Update: Marriott’s systems will be intermittently down starting tomorrow and will be down on 8/18 for the merger of the Marriott and SPG programs. You should make reservations for hotels getting more or less expensive today to make sure that you lock in savings and availability!
Originally posted on 7/24:
On June 28th Marriott published their new combined award chart that will take effect in August and I dissected the announcement here.
On August 18th Marriott will merge their program with the SPG program.
Thousands of hotels will be getting more and less expensive, but they should all be booked now.
Short on Starpoints/Marriott points?
- You can still buy Starpoints here.
- Earn points on the new Chase Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card.
You can lock in rates on hotels getting more expensive by booking them now for travel over the next year. Most hotels can be cancelled for free until a couple of days before the stay, so just read the cancellation policy for your desired hotel before booking.
You can lock in award availability on hotels that are getting less expensive now, and you’ll be able to call in and have the rate adjusted downward after the programs merge. Some hotels getting cheaper may have a run on their available rooms after the merger, so this would ensure that you lock in that award space and can still get sale pricing. Even if the hotel has no awards available, you’ll still be able to get a price adjustment for the new lower price.
In other words if you spend 35K Starpoints now for a SPG category 7 hotel, you will be able to call in August to have it adjusted to just 60K Marriott points. As all Starpoints will be tripled, that will mean you’ll get a refund of 45K Marriott points per night!
If you have a travel package certificate for a hotel getting more expensive, you’ll want to reserve dates before August.
Getting a $3,500/night room at the S. Regis Maldives for 60K Marriott points (20K SPG points) sounds too good to be true, but that’s what the new combined award chart states. Marriott can always pull a fast one on us, but they will lose a lot of goodwill by doing that. Wvery 5th award night is free, so on a 5 night stay you’ll pay an average of just 48K Marriott points (16K SPG points) per night!
August 2018 through January 2019 will be a great time to book top hotels at bargain rates. You can even book travel for up to a year in advance and the lower rates will apply!
In February the programs will get a new name and another new award chart.
Here is the current SPG chart (with pricing in Marriott points to make things comparable), the current Marriott chart, the new chart coming in August, and the new chart coming next February.
| Previous Starwood Chart | Previous Previous Marriott Chart | August 2018 Combined Chart | February 2019 Combined Chart | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category 1 | 6,000 (Weekends) 9,000 (Weekdays) | 7,500 | 7,500 | 5,000 off-peak 7,500 standard 10,000 peak |
| Category 2 | 9,000 (Weekends) 12,000 (Weekdays) | 10,000 | 12,500 | 10,000 off-peak 12,500 standard 15,000 peak |
| Category 3 | 21,000 | 15,000 | 17,500 | 15,000 off-peak 17,500 standard 20,000 peak |
| Category 4 | 30,000 | 20,000 | 25,000 | 20,000 off-peak 25,000 standard 30,000 peak |
| Category 5 | 36,000 off-peak 48,000 peak | 25,000 | 35,000 | 30,000 off-peak 35,000 standard 40,000 peak |
| Category 6 | 60,000 off-peak 75,000 peak | 30,000 | 50,000 | 40,000 off-peak 50,000 standard 60,000 peak |
| Category 7 | 90,000 off-peak 105,000 peak | 35,000 | 60,000 | 50,000 off-peak 60,000 standard 70,000 peak |
| Category 8 | - | 40,000 | - | 70,000 off-peak 85,000 standard 100,000 peak |
| Category 9 | - | 45,000 | - | - |
| Ritz Tier 1 | - | 30,000 | - | - |
| Ritz Tier 2 | - | 40,000 | - | - |
| Ritz Tier 3 | - | 50,000 | - | - |
| Ritz Tier 4 | - | 60,000 | - | - |
| Ritz Tier 5 | - | 70,000 | - | - |
All hotels below will also qualify for every 5th award night free!
Here is a sample list of hotel category changes. You can search for all hotels here.
