It’s crunch time… This coming Saturday, August 18th, Marriott, SPG, and Ritz will combine their separate rewards programs into a single unified program. Now is the time to take advantage of opportunities that will soon be gone. Take a look at the following checklist items to decide which you should do before it’s too late:
Table of Contents
- Merger Overview
- Screen grab your point balances, lifetime status, and certificates
- Transfer all household points to one account
- Buy Marriott travel packages (Last chance at current prices)
- Book awards which will be going up in price (Lock in current award prices)
Merger Overview
- There will be just one program: SPG = Marriott Rewards = Ritz Carlton Rewards
- SPG Starpoints will convert to 3X rewards points
- Most members will earn more points for paid hotel stays
- SPG cardholders already (as of 8/1) earn fewer points for credit card spend
- Free night certificates will convert from category based to point based. Examples:
- Existing Category 1-5 certificate will likely become a certificate worth up to 25,000 points
- Existing Ritz Tier 1-4 certificate will likely become a certificate worth up to 60,000 points
- Free night certificates will be usable across all brands: Marriott, SPG, and Ritz
- Marriott and SPG credit cards priced at $95 or $99 per year will offer 35K free night certificates each year upon renewal
- 5th Night Free Awards will be available to all categories of hotels (currently SPG categories 1 and 2 do not permit 5th night free awards)
- All three programs will be handled by a single technology platform (Marriott’s)
Much more can be found here: Marriott SPG Ritz Transition Guide
Screen grab your point balances, lifetime status, and certificates (Chaos will Reign)
When the programs merge this coming weekend, I’m predicting mass chaos. We might see points balances randomly go up or down (maybe even negative). We might see certificates disappear and/or appear with wrong information. We might see elite status trackers go haywire. We might even see blogs incorrectly announcing changes based on this mayhem.
If/when this happens, please:
- Don’t panic
- Don’t call Marriott or Starwood
- Don’t assume anything you see online is correct
Most likely this will all be cleared up by Monday afternoon, but just in case, it makes sense to log into your Marriott and SPG accounts and screen capture all of your account information.
Transfer all household points to one account
Today, Marriott lets you move points to anyone’s account, but there’s an annual cap of 50K points. Once per year, you can get around that cap by booking an award together with the person who wants to share points with you, but Marriott phone agents might not know how to do that. Meanwhile, via SPG, you can freely move points from one member of the household to another with no cap. I’m expecting the new program to adopt Marriott’s model and abandon SPG’s.
If I’m right about the future of point sharing, then now is the time to consolidate points across your household. This does require that household members have previously established SPG accounts and that everyone has had the same address on their account in the past 30 days.
You can combine household points as follows:
- Each household member should move all of their Marriott points to their SPG account
- Each household member should initiate a transfer of SPG points from their account to one person’s account (ideally to whoever will most likely have elite status in the new program). This step can be initiated online at SPG.com, but may take up to 7 days to complete (it’s usually faster than that).
Buy Marriott travel packages (Last chance at current prices)
Marriott travel packages currently offer a way to convert Marriott points to airline miles at an attractive conversion rate. This will change on Saturday when the new prices make travel packages unattractive except in very specific situations. If you have lots of Marriott and/or SPG points and you can make good use of airline miles, you should jump on this now.
When you purchase a travel package, you get airline miles plus a 7 night stay certificate that can be used at a later date.
If you want to book a Marriott property and award space is available for 7 nights in a row during the dates you want, then I recommend buying a travel package that matches that property’s current category and attach the certificate to the award stay when you call Marriott to buy the package. Otherwise, buy the package and wait until after September 18th to attach the stay certificate to a particular stay.
We do not yet know how the current categories will map to the new categories, but my best guess is here:
Keep in mind, though, that there is yet another theory: Marriott may convert all travel package certificates that are not attached to a reservation into new category 1-4 certificates and refund the difference in price between what you paid and the old category 1-5 pricing. Details here.
