Feb 5, 20, 11:22 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 years category changes will take effect on March 4 giving our members a months 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 weve 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 5, 20, 4:13 pm
#46
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Diamond, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,658
The 35K night certificates are basically only useful for "utilitarian" stays nowadays. I have a few of those a year that range from $125 to $175. But should I keep a $95 card just for that certificate? Probably not. So the Amex Marriott Bonvoy will get cancelled shortly given I already have the Brilliant
The 50K cert with the Brilliant can be used for far more hotels, but it will be harder to maximize. Still I will keep the card for now for the 15 nights. At some point I will apply for the Chase card and cancel the Brilliant.
Some of the changes reduce the appeal of off peak redemption - the luxury properties in Barcelona are pricing around $365 a night right now, and cost 50,000 in the current categories (off peak). Those same properties go to 70,000 points off peak, taking the offseason value per point down to 0.05.
The 50K cert with the Brilliant can be used for far more hotels, but it will be harder to maximize. Still I will keep the card for now for the 15 nights. At some point I will apply for the Chase card and cancel the Brilliant.
Some of the changes reduce the appeal of off peak redemption - the luxury properties in Barcelona are pricing around $365 a night right now, and cost 50,000 in the current categories (off peak). Those same properties go to 70,000 points off peak, taking the offseason value per point down to 0.05.
Feb 5, 20, 4:18 pm
#47
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: SFO/YYZ
Programs: AC 25K, AS MVP Gold, BA Bronze, DL Silver, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,338
hotels that will drop a category:
St Regis Tianjin, China (it’s a rather grand property with old world glamour), cat 3 from 4
Sanya Autograph Collection, China, cat 3 from 4
Taipei Sheraton, Taiwan, cat 4 from 5
Hong Kong W, cat 7 from 8
Hotels that have remained unchanged thankfully:
St Regis Shanghai, cat 5
St Regis Osaka, cat 7
Hotels that should have dropped but did not:
St Regis Toronto, cat 7
Sheraton Centre Toronto, cat 5
Hate to see the following moving up:
Westin Kyoto from 5 to 6
Ritz Carlton Macau from 6 to 7
St Regis Tianjin, China (it’s a rather grand property with old world glamour), cat 3 from 4
Sanya Autograph Collection, China, cat 3 from 4
Taipei Sheraton, Taiwan, cat 4 from 5
Hong Kong W, cat 7 from 8
Hotels that have remained unchanged thankfully:
St Regis Shanghai, cat 5
St Regis Osaka, cat 7
Hotels that should have dropped but did not:
St Regis Toronto, cat 7
Sheraton Centre Toronto, cat 5
Hate to see the following moving up:
Westin Kyoto from 5 to 6
Ritz Carlton Macau from 6 to 7
Marriott Park Lane going to Cat8 is possibly the best example of the rapid price inflation that has occurred in the past 2-3 years. I stayed there at the end of 2017 for 5 nights for 180,000 points. That same stay now, a little over 2 years later, could be 400,000 points.
Feb 5, 20, 4:20 pm
#48
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Diamond, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,352
If you add the off-season category increases we're probably looking at a near 30% increase in one year. For those who particularly like the former SPG hotels what's worse is the removal of the last "no blackout" benefits from Starwood days are now completely gone forever, even if Marriott hasn't been policing it for the last year when hotels weren't following T&Cs anyways.
I really feel for people who still put a high proportion of their stays to Marriott. You are getting screwed and it is only going to go in one direction from here.
I really feel for people who still put a high proportion of their stays to Marriott. You are getting screwed and it is only going to go in one direction from here.
Feb 5, 20, 4:21 pm
#49
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: LAS ORD
Programs: AA Pro (mostly B6) OZ♦ (flying BR/UA), BA Silver Hyatt LT, Wynn Black, Cosmo Plat, Mlife Noir
Posts: 5,992
The inventory control could be a bigger deal than the category changes. As a 35k cert holder myself, I totally get the issue about how much harder it is to use - but I fear the inventory controls may well be what limits cert usage even more than the category changes.
Feb 5, 20, 4:24 pm
#50
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Diamond, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,658
I still put a large majority of my paid work stays to Marriott - why? Because they have more hotels located where I need to travel, they have a number of hotels I like (regardless of the loyalty program), and most importantly, it is easy to earn points for Hilton and Hyatt stays through credit card spend while it is less so for Marriott... These changes are negative but they won't really change my behavior
Feb 5, 20, 4:36 pm
#51
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: SFO/YYZ
Programs: AC 25K, AS MVP Gold, BA Bronze, DL Silver, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,338
I'm going to Langkawi later this year. Hyatt and Hilton? Literally nothing.
Also, as someone with 0 business travel, Marriott Platinum is attainable and Globalist just isn't, especially since Hyatt decided to let their cobranded card be put under 5/24 so there's no way for me to get a boost from that.
I wish Hyatt had been the one to buy SPG.
Feb 5, 20, 4:40 pm
#52
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,510
Before this annual change we have already decided not to keep 2 AMEX in the household. Now may not be any come renewal time!
The Chase grandfathered business card is $30 cheaper than the AMEX version and its FN cert posts promptly at anniversary instead of 8 to 12 weeks on the AMEX cards, that some folks still dont see theirs after that period has passed.
Feb 5, 20, 4:42 pm
#53
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: California
Posts: 241
Wow, what a brutal devaluation--the inventory controls are even worse in my case because that was the only realistic way for me to wring any value out of free nights: stay somewhere something's going on based on the category rate rather than the marked up rate. Those days are gone.
Feb 5, 20, 4:44 pm
#54
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: California
Posts: 241
I expect the inventory controls to be abused to hell and back and points redemptions to be nigh impossible for anyplace remotely desirable to stay.
Feb 5, 20, 5:12 pm
#55
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA 1MM, AS MVPG, Bonvoyed Gold, Honors Dia, Hyatt Explorer, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 15,007
That is basically the conclusion I am coming to. The potential annual savings are not worth keeping the account around. My Chase Bonvoy Boundless card will not be renewed.
Feb 5, 20, 5:27 pm
#56
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: North America
Posts: 2,260
Feb 5, 20, 5:30 pm
#57
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Atlanta but Washington DC will always be home.
Programs: Marriott Ambassador & LTP, Hilton Diamond, Accor Gold, Airlines with non-stops to where I'm going
Posts: 2,039
I agree. I don't trust Marriott to do a good job policing the number of total dates per hotel on which there are controls. I imagine it'll be very hard going forward to get redemptions at popular hotels, in popular locations, on popular dates/high seasons....Just when one can (could?) truly maximize points value.
Feb 5, 20, 5:42 pm
#58
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 7,973
so many new cat 8s, a cat 9 cant be far behind.
brutal for certs but even more brutal for cat 6 or cat 7. Ive already defected,
at least they gave notice, so I can book a couple soon to be cat 8s.
brutal for certs but even more brutal for cat 6 or cat 7. Ive already defected,
at least they gave notice, so I can book a couple soon to be cat 8s.
Feb 5, 20, 6:23 pm
#59
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,404
Feb 5, 20, 6:50 pm
#60
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
I see many nice properties moving down. Several JW's, the LM Ile des pins, a bunch of Luxury collections, the Pres Wilson is always very expensive, a bunch of nice W's, etc.