Sample hotels getting less expensive:
- Aloft Beachwood, OH, now 21K (SPG category 3), will be 12.5K (Combined category 2)
- Sheraton Eatontown, NJ, now 21K (SPG category 3), will be 17.5K (Combined category 3)
- Residence Inn Miami Beach Surfside, now 30K (Marriott category 6), will be 25K (Combined category 4)
- Courtyard King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach, now 35K (Marriott category 7), will be 25K (Combined category 4)
- New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge, now 40K (Marriott category 8), will be 35K (Combined category 5)
- Atlantis, Coral Towers, Bahamas, now 40K (Marriott category 8), will be 35K (Combined category 5)
- Ritz-Carlton Cleveland, now 40K (Ritz tier 2), will be 35K (Combined category 5)
- Residence Inn Maui Wailea, now 40K (Marriott category 8), will be 35K (Combined category 5)
- Residence Inn Beverly Hills, now 40K (Marriott category 8), will be 35K (Combined category 5)
- Turnberry Isle Miami, now 40K (Marriott category 8), will be 35K (Combined category 5)
- JW Marriott Phuket, now 40K (Marriott category 8), will be 35K (Combined category 5)
- Renaissance Aruba, now 40K (Marriott category 8), will be 35K (Combined category 5)
- Sheraton Kauai, now 36K (SPG category 5), will be 35K (Combined category 6)
- Westin Harbour Castle Toronto, now 36K (SPG category 5), will be 35K (Combined category 5)
- Westin Sydney, now 36K (SPG category 5), will be 35K (Combined category 5)
- Le Méridien Tahiti, now 36K (SPG category 5), will be 35K (Combined category 5)
- Westin Lagunamar Cancun, now 60K (SPG category 6), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami, now 60K (Ritz tier 4), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- St. Regis Langkawi, now 60K (SPG category 6), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- W Singapore – Sentosa, now 60K (SPG category 6), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- Sheraton Waikiki, Honolulu, now 60K (SPG category 6), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- Sheraton Maui, now 60K (SPG category 6), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- Westin Maui, now 60K (SPG category 6), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel, now 60K (SPG category 6), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- Elma Arts Zichron Ya’akov, now 60K (SPG category 6), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- Westin Tokyo, now 60K (SPG category 6), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- S. Regis Mexico City, now 60K (SPG category 6), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- Ritz-Carlton South Beach, now 70K (Ritz tier 5), will be 60K (Combined category 7)
- S. Regis New York, now 90K (SPG category 7), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- W South Beach, now 90K (SPG category 7), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- S. Regis Bal Harbour, now 90K (SPG category 7), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- Gritti Palace Venice, now 90K (SPG category 7), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- S. Regis San Francisco, now 90K (SPG category 7), will be 60K (Combined category 7)
- W Bali, now 90K (SPG category 7), will be 60K (Combined category 7)
- Las Alcobas Napa Valley, now 90K (SPG category 7), will be 60K (Combined category 7)
- G. Rough Rome, now 90K (SPG category 7), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- Hôtel de Berri Paris, now 90K (SPG category 7), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- Parklane Cyprus, now 90K (SPG category 7), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- Wellesley Knightsbridge London, now 90K (SPG category 7), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- S. Regis Aspen, now 90K (SPG category 7), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- S. Regis Bali, now 90K (SPG category 7), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- S. Regis Princeville, now 90K (SPG category 7), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- S. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico, now 90K (SPG category 7), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- S. Regis Deer Valley Park City, now 90K (SPG category 7), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- S. Regis Florence, now 90K (SPG category 7), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- Vana Belle Koh Samui, now 120K+ (SPG all suites category), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- Naka Island Phuket, now 120K+ (SPG all suites category), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- Le Méridien Bora Bora, now 180K+ (SPG all suites category), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- S. Regis Bora Bora, now 270K+ (SPG all suites category), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- S. Regis Maldives, now 270K+ (SPG all suites category), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- W Maldives, now 270K+ (SPG all suites category), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- W Koh Samui, now 180K+ (SPG all suites category), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- Al Maha Dubai, now 180K+ (SPG all suites category), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- Mystique Santorini, Greece, now 180K+ (SPG all suites category), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
