balance prior to Sep 14, moving everything to Hyatt.

EDIT: I guess I'll see if the cat 6 pointsaver thing actually is usable or occurs with any regularity. I'm not holding my breath. This is basically dynamic pricing and you are almost guaranteed to get less value for your points. That's all that's happening. Thanks Bonvoy.

I have a 40k award. This is a good thing for me.

The blow from the implementation of the peak/off peak pricing strategy really would have been mitigated somewhat by an introduction of a plan that allows you to apply points to a booking if a certificate doesn't quite get you there. Extremely disappointing.