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Update: Re-posting this to remind people that today (3/4/19) is the last day to book properties that are going up in price.
We’ve previously reported that Marriott’s annual category changes have been announced and will take effect on March 5, 2019 (Marriott’s Annual Devaluation: 120 Fewer Properties For Credit Card Nights). Every year, Marriott adjusts the point prices of many of their hotels by changing the category to which they’re assigned. For example, category 5 hotels cost 35K points per night, standard. So, to reprice a hotel upward, Marriott changes the category from 5 to 6 and it then costs 50K points per night based on their Bonvoy Award Chart:
I expect that many readers have free night certificates of one type or another. If you have a certificate from a pre-merger Chase credit card, it is good for a free night costing up to 25K points. Newer cards offer free nights at the 35K and 50K levels. You may also have 5 night or 7 night stay certificates from the old Marriott Travel Packages. Travel packages used to be a good deal, but aren’t so good anymore. So, hopefully you bought your package prior to the Marriott / SPG merger.
In this post I’ve identified all of the hotels that are currently bookable at the 25K, 35K, and 50K levels but which will be going up in price on March 5th. If you are interested in any of these properties you should book before March 5th even if your stay is after March 5. Further down the post, I’ve also identified the hotels that will drop in price on March 5th to 25K, 35K, or 50K. If you are interested in any of these, you’ll have to wait until March 5th to apply your certificates. But don’t wait too long: Marriott plans to introduce Peak pricing sometime soon (we don’t know when). Those with stay certificates don’t need to worry. Those will work even at peak pricing. Those with credit card free nights, though, will be priced out during peak season.
If you want to tinker with the data yourself, I’ve got you covered. You can access my Google Docs spreadsheet here. To make changes, open the spreadsheet then click File… Make a Copy…
Finally, don’t forget that you can find out everything you need to know about Marriott’s rewards program here: Marriott Bonvoy Complete Guide.
Book these before March 5 2019
The following tables show hotels that will be going up in price on March 5th. If you currently have 25K, 35K, or 50K certificates, you should consider using them now to book the following properties. In each section below I’ve highlighted one noteworthy hotel. If you know of better choices from your personal experience, please let us know!
25K hotels soon going up to 35K (category 4 to 5)
| Hotel | Brand | Country / Region |
|---|---|---|
| Calgary Marriott Downtown Hotel | Marriott Hotels | Canada |
| The Azure Qiantang, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hangzhou | The Luxury Collection | China |
| JW Marriott Hotel Zhejiang Anji | JW Marriott | China |
| The St. Regis Chengdu | St. Regis | China |
| Courtyard Hong Kong | Courtyard | Hong Kong |
| Hong Kong SkyCity Marriott Hotel | Marriott Hotels | Hong Kong |
| Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort & Spa | Renaissance Hotels | Indonesia |
| The Westin Resort & Spa, Puerto Vallarta | Westin | Mexico |
| Lisbon Marriott Hotel | Marriott Hotels | Portugal |
| Sheraton Lisboa Hotel & Spa | Sheraton | Portugal |
| Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino | Sheraton | Puerto Rico |
| Four Points by Sheraton Singapore, Riverview | Four Points | Singapore |
| THE PLAZA Seoul, Autograph Collection | Autograph Collection | South Korea |
| Taipei Marriott Hotel | Marriott Hotels | Taiwan |
| Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel | Sheraton | Taiwan |
| JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok | JW Marriott | Thailand |
| The Athénée Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok | The Luxury Collection | Thailand |
| Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach | Marriott Hotels | Thailand |
| AC Hotel Denver Downtown | AC Hotels by Marriott | United States |
| AC Hotel New Orleans Bourbon | AC Hotels by Marriott | United States |
| Aloft Austin Downtown | Aloft | United States |
| Aloft New York Brooklyn | Aloft | United States |