Sample hotels staying the same rate:
- Renaissance Tel Aviv Hotel, now 35K (Marriott category 7), will be 35K (Combined category 5)
- JW Marriott Rio de Janeiro, now 35K (Marriott category 7), will be 35K (Combined category 5)
- Ritz-Carlton Herzliya, now 50K (Ritz tier 3), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles, now 60K (Ritz tier 4), will be 60K (Combined category 7)
- Ritz-Carlton Aruba, now 60K (Ritz tier 4), will be 60K (Combined category 7)
- Ritz-Carlton Cancun, now 60K (Ritz tier 4), will be 60K (Combined category 7)
- Ritz-Carlton Kapalua Maui, now 60K (Ritz tier 4), will be 60K (Combined category 7)
- SLS Los Angeles, now 60K (SPG category 6), will be 60K (Combined category 7)
- Westin Europa & Regina, Venice, now 60K (SPG category 6), will be 60K (Combined category 7)
- Park Tower Knightsbridge London, now 60K (SPG category 6), will be 60K (Combined category 7)
- W Paris – Opéra, now 60K (SPG category 6), will be 60K (Combined category 7)
Sample hotels getting more expensive:
- Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel, now 30K (SPG category 4), will be 35K (Combined category 5)
- Four Points by Sheraton Miami Beach, now 30K (SPG category 4), will be 35K (Combined category 5)
- Sheraton Kona, now 30K (SPG category 4), will be 35K (Combined category 5)
- Le Méridien Chiang Mai, now 30K (SPG category 4), will be 35K (Combined category 5)
- Walt Disney World Dolphin, now 36K (SPG category 5), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- Walt Disney World Swan, now 36K (SPG category 5), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- W Fort Lauderdale, now 36K (SPG category 5), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- Sheraton Hong Kong, now 36K (SPG category 5), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- Great Northern Hotel London, now 36K (SPG category 5), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- Westin Grand Cayman, now 36K (SPG category 5), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- Wailea Beach Resort – Marriott, Maui, now 40K (Marriott category 7), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- Beverly Hills Marriott, now 40K (Marriott category 7), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- Atlantis, Royal Towers, Bahamas, now 40K (Marriott category 7), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- New York Marriott Marquis, now 45K (Marriott category 9), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- Boscolo Venezia/Grand Hotel Dei Dogi Venice, now 45K (Marriott category 9), will be 50K (Combined category 6)
- Marriott’s Newport Coast Villas, now 40K (Marriott category 7), will be 60K (Combined category 7)
- Marriott’s Kauai Lagoons, now 40K (Marriott category 7), will be 60K (Combined category 7)
- London Marriott Hotel Park Lane, now 45K (Marriott category 9), will be 60K (Combined category 7)
- Cove, Atlantis, Bahamas now 45K (Marriott category 9), will be 60K (Combined category 7)
- Ritz-Carlton Osaka, now 50K (Ritz tier 3), will be 60K (Combined category 7)
- S. Regis Rome, now 60K (SPG category 6), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
Sample hotels getting less expensive in August, before getting more expensive in February:
- Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, Miami, now 70K (Ritz tier 5), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, now 70K (Ritz tier 5), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, now 70K (Ritz tier 5), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- Ritz-Carlton Kyoto, now 70K (Ritz tier 5), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- Ritz-Carlton New York Central Park, now 70K (Ritz tier 5), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
- Ritz-Carlton Tokyo, now 70K (Ritz tier 5), will be 60K (Combined category 7) in August, will be 85K in February (Combined category 8)
Which hotels are you booking now?
- Related Marriott-SPG merger posts:
- Marriott’s Remaining Travel Package Options: Will They Go With Points Or Category Based Certificates And What You Should Do Now
- AMAZING! Marriott’s New Award Chart Is A Dream Come True For Aspirational Hotels; Roundup Of The Hotel Category Changes
- Where Will You Be Able To Use Chase Marriott And Starwood Anniversary Nights?
- Another Guess At What Will Happen With Marriott’s Miles+Nights Travel PackagesAnd Which You Should Buy Now Before It’s Too Late!
- Breaking Down The New Marriott/Starwood Combined Cash+Points And PointSavers Award Charts
- Marriott Will Massively Devalue New Miles+Nights Travel Packages In August;Comparing The Value Of The Current Packages To The New Packages
- Final Opportunity: Get 35% Off The Purchase Of Starwood Starpoints; Buy The Points You Need To Take Advantage Of These 7 Awesome Redemptions!
- Get A 75,000 Point Signup Bonus On The Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card!
- Live Blog: Follow The Marriott-Starwood Program Merger Announcement!
- 3 Starwood AMEX Cards In The New Marriott Program: A Comparison Chart Of The Good, The Bad, And The Horrific
- Comparison Chart: How Marriott’s August 2018 And February 2019 Award Chart Compares With The Current SPG And Marriott Award Charts
- Marriott Got Almost Everything Perfect, But The Starwood AMEX Cuts Are Just Too Painful
- Rack Up The Starpoints While You Still Can: There Will Be 6 Months Of Amazing Starwood Hotel Bargains!
