Since last night, speculation about the new Starriott loyalty program has generated quite some buzz in this community (and many other travel related websites).

Although FTer generate significant value from Best Rate Guarantees or Look No Further Guarantees this aspect has not been widely discussed/speculated about yet.

Marriott has recently added the option to choose between a 25% rate reduction or 5,000 MR points, most certainly to match Starwood BRG and its 2,000 point option. The point option is great for low $$$ stays.I have a preference for how Starwood treats multi night stays. It is more transparent and usually results in greater savings than Marriott’s average rate policy which may lead to only a few nights being price-adjusted in the end.

I do not have a clear preference for either Starwood’s “the cheapest rate wins” approach vs. Marriott’s “we need to have (almost) matching T&C to honor a claim”. I have had good and bad experiences with both.

Then there’s the aspect of reply times, comparison site exclusions and what not.

What do you think the new LNF could/should be designed to align Marriott LNF and Starwood BRG?

It's probably not a coincidence that Marriott added the 5,000 point option. Maybe just maybe the powers that be thought it was a good idea whose time had come. But I'm betting that Marriott LNF will be the survivor, and the 5K points is the bone thrown at SPG loyalists.

If this is a hint in the direction Starriott is taking then this is not good. 5,000 MR points vs. 2,000 Starpoints (6,000 MR points) represents a c. 17% cut. I hope that this is not the overall devaluation figure we'll be looking at.

I don't know whether it's the "overall devaluation", but it certainly reflects that there will be no competition for providing points as a BRG perk.

That said, it surely must be cheaper to throw some points at those members who choose it, rather than a 25% discount.