Book awards which will be going up in price (Lock in current award prices)
Many of the best hotels in the Marriott portfolio will be going way up in price with the new program. Fortunately award prices will be capped at 60K per night for the first 6 months or so, but that’s still a significant increase over Marriott’s current award chart that caps at 45K per night. Marriott’s website showing the new award pricing makes it easy to identify the hotels going up in price (found here), but for those who prefer to stay on this page, here are lists of hotels that will be increasing more than 10K per night…
Marriott hotels increasing more than 10K per night:
Bahamas |
The Cove Atlantis, Autograph Collection |
France |
Paris Marriott Champs Elysees Hotel |
Greece |
Domes Noruz Chania, Autograph Collection |
Domes of Elounda, Autograph Collection |
Ireland |
The Shelbourne Dublin, A Renaissance Hotel |
Italy |
Boscolo Exedra Roma, Autograph Collection |
Saint Kitts and Nevis |
Marriott’s St. Kitts Beach Club |
Spain |
Cotton House Hotel, Autograph Collection |
Marriott’s Club Son Antem |
Marriott’s Marbella Beach Resort |
United Kingdom |
Grosvenor House, A JW Marriott Hotel |
London Marriott Hotel County Hall |
London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square |
London Marriott Hotel Park Lane |
USA |
Fairfield Inn & Suites Virgin Zion National Park |
JW Marriott Essex House New York |
JW Marriott Nashville |
JW Marriott Santa Monica Le Merigot |
Marriott Vacation Club Pulse at Custom House, Boston |
Marriott Vacation Club Pulse, San Diego |
Marriott’s Crystal Shores |
Marriott’s Cypress Harbour Villas |
Marriott’s Fairway Villas |
Marriott’s Imperial Palms Villas |
Marriott’s Kauai Lagoons – Kalanipu’u |
Marriott’s Newport Coast Villas |
Marriott’s Royal Palms |
Marriott’s Sabal Palms |
Marriott’s Waikoloa Ocean Club |
Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club |
MVW Streamside Douglas at Vail |
MVW Streamside Evergreen at Vail |
SpringHill Suites Springdale Zion National Park |
Union Station Hotel Nashville, Autograph Collection |
Vail Marriott Mountain Resort |
Virgin Islands (British) |
Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina, Autograph Collection |
Virgin Islands (US) |
Marriott’s Frenchman’s Cove |
SPG hotels increasing more than 10K per night (after converting current prices 1 to 3):
Argentina |
Park Tower, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Buenos Aires |
Austria |
Hotel Bristol, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Vienna |
Canada |
Le Westin Resort & Spa, Tremblant, Quebec |
Sheraton on the Falls Hotel |
The Westin Grand, Vancouver |
The Westin Trillium House, Blue Mountain |
Cayman Islands |
The Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa |
China |
Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers |
Twelve at Hengshan, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Shanghai |
Czech Republic |
Augustine, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Prague |
France |
Le Metropolitan, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, Paris |
Italy |
Falisia, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Portopiccolo |
Japan |
Sheraton Miyako Hotel Tokyo |
Mexico |
The Westin Resort & Spa, Cancun |
Russia |
The St. Regis Moscow Nikolskaya |
Seychelles |
Le Meridien Fisherman’s Cove |
Spain |
Le Meridien Ra Beach Hotel & Spa |
United Arab Emirates |
Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina |
Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa |
United Kingdom |
Great Northern Hotel, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, London |
Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh |
Sheraton Skyline Hotel London Heathrow |
USA |
Four Points by Sheraton Orlando International Drive |
Le Meridien Cambridge-MIT |
Le Meridien Delfina Santa Monica |
Royal Palm South Beach Miami, a Tribute Portfolio Resort |
Sheraton Boston Hotel |
Sheraton Broadway Plantation Resort Villas |
Sheraton Commander Hotel |
Sheraton Fisherman’s Wharf Hotel |
Sheraton Lake Buena Vista Resort |
Sheraton Lakeside Terrace Villas at Mountain Vista, Avon, Vail Valley |
Sheraton Louisville Riverside Hotel |
Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel |
Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas, Lake Buena Vista/Orlando |
Sheraton Vistana Villages Resort Villas, I-Drive/Orlando |
The Ballantyne, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Charlotte |
The Equinox, a Luxury Collection Golf Resort & Spa, Vermont |
The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, a Tribute Portfolio Resort & Spa |
The Nines, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Portland |
THE US GRANT, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Diego |
The Westin Boston Waterfront |
The Westin Copley Place, Boston |
The Westin Desert Willow Villas, Palm Desert |
The Westin Kierland Villas |
The Westin Mission Hills Resort Villas, Palm Springs |
The Westin Monache Resort, Mammoth |
The Westin Nashville |
The Westin Riverfront Mountain Villas, Beaver Creek Mountain |
The Westin San Diego |
The Westin San Diego Gaslamp Quarter |
The Westin Seattle |
The Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square |
Vistana Beach Club |
W Fort Lauderdale |
W Seattle |
Walt Disney World Dolphin |
Walt Disney World Swan |
[…] If you tend to do things last minute (like I do), it’s now or never. Some of these tasks are just recommended to make sure you have evidence if something goes wrong. Others will save you points if the hotels you are looking to book are going up in price. If you want a detailed list of what to do before the merger, Frequent Miler has an excellent guide that’s worth checking out. […]
how are you reserving the SPG hotels now before they go up in value? you need to have all the points in your account for that, no?