- No Marriott, The Starwood AMEX Card Will Not Be Richer Than Ever. You Are Just Changing What I’ll Use It For
- Starwood-Marriott Merger FAQs: Answers To Your Questions About Anniversary Nights, Status From Existing Cards, And More
- The Starwood Consumer AMEX And Multiple Chase Marriott Cards Are Being Discontinued! Here’s What You Need To Know About 9 Starwood And Marriott Cards
- Will The Starwood Cards Disappear Or Lose Their Starpoints Signup Bonuses Today? Now Is The Time To Signup If You Don’t Have These Cards Yet!
- AMEX: 3 Starwood Cards Will Be Available For New Applications After The SPG-Marriott Program Merger In August
- Guesstimating Where Marriott Travel Packages Will Work In August; Take Advantage Of Marriott’s Lucrative Miles+Nights Packages Now!
- A Week Later, But No Solid Answers To 3 Contradictory Marriott-Starwood Merger Details That Everyone Wants To Know
- Marriott Clarifies Contradictory SPG Gold Information
- Roundup Of The SPG/Marriott Lifetime Status Rules; Will You Be Able To Hit Lifetime Status This Year Before The Lifetime Program Is Devalued?
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106 Comments On "Last Chance! Book Hotel Awards Now Before The Starwood-Marriott Merger!"
All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.
Shame about the Boscolo Venezia/Grand Hotel Dei Dogi Venice. Was a fantastic hotel when I just went there and so close to the ghetto. Hopefully I’ll finish my TR one day…
Luckily it’s not going up too much. TR on DDF would be great.
I have found some hotels showing no point redemption availability passed December. I am trying to book 5 day award at Marriott Ko Olina but nothing. It’s going up on August 1 but called Marriott and Hotel and they didn’t know when property will add more dates. Any suggestions?
I have a 7 night certificate category 1 to 5 from an air and hotel package that has already been extended for a year. It expires in December 2018. What are my best options for using it?
Looks for hotels in places that you want to go?
HI Dan, previously you weren’t sure that we would be able to book now and get rate adjustment, want info changed your mind?
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/29979508-post1954.html
couldn’t get clearer than that! thanks
I just spoke to SPG Cs, she said that the room type would need to be available at time of when you call in to get the adj rate as they will require to do a new booking in order to get a refund
That is the SPG rule. SPG won’t exist after Aug 17, so the Marriott rule applies as the SPG rep above says clearly.
I requested my husbands SPG points to be transferred to my account two weeks ago so that I could use the miles to get some hotel stays and maximize my points. I still haven’t gotten them and when I called and spoke to a supervisor they told me they don’t guarantee that I’ll get them before the merger!
Why not book the rooms from his account then?
Can I do that if I’ve already requested the transfer july11?
How do you transfer points from one spouse to another?
thank you dan for that wonderful post but I don’t have enough points now this second for the reservation in the Maldives for 7 nights can I book it now and pay with my points /apply my certificate later? I m working on upgrading my 7 night cert to 150k more points to climb 5 categories but don’t have it now
Dan, I have 510K Marriott. Expect 30,000 more but not until mid-late August.
Goal: 5-7 nights at S. Regis Maldives in January 2020.
What do you recommend?
A) Tier 4-5 Miles+Nights for 490K (yields 77K UA).
B) Tier 1-3 Miles+Nights for 420K (yields 132 UA)
C) No Miles+Nights…just book 5-7 Nights “straight up” (60K/night, 5th night free)
D) Something else?
Thanks, as always.
What about the free nights you will be getting with the merger? Don’t you get one free night for each card that you have (separate from the fifth night free). How will that impact booking it now? Thanks
Those won’t come until each card anniversary date.
No way to use those now.
I called up they said u gotta wait for the anniversary plus 8-12 weeks for the award to get posted to ur account to be used
Anyway of prebooking Marriott hotel with SPG points?
Transfer ur spg to marriott. Link accounts
I’ve seen a lot of analysis on whether to keep the SPG card or get Marriott card (some keeping both)… Dan, what are your thoughts? With the new program, what card gets you the most bang for your buck?
I went to book the JW Marriott Cannes for next year before it goes up in price, but I got a message that it is non-refundable one day after booking. What does this mean? What is the penalty for canceling?
according to CDC website there is Zika in Maldives anyone have any additional info. on this?