| Courtyard Austin Downtown/Convention Center | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard Boston-South Boston | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard Chicago Downtown/Magnificent Mile | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard Denver Downtown | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard Anaheim Resort/Convention Center | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard Los Angeles Woodland Hills | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard Miami Downtown/Brickell Area | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard New Orleans French Quarter/Iberville | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard New Orleans Downtown Near the French Quarter | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard Philadelphia Downtown | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard Palm Springs | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard Naples | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard San Diego Mission Valley/Hotel Circle | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard New York Downtown Manhattan/World Trade Center Area | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard Oakland Downtown | Courtyard | United States |
| Element Austin Downtown | Element | United States |
| Fairfield Inn & Suites Los Angeles LAX/El Segundo | Fairfield Inn & Suites | United States |
| Fairfield Inn Santa Clarita Valencia | Fairfield Inn & Suites | United States |
| Fairfield Inn & Suites New Orleans Downtown/ French Quarter Area | Fairfield Inn & Suites | United States |
| Fairfield Inn New York Manhattan/Financial District | Fairfield Inn & Suites | United States |
| Fairfield Inn & Suites New York Downtown Manhattan/ World Trade Center Area | Fairfield Inn & Suites | United States |
| Four Points by Sheraton Los Angeles International Airport | Four Points | United States |
| Four Points by Sheraton French Quarter | Four Points | United States |
| Four Points by Sheraton Philadelphia City Center | Four Points | United States |
| Irvine Marriott | Marriott Hotels | United States |
| Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld® | Renaissance Hotels | United States |
| Residence Inn Austin Downtown/Convention Center | Residence Inn | United States |
| Residence Inn Chicago Downtown/Loop | Residence Inn | United States |
| Residence Inn Chicago Downtown/River North | Residence Inn | United States |
| Residence Inn Charleston Downtown/Riverview | Residence Inn | United States |
| Residence Inn Palm Desert | Residence Inn | United States |
| Residence Inn Fort Lauderdale Pompano Beach/Oceanfront | Residence Inn | United States |
| Residence Inn Cape Canaveral Cocoa Beach | Residence Inn | United States |
| Residence Inn Myrtle Beach Oceanfront | Residence Inn | United States |
| Residence Inn New York Downtown Manhattan/ World Trade Center Area | Residence Inn | United States |
| Residence Inn Naples | Residence Inn | United States |
| Residence Inn Anaheim Resort Area/Garden Grove | Residence Inn | United States |
| SpringHill Suites Atlanta Airport Gateway | SpringHill Suites | United States |
| SpringHill Suites Chicago Downtown/River North | SpringHill Suites | United States |
| SpringHill Suites Charleston Downtown/Riverview | SpringHill Suites | United States |
| SpringHill Suites Anaheim Maingate | SpringHill Suites | United States |
| The Wick, Hudson, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel | Tribute Portfolio | United States |
35K hotels soon going up to 50K (category 5 to 6)
| Hotel | Brand | Country / Region |
|---|---|---|
| Delta Hotels Whistler Village Suites | Delta Hotels by Marriott | Canada |
| JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa | JW Marriott | Canada |
| Renaissance Montreal Downtown Hotel | Renaissance Hotels | Canada |
| Renaissance Paris Republique Hotel | Renaissance Hotels | France |
| Le Dokhan’s, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, Paris | Tribute Portfolio | France |
| Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View Hotel | Renaissance Hotels | Hong Kong |
| Powerscourt Hotel, Autograph Collection | Autograph Collection | Ireland |
| Renaissance Tel Aviv Hotel | Renaissance Hotels | Israel |
| The Westin Palace, Milan | Westin | Italy |
| The Westin Osaka | Westin | Japan |
| Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel | Renaissance Hotels | Netherlands |
| Fontecruz Lisboa, Autograph Collection | Autograph Collection | Portugal |
| San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino | Marriott Hotels | Puerto Rico |
| La Concha Renaissance San Juan Resort | Renaissance Hotels | Puerto Rico |
| The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh | The Ritz-Carlton | Saudi Arabia |
| JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul | JW Marriott | South Korea |
