Last edit by: Oxon Flyer
Official announcement from Starwood Lurker V :
Maximize your points as our programs become one this August.
As you may already know, SPG, Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards will become one program this August. Youll be able to redeem for free nights and unforgettable experiences at over 6,500 participating hotels across 29 brands.
Our Free Night Award Chart will be updated and give you more power to redeem your points. Even better: More hotels are moving down in redemption rates than up so chances are that youll be able to redeem fewer points for free nights at the hotels you love.
Here are our top eight tips to help you maximize your points:
Plan ahead. Explore the full list of hotel category changes and decide if you want to plan your trip before or after the updates take effect. Here are just a few examples of hotels that are moving to a lower category in August:
- REDEEM FREE NIGHTS FOR 10,000 FEWER POINTS
Hotel Talisa in Vail, Le Mridien Barcelona, W Punta de Mita, The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka'anapali, The Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, and Le Mridien San Francisco
- REDEEM FREE NIGHTS FOR 5,000 FEWER POINTS
The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, Renaissance Paris Republique Hotel, The St. Regis Princeville Resort, Courtyard New York Manhattan/Midtown East, Autograph Collections Hotel Punta Islita, and Las Alcobas, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Napa Valley
See the complete new award chart here.
Take advantage of future Category 8 hotels. Future Category 8 hotels will be available at Category 7 rates from August until 2019. Redeem now to save up to 20% and guarantee your rate even if the stay occurs after new rates take effect. Explore future category 8 hotels.
Use Cash + Points. Stay for as little as $55 and 3,500 points at more hotels than ever. Your next vacation may be closer than you think. See the Cash + Points Chart.
Stay five nights, pay for four. Get a complimentary night when you redeem four consecutive nights.
Save more with PointSavers. Enjoy up to 20% off when you redeem points at top destinations. All 29 brands participate, all you have to do is enter the city, state or country along with your dates to find participating hotels. See the PointSavers Chart.
Upgrade your stay. Use points to upgrade your room (think suite or a room with a picture-perfect view) during your stay.
Enjoy Travel Packages. Travel Packages now include all SPG hotels. Until now, SPG Nights & Flights applied only to SPG Category 3 and 4 hotels. Starting in August, Marriott Rewards and SPG members can redeem points for airline miles and hotel stays at any of the 6,500 participating hotels. This offer continues to be one of the richest offers among travel loyalty programs.
Get instant gratification. Instantly redeem points for cocktails, meals, spa treatments or anything else you can charge to your room at participating hotels. Each US$1 is valued at 250 points, so if you would like a spa treatment worth US$50, you would redeem 12,500 points.
Explore all the changes happening in August and read FAQs now by visiting members.marriott.com. In the meantime, please feel free to share your feedback and well do our best to answer your questions.
Maximize your points as our programs become one this August.
As you may already know, SPG, Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards will become one program this August. Youll be able to redeem for free nights and unforgettable experiences at over 6,500 participating hotels across 29 brands.
Our Free Night Award Chart will be updated and give you more power to redeem your points. Even better: More hotels are moving down in redemption rates than up so chances are that youll be able to redeem fewer points for free nights at the hotels you love.
Here are our top eight tips to help you maximize your points:
Plan ahead. Explore the full list of hotel category changes and decide if you want to plan your trip before or after the updates take effect. Here are just a few examples of hotels that are moving to a lower category in August:
- REDEEM FREE NIGHTS FOR 10,000 FEWER POINTS
Hotel Talisa in Vail, Le Mridien Barcelona, W Punta de Mita, The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka'anapali, The Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, and Le Mridien San Francisco
- REDEEM FREE NIGHTS FOR 5,000 FEWER POINTS
The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, Renaissance Paris Republique Hotel, The St. Regis Princeville Resort, Courtyard New York Manhattan/Midtown East, Autograph Collections Hotel Punta Islita, and Las Alcobas, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Napa Valley
See the complete new award chart here.
Take advantage of future Category 8 hotels. Future Category 8 hotels will be available at Category 7 rates from August until 2019. Redeem now to save up to 20% and guarantee your rate even if the stay occurs after new rates take effect. Explore future category 8 hotels.
Use Cash + Points. Stay for as little as $55 and 3,500 points at more hotels than ever. Your next vacation may be closer than you think. See the Cash + Points Chart.
Stay five nights, pay for four. Get a complimentary night when you redeem four consecutive nights.
Save more with PointSavers. Enjoy up to 20% off when you redeem points at top destinations. All 29 brands participate, all you have to do is enter the city, state or country along with your dates to find participating hotels. See the PointSavers Chart.