Looking to stay 5 nights in late Aug at a current Cat 6 (going from 30k to 50k) which is moving down to Cat 5 (25k up to 30k).Is it worth going for the 7 night 270k package to get the UA miles and use 5 night stay and throw away the 2 extra nights on the cert? With 5th night free, the stay would cost 120k either way.
Wouldn’t need the certs except to cash out the 132k UA miles. Is this correct?
how do i combine my points with my wifes spg points before the merger?
https://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/account/starpoints/redeem/moreOptions.html
thank you..Transfer success!
Thanks for the heads up Dan.
I have a few rooms booked for a couple of nights in a Category 3 Sheraton starting August first. Right now its is 7,000 points per room but based on your chart it seems like after the merger on the first the cost per room would be less.
Should I wait until the morning of the first and then cancel and rebook? Would I get all my SPG points back at the original rate and then be able to book at the cheaper rate?
Thanks in advance for your advice.
No need to cancel and rebook. Book now and call for an adjustment when the program merge.
Perfect, thank you.
Hi Dan : I just reached 90K Starwood points. I am going to buy the 270K Marriott travel/Aircertificate before Aug 1st. Do you still think they will be “generous” to convert back to points for Hotel portion?
I am going on my honeymoon in August, and would love to stay at the Vana Belle or W Koh Samui at the Aug- Jan rate (assuming it kicks in before the 15th), but I do not have enough points to book at the current points rate. Would a cancelable cash booking be convertible to a 60k points booking?
Thanks!
Unlikely.
So if i am not planning on using hotel stay yet is it better to make a hotel reservation just to get back more points when i cancel( with my travel package hotel air deal)or it doesnt matter?
Marriott Point Advance comes in very handy for me. Its one of the great Marriott features. It’s especially useful to lock in low rates and availability for next year… I also think it solves some of the dilemmas expressed in these comment. Unless I’m missing something. Dan, do we know if the Point Advance feature remains in the new merged program?
Slightly off topic-Until when do I earn SPG points on my credit cards? Any spending until August 1 regardless of when my statement posts?
Correct.
Dan will it be able to book the private ocean houses in the meldavis that usually go for 110k +
Any recommendations for an in Maui the ritz the Sheraton or the westin? Thanks
Depends on what you like, these are all pretty unique. For golf and seclusion go to the ritz, the westin has the better pool and location for being close to whalers village, my favorite is the sheraton for its location on black rock and expansive property. Although the beach was heavily eroded in front of the sheraton last January when I was there.
Thanks a lot
Is it compares to Marriott wailea beach resort?
If you want to try to stay at St. Regis Bora Bora or Maldives, do you recommend buying a 7 night package, or trying to find 5 nights to stay and just use your points?
Hi Dan,
Thanks again for this! Quick q- if I want to book a stay at the St. Regis Maldives, like you suggest, but don’t have 270k SPG points (I only have 90k SPG), can I reserve it by paying in cash and then get a refund in August by using points? While putting up that much cash is less than ideal, I’d certainly like to lock this in. Is there any other way to go about this?
Thanks!
Probably not going to work.
So I would need to somehow put up 270K SPG to get this?
I’m trying to wrap my head around all this information! If we want to redeem at a Marriott hotel but only have SPG points, do you suggest transferring points before the merger.
anyone willing to charge me an hourly rate to help me redeem some points most efficiently ? Not kidding.
Sure, hit me up
Correct.
Whats the difference if you transfer them before or after? Dont all spg points auto transfer to marriott at 3:1?
If you want to redeem a Marriott hotel now.
I have a tier 1-3 travel certificate. I would like to use it at the st. Regis bal harbour. Do I book it now or do I wait
No way to book that now.
Dan — using your S. Regis Maldives as an example, how do you know they will treat an all suites booking (which right now requires 270k Marriott) as a standard category 7 at the 60k points, and assuming you do, will they adjust down to the 60 if i book at the suites rate now? Thanks!
That’s what the award chart says.
Doesn’t it just say “Category 7” with no mention of suite pricing?
https://points-redemption.marriott.com/category-change
Ya, I saw that. I think that’s just for a standard room…it does not specify what they intend to do for suites (which is all St Regis Maldives allows on spg booking), so when you go to book at the 60k in August, e.g., they will likely say we have none available, only suites at x points. Am I missing something? Thanks for the quick replies.