| AC Hotel Recoletos | AC Hotels by Marriott | Spain |
| Renaissance Barcelona Hotel | Renaissance Hotels | Spain |
| JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa | JW Marriott | Thailand |
| The Bodrum EDITION | EDITION | Turkey |
| The St. Regis Istanbul | St. Regis | Turkey |
| Habtoor Grand Resort, Autograph Collection | Autograph Collection | United Arab Emirates |
| Hotel Xenia, Autograph Collection | Autograph Collection | United Kingdom |
| London Marriott Hotel Kensington | Marriott Hotels | United Kingdom |
| London Marriott Hotel Regents Park | Marriott Hotels | United Kingdom |
| Residence Inn London Bridge | Residence Inn | United Kingdom |
| AC Hotel Asheville Downtown | AC Hotels by Marriott | United States |
| Ambassador Hotel Kansas City, Autograph Collection | Autograph Collection | United States |
| Blue Moon Hotel, Autograph Collection | Autograph Collection | United States |
| Winter Haven, Autograph Collection | Autograph Collection | United States |
| The Lexington Hotel, Autograph Collection | Autograph Collection | United States |
| Hotel Republic San Diego, Autograph Collection | Autograph Collection | United States |
| Mansion on Forsyth Park, Autograph Collection | Autograph Collection | United States |
| Waterline Marina Resort & Beach Club, Autograph Collection | Autograph Collection | United States |
| Courtyard Nashville Downtown | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard Boston Copley Square | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard Santa Monica | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard Marathon Florida Keys | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard New York Manhattan/Central Park | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard Waikiki Beach | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard San Francisco Downtown | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard New York Manhattan/Times Square | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard New York Manhattan/SoHo | Courtyard | United States |
| Courtyard San Francisco Union Square | Courtyard | United States |
| Fairfield Inn & Suites Key West at The Keys Collection | Fairfield Inn & Suites | United States |
| JW Marriott New Orleans | JW Marriott | United States |
| JW Marriott Marquis Miami | JW Marriott | United States |
| Hollywood Beach Marriott | Marriott Hotels | United States |
| Perry Lane Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Savannah | The Luxury Collection | United States |
| Marina del Rey Marriott | Marriott Hotels | United States |
| Delray Beach Marriott | Marriott Hotels | United States |
| Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa | Marriott Hotels | United States |
| Residence Inn Boston Back Bay/Fenway | Residence Inn | United States |
| Residence Inn Boston Harbor on Tudor Wharf | Residence Inn | United States |
| Residence Inn Flagstaff | Residence Inn | United States |
| Residence Inn Maui Wailea | Residence Inn | United States |
| Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Central Park | Residence Inn | United States |
| Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Times Square | Residence Inn | United States |
| Residence Inn Seattle Downtown/Convention Center | Residence Inn | United States |
| Residence Inn at Anaheim Resort/Convention Center | Residence Inn | United States |
| The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami | The Ritz-Carlton | United States |
| The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain | The Ritz-Carlton | United States |
| Sheraton Grand Nashville Downtown | Sheraton | United States |
| Sheraton Suites Key West | Sheraton | United States |
| Sheraton Princess Kaiulani | Sheraton | United States |
| Sheraton Niagara Falls | Sheraton | United States |
| Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel | Sheraton | United States |
| SpringHill Suites Pensacola Beach | SpringHill Suites | United States |
| SpringHill Suites San Diego Downtown/Bayfront | SpringHill Suites | United States |
| The Alida, Savannah, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel | Tribute Portfolio | United States |
| W Miami | W Hotels | United States |
50K hotels soon going up to 60K (category 6 to 7)
| Hotel | Brand | Country / Region |
|---|---|---|
| French Leave Resort, Autograph Collection | Autograph Collection | Bahamas |
| Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort | Marriott Hotels | Cayman Islands |
| The Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa | Westin | Cayman Islands |
