Feb 5, 2020, 10:22 am
Last edit by: CodeAdam10
https://points-redemption.marriott.c...arriott-bonvoy
Annual hotel category changes will take effect March 4, 2020
Official notification :
Category Changes
This year’s category changes will take effect on March 4 giving our members a month’s advance notice to make informed decisions about redeeming their points for stays. Access the complete list of hotels for each redemption category and learn more here.
Across the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of participating hotels:
· 71% will remain unchanged while 29% will be affected by the 2020 annual category change process with 7% of hotels decreasing in points needed for a free night and 22% are increasing.
· Most of the 2020 annual category change movement (84%) takes place between categories 1-5 for a standard redemption stay.
In the next month, take a look at your upcoming stays to see if you should lock in rates now (make sure to attach a certificate to your stay), or redeem after March 4 at some great hotels that are moving down in category, like JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach or W Aspen.
Inventory Controls
Every hotel participating in our travel program offers members standard rooms for award redemptions every day of the year. However, during the busiest times of the year, participating hotels may limit the number of standard rooms available for redemption, but only for a predetermined number of days annually.
Previously, only some hotel brands had access to inventory controls. This tool will be extended to all hotels beginning today. With this modification we’ve also added restrictions. The number of days hotels can use inventory controls is being reduced. This will result in fewer days in total subject to inventory controls portfolio-wide in 2020 compared to 2019. This change will have no impact on stays that are already booked.
2020 Category Changes : effective March 4, 2020
Feb 24, 2020, 7:45 am
#196
Join Date: May 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 3,952
I’m at attempting to book past the devaluation date of March 4 this year, but notice the Cat 6 I’m trying to reserve is still priced like a Cat 7?
I thought as in the past if you book before the devaluation it would give you the old rate but is that not the case anymore or just website error? I guess I need to call?
I thought as in the past if you book before the devaluation it would give you the old rate but is that not the case anymore or just website error? I guess I need to call?
Feb 24, 2020, 8:08 am
#197
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: DCA
Programs: MR Plat; AA Gold; UA Silver
Posts: 352
I booked a reservation using points at a current cat 5 that is going up to cat 6. I do not yet have the points to deduct but will soon. Now I see this message: "The points rate for your reservation may increase or decrease until you have deducted the points from your account to cover the reservation."
Is this true? I seem to remember that, if you made the reservation Marriott honored the category you made it at even if they deducted points later.
Is this true? I seem to remember that, if you made the reservation Marriott honored the category you made it at even if they deducted points later.
Feb 24, 2020, 8:55 am
#198
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: YYZ
Programs: NH Plat, AA Gold
Posts: 542
Interesting that three of the London Heathrow / LHR airport hotels (Moxy, Sheraton Skyline, Sheraton) are going "down" a category, yet each is an ok property, and often with very affordable rates, especially for those who could grab an extra qualifying night stay before/after a flight. The Moxy is already ridiculoously cheap, so will be interesting to see how/if that goes even lower in price/points.
Feb 24, 2020, 11:38 am
#199
Join Date: Aug 2019
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 43
Noob question:
How are cancellations handled when booking with points? Specifically, using a 7 night travel certificate.
I have a mini RTW booked in April/May.. but that might be up in the air depending on how the Wuhan coronavirus plays out..
How are cancellations handled when booking with points? Specifically, using a 7 night travel certificate.
I have a mini RTW booked in April/May.. but that might be up in the air depending on how the Wuhan coronavirus plays out..
Feb 25, 2020, 4:46 am
#200
Join Date: May 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 3,952
Certificate should simply be refunded and reapplied to your account, however some including myself have experienced issues with this. I have a few Travel Pkg certificates I would like to attach to tentative stays before the category changes next month however I am little worried about any issues when cancelling those I am unable to take up.
Feb 26, 2020, 6:20 am
#201
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: DL DM 2MM, Marriott LT Titanium, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 15,281
Is there a downloadable chart somewhere? The interactive one on the Marriott website is poorly designed (surprise surprise) so it is not easy to browse hotels at all unless you know the hotel name. I'd like to look at regions etc but there is no way to sort by that, since the 'sort' options are only up/down/alphabetical etc which makes it quite useless.
Searching by city gives some results, however with a lot of the odd hotel names you can miss a lot, since many don't have the city/town in the name.
Pretty sad with the significant increases and resulting massive devaluation yet again.
Searching by city gives some results, however with a lot of the odd hotel names you can miss a lot, since many don't have the city/town in the name.
Pretty sad with the significant increases and resulting massive devaluation yet again.
Feb 26, 2020, 6:27 am
#202
Join Date: May 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 3,952
Is there a downloadable chart somewhere? The interactive one on the Marriott website is poorly designed (surprise surprise) so it is not easy to browse hotels at all unless you know the hotel name. I'd like to look at regions etc but there is no way to sort by that, since the 'sort' options are only up/down/alphabetical etc which makes it quite useless.
Searching by city gives some results, however with a lot of the odd hotel names you can miss a lot, since many don't have the city/town in the name.
Pretty sad with the significant increases and resulting massive devaluation yet again.
Searching by city gives some results, however with a lot of the odd hotel names you can miss a lot, since many don't have the city/town in the name.
Pretty sad with the significant increases and resulting massive devaluation yet again.
^it’s only showing properties ‘changing’ from next week right now albeit, but you can search by region etc.
Feb 26, 2020, 2:24 pm
#203
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,533
Lurkers, can you clarify whether a travel package certificate has to be attached to a reservation before Mar 4 if the property is going up in category from a 4 to a 5?
Or will having a confirmed reservation booked with points suffice?
Or will having a confirmed reservation booked with points suffice?
Feb 27, 2020, 12:57 am
#206
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
Programs: Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Trident Plat, DL Diamond, AI Maharajah
Posts: 29,725
Feb 27, 2020, 2:05 am
#207
Join Date: May 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 3,952
Thanks for clarifying! I had wondered if a reservation could be secured on outright points (for ease of booking online) and later switched out to the equivalent Travel Pkg.
Feb 27, 2020, 12:54 pm
#208
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: DL DM 2MM, Marriott LT Titanium, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 15,281
https://points-redemption.marriott.com/category-change
^it’s only showing properties ‘changing’ from next week right now albeit, but you can search by region etc.
^it’s only showing properties ‘changing’ from next week right now albeit, but you can search by region etc.
Feb 27, 2020, 10:16 pm
#209
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,804
In light of the ongoing Wuhan virus, if a travel package cert booking has to cancel due to elevated travel alerts issued by CDC such as right now Italy is at level 2, for example if it is raised to level 3... can the travel package cert booking be canceled and the 7 nights cert refunded?
Feb 28, 2020, 12:39 am
#210
Company Representative, Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: Feb 2019
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy
Posts: 1,111
Best Regards,
Abbey L
Specialist, Social Media
Marriott International
[email protected]