Does anyone know what will happen to the category 8 Wailea Beach Resort Maui? Should I book now or after August 1? Thanks
Going up from 40K to 50K
https://points-redemption.marriott.com/category-change
Do you think it will be before August 16th?
No clue.
Hi Dan I want to stay at the S. Regis Bal Harbour, on August 19 do you know if I will be able to call in for a points reimbursement by then or it may still be to early
No clue.
will the option to transfer spg points to airlines also be changed after the marge?
It will remain the same ratio.
You recommended booking now before the merger. However if I cancel stays after the merger and get points credit back to my account at what rate will they be credited? Here is the example: St Regis Bal Harbor books now at 140,000 for 5 nights. That is the equivalent of 420,000 Marriot points at the time of the merger( 3 for 1). The hotel will be a 55,000 per night or 220,000 for a 5 night stay in August. First of all will Marriot credit me back 200,000 points or will they use the new 2 for one rate to calculate my credit? That would only be 60,000 points( figuring the 140,000 SPG points to be only 280,000 Marriot points). The 2nd more important question is if I cancel the reservation how many points will be credited back to my account 420,000 or 220,000. It might be a significant loss of points to book early
on Marriotts website it says: August 18 One program goes live. is the date of the changes?
I am current Marriott Rewards member, can I use those points to book now at St Regis or do i need to wait?
Anyone have trouble getting through to marriot hotel+air line?
took me over an hour to get a hold of them
I upgraded my 5 night cert to cat 6 to book 5 nights at residence inn surfside last week of sept. I just noticed that this hotel will become cheaper ( category 4) on aug 18th and now im wondering if I should cancel the reservation and downgrade the cert back to a cat 5 and rebook next week. what you recommend I do?
Im sitting on 600000+ Marriott points. Any ideas what my best options are? Thanx for any suggestions
But must wait until after the 18th to book with free night certificate if hotel is changing from cat 6 to cat 5?
I have a category 5 Marriott certificate from my Marriott chase anniversary; will I still be able to book any combined category 5 with it?
Hi,
If I already have the vouchers (3 x Tier 1-3 certificates) does it matter if I book now or later? Thanks!
Just called and they said there system was down for the day, anyone have any luck recently?
Yes, just booked one now.
Standard number? 800-321-7396? I’ll try calling again than. Thanks!
What did you book?
Any recommendation what a should book with a 7 night 1-5 cert or just leave it alone? Not looking to stay anywhere.
I’d book at Calgary airport as that remains a category 5.
Why? Do you still think Marriott will give you back more points when you cancel? You think they will give you more than 150k?
I have enough points for a Cat 9 or Tier 1-3 Certificate, but can’t travel until Sept 2019, so not bookable now. Which category should I leave it floating or attach it to a reservation I will for sure not be taking. If so, where should I attach it?
Can you just make the reservation and redeem the points at a later point in time?
Hi Dan,
I have read all these posts many many times but I ask, whats the worst case scenario if I have now a 7 nights + united miles at category 8 and have no hotel plans yet (I do like a great hotel), and I have enough points to upgrade the package to category 9, should I leave it as is (cat 8) or should I upgrade now to 9?
Please respond, thanks so much!
Does anybody know what’s going to happen with the Ritz free night certificate
I wanted to book at Marriott’s Club Son Antem with my Category 6 certificate but when I put in the dates online to check reward availability it states, “We’re sorry. This property is not taking redemption bookings at this time. You can either book a cash reservation or search for another property.” I think too many people booked in anticipation.
IINM Marriott Vacation Club properties are rarely, if ever, available to book with pints.
I called MR to upgrade my cat 1-5 certificate to a category 8. This requires 90K; I only have 89K. The agent put me on hold and then came back to say the system was down, but she said she would start the process. She said she wrote a note to finish the job tonight when system is back up and would gift me the 1K I’m missing (I was prepared to buy 1K over the phone). When I look at my account now, the cat 1-5 cert actually got cancelled and I got 45K points back. An email confirms the cancellation. From an older FrequentMiler post, I see this is how upgrades work; 45K refund and then get charged 75K/105K/135K/etc. But since the rep wasn’t able complete the upgrade part, if she doesn’t complete the job tonight and I have to call another agent, will they be able to give me the cat 8 package (minus airline miles) when I only have 135K in my account?
Hi Dan, we are having difficulty in combining my spouse spg points because our address are not the same. Any workaround in combining?