Upgrade your stay. Use points to upgrade your room (think suite or a room with a picture-perfect view) during your stay.
Enjoy Travel Packages. Travel Packages now include all SPG hotels. Until now, SPG Nights & Flights applied only to SPG Category 3 and 4 hotels. Starting in August, Marriott Rewards and SPG members can redeem points for airline miles and hotel stays at any of the 6,500 participating hotels. This offer continues to be one of the richest offers among travel loyalty programs.
Get instant gratification. Instantly redeem points for cocktails, meals, spa treatments or anything else you can charge to your room at participating hotels. Each US$1 is valued at 250 points, so if you would like a spa treatment worth US$50, you would redeem 12,500 points.
Explore all the changes happening in August and read FAQs now by visiting members.marriott.com. In the meantime, please feel free to share your feedback and well do our best to answer your questions.
New Marriott Awards chart for SPG properties, published 28 June 2018
#121
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
Programs: Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Trident Plat, DL Diamond, AI Maharajah
Posts: 29,598
most of the properties i stay at are either staying the same or increasing slightly....but there are a lot of properties i want to stay at that will now have lower points requirement....so overall i'm satisfied with the new awards chart....
#122
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: BDU
Programs: DL:MM, Marriott:LTT
Posts: 8,779
SPG did not allocate redemptions this way so an inexpensive hotel that had many redemptions like the Soi 11 Aloft are going to have jarring changes in redemptions this time.
And while there may be people who will still want to redeem points at that Aloft, hopefully most will realize the CY and 4P are better and cheaper redemptions.
#123
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 23
OK million dollar question...can the hotel just load their rates as peak and make us pay way over the standard rate? Will they be like the airlines and every day except Tues/Wed in the middle of dead season will be deemed peak? SPG is soo nice in this respect as there is no peak pricing, but how will peak be determined? Seasonal, weekends, etc?
#124
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: CAN, LAX, TPE
Programs: AA, AS, CI, DL, UA
Posts: 2,882
I am facing a mix bag.
My frequent hotel Westin Tokyo costs -10000/night less. The Sheraton Miyako is 14000 more. The Prince hotel is slightly lower at 5000. Almost all the Marriott properties in Tokyo got more expensive.
My frequent Sheraton Hong Kong got more expensive - 14000.... Seoul got slightly cheaper across the board.
My frequent hotel Westin Tokyo costs -10000/night less. The Sheraton Miyako is 14000 more. The Prince hotel is slightly lower at 5000. Almost all the Marriott properties in Tokyo got more expensive.
My frequent Sheraton Hong Kong got more expensive - 14000.... Seoul got slightly cheaper across the board.
Maybe they will increase again, who knows...?
#125
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: CAN, LAX, TPE
Programs: AA, AS, CI, DL, UA
Posts: 2,882
When will properties be mapped to the new award categories? August 1?
The new award chart will go into effect when our programs become one. This date will be shared very soon.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts LLC
[email protected]
The new award chart will go into effect when our programs become one. This date will be shared very soon.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts LLC
[email protected]
#126
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts LLC
[email protected]
#127
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: AA Lifetime PLT , BA Silver , BD RIP , HH Gold, SPG / Marriott PLT , EF Subscriber
Posts: 6,698
https://points-redemption.marriott.com/category-change
Let's just say I am NOT happy. We typically stay near Disney for 3k SPG points a night. Technically its Cat 2 so it would really be 4k during the week so under current terms it would be 12k Marriott points. Well as of August, Marriott now wants to charge 25k points for that same hotel. The other one by Universal same thing.
Guess I won't be staying there after the merge after all. My plan is to empty my account and book a few stays now for after August and kill my SPG points that way.
Let's just say I am NOT happy. We typically stay near Disney for 3k SPG points a night. Technically its Cat 2 so it would really be 4k during the week so under current terms it would be 12k Marriott points. Well as of August, Marriott now wants to charge 25k points for that same hotel. The other one by Universal same thing.
Guess I won't be staying there after the merge after all. My plan is to empty my account and book a few stays now for after August and kill my SPG points that way.
Last edited by UncleDude; Jun 29, 2018 at 12:41 pm
#128
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: Starwood:Lifetime Platinum, Air Canada:Basic, Asiana:Lifetime Diamond Plus, ANA: Basic
Posts: 980
For these new rates, it says until 2019. So can we book dates that are in 2019? Or does this new rates apply for nights up to Dec 31, 2018 and 2019 we have a different set of rates?
I feel pressured to cash in on a vacation that I wasn't expecting to take this year...