I have seen the question of having an attached reservation with the question what happens if you need to change the date and the points for that property having gone up after the conversion? Anyone answer this???
I have been checking on several category 7 Starwood hotels that I would like to book soon in the US and Europe. All of them show revenue space but no award space for dates I am interested in. I am wondering if SPG hotels that look like they will be good deals during the transition are blocking award space in anticipation of a deluge of requests come August 18.
[…] intend to update with developments as they roll out this weekend. For more on the transition, see Crunch time! Final pre-Marriott/SPG merger checklist and the links from that post to our full transition […]
[…] Crunch time! Final pre-Marriott/SPG merger checklist New $500 opening bonus on a revamped Savor card A case for gambling on top tier travel packages Now book Finnair with Alaska miles New $500 opening bonus on a revamped Savor card Free redbox, Reebok discount, more w/ T-Mobile Tuesdays Now book Finnair with Alaska miles Crunch time! Final pre-Marriott/SPG merger checklist […]
Sorry if it’s been asked and answered but, if you have a reservation at a hotel that is going up in points, what happens if you want to tweak the dates?
Great question Stannis. I would like to book the Domes of Elounda for several award nights before a hike in the price.
However, I know my dates will most likely change and I know I may also want to “shorten” my stay.
Would I essentially be forced to cancel my original (cheap) reservation and then book a more expensive one if I either change dates or duration?
What about if I book the hotel with a travel certificate? Will a change in dates cause it to require a “higher” certificate?
Reading this saga is more fun than watching LIVE PD. And I don’t have to wait until Friday evening.
Hey Greg… Do you know if would we still be able to transfer the 20k equivalent starpoints to 25k miles after the merger?
Yes, we will. The new transfer ratio is 60K to 25K miles, which is the same since 20K starpoints = 60K points
I have a category 1-5 hotel package. Does anyone know that you have to call to attach it to a reservation? I was not able to attach online, which is supposed to be doable according a rep. Does anyone know how to do that online? Thanks.
Yes, you have to call to apply the stay certificate to a reservation.
Hi Greg – Today I upgraded a Cat 1-5 certificate to a Tier 1-3. The property I am interested in is currently a Tier 4 but will be a Cat 7 (60k) next week. I hope the Tier 1-3 allows booking a Cat 7. What do you think?
The upgrade process went smoothly. By the way, my account activity and points balances were updated in real time on the Marriott iPhone app. But the Marriott.com web site still doesn’t shown the new activity 2+ hours later. I know folks are concerned with getting immediate confirmation of the activity so I suggest using the app for that purpose.
Yes, I think it’s very likely that Tier 1-3 will let you book new cat 7.
Thanks for the tip about the iPhone app, that’s a good one!
Thanks for the reminder to screen grab account information. Excellent recommendation.
Holding an unattached Cat 1-5 cert, anxiously waiting to see what happens
Also want to thank Greg for the screenshot advice!
Like Bryan I’m holding an unattached Cat1-5 cert. I was pretty sure I’d never actually use it for a hotel, just assumed I’d get some points back for it at some point. Greg, do you believe there will still be a way to turn in unused certificates for points? I don’t need a windfall, I’m just hoping to get back at least the current points value (I think 45,000 Marriott points for the 7 day 132,000 United miles package)? Or would you advise me to try to do this immediately?
I like your ‘best guess’ Marriott Travel Packages mapping. The least Marriott can do, is give a small incentive in this area, which is only a one time event, as they have devalued the Travel Packages (Obliterated them!!) and raised many prices (award points) across many categories.
I like my chances here with my unattached CAT 8 7-night Cert!
keep up this awesome info coming, right into the 18th!!
Your the man!!!
I have been trying for two weeks to transfer points by calling Marriott but they always say the interface is down and call back. So finally I gave up and transferred the points via SPG .
How long did the SPG transfer between family members take now? I just transferred today and hope the pts will arrive by 8/18.
I did the SPG transfer twice from my pop’s account to mine. The first time it took 7 days, and the second time it took 3 days.
Best of luck. I tried to transfer on July 24. They contacted me on August 1 asking for some documentation which I provided the same day. I haven’t heard from them since. I gave up today and just ordered the packages in each of our acoounts. They couldn’t or wouldn’t transfer Marriott points for the redemption.
@Greg- If you have several Cat 9 certificates then which hotels do you recommend to attach them to right now? Thanks!
If you’d like to visit Crete, the Domes of Elounda property looks amazing. It’s currently cat 9 but will soon be a top category property in the new program. Otherwise, just look for current cat 9 properties that you are interested in staying in and then check Marriott’s website to see what the new pricing will be (chances are that it will be 50K per night or higher).