Feb 19, 2016, 8:27 am
Last edit by: Oxon Flyer
The 2016 SPG Redemption category changes, effective 1 March 2016, are here:
http://spgpromos.com/2016categorychange
Please note that this list is preliminary and that category adjustments are always subject to change and further adjustments may be made before or after the category change date, March 1, 2016.
Update : the category change data referred to in the above link has now been removed from the website. This thread post captured the information before it was removed.
http://spgpromos.com/2016categorychange
Please note that this list is preliminary and that category adjustments are always subject to change and further adjustments may be made before or after the category change date, March 1, 2016.
Update : the category change data referred to in the above link has now been removed from the website. This thread post captured the information before it was removed.
Announcing SPG’s 2016 Category Changes : Effective 1 March 2016
Feb 19, 2016, 11:54 am
#61
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: PHX
Posts: 380
I am really disappointed with all the category 5 to category 6 increases in N. America. This is a 8k point jump for low-peak season. Making a 5 night stay jump from 48k to 80k. And there is a lot of changes like this, not just a couple.
Almost all the beach vacations are category 6 now. All 3 Maui properties, St John, Grand Cayman, Cancun, the slaughter in San Fransisco. These hotels aren't even nice, they just have a good location and they just almost doubled in cost. If I am going to Maui, I am going to stay at the Andaz for 25k Hyatt points, not the Sheraton for 25k SPG points.
Not to mention some of the larger cities moving to a category 6 including New Orleans, Hollywood, Washington DC, LA, Beaver Creek, Austin, San Antonio. I mean, that is ridiculous! Who is going to stay at the San Antonio Riverwalk for the same number of points as Bora Bora?!!
Almost all the beach vacations are category 6 now. All 3 Maui properties, St John, Grand Cayman, Cancun, the slaughter in San Fransisco. These hotels aren't even nice, they just have a good location and they just almost doubled in cost. If I am going to Maui, I am going to stay at the Andaz for 25k Hyatt points, not the Sheraton for 25k SPG points.
Not to mention some of the larger cities moving to a category 6 including New Orleans, Hollywood, Washington DC, LA, Beaver Creek, Austin, San Antonio. I mean, that is ridiculous! Who is going to stay at the San Antonio Riverwalk for the same number of points as Bora Bora?!!
Farewell SPG.
Feb 19, 2016, 12:12 pm
#62
Feb 19, 2016, 12:34 pm
#63
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: a hotel room, somewhere...
Posts: 962
whoa, just noticed 4P Diagonal Barcelona going to Cat 3. if that's a Cat 3, then i clearly don't know what a Cat 3 is.
apparently it is a poorly located bare bones budget hotel that can often be had for $60 some odd dollars. i thought it would go to Cat 1! wow.
you know it's bad when Marriott has better points options in a city. oh. wait...
apparently it is a poorly located bare bones budget hotel that can often be had for $60 some odd dollars. i thought it would go to Cat 1! wow.
you know it's bad when Marriott has better points options in a city. oh. wait...
Feb 19, 2016, 12:36 pm
#64
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: NYC/LA
Programs: DL Plat, AA Plat Pro, Marriott Titanium, IHG Diamond Amb
Posts: 7,487
This pretty much sums it up. Every property I'm interested in is now moving to Cat 6, which cuts the point value almost in HALF. Starwood has no value to me anymore. Time to move my stays and cancel our SPG cards. At least I don't have to wait and see for the Marriott merger now.
Farewell SPG.
Farewell SPG.
City center Marriott properties in places like NY, SF, Paris, etc. are generally Category 8, requiring 40,000 points per night or Category 9, requiring 45,000 points per night.
If SPG points convert to Marriott points 1:2, there you go. Though not implying these changes have anything to do with the upcoming merger as they aren't allowed to trade information for the time being... but for people who like to redeem for expensive city center properties, maybe by the time the merger closes and the programs integrate (which might not be until ANOTHER round of category adjustments in early 2017), maybe SPG will have already devalued enough that there won't necessarily be much perceived loss in point value.
Feb 19, 2016, 1:33 pm
#65
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA UA Delta. HH Diamond, PC Platinum, Club Carlson Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 808
Just called to book Four Points by Sheraton Penghu Taiwan Ma Gong City which is still a cat 1 hotel. However, instead of 2,000/3,000 I have been charged 3000/4,000 for weekend/weekday. They said cat 1 was 3000/4000.