I feel pressured to cash in on a vacation that I wasn't expecting to take this year...
#129
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: JAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, AA Gold MM, Marriott LTT, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,770
For these new rates, it says until 2019. So can we book dates that are in 2019? Or does this new rates apply for nights up to Dec 31, 2018 and 2019 we have a different set of rates?
I feel pressured to cash in on a vacation that I wasn't expecting to take this year...
I feel pressured to cash in on a vacation that I wasn't expecting to take this year...
Aug. 1 - Dec. 31, 2018 is the period to cash in on Cat 7 SPG hotels that are going to be Cat 8 in the new categories. All Cat 7 SPG hotels will be Cat 7 in the new program until Dec. 31 then go up to Cat 8 Jan. 1, 2019.
If you want to vacation at an SPG Cat 7 hotel, then you should consider before Dec. 31.
#130
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Miami, FL
Programs: UA 1MM, AA Plat Pro, Marriott LT Titanium, Hyatt Glob, IHG ♢ Amb, Hilton ♢, Hertz Pres
Posts: 6,010
Those of us who have been with MR for years understand this. Redemption Cats are not based on the price per night of the hotel or any perceived level of the hotel. The Cats are based on redemptions during the past year. Hotels where people heavily redeem wind up higher and those where people rarely redeem are lower. What happens when there is one hotel with a lower redemption rate than the others in the area, like the Aloft was, many people will redeem and the Cat will go up. Now that the Aloft is not an inexpensive option and given that there are better hotels nearby for fewer points, it will likely drop again next year. If you look at the BKK Soi 57, Ren and JW you can see how this has played out over the years with each bouncing up and down Cats most years as members stay in the least expensive redemption of these similar hotels.
SPG did not allocate redemptions this way so an inexpensive hotel that had many redemptions like the Soi 11 Aloft are going to have jarring changes in redemptions this time.
And while there may be people who will still want to redeem points at that Aloft, hopefully most will realize the CY and 4P are better and cheaper redemptions.
SPG did not allocate redemptions this way so an inexpensive hotel that had many redemptions like the Soi 11 Aloft are going to have jarring changes in redemptions this time.
And while there may be people who will still want to redeem points at that Aloft, hopefully most will realize the CY and 4P are better and cheaper redemptions.
#131
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 137
If I book a SPG property before 8/1 with SPG points and that property will increase in points after 8/1, what happens if I need to cancel after 8/1? For example, I book a 12K SPG/nt property now and it comes a 50K Marriott/night property after 8/1 - do I get back 50K Marriott points as a refund? And will it vary according to whether the booking was set for peak or off-peak times?
Last edited by 0limits; Jun 30, 2018 at 12:00 am
#132
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: SIN
Programs: TK-G | Accor P | SQ-G | Marriott T
Posts: 3,823
Really does seem like a silly way to categorize awards. As you say, it simply incents behavior away from one property that is priced inappropriately (like the aLoft BKK starting in Aug) and then - after people shift away, it drops next year and people shift back. What's the gain for Marriott in this? Perhaps it would be wiser for them to follow the SPG model in how they price award nights.
to the hotel, that reward nights is not really 100% free. It is paid by corporate. The rate I Guess depend on how much points required.
so should that category is based on the hotel ADR.
This mean very likely the category will change every year which is very confusing
#133
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Dubai
Programs: SPG 100 Ambassador, LH M&M Senator, Skywards Silver
Posts: 250
totally agree.
to the hotel, that reward nights is not really 100% free. It is paid by corporate. The rate I Guess depend on how much points required.
so should that category is based on the hotel ADR.
This mean very likely the category will change every year which is very confusing
#134
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: SIN
Programs: TK-G | Accor P | SQ-G | Marriott T
Posts: 3,823
regardless the amount, the hotel still get something.
#135
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Virginia
Programs: HHonors Gold, IHG Platinum, Marriott nobody
Posts: 470
All my favorite SPG hotels have gone up (including the Swan and Dolphin), and the earn per dollar general spend on my SPG AMEX have gone down. Interesting combination. I think I will still keep the SPG AMEX for another year to see how things turn out in actual practice, mainly because of the new free night award cert that will offset some pain. However, I will move most of my gen spend to elsewhere that is more rewarding.
One of my most frequented Cat 4 SPG hotel is now at 35,000, so the free night award cert cannot be used there during "Peak" period. I really need to see how they assign peak periods in 2019.
One of my most frequented Cat 4 SPG hotel is now at 35,000, so the free night award cert cannot be used there during "Peak" period. I really need to see how they assign peak periods in 2019.