Take what I write below with a grain of salt because I’m just relaying info during a highly speculative and confusing situation. I’m just trying to share my experience.
Just spoke with the Australian Marriott Dept. located in Malaysia (called via Skype, +61-282-98-5250) open 8pm-8am Eastern. No wait time and 2 of the 3 reps seemed on the ball. I had tried going through USA channels and reps didn’t know what a travel package was.
First I bought 1 Cat 1-5 package and assigned it to a trip I will be taking at Marriott Villas at Doral (cat 5, moving up to cat 7, currently requires 10k pts extra per night upgrade, not sure if that will be required once a cat 7). Went with Alaska miles.
Next I called back and bought a Cat 9 and left unattached because I won’t be able to fit in the schedule until Sept 2019. First agent told me I should only buy up to Cat 7 because that will be the highest category in the new program–he tried telling me I’d be able to use it anywhere soon. He was vaguely familiar with the latest update regarding the 1 month freeze on travel certificates.
I called back to get a different agent, again no wait time, and again went with Alaska. They wouldn’t let me deposit the miles into my wife’s account (is this a rule?) so it may eventually cost me $200 to transfer at Alaska award redemption time as I’m looking for Cathay Business. Agent told me if I don’t use the certificate it will automatically be cancelled by “the system” after the merger. He said he was sharing info from a report he was given 2 days ago regarding unattached certificates. He said they have asked upper management for clarification on what happens if someone cancels an award booking–would it become an instant refund or would changes be allowed–no answer yet.
He gave me the following refund amounts for unattached certificates. He again said automatic cancellation, not if you voluntarily turned it in.
Cat 1-5: 45k pts
Cat 6: 75k
Cat 7: 105k
Cat 8: 135k
Cat 9: 165k
Tier 1-3: 195k
Tier 4-5: 315k
I called back one more time and asked another rep. who stated that the system will cancel anything not attached to a reservation, but then said anything attached can be rebooked to similar category as if a free agent.
I realize that not all agents are “in the know” and this is a situation full of speculation. But now I’m scared about my unattached Cat 9 cert. I’m definitely going to attach it to something far out in the schedule (Aug 2019) and hope they’ll extend to Sept 2019 for redemption.
Good luck to everyone!
And call back three more times and you get three more different answers. I wish people would be realistic and realize we will not know anything definitely until Marriott corp tells us. How do you explain you get different answers on the same questions…they are guessing. They could not have all received different emails with different information from corporate as to how TPs will be handled. Asking Dan’s opinion is not getting a definitive answer. He is guessing also.
The St. Regis Mardavall Mallorca is currently cat 7 35k spg per night. Will it be going on sale from Aug to Feb like other cat 7’s (st regis maldives)?
I have a 7 night cat 1-5 no plans for now on using. Should I make a future reservation for any cat 5 and could always change later? or whats best option?
Thanks
Dan I have 130k spg points and looking to book a package to st Regis Maldives I’m a little confused on the best way to arraigned for air travel. What’s my best option
Dan I currently have 130k spg points would that be enough for me to book st Regis Maldives under the current rates. What would be the best way to set up airfair. Thanks a ton
Im a little confused by all of this. Can someone help??? I am trying to redeem a 7 night voucher in Cuba in December. Marriott has no hotels there. They also said that I can not book the SPG hotel there, using the voucher. Am I missing something? Did I miss a step?
I have the same question, anyone??
Does anyone know what rate you will pay if you book a Marriott that is going up after 8/18 on “points advance”? rate at time of booking or new rate?
Per Starwood Lurker over on FT there will NO ability to downgrade or upgrade the current TPs after 8/18. Hope y’all are happy with the TPs you bought and have a use for them. I didn’t get greedy and have uses for the ones I got and am happy.
I am very confused by this statment “In other words if you spend 35K Starpoints now for a SPG category 7 hotel, you will be able to call in August to have it adjusted to just 60K Marriott points. As all Starpoints will be tripled, that will mean you’ll get a refund of 45K Marriott points per night!
Can someone explain?
Dan, if I only have enough points to book the place I want at the Aug. 18 rate, can I book today using cash and points, then get refunded the cash after the new rates set in?
anyone having any luck getting SPG to adjust the points when the cpst went down? Iv’e spoke with 2 reps today & neither of them could do it. My first stay is for tomorrow.
Thanks