But the website said 2000/3000.
Look like this hotel can no longer be booked at 2000/3000 points as of today.
Thank you!
But the website said 2000/3000.
Look like this hotel can no longer be booked at 2000/3000 points as of today.
Thank you!
Last edited by milemission; Feb 19, 2016 at 2:45 pm
Feb 19, 2016, 1:33 pm
#66
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, AC Elite, Airmiles Gold, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards
Posts: 785
I am really disappointed with all the category 5 to category 6 increases in N. America. This is a 8k point jump for low-peak season. Making a 5 night stay jump from 48k to 80k. And there is a lot of changes like this, not just a couple.
Almost all the beach vacations are category 6 now. All 3 Maui properties, St John, Grand Cayman, Cancun, the slaughter in San Fransisco. These hotels aren't even nice, they just have a good location and they just almost doubled in cost. If I am going to Maui, I am going to stay at the Andaz for 25k Hyatt points, not the Sheraton for 25k SPG points.
Not to mention some of the larger cities moving to a category 6 including New Orleans, Hollywood, Washington DC, LA, Beaver Creek, Austin, San Antonio. I mean, that is ridiculous! Who is going to stay at the San Antonio Riverwalk for the same number of points as Bora Bora?!!
Almost all the beach vacations are category 6 now. All 3 Maui properties, St John, Grand Cayman, Cancun, the slaughter in San Fransisco. These hotels aren't even nice, they just have a good location and they just almost doubled in cost. If I am going to Maui, I am going to stay at the Andaz for 25k Hyatt points, not the Sheraton for 25k SPG points.
Not to mention some of the larger cities moving to a category 6 including New Orleans, Hollywood, Washington DC, LA, Beaver Creek, Austin, San Antonio. I mean, that is ridiculous! Who is going to stay at the San Antonio Riverwalk for the same number of points as Bora Bora?!!
And no C6 in Europe or America going down...
Feb 19, 2016, 1:41 pm
#67
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,631
We went from the initial "shock" of "we're now as expensive as Manhattan" to the new shock of "we're more expensive than London" from time to time.
Feb 19, 2016, 2:51 pm
#68
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 3,714
Feb 19, 2016, 3:47 pm
#69
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Homosassa, FL & Ringwood, NJ -UA-G(Lifetime); SPG-Plat (Lifetime)
Posts: 6,120
Sad to see the Sheraton Lake Buena Vista go from a 2 to a 3. This was the best deal for those with kids going to WDW. I will book a bunch of nights there before the changeover.
Feb 19, 2016, 4:37 pm
#70
Moderator: Mileage Run, InterContinental Hotels
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 5,916
A little bit of a bloodbath, but in terms of category increases, this is in line with what I expected. I am surprised that we're not seeing a whole lot of decreases in Europe, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Those currencies have weakened significantly vs the US Dollar, and it's hard to see how almost all properties there could have made up the 15-20% currency drop with higher rates. 
Feb 19, 2016, 5:13 pm
#72
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: MSP
Programs: Delta Diamond, WOH Globalist, Marriott LT Titanium, MSC Dia, Nespresso Club, ZTL Queen in Italy
Posts: 304
Bummer...i was hoping to collect on the 10k pts of the Take Two promo for a Great Northern stay in April.
Maybe...just maybe...they'll have C+P available later on. I'd be partially okay w that.
Maybe...just maybe...they'll have C+P available later on. I'd be partially okay w that.
Feb 19, 2016, 5:24 pm
#73
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: europe
Programs: EX²-*wood platinum, EX-hyatt diamond, sixt platinum, hilton silver, leaders club, esselunga verde...
Posts: 2,048
Westin Palace Milan the same cat. as the just one year opened LC Excelsior Gallia... crazy!!!
Schloß Fuschl cat. 7. WOW!!! The lowest rate there is under 200 € sometimes...
Schloß Fuschl cat. 7. WOW!!! The lowest rate there is under 200 € sometimes...
Feb 19, 2016, 6:28 pm
#74
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: On strike
Posts: 8,135
Feb 19, 2016, 7:28 pm
#75
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 743
Thank you Lurkers, for the early notice. Just booked a stay on points that would have been more than twice as many points after March 1. Cat. 2 going to Cat. 3, 10K points vs. 21K points for the 3 night long weekend.