100% agree on everything.

Regardless of which package you hold, at worst you haven't received as good of a deal as some have, but at the very least you're in the same situation now that you were before in terms of points spent. There are no losers here.

People have had unrealistic expectations all along, the blogs were advertising the travel packages as if they were the deal of the century and now people are disappointed because they're only getting what they've paid for. If people had based their decision on logic rather than speculation then no one would be complaining.

Case in point:
So you bought an old Category 8 package (40k points per night) hoping to use it at the new Category 6 properties (50k points per night), and now you're upset because Marriott won't let you. How dare they!

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Something is f’ed up, but it wasn’t announced today.

Yes, Marriott withheld information. And yes, Marriott sold packages until the final moment. But what package sold certificates that lost value in terms of points? An Old Cat 8 certificate cost exactly 240k points in the retired packages, and a New Cat 5 certificate costs exactly 240k points in the new packages.

Did the certificate lose value in terms of redemption power? Possibly and probably but not indisputably yes. I understand many are irked or pissed. But your response highlights what I feel is a slight confusion of where anger should be directed. My prior analogy might not be perfect, but the point I was trying to make is this: there is a massive devaluation of Marriott’s top-end redemptions.

In prior years and category reclassifications, if a T1-3 property became a T4-5, a T1-3 certificate had no right to book the reclassified T4-5. The new categories effectively added what can best be visualized as a T6, T7, and T8. Again, yes, you had the most expensive “top tier certificate,” but Marriott made the prior top tier mid tier. The T4-5 certificate has no claim to book a newly enacted T6, T7, or T8.

I do not think Marriott’s timing in announcing the changes was intended to fleece us. I think the intent was the same as the implementation of the delayed Category 8 and peak pricing. It wants to distract from the massive devaluation of Marriott’s top-end properties.

Perhaps I could articulate it better when I said some were hopeful for windfalls. But there are two separate issues. First, the massive devaluation is plain. The buying power of your points, as a applied to top-tier properties, was nerfed. Second, the mapping of old to new certs was a mystery. The buying power of your certs was uncertain, but the hopeful windfall I’m talking about was thinking that a “fair” mapping would exempt you from the massive devaluation.

No old category or tier maps to the new top tier, either in the travel package conversion or otherwise. As mentioned above, Marriott made the prior top tier mid tier. “now top tier has been moved to, what... tippy top tier to screw anyone who shelled out a s-load of points?!?!?” Yes, tippy top tier. But not to screw anyone who shelled out points but as a byproduct of the massive devaluation. “historically these packages have been extendable for at least a year past initial expiration, and a 540,000 point package was always going to get you the top tier in the program.” That was the old program. “we were told by marriott reps that top spg would be bookable at top tier.” This to me explains why Cat 8 is delayed because it does remain true as of today.

Here's another way to look at this: how much would the package that you received through the conversion cost you if you were to buy it today, compared to how much you paid for it before the conversion?

Here's a quick chart I made in 2 minutes. For simplicity's sake I used the 100k packages since the 120k packages don't exist anymore, but that works to your advantage since the extra 20k miles only cost you 20k Marriott points.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...91205fc6d0.png

So regardless of which package you received, if you were to buy that same package today you would be paying at the very least 50k more points.

Of course you can argue that the new packages aren't as good of a deal and you wouldn't have bought them at today's prices, but my point is that instead of worrying about how much better the conversion could have been, you should be content that you bought one of the old packages while it was still possible to do so because all of them were a better deal than what you'll get from now on.

Just to add... this will by my last year as an SPG platinum or Marriott platinum elite or whatever. That isn't based on today's announcement. That is based on the devaluation of the program. SPG, I loved you! Legacy Marriott travel packages, I'll miss you, too!

I feel sorry not for those who have "lost out" as a result of the travel packages, but for the front line call centre and hotel employees who will in the coming days and weeks bear the brunt of many disgruntled Marriott/SPG members who feel cheated (rightly or wrongly).

Please remember that its not those on the front line who made these decisions but management, so regardless of how you feel now, its another human being on the other side who will be dealing with your claims.

SPG is gone, the new program is here, but the sun will come up tomorrow and life will go on.

Screw Marriott. I got lucky and bought cat 5 and 7 certainly. I feel for the 6 and 8 people. Hilton all the way! Marriott are bloody backstabbing .......s.

I feel for the people who upgraded their packages, just to end up with the same category after conversion.

Did anyone try cancelling a hotel reservation that has an e-certificate attached ? My old cat 7 cert is attached to SpringHill Suites Zion National Park which is now new cat 6 and I'm wondering if a new cat 6 cert will be returned to me if I cancel the reservation.

Old Cat 7 will be new Cat 5. Why would you expect anything otherwise?