Do Priceline/Expedia better reflect the value of hotel points.

I just reserved through Priceline for $155 (including taxes and fees) a 3 night Marriott Suites stay - if reserved through points this would have been 50,000 points. This works to less than 1/3 cent per point.

That is a tremendous price for a Marriott Suites. It really depends on how you use your points in order to assign a value to them...I tend to EARN at the cheaper properties and SPEND at the more costly ones. For example...I recently stayed 5 nights at the Paris Marriott on award points....it cost me 100,000 points....this hotel would normally cost somewhere around $300/night. This would convert to 1.5 cents per point.....I usually use 1 cent for Marriott points and 3 cents for Starwood points.

Marriott Rewards redemptions for me have been consistently valued between 1 and 1.5 cents per point. I redeem mostly lower to midrange awards, and I've never squeezed much more than 1.5 or 1.7 cents out of a Marriott point (based on the best rate I could get paying for a room). However, considering the fact that Marriott gives me 12 (I'm Silver) per dollar spent, that is a pretty good reward.

As for the Marriott for $50 a night: What property and what nights? Did Priceline make you jump through any other hoops to get the rate? (apply for a credit card, etc.) Obviously, incredible deals show up once in a while, just take 'em and smile. Of course, Priceline stays probably don't earn points or count toward status.

You'd never value your airline miles based on a $100 cheapie ticket you got on the Internet, so you shouldn't do the same with hotel points either.

Priceline did not make me jump through any hoops or apply for a credit card. I went to Sheryl's site and found that there is a $20 bonus if you reserve with an Amex card. True I do not get points or credit for elite status with Priceline stays (though some people report exceptions sometime), but neither do award stays, so I think it is a fair comparison. The property was Las Vegas Marriott for Thanksgiving weekend, the cheapest rate on the web site is $129/night plus tax.

Aaaahhh...Vegas! I've never been able to quite figure out the quirkiness of the Las Vegas hotel market. I go there about twice a year (once during March Madness and usually once during football season or at New Year's) and *usually* get into the Treasure Island for around $69 a night. Or, I'll upgrade to the mini-suite on the top floor for $89. But...once in a while, I'll search and search and won't find anything on the nice part of the strip (TI or farther south) for under $120. I've never stayed at a Marriott in Vegas, but it sounds like a winner at that rate...