| Renaissance Paris Vendome Hotel | Renaissance Hotels | France |
| The Jaffa, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Tel Aviv | The Luxury Collection | Israel |
| Sina Villa Medici, Autograph Collection | Autograph Collection | Italy |
| Renaissance Okinawa Resort | Renaissance Hotels | Japan |
| JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach | JW Marriott | Singapore |
| Círculo Gran Vía, Autograph Collection | Autograph Collection | Spain |
| Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville, Autograph Collection | Autograph Collection | United States |
| The Saint Hotel Key West, Autograph Collection | Autograph Collection | United States |
| The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Autograph Collection | Autograph Collection | United States |
| Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu, Autograph Collection | Autograph Collection | United States |
| Playa Largo Resort & Spa, Autograph Collection | Autograph Collection | United States |
| JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort | JW Marriott | United States |
| Key West Marriott Beachside Hotel | Marriott Hotels | United States |
| Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa | Marriott Hotels | United States |
| Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa | Marriott Hotels | United States |
| The Lodge at Sonoma Renaissance Resort & Spa | Renaissance Hotels | United States |
| Sheraton Waikiki | Sheraton | United States |
| Noelle, Nashville, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel | Tribute Portfolio | United States |
| The Westin Verasa Napa | Westin | United States |
Wait for these to get cheaper
It’s not all bad news. While we’re losing a large number of options for our free night certificates, we’re also gaining some. The following tables show hotels that will be going down in price on March 5th and which will then allow use of 25K, 35K, or 50K free night certificates.
Hotels that decrease from 35K to 25K (category 5 to 4)
| Hotel | Brand | Country / Region |
|---|---|---|
| Imperial Riding School Renaissance Vienna Hotel | Renaissance Hotels | Austria |
| Sheraton Munich Westpark Hotel | Sheraton | Germany |
| Sheraton New Caledonia Deva Spa & Golf Resort | Sheraton | New Caledonia |
| Sheraton Sopot Hotel | Sheraton | Poland |
| Courtyard Isla Verde Beach Resort | Courtyard | Puerto Rico |
| Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel | Sheraton | Puerto Rico |
| Courtyard Stockholm Kungsholmen | Courtyard | Sweden |
| Sheraton Samui Resort | Sheraton | Thailand |
| Aloft Palm Jumeira | Aloft | United Arab Emirates |
| Four Points by Sheraton Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai | Four Points | United Arab Emirates |
| Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel & Towers | Sheraton | United Arab Emirates |
| Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel | Sheraton | United States |
Hotels that decrease from 50K to 35K (category 6 to 5)
| Hotel | Brand | Country / Region |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Bristol, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Vienna | The Luxury Collection | Austria |
| The Buenaventura Golf & Beach Resort Panama, Autograph Collection | Autograph Collection | Panama |
| Le Méridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina | Le Méridien | United Arab Emirates |
Hotels that decrease from 60K to 50K (category 7 to 6)
| Hotel | Brand | Country / Region |
|---|---|---|
| The Westin Dublin | Westin | Ireland |
| Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa | Sheraton | Maldives |
| Sheraton Zurich Neues Schloss Hotel | Sheraton | Switzerland |
| The Naka Island, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Phuket | The Luxury Collection | Thailand |
| Bankside Hotel, Autograph Collection | Autograph Collection | United Kingdom |
| W Hollywood | W Hotels | United States |
| W Los Angeles – West Beverly Hills | W Hotels | United States |
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Talk about bad timing. I planned to use the free night certificate from my SPG Amex card for a July Boston hotel stay. As luck would have it, my certificate just appeared in my Marriott account today and the hotel I planned to stay at was one of the ones moved to category 6 yesterday..
I actually thought this (now) 50k Bonvoy Point Koloa Landing prop was a good value when it was Wyndham a year or so ago, for only 15k WRs, or about $180. Adding in (now) another $32/day in resort fees & taking 15 minutes out of your life for every trip to Poipu Beach makes it no longer worth it.
