Feb 25, 2022, 8:38 am
Last edit by: goodeats21
*** It seems the Free Night Certificate + Points "top-off" redemption went live on April 29 or 30th 2022 - Discussions here: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marr...on-thread.html ***
Starting March 29, our new flexible point redemption rates will go into effect. That means free nights will align more closely with nightly rates and availability. For stay dates in 2022, you can expect that nearly all of our hotels will have the same minimum and maximum number of points required for redemption — similarly to how they were previously categorized.
All the ways you earn points will not change — you’ll just have more flexibility when you’re ready to redeem.
Plus, starting at the end of April, you can combine your Free Night Award with up to 15,000 points to access more hotels you’ll love.
Our current redemption process will remain in place through March 28. After that, you will not see hotel categories (1–8) or redemption rates classified as Off-Peak, Standard, or Peak. At the same time, as part of our yearly redemption assessment process (similar to our annual category changes in previous years), the minimum point redemption rates will increase for approximately 200 hotels on March 29 — that’s less than 3% of all hotels. You can explore this list of hotels and decide when and where to maximize your free nights.
With our flexible cancellation policy, you can reserve your redemption stay and still modify your reservation if you find a lower rate in the future.
Want to learn more? Check out all our flexible point redemption rates FAQs.
When there is a redemption points rate drop, this info about how to modify award reservations -- on the website, not the app:
If you click to modify the existing reservation, and select to edit payment, it will adjust the points and keep the same reservation
HT to Schnit
Starting March 29, our new flexible point redemption rates will go into effect. That means free nights will align more closely with nightly rates and availability. For stay dates in 2022, you can expect that nearly all of our hotels will have the same minimum and maximum number of points required for redemption — similarly to how they were previously categorized.
All the ways you earn points will not change — you’ll just have more flexibility when you’re ready to redeem.
Plus, starting at the end of April, you can combine your Free Night Award with up to 15,000 points to access more hotels you’ll love.
Our current redemption process will remain in place through March 28. After that, you will not see hotel categories (1–8) or redemption rates classified as Off-Peak, Standard, or Peak. At the same time, as part of our yearly redemption assessment process (similar to our annual category changes in previous years), the minimum point redemption rates will increase for approximately 200 hotels on March 29 — that’s less than 3% of all hotels. You can explore this list of hotels and decide when and where to maximize your free nights.
With our flexible cancellation policy, you can reserve your redemption stay and still modify your reservation if you find a lower rate in the future.
Want to learn more? Check out all our flexible point redemption rates FAQs.
When there is a redemption points rate drop, this info about how to modify award reservations -- on the website, not the app:
If you click to modify the existing reservation, and select to edit payment, it will adjust the points and keep the same reservation
HT to Schnit
29 Mar 2022 : Introduction of Dynamic award pricing and removal of award chart
Mar 23, 2023, 4:25 am
#706
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,895
With the higher point totals for aspirational properties, seemingly pricing out all FNC. Where are the sweet spots to you all? I don’t love the idea of using FNC plus 15k for a hotel I used to get with my 35k FNC and it appears from the random cities and dates I’ve chosen most FNC are for Springhill, Residence Inn etc. I know one can still save money ie pay $95 but hotel costs $200. Is it worth it for a Residence Inn? I’m not sure I have quite a few Marriott cards between wife and I. Not sure the FNCs are worth it, I was already having doubts in 21. Now it’s worse. Just curious what others think.
On the other end of the spectrum, 85K FNCs are very solid for upper upscale and luxury stays. 50K FNC, plus 15K, also work - but the cards attached to those FNCs are not that good
Mar 23, 2023, 8:20 am
#707
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,459
With the higher point totals for aspirational properties, seemingly pricing out all FNC. Where are the sweet spots to you all? I don’t love the idea of using FNC plus 15k for a hotel I used to get with my 35k FNC and it appears from the random cities and dates I’ve chosen most FNC are for Springhill, Residence Inn etc. I know one can still save money ie pay $95 but hotel costs $200. Is it worth it for a Residence Inn? I’m not sure I have quite a few Marriott cards between wife and I. Not sure the FNCs are worth it, I was already having doubts in 21. Now it’s worse. Just curious what others think.
