Do you spend $375 to $436 for Marriott hotel rooms often?
Nov 25, 2020, 10:04 pm
#31
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: SFO/YYZ
Programs: AC 25K, AS MVP Gold, BA Bronze, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,467
I just became platinum this year, and the breakfasts, lounge drinks and food have been something my wife and I have enjoyed a lot. I doubt we would have stayed in those Bonvoy hotels otherwise. With cash rates so low, the Japanese gov. subsity, and all kinds of point bonuses being thrown in, there have been a couple of properties it feels like I might have made money there. I think I earned 10,000 points on $100 spend at one place.
Also to weigh in on the actual thread topic, at this point I think most of my leisure stays paid with cash are hitting and exceeding 375 now, and even on point stays I often try to negotiate paid upgrades, for example just agreed to pay 45,000 JPY ++ per night for a 5 night award stay at RC Nikko to secure a Lake Chuzenji suite.
I don't travel for work. If I did, I am sure my average spend would be well below those numbers. But since it's all for leisure I generally just pay whatever I have to in order to stay where I want to stay. I try to leverage buying points to reduce the costs when possible, and fifth night free really helps with that when I do stay for that length of time, but in general if I want to stay at Suiran Kyoto in a suite and it's 160k JPY a night for a couple nights, then I'm just going to pay it if that's what it comes to. Obviously all within reason, since there are places I would obviously like to always stay but I don't feel they're actually worth the high rate they demand (Aman Tokyo), so maybe after staying there one time to experience it I go back to something more reasonable (Prince Gallery).
Last edited by nexusCFX; Nov 25, 2020 at 10:11 pm
Nov 26, 2020, 12:08 pm
#32
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: Delta Skymiles
Posts: 1,982
I mostly travel for leisure now, that has changed. I find that COVID has made me much less reliant on nebulous elite benefits, and more wanting to know EXACTLY what I am going to receive for said benefits, and what is available in the room.
If anything I think it has pushed my costs per hotel DOWN, because I have no interest in staying at an Autograph Collection property say, when the Townplace Suites nearby is just as clean, new, and has a kitchen, or at least full size refrigerator and stovetop.
Long term, will I go back to wanting to be in the big city flagship hotels (i.e. Sheraton Centre Toronto)? Perhaps I will, I don’t know. I do feel like I will be flying much less after the pandemic. I’ve learned to enjoy and see the perks of driving vs. flying for me, for example.
In terms of this, I guess what will likely happen is my stay nights would be at express properties and then my points will be at higher end properties. But who knows.
If anything I think it has pushed my costs per hotel DOWN, because I have no interest in staying at an Autograph Collection property say, when the Townplace Suites nearby is just as clean, new, and has a kitchen, or at least full size refrigerator and stovetop.
Long term, will I go back to wanting to be in the big city flagship hotels (i.e. Sheraton Centre Toronto)? Perhaps I will, I don’t know. I do feel like I will be flying much less after the pandemic. I’ve learned to enjoy and see the perks of driving vs. flying for me, for example.
In terms of this, I guess what will likely happen is my stay nights would be at express properties and then my points will be at higher end properties. But who knows.
Nov 26, 2020, 2:33 pm
#33
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: MCO
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Platinum / Titanium, AA Executive Platinum
Posts: 959
You mean the SPG days where there was always low/high season pricing, and the high end was 35K SPG which after the MR conversion is 105k Marriott/Bonvoy, just above Marriott's current highest rate. Not to mention SPG earned way fewer points per dollar.
Marriott's high end properties which previously topped out at 45K Marriott a night (or 70K for RC) are by far the majority of the ones that spiked in price post-merger, not SPG.
Maybe if by SPG days, you mean the days of transferring points from the SPG AMEX at 3:1 to redeem at pre-merger Marriott Cat9, then yeah, it's a lot worse than the "SPG days"
. I definitely do miss paying 15K SPG a night at the Marriott Park Lane.
Marriott's high end properties which previously topped out at 45K Marriott a night (or 70K for RC) are by far the majority of the ones that spiked in price post-merger, not SPG.
Maybe if by SPG days, you mean the days of transferring points from the SPG AMEX at 3:1 to redeem at pre-merger Marriott Cat9, then yeah, it's a lot worse than the "SPG days"
. I definitely do miss paying 15K SPG a night at the Marriott Park Lane.However, the “SPG days” before the addition of higher categories often had some really sweet spots. For example, I stayed at the Westin Europa Regina in Venice for 10k SPG when it was 500 Euros per night. It went up a couple categories pre-merger and now is cat 8 as it was re-branded at St Regis.
Marriott earned more points than SPG per $ as base points for non-elite, but if you were SPG platinum 75, used the SPG Amex, and took advantage of green choice and promotions, you could come out in comparable position, not to mention the upgrades and benefits were more generous.