Reminder: 25K, 35K, and 50K Marriott hotel opportunities before and after March 5 2019

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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:

a table with numbers and points

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)

a large building next to a beach
Residence Inn Pampano Beach Florida. This one is a steal at 25K points per night, and still a decent value when it goes up to 35K. I’d consider booking now for next winter (as I write this, it is bookable through Jan 25 2020).  This beachfront hotel is a short drive from the Fort Lauderdale airport so it could make an excellent, and easy to get to, weekend getaway.
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)

a hotel room with a bed and a couch
Perry Lane Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Savannah.  It was very difficult to narrow this list to just one highlight. There are many great hotels that will soon be out of reach with your 35K certificates. I picked this one because I’ve been eager to visit Savannah and this looks like a great choice.  The photo shows their regular (deluxe) King bedroom.  The hotel also boasts “Grand Deluxe” rooms and multiple suites.
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)

a pool with palm trees and a building
Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu, Autograph Collection.  This one is on the sunny south side of Kauai, Hawaii.  I would happily stay at any of these soon-to-be-60K-but-currently-50K properties.  But, this one is in one of my favorite places on earth.  If you have 50K certificates and you can find free night availability (good luck with that), book it before March 5th!
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)

a long dock leading to a large building
The Sheraton Sopot Hotel hotel in Poland looks gorgeous and gets excellent reviews. My only hesitation in listing it here is that room rates tend to be quite cheap so you won’t necessarily get great value for your certificate, but it looks like you’ll have a great stay.
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)

a room with tables and chairs
Hotel Bristol, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Vienna. This one looks awesome. I’m surprised that it has gone down in price!
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)

a beach with a pool and trees
The Naka Island, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Phuket. Looks beautiful!
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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Ray

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..

Pam

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.

Billy Bob

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.

Alex

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 […]

Canu Barnes

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!

[…] 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. […]

Shawn

FYI spreadsheet link isn’t going to Google Docs.

Yolo

What about 40k awards? Those certs are given for having the Marriott Luxury card.

Yolo

You are correct, sorry. The 40k free night in my account is the 75 Night Annual Choice Benefit. Thanks!

Debit

Do hold elite still get free breakfast or is it pet per individual hotel policy

Debit

Gold

AlexL

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/

Debit

Thanks Alex

Debit

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.

CaveDweller

D
Then pay with C1 venture or Citi Prestige card and get something out of it.
CHEERs

Blue

The HK Courtyard is a solid choice for a Cat 1-4 travel package.

Debit

Why? I looked at the rates. About 160. Nothing too special to stand out as a deal.

Blue

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.

Debit

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.

Deepthi

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.

jan

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

Buddy M.

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.

jan

I was able to extend it for one year. I called in last week.

Steven

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!