They're generally not useful for aspirational redemptions, but if you're a frequent traveler, it's not at all hard to burn them for well over 1 cpp (i.e., $350+ value). Considering the $95 annual fee, that's not bad.
Last edited by Kacee; Mar 23, 2023 at 8:25 am
Mar 23, 2023, 11:01 am
#709
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: MB Titanium, HH Diamond, IHG Diamond Amb, UA Silver
Posts: 185
35k plus topups can be used on luxury properties in markets outside of US. From my experience though, 50k FNC is harder to utilize fully ever since there was an award chart.
Mar 23, 2023, 4:30 pm
#710
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 83
All those make sense. I’m mostly looking at next year for my 40th bday road trip. We won’t be out of the country next year as we are doing multiple international trips this year. Plus we will have a dog, which hurts some but not a ton. From my pov I was using FNC for more luxury stays and not to just stay in a Courtyard or Residence inn that I stay in 2 months out of the year when traveling for work. There were quite a few high end properties that started at 110k which prices out all FNCs. I looked at a few cities that had some 45k nights. Just a huge loss in value when those rooms didn’t need 10k in points a year ago.
Sadly for Marriott to change more travelers have to quit just accepting their changes. I know I’m one person and don’t make a difference to them, but seriously considering giving up Titanium status and FNC to be a true free agent instead of trying to pick Marriott or Hyatt as backup.
I say all that but who knows if I’ll do it. I do love saving $. I just wonder after this month how bad it’s going to get. I think the high ends updating points is just the start. I expect them to slow play it hoping not to get too much bad PR.
thanks for your input
Sadly for Marriott to change more travelers have to quit just accepting their changes. I know I’m one person and don’t make a difference to them, but seriously considering giving up Titanium status and FNC to be a true free agent instead of trying to pick Marriott or Hyatt as backup.
I say all that but who knows if I’ll do it. I do love saving $. I just wonder after this month how bad it’s going to get. I think the high ends updating points is just the start. I expect them to slow play it hoping not to get too much bad PR.
thanks for your input
Mar 23, 2023, 7:51 pm
#711
Join Date: Mar 2023
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 27
Glad I booked the St Regis Maldives a few weeks ago at 480k for 5 nights peak pricing.. they are now pricing it at 600k points for 5 nights in peak. What was capped at 120k points a night is now capping at 150k points a night. Seems all the other Maldives properties have been raised (Ritz is less than STR) as well as other top resorts that used to max at 120k a night.....
Mar 24, 2023, 1:37 am
#713
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: USA
Programs: MB Ambassador, WOH Globalist, HH Diamond (Aspire), AA Gold, UA (*G) Gold
Posts: 5,165
Points increases are obviously a shame, but cash prices in some areas are so crazy. I spent 60K on an upcoming booking for the Vancouver Marriott because cash prices were close to 570 USD (just like everything else in Vancouver in June). Regardless, I'm excited to visit the city almost a year after my first visit (which was the first city I visited outside of the US)!
Mar 24, 2023, 4:17 am
#714
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CPH
Programs: UAMP S, TK M&S E (*G), Marriott LTP, IHG P, SK EBG
Posts: 11,095
I did the same last May too. 16.5k per night at Surrey Sheraton and cash price was 275++ so the total cost would end up like $320 or so (taxes don't give you points). Biggest bang for the bucks.
Mar 24, 2023, 6:11 am
#715
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 112
Mar 24, 2023, 8:56 am
#716
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,895
Points increases are obviously a shame, but cash prices in some areas are so crazy. I spent 60K on an upcoming booking for the Vancouver Marriott because cash prices were close to 570 USD (just like everything else in Vancouver in June). Regardless, I'm excited to visit the city almost a year after my first visit (which was the first city I visited outside of the US)!
Mar 24, 2023, 11:36 am
#717
Join Date: Mar 2023
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 27
I just stayed at Mpxy Miami South beach in mid Feb for 40K points a night. Cash rates were about $500. I was happy with this.
