My hunch (and hope) is that it'll be better.

I still think hotels will have ways of gaming the system, but overall I'm hopeful that availability will get better for "semi-peak" seasons in popular destinations.

So your solution is to use Stay Anytime Awards. My solution is to plan ahead and book that limited award availability. So the new redemption amounts mean I can book fewer stays, and my points are worth less.

Yes, as long as standard rooms are available.

Now, just in case you missed my previous posts. I have been expecting an increase in redemption levels for the past year, so these do not come as a surprise. Am I happy? Of course not, but since I felt these changes were around the corner, and since hotel rates have been so high the last few years, I have been redeeming more points than ever. By January 15 I will have all of my points cashed in for stays next year, and on a going forward basis I will start using points for 10, 15, 20, and 25 night stays instead of 7, 14 and 21 nights. Being Platinum there is much less of an impact on me.

One good thing that will come from this is it makes attaining Platinum that much more important, and after the myriad of discussions in the past year about the differences between Gold and Plat not being worth going for Plat; I would say that is no longer the case.

If you are taking this serious, let me tell you what happened to me as a current MVC owner... I went to our home resort this summer and was sold on buying another week to greatly enhance the use of trading in for points option, and at the time I asked about future value of points, reasured that if any change to our program members would go balistic! So anyway we liked the deal put down 10% and got a delayed closing....now the rules have changed.... it is not feasable to trade for points at the current rate!! So now I do not want to close, but doing so I lose my 10% downpayment plus all the bonus points that were to be promised at closing call it another 10% worth in points...how is this fair why would I close on a contract when the contract changes.... IF Marriott is going to charge more points to stay in a unit like mine, how come when we trade for points we as owners of the property are not entitled to the same adjusted rate increase! It really doesnt matter to me how many points it takes to stay in a property, but as an owner we should take equal part in rise or decline in the valuation of points..

We now have Bill Marriott's personal answer in his blog

---------------------------

http://www.blogs.marriott.com/default.asp?item=2289279

For the most part, the feedback from our members has been very positive, but from some, it has not been. I have read your comments on the Marriott Rewards Insiders community and your letters, too. It's a balancing act anytime we make a change, but I believe these changes will benefit the majority of members.

----------------------------

So that's it then - looks like it is just tough for us loyal members who have had their accrued points devalued.

The changes "benefit" most members so we just have to accept that some members have greater weight than others. Sad that it is the occasional stayers who have greater weight than the long term stayers.

So sad! :(

This is very, very difficult to believe.

What feedback was he looking at?The feedback section is running at 90%plus negative-many of these folks are FURIOUS!

The spin continues and Marriott is being less than 100% upfront with Marriott customers.
Shame Shame Shame

No you should not, unless it is specifically stated in your purchase contract.

dayone, I should have sought your wisdom before creating my last post. My reason for bringing up redemption statistics was a poor attempt to express what Bill Marriott said much better yesterday in his blog, “It is a balancing act anytime we make a change.” On one side of the scale was the need to make it easier to redeem points for stays at our hotels. On the other side of the scale was the need to keep our rewards competitively priced. Simply put, there is no way to increase availability for reward redemption without also increasing the cost of the rewards. When it comes to determining whether we made the correct choices and what future adjustments need to be made is where your feed back becomes extremely valuable. Marriott is grateful for all the feed back we have received, positive and negative. I hope the feed back continues after the change takes place January 15th so that effect of nearly unlimited redemption availability can be weighed against the changes. I am confident for some of you this will improve your perception of the change while for many others of you this will not improve your view in the slightest.

Several of you also expressed interested in more data regarding redemption and occupancy statistics. Unfortunately, most the numbers you have requested I either do not have access to or I can not share.

I would like to make this transition as simple as possible for all of you. Many of you have sent us personal messages with questions about how this change will affect your current individual travel circumstances. Please feel free to continue to send these messages and emails. We are happy to assist in what ever way we can.

Ira.

you sir must not understand the concept of owning real estate! but your right .

let me put it to you like this how about next time marriott adjusts point values it takes 500k to stay 1 week in a nice hotel the same price in points that it takes to stay in your unit and if you trade for points you get less than 1/5th of what it takes to do so.
2yrs ago owners got almost 2/3rds of the value of their property
...now owners get less than 1/2......what will the future bring?
MVC owners biggest complaint is that the points are a major selling point, a deal maker for us....now becomes no deal at all.....I would bet a class action suit be filed..

New Rewards Redemptions
 

I've been Platinum elite with Marriott for years. Out of anger on how the programs was changed and how I found out about it (on the website), I've made the decision to use and book my entire point balance with Marriott before January 15th. And I don't think I'm the only one thinking this way. Recently I asked a few properties if they had seen an increase in redemptions among the platinum elite members. I heard a resounding yes in each case. Previously I had only used points for weeklong vacations to Marriott resorts. No matter how I did the math, the new program was not a positive change.

One wonderful thing came out of all of this. It proved to me that Marriott had little regard for me as one of their best customers. I don't know if Marriot is out of touch, but the timing of the announcement I thought was very disturbing coming the week before "Customer Loyalty Appreciation Week" at Marriottt. I didn't feel very appreciated by Marriott that week. The only answer I seemed to get from Marriott was we've done away with Blackout dates. I never seemed to care about that, I have enough airline miles to fly to places that aren't busy and are off season.

Luckily, I'm also Platinum on Starwood. I have a choice on where I'll spend my money for business travel. And I'll be rewarded on my vacations by the company I'll chose.

I must say that I had become a cranky Marriott customer as of late anyway as I just didn't feel special as a Marriott Platinum Elite Customer, especially at Courtyards properties. It is nice staying with Startwood properties where I again feel special. And spending over 140 nights away from home, I want to stay somewhere that makes me feel special and makes me feel that they appreciate my business, not take it for granted.

Very well put.

Welcome to FlyerTalk LoyalPlatinum-sorry it had to be under these circumstances

The new program!
 

NO BLACKOUT Dates--a recap & a resulting market.

1) point increases (of as high as 60%) to all his "family" of loyal customers,

2) pushed all the best resorts into a newly created Category 8 -which requires a dramatic increase in points--BUT wait there's more--THEY CAN BLACKOUT AS THEY SEE FIT,

3)depreciated the very popular 7-night Travel Package into effectively a 5 night award.

4) Made NO INCREASE in timeshare exchange for points.

5) Eliminated previous timeshare financing incentive points --BECAUSE in he fine print they could change it.

What has happened since the new "enhancements were announced:

1) The timeshare business is crumbling before Marriott's eyes--securitized financing is non-existent and sales are falling

2) Some of the new timeshare developments (Florida) have been unable to get construction financing.

3) Marriott's CFO -Chief Financial Officer -came out 2 days ago saying what a rough year 2009 was shaping up to be with Revenue per room falling and much more

4) a stock price of $16 down from $45 last October.

5) Many Elite Marriott members have posted on THIS Forum and the Marriott Rewards Insider Forum how upset they are and are NOT BOOKING IN 2009 with Marriott.

With massive announced layoff from many Corporations scheduled for 2009 --think of the effect this will have on Marriott.

The lesson of do unto others as they will do unto you is clearly in play.

Not a response or change from Marriott. Poor business decision once--is now being compounded

^ ^ ^ Great summary. The announcement could not have worse timing, with occupancy falling this is not the time to piss off your customers, and good opportunity to encourage them to burn points (while rates are low). Estupido!