Adelphos

Need to decide whether to cancel a one year old SPG/Bonvoy card upon the first anniversary. I also have the Brilliant card (and there the value proposition is much clearer as a 50,000 certificate is much more easily worth $150), so I don't need the Bonvoy card for any kind of spend. I have done a ton of dummy bookings and the value of the 35,000 cert seems to cap out around $200, maybe $300 if I get lucky - but on those higher price nights, pricing seems to often move to peak (40,000), and I have no idea if I will be able to use the cert during my desired travel dates

theOtherHolmes

I’m cancelling one of two Marriott cards — no longer worth the CAD $120 for the annual certificate.

Keeping one card (the business one) for 15 elite nights and 3x dining as I take clients out a lot.

Dr. HFH

Wouldn't that depend greatly on where you want to stay? I stay a lot at SGS, where the standard redemption rate for a night is 35K points. Cash rate is close to USD $200. So in that case, 35K cert is well worth USD $95, seems to me.

agjil

Yeah but I think the point the OP was making is that 35K properties will charge 40K points during the most desired times of the year where the certs cannot be used anymore.
I'm also having a hard time deciding whether keeping my Marriott credit card makes sense going forward with the introduction of peak season. (and I usually travel during peak season)

ntamayo

I keep my 35k around mainly for stay-cations with the family, esp come fall season. Plenty of Cat 5 availability along the Peninsula here.

ryw

Depends on where/when you want to use it. You can likely get more value if you have flexibility in your travel. I still have the old card, with the 25k cert for $85/year. There's a local Cat 4 full service Marriott that I used for a staycation earlier this year, and redeemed it on a weekend when the cash rates were around $200, so it was worth it for me. (I have some flexibility and tend to go to this property a couple times a year, so in the future I think I should be able to redeem it during a regular or off-peak season).

In my experience, I've been able to get higher cents per points value at Category 4/5, and some Cat 6 properties, than at higher category properties. But YMMV.

christianj

Due to the number of properties Marriott has, I am still finding some value in the 35k certificates so I will keep the cards for now. Peak/Non-peak is making it more difficult but I should still be able to get the annual fee back. If we get to the point that I cannot find a standard Cat. 5 redemption in NYC (Wall Street, LI or Brooklyn not included), I will likely drop the card. This was what made me drop the Hyatt card a while ago and what likely will have me dropping the IHG card when it's up for renewal next time. A quick weekend in the city works well for me without much planning and I refuse to stay down on Wall Street or in Brooklyn to redeem free nights certs.

Travelchurner

imo, no

Kacee

I would pay $95 for that cert in a hearbeat. I'm still having no problem at all redeeming well above .8 cpp. But it really depends on your travel patterns.

arlflyer

I've never thought twice about the value of these certs. Plenty of <35k places out there that are worth it.

BaconSF

Yes, easily worth more than $95

goldenbear

There are a ton of great values at 35k even after the peak/non peak rates. At some of the vacation spots I have been to in to in the past (with over $350/nt rates on everyday of the week), the properties are non-peak on Su-Thurs while weekend peak on the weekend. So I drop 40k for a weekend night and a cert for a thurs or sunday night.

For business districts of cities, the 35k is not great on the weekend at a lot of properties, but great for a weeknight. Like $300+/nt during the week, while $125/nt on weekends...

So it depends on what you are looking for. You really know best your travel habits which determines whether you can find use of a 35k cert. I certainly don't go out of my way to get best 'value', or book weird multi-property or out of the way one night stays to max value on on night awards certs, and do not foresee any issue getting $95 out of a 35k certificate. I also have the Hilton, IHG and Hyatt credit cards that provide a yearly night certificate with their own limitations, and use them all for what I consider decent value, and don't see the Marriott certificate as that prohibitive.

Adelphos

Just paid the annual fee; we’ll give this cert a chance

crimsona

If the cat 4 peak or cat 5 standard is greater than $95, it'll pretty much break even. Still ok for now. Talk to me after 3 years more of category creep

arlflyer

So I got bored...a few selections for this Saturday (tomorrow) night:

Philly:
-Aloft Downtown 30k/$341
-Fairfield 30k/$291

DC:
-Courtyard 30k/$256
-Marriott 35k/$256

Manhattan:
-Moxy 30k/$341
-Aloft 30k/$264
-Four Points 30k/$275
-AC 30k/$288

Chicago (River North / Mag Mile):
-Courtyard 30k/$436
-Aloft 30k/$422

And of course these advertised rates are pre-tax/fee, so tack on another $30-50+ to those.

Can you pick any hotel on any night whenever you please and use your cert? Of course not. Can you get 95 bucks worth of rack-rate value out of it? Heck yeah.