None of the places I will be are on the list of places are going up in price (points). In fact, for Vienna in September, I’ll just wait for the Hotel Bristol to come down (if I book there). We’re planning for two weeks in Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest and points in between using a chunk of our Marriott stash before my Platinum Elite status finally goes away (also using AA miles and booking before the 10% back for the Aviator card also goes kaput).
Still Platinum as of Monday night too.
Dang that’s a lot of category 4s moving up to category 5. I guess if I don’t book now my old category6, 7 night cert is gonna be worthless (since it converts to new category 4, correct?)
[…] Marriott Free Night Opportunities at 25k, 35k, 50k […]
I have a 7 night stay certificate from the old travel packages. Planning to book a summer stay but I don’t have exact dates yet. If I book before March 5 at the old prices, will I be able to change dates later for free? Or will a date change result in being charged the new prices? Thanks!
My guess is that you’ll be charged the new prices when you change the dates, but it’s worth a try anyway since you can always cancel for free. Make sure to set an alert to change/cancel the reservation before it’s too late. Some properties now have 30 day rules (e.g. you can change for free until 30 days before your check-in date)
[…] The massive Marriott Bonvoy devaluation, in terms of hideous category adjustments, comes in less than three weeks. Here are some 25K, 35K, and 50K Marriott hotel opportunities before and after March 5 2019. […]
FYI spreadsheet link isn’t going to Google Docs.
Whoops! Fixed. Thanks for letting me know.
What about 40k awards? Those certs are given for having the Marriott Luxury card.
You can look through the spreadsheet for 40K awards now that the spreadsheet link is fixed. The Luxury card offers 50K nights.
You are correct, sorry. The 40k free night in my account is the 75 Night Annual Choice Benefit. Thanks!
Do hold elite still get free breakfast or is it pet per individual hotel policy
Gold
Platinum Elite may get free breakfast. Then it depends which brands. Refer to “Marriott Bonvoy Complete Guide” on this site. https://frequentmiler.com/marriott-bonvoy-complete-guide/
Thanks Alex
The redemption. I am looking at in Asia for my travel package is getting me 0.6 c/ point net. I am not happy with that value.
D
Then pay with C1 venture or Citi Prestige card and get something out of it.
CHEERs
The HK Courtyard is a solid choice for a Cat 1-4 travel package.
Why? I looked at the rates. About 160. Nothing too special to stand out as a deal.
The point on the old travel certs is just to get some solid value out of them since the main value of the redemption was the airline miles.
Yeah. I am trying to redeem mine. And unless you specifically choose high cost time periods like over the new year’s you won’t get a very high redemption rate. But then who wants to book hotels locally and if you book further away then you will pay in airfare just getting there.
So the sweet spot of travel package redemption is not easy to find. Though hongkong over new year’s sounds like a good option.
Thanks Greg, I have a Cat 1-4 travel pacakage and We booked a 7 night at Residence Inn Pompano Beeach between Dec 21-28 for our Christmas Vacation Free breakcfast and kitchen as well is a solid deal for this hotel.
I have the new Cat 1 to 4 certificate which expires September 2019. Can I extend it? this is the 7 night certificate from the air and hotel combo
Jan, I’m not sure if they allow that post-merger. It’s worth calling to ask though. Please let us know what happens.
I was able to use my Cat 6 travel certificate over 3 months past it’s expiration date. I called up and told them my plans had changed and I knew when and where I wanted to use it(I think that helped) and they booked the room for me.
I was able to extend it for one year. I called in last week.
How can I check if I have a Marriott free certificate based on one of my CCs (Amex SPG Business, Chase Marriott Personal Card (the old one), and Chase Marriott Business). I’ve had the Amex card for several years and the two Chase cards for about 8 months. Thanks for any help!
Log into your account and look under “Activity” to find your certificates. I know — the heading doesn’t make sense.