Mar 25, 2023, 11:41 am
#719
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: FLG
Programs: AA ExP, UA Platinum, Marriott Platinum, IHG PlatInum
Posts: 88
Who decides how many points it costs at each hotel for a free night?
Who decides how many points it costs for a free night? Marriott or the individual hotel? Back when there was a redemption chart, the answer was always Marriott. But now with dynamic pricing, this is a valid question. The purpose of the question is to know who I should be angry at!
I was trying to use to use points advance before it goes away and made a reservation on March 8th for a 10 day stay at the AC Marriott in downtown Tucson, AZ, in late October. At the time, I had 127k points and I needed 239k. I had the option to transfer points from my wife’s account (she had 23k), Chase Sapphire still had their deal for a 50% bonus for transfers to Marriott (I had 44k points so that would be a 66k point transfer) and I had 41k points coming to me when my Amex Bonvoy card would post points. That would’ve brought me to 257k points by today (March 25th), which I felt was a safe buffer for any potential increase in points in the 18 days it would take me to collect all those points. I kept track of the reservation and saw that the points required were creeping up (it was at 241k just a few days after I made the booking and 247k about 4 days ago). When I confirmed this morning that I had the 257k points in place, I went into my account to redeem the points, only to find out than in the last 4 days the points needed jumped up by 20k, so I now needed 267k points to complete the booking! I ended up buying the 10k points right away, since at that rate, who knows how many I’d need by the time I organically earned those extra 10k points. Thankfully there was a 25% discount on the point, so it was only a slightly outrageous purchase!
Am I being unreasonably upset for a 28k redemption increase in 18 days for a reservation at the end of October? This is an AC Marriott after all, not the JW Marriott resort a few miles away!
Btw, before someone jumps at me for transferring UR points to Marriott and that not being an optimal transfer, just know that I had no other use for those points and they were more valuable to me to use for that reservation. FWIW, the lowest refundable price for a paid stay for the same days is $3700, so an almost 1.4c/point redemption is not too bad in my book. There were some cheaper options around Tucson (both in points and money), but the AC Downtown was the most convenient location for our plans.
I was trying to use to use points advance before it goes away and made a reservation on March 8th for a 10 day stay at the AC Marriott in downtown Tucson, AZ, in late October. At the time, I had 127k points and I needed 239k. I had the option to transfer points from my wife’s account (she had 23k), Chase Sapphire still had their deal for a 50% bonus for transfers to Marriott (I had 44k points so that would be a 66k point transfer) and I had 41k points coming to me when my Amex Bonvoy card would post points. That would’ve brought me to 257k points by today (March 25th), which I felt was a safe buffer for any potential increase in points in the 18 days it would take me to collect all those points. I kept track of the reservation and saw that the points required were creeping up (it was at 241k just a few days after I made the booking and 247k about 4 days ago). When I confirmed this morning that I had the 257k points in place, I went into my account to redeem the points, only to find out than in the last 4 days the points needed jumped up by 20k, so I now needed 267k points to complete the booking! I ended up buying the 10k points right away, since at that rate, who knows how many I’d need by the time I organically earned those extra 10k points. Thankfully there was a 25% discount on the point, so it was only a slightly outrageous purchase!
Am I being unreasonably upset for a 28k redemption increase in 18 days for a reservation at the end of October? This is an AC Marriott after all, not the JW Marriott resort a few miles away!
Btw, before someone jumps at me for transferring UR points to Marriott and that not being an optimal transfer, just know that I had no other use for those points and they were more valuable to me to use for that reservation. FWIW, the lowest refundable price for a paid stay for the same days is $3700, so an almost 1.4c/point redemption is not too bad in my book. There were some cheaper options around Tucson (both in points and money), but the AC Downtown was the most convenient location for our plans.
Mar 25, 2023, 11:55 am
#720
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,459
Btw, if you'd waited, there's a very good chance that at some point the price would have gone back down. One of the features of dynamic pricing is frequent swings in redemption rates. Keep watching and if the price goes down you can rebook and get points refunded. Many of us have gotten multiple points refunds on a single reservation as the price progressively drops.