With Marriott and SPG moving to a new unified award chart in August, we’ve been eager to find out which categories our favorite hotels will fall into. That time is…. NOW.
New Marriott SPG Award Category Assignments
New category assignments are published here: points-redemption.marriott.com/category-change.
Nick and I have spent the day analyzing the new information. Here’s what we’ve written so far:
- New Marriott award chart: first reactions
- New Marriott Travel Packages: a first glance
- New Marriott award chart analysis
- New Marriott Cash + Points Awards. Good deal?
And here is what Marriott has to say about the latest info:
Points Go Further Starting in August with the New Award Chart:
- Nearly 70 percent of all participating hotels can be redeemed for the same or fewer points. (52 percent of hotels will move to a lower redemption rate and only 31 percent will go higher.)
- 6,300 hotels can be redeemed for just 35,000 points or lower.
- Members can save up to 25,000 points per night by redeeming future Category 8 hotels that are priced at Category 7 rates until early 2019.
- For the first time, SPG’s all-suite hotels such the W Maldives, the St. Regis Bora Bora Resort, or the Phoenician Residences, a Luxury Collection Residence Club in Scottsdale, are now included in the published award chart. These sought-after properties can be redeemed for 5,000 fewer points.
Also, please note a number of our most popular redemption hotels are becoming more affordable:
- Hotel Talisa in Vail, Le Méridien Barcelona, W Punta de Mita, The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka’anapali, The Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, and Le Méridien San Francisco will redeem for 10,000 fewer points in the new program.
- The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, Renaissance Paris Republique Hotel, The St. Regis Princeville Resort, Courtyard New York Manhattan/Midtown East, Autograph Collection’s Hotel Punta Islita, and Las Alcobas, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Napa Valley will redeem for 5,000 fewer points in the new program.
See the complete new Free Night Award Chart here.
More Ways to Redeem:
Free Night Award – We are excited to extend the Free Night Awards to SPG Amex cardholders and offer more hotels that Chase Marriott cardmembers can choose from this August! With the Starwood Preferred Guest® Consumer and Business Credit Cards from American Express, and the Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card, members will receive one Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after their card anniversary. The 35,000-point Free Night Award gets members a free night at 6,300 of the 6,500 participating hotels.
Point Savers – New to SPG members, PointSavers allow all members to save up to 20 percent by redeeming points for stays at select properties worldwide. See the PointSavers Chart.
Instant Redemption – All members can instantly redeem points for meals, cocktails, spa treatments or anything else that can be charged to the room. Each $1 is valued at 250 points.
***In August, members can also earn points on total folio (room, F&B, spa) purchases at all brands which helps accumulate points faster.
Cash + Points – All members can redeem as little as $55 and 3,500 points for stays. See the Cash + Points Chart.
Points Advance – Points advance redemption stay reservations are valid if the required points are purchased or earned at least 14 days prior to check-in.
Travel Packages –Travel Packages now include all SPG properties. Previously, SPG Nights & Flights applied to SPG categories 3 & 4. 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 remains one of the richest among travel loyalty programs. As always, United’s Mileage Plus members receive 10 percent more miles under the RewardsPlus program.
In May, Marriott published new award category assignments for hotels in 5 popular destinations. Nick posted his pleasant surprise that several New York City hotels will cost only 35,000 points and will be eligible for new free night certificates (found here). On the other hand, he also pointed out one particular hotel that should be booked before August because it will go way up in price. We have found similar surprises and opportunities in the complete chart listings and we’ll continue to publish more to keep you informed. Stay tuned.
The New Award Chart
The following standard award prices will be in effect when Marriott and SPG merge in August. In early 2019 Marriott will add peak, off-peak and Category 8 redemption rates. Until then, category 8 hotels will be temporarily plopped into category 7, and all awards will be priced according to the standard column.
More info
Please see our Marriott SPG Ritz Transition Guide, or click through to the guide via any of these topic links:
- Transition overview
- Unified award chart
- Potential chart mappings (old to new)
- Elite status transition
- Lifetime status transition
- Point earnings now vs. August
- Point transfers to Airline Miles
- Free night certificates
- Travel packages
- United & Delta partnerships
- Free breakfast / lounge access
- Suite Night Awards
- Credit card changes
- New program pros & cons
- Short term opportunities
- Q & A
- All Frequent Miler posts regarding the Marriott SPG transition
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Am I just missing it or is the Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu, Autograph Collection not on the list? Not sure if there are other properties like this but it seems like this one is missing. Kauai is one of our favorite places to visit so if I need to it might be worth booking for next year now if this one will be going up in price.
You’re right. I don’t see it either.
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I’m a bit confused. I currently have a Cat 9 cert (booked the highest level a week or so ago). What exactly can I use it on now that I wasn’t able to use it on before? And in what ways am I now limited?
We don’t yet know. This post is about the new award chart — really, it’s focused on how much all of the Marriott/Ritz/SPG hotels are going to cost per night under the new award program.
If you’re talking about the 7-night certificates, we don’t yet know how they will be handled. There is some speculation that they’ll get converted to points. See this post for more:
https://frequentmiler.com/2018/06/20/potential-huge-win-with-marriott-travel-packages-before-august/
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I extended my Cat-5 package last year and it currently says PARTIAL PKG-CAT 1-5 – 45,000 Points and it is still good through December. My fear is that they will just give me the equivalent of 45,000 points, instead of honoring the week travel package at the cat-5 level once the merger fully takes place in August. Are my fears unfounded?
Nobody knows for sure, but I imagine the worst case scenario is you’ll get a Cat 1-4 cert (which still works at properties up to 25K per night).
You have to remember, 99.99572528% of Marriott’s customers have no idea about this stuff. They booked a 7 night package and expect to get 7 nights out of it. If Marriott tried to give them not-even-enough-points for 2 nights at the category they had chosen, Marriott would face a ton of backlash.
I think worst case, you’ll get Cat 1-4. Best case, you’ll get enough points to book a Cat 5 for 7 nights. We’ll see what happens.
When can we start booking St Regis with Marriott points?
August.
We are traveling August 8-13 and need to hold the room now. SPG has a cancelation policy and must cancel before July 11 for an August reservation. Will they change the points and reimburse the difference in points? SPG deducts upon reservation (today) so I think they would keep the points?
Good question. I don’t know. I’d suggest emailing SPG/Marriott customer service about the situation now — you have this booked, it’s going down in price in August per the chart, but you want to be sure you’ll get the difference back. I’d do it via email so you have the answer in writing.
That said, Marriott hasn’t announced a firm date in August when the new chart takes effect. They just keep saying “in August”. It’s at least possible that the new chart won’t take effect until after your stay.
They barely got it done in June like they promised, but they got it done. Travel Packages though – they’re still vague about those which is really annoying.
Please cover the best strategy for Night and Flight travel package. I’m holding a stash of SPG pts and looking forward to redeem at St Regis Maldives, any insight or advice for this???
We’re still trying to get more info, but for now see this post: https://frequentmiler.com/2018/06/28/new-marriott-travel-packages-a-first-glance/
Roughly speaking this is probably the best news. I think they announced 2019 because of the confusion. I expected a big devaluation in 2019. Now the Peak vs Non peak will be up to interpretation however it doesnt look like doomsday.
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So marriott category 5 travel package would roughly equal which category spg?
We’re working on that type of analysis. Don’t worry — more posts to come today.
looking forward to your analysis now that we finally have the new rates.