Rumor: 2014 Marriott Rewards Hotel Category Changes?
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: All over
Programs: Most
Posts: 10,839
Sorry, but this is absolute nonsense. Properties gets reimbursed very little for the award stays. Any award will lower the hotels ADR (may have slightly positive gain to RevPAR if the room would have otherwise gone unsold).
#32
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Thailand
Programs: Marriott - P; HH - G; Hyatt - P; Avis - LT First
Posts: 5,023
#33
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: BDU
Programs: DL:MM, Marriott:LTT
Posts: 8,779
The quote you posted was referencing MegaBonus. Instead of earning certs, one can choose to earn points. Example: Stay 20 nights, earn 35k points. Stay an additional five nights and earn 15k more, for a total of 50k points.
The CC annual benefit is a cert, not points.
Some people have had success asking Marriott to convert a cert into points. For example, if someone has a Cat 5 cert that is about to expire, Marriott may turn it into 25k points to keep someone from losing the earned premium. It seems Marriott did this more frequently in the past and may have clamped down on this in the past couple years. Of course, the only way to know if it will work would be to call Marriott and ask.
#34
Join Date: Oct 2001
Programs: LTP, PP
Posts: 8,700
Please, we've been through this before, every year.
For every 10 properties that go down a level, 100 will move up. Unless the number of properties moving up equal the number moving down, the annual "re balancing" excuse to even redemptions out is simple lip service!
For every 10 properties that go down a level, 100 will move up. Unless the number of properties moving up equal the number moving down, the annual "re balancing" excuse to even redemptions out is simple lip service!
Last edited by joshua362; Oct 21, 2013 at 3:48 pm
#35
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,315
Maybe the credit cards aren't being renewed like they used to as the cert is of more limited value.
#36
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: DL DM 2MM, Marriott LT Titanium, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 15,202
Call me cynical, but I'll believe it when I see it. Even putting a few hotels back to Cat5 won't make up for the massive increase in levels, while the MR Visa cert remained at 1-5.
If the Visa cert doesn't get updated to 1-6 next year I'm canceling.
If the Visa cert doesn't get updated to 1-6 next year I'm canceling.
#37
Join Date: Oct 2001
Programs: LTP, PP
Posts: 8,700
I just got a "happy anniversary" post card from Chase a few days ago telling me to look out for my free certificate in 6-8 weeks and its only for Cat 1 - 5...
#38
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Cockeysville, MD
Programs: Marriott Rewards Lifetime Titanium, Amex Plat, Hertz Gold 5*, National Exec, AA Plat
Posts: 9,467
#39
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 25
You are confusing a few different things...
The quote you posted was referencing MegaBonus. Instead of earning certs, one can choose to earn points. Example: Stay 20 nights, earn 35k points. Stay an additional five nights and earn 15k more, for a total of 50k points.
The CC annual benefit is a cert, not points.
Some people have had success asking Marriott to convert a cert into points. For example, if someone has a Cat 5 cert that is about to expire, Marriott may turn it into 25k points to keep someone from losing the earned premium. It seems Marriott did this more frequently in the past and may have clamped down on this in the past couple years. Of course, the only way to know if it will work would be to call Marriott and ask.
The quote you posted was referencing MegaBonus. Instead of earning certs, one can choose to earn points. Example: Stay 20 nights, earn 35k points. Stay an additional five nights and earn 15k more, for a total of 50k points.
The CC annual benefit is a cert, not points.
Some people have had success asking Marriott to convert a cert into points. For example, if someone has a Cat 5 cert that is about to expire, Marriott may turn it into 25k points to keep someone from losing the earned premium. It seems Marriott did this more frequently in the past and may have clamped down on this in the past couple years. Of course, the only way to know if it will work would be to call Marriott and ask.
#40
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Thailand
Programs: Marriott - P; HH - G; Hyatt - P; Avis - LT First
Posts: 5,023
yes, we ALL know this......
I think if you look back a few posts you'll notice that the poster was speculating that Chase Visa would change the annual to a Cat 1-6 (or he threatened to CXL) which the next poster confirmed was not coming to fruitition as it remains a Cat 1-5 so it was not a question, but a confirmation....
I think if you look back a few posts you'll notice that the poster was speculating that Chase Visa would change the annual to a Cat 1-6 (or he threatened to CXL) which the next poster confirmed was not coming to fruitition as it remains a Cat 1-5 so it was not a question, but a confirmation....
#41
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Cockeysville, MD
Programs: Marriott Rewards Lifetime Titanium, Amex Plat, Hertz Gold 5*, National Exec, AA Plat
Posts: 9,467
yes, we ALL know this......
I think if you look back a few posts you'll notice that the poster was speculating that Chase Visa would change the annual to a Cat 1-6 (or he threatened to CXL) which the next poster confirmed was not coming to fruitition as it remains a Cat 1-5 so it was not a question, but a confirmation....
I think if you look back a few posts you'll notice that the poster was speculating that Chase Visa would change the annual to a Cat 1-6 (or he threatened to CXL) which the next poster confirmed was not coming to fruitition as it remains a Cat 1-5 so it was not a question, but a confirmation....
#42
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: United 1K, MR Plat, SPG Plat
Posts: 804
As many have seen this year room rates have been steadily raising at Marriotts Worldwide, even on the weekends. Marriott's room rates were up 5.3% in the first quarter 2013 and 4.3% in the 2nd quarter 2013. Arne Sorenson expects the trend on raising room rates to continue in the third and fourth quarters. While I think we will see a lot of hotel category moves announced in March 2014 as a result of increased demand, I am more worried the raising room rates may result in a massive devaluation of our points in 2014 by MR increasing the points required for an award night across all rewards categories. Hopefully, my worries are unfounded.
Regards,
RIP...
Regards,
RIP...
#43
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Van down by the river
Programs: UA GS, AA EXP, Marriott PP/LT Plat, Golden Circle Diamond
Posts: 718
Although I would like to see Marriott either downgrade some hotels to lower tiers I'm very skeptical if they will do it. I do think they are being unfair for CC holders as the Cat 1-5 cert is near useless for many in the US. In essence, with the tier increase in so many hotels it's basically deceptive advertising since in most practival terms, a Cat 5 cert is now the equivalent of a Cat 4....
Once I'm done traveling as much as I do, I will cancel my Marriott CC as the only value to justify the annual fee was the cert. I put every purchase on my Marriott CC along with all my stays. With a useless cert I'll just put everything on my airline FF card.
So from my perspective this will end up costing Marriott some of my money.
Once I'm done traveling as much as I do, I will cancel my Marriott CC as the only value to justify the annual fee was the cert. I put every purchase on my Marriott CC along with all my stays. With a useless cert I'll just put everything on my airline FF card.
So from my perspective this will end up costing Marriott some of my money.
#44
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Thailand
Programs: Marriott - P; HH - G; Hyatt - P; Avis - LT First
Posts: 5,023
you may cost Chase Visa some income but CXLing the card won't cost Marriott a dime...........
Once I'm done traveling as much as I do, I will cancel my Marriott CC as the only value to justify the annual fee was the cert. I put every purchase on my Marriott CC along with all my stays. With a useless cert I'll just put everything on my airline FF card.
So from my perspective this will end up costing Marriott some of my money.
So from my perspective this will end up costing Marriott some of my money.
#45
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
and Cat 5s and below usually will cost more then $85 for a night, the only question is if a person will find a cat5 or below to stay at where they need 1, just alot less full service hotels but thats not a problem for me