Marriott & SPG will combine on August 1st and up until now we’ve only been given a small sample of what to expect when it comes to the award categories each property will fall under. The full list is now live and can be viewed here. Marriott has shared the following statistics:
- 52% of properties will move to a lower redemption rate
- 31%Â of properties will move to a higher redemption rate
- 17% of properties will be priced the same
Looking at just those statistics can be misleading though, properties that are decreasing in price might only be marginally doing so whereas properties that are increasing in price might be dramatically doing so. Both programs also had a fairly big devaluation earlier this year as well. Another factor is that off season/peak season pricing will come into affect in 2019 as well. To me it’s not surprising that the numbers stack up so well now, I feel like the value proposition will be change with peak/off peak coming into play. The new award chart is as follows:
We also still don’t know for sure how floater certificates from Marriott Air + Travel packages will be treated. It’s worth also keeping in mind that it might make sense to book properties now before the prices change on August 1st for future travel if the hotel you’re looking at will be increasing in price. What I will say in Marriott’s favor is that they are being extremely transparent about these changes. The site lists the current price, future price and the net difference and it’s extremely easy to search and filter through the list.
What You Should Remember
- Category 8 pricing doesn’t go into effect until 2019. This means you can book category 8 properties for category 7 pricing (60,000 points vs 85,000 points) until the end of the year. The new award category tab is sortable, so you can easily see a full list of category 8 properties.
- Have plans? Check to see when is best to book. Some properties will be going up in price, you should book these before August 1st. Others will go down in price, book these after August 1st. Again it’s very easy to search for the propert you want to stay at and see the points difference.
Big Point Movers
Increase:
- Domes of Elounda, Autograph Collection, Greece. This increases from 45,000 points to 85,000 points when category 8 is introduced (+40,000)
- Blue Palace, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, Crete, Grece. Increase from 60,000 to 85,000 points when category 8 is introduced (+25,000)
- The St. Regis Rome. Italy. Increase from 60,000 to 85,000 points when category 8 is introduced (+25,000)
Decrease:
- Las Alcobas, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Napa Valley. This decreases from 90,000 points to 60,000 points (-30,000 points)
- The St. Regis San Francisco. This decreases from 90,000 points to 60,000 points (-30,000 points)
- W Bali – Seminyak, Indonesia. This decreases from 90,000 points to 60,000 points (-30,000 points)
- The St. Regis Astana, Kazakhstan. This decreases from 85,000 points to 60,000 points (-25,000 points)
Interesting Changes
- Lots of Ritz-Carlton properties are going up in price by a lot
Share any changes you think are important and why and we will add them here.
The point price on the Marriott page isn’t correct.
https://points-redemption.marriott.com/category-change
I stayed at the Westin in Chicago (North River) and the prices weren’t that high.
Here is the SPG website and the point prices…https://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/search/results/grid.html?skinCode=SPG&localeCode=en_US&iATANumber=&complexSearchField=Chicago%2C+Illinois%2C+United+States&searchType=location&propertyIds=&arrivalDate=07%2F27%2F2018&departureDate=07%2F28%2F2018&numberOfRooms=1&numberOfAdults=1&numberOfChildren=0
The Marriot website says North Shore is currently 35k but currently the SPG website says 10k.
I feel like I should book now.
If I wanted to book somewhere with my SPG points in December can I book now before the points change? (That was already answered so I don’t need an answer now. ha ha. I should have kept reading.)
Beware of the Hotel Barcelona Forum, Spain, as shown.
Especially since it is actually in Italy.
If you already have a 7 night marriot Cat 9 certificate and book after Aug 1st, will you have to pay the difference in points if the certain hotel went up in points?
I haven’t seen the Points and Cash chart yet. The link to it is here:
http://uat.points-redemption.marriott.com/redemption
Huge devaluation at most categories. For example, the last Sheraton I stayed at is a SPG Cat 3, currently $55 + 3500 starpoints. On Aug 1, the hotel goes to Cat 4, and cash+points is $105 + 12000 points.
And I believe uncoincidentally, cash+points is not available for that hotel for any dates beginning the days I’m trying to book, last weekend of April.
A few Manhattan hotels are only 12.K points?
The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho, a Luxury Collection Hotel Luxury Collection Japan 85,000
The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo Ritz-Carlton Japan 85,000
They’ll be Category 8 in 2019. Category 7 in 2018. Nothing exciting with regards to category chances in Tokyo unless you like these high end hotels.
Nothing significant for San Francisco that I can see and same with San Diego. The better ones seem to be all going up and more of the less desirable ones are going down or staying the same.THE US GRANT, a Luxury Collection Hotel, The Westin San Diego, The Westin San Diego Gaslamp Quarter are all going up. W San Francisco and Palace Hotel are going down. St. Regis is going down too.
Seattle is showing better category downgrades except for W, Renaissance, and a few others.
A lot of the Seoul hotels are going down.
For Fiji, two hotels – Westin and Sheraton – are going up, but they’re all now 35,000 on par with Marriott there.
I’m surprised that there will now be Hawaii hotels costing as low as 25k and a handful of 35k. Of course we’ll see by 7/31/2019, a year after these take effect if that will still be the case. It also depends how the off-peak and peak will be handled when it comes to Hawaii. If the season is peak 10-11 months of the year, then I’ll still cancel all my Marriott and SPG cards since the anniversary night will still be useless for staycations.
If the property I booked (with certificate + points) going down, could i get refund on points?
See: https://www.doctorofcredit.com/marriott-spg-wont-be-automatically-refunding-points-differences-if-your-bookings-drop-in-cost/
Thank you!
Is this the full chart? I can’t find Koloa Landing or Westin Princeville on the list. Nevermind, found the Westin – price is staying the same.
Yes, it’s the full chart. Maybe koloa is leaving the program?
Typo in the last example?
The St. Regis Astana, Kazakhstan. This decreases from 60,000 points to 60,000 points (-25,000 points)
Yeah let me fix