Social media reports suggest a major Marriott Bonvoy points devaluation. Marriott no longer publishes award charts or tells members when they alter their pricing models. They just increase the cost of award nights at their hotels whenever they choose, with no notice. This appears to be one of those times.
Redemption rates have generally gone up. It looks like the “caps” have increased – now the hotels can charge you more points. There’s no official information about this, but I’ve gathered some info doing some research myself.
Some hotels that used to charge up to 42K now can charge up to 52K. Previously 59K to now 65K. Previously 76K to now 84K. Previously 92K to 101K.
Hotels don’t decide how many points to charge. Marriott does. They have set reimbursement rates at their properties, and those are more expensive when hotels approach sell-out. So Marriott will adjust the points price of a given night based on the likelihood that they expect to pay more.
But that’s not what’s going on here. It does seem that points pricing has gone up in a systematic way at many properties.
Just a week ago, J.W. Marriott Masai Mara – where guests barely escaped with their lives last spring – was priced from around 124,000 points per night. Not anymore…
I haven’t updated my estimate of the value of Marriott points in some time, in part because they’ve been on such a downward trajectory since the launch of the Bonvoy program to much fanfare. Perhaps it’s time to systematically re-evaluate. The re-launch of Starwood can’t come soon enough. We can dream, right?
What points price changes are you seeing?
just pay with cash. problem solved.
Ah, that explains it. I’m headed to Madrid in a couple weeks and was happy to find the Westin Palace available for 40k points most nights in February. It’s a bargain right now because of a major renovation that completes March 1, and then it’s rebranding to Luxury Collection. Pricing goes way up then.
I looked yesterday to see where rates are, and the cheapest nights in Feb (half the month) are 44k, a 10% bump from where it was two weeks ago.
Thought it was just me.
For the past year or so I could find redemptions in the .86 cpp level.
For upcoming trips seeing much closer to .6 ccp.
They bought into a sort of monopoly of some of the biggest hotel brand names in the world
Now they simply shoot at fish in a barrel.
Many are Marriott hypnotized junkies paying and redeeming whatever they ask.Just look at the MGM relationship where Marriott blind followers overpay for a room get a few measly points and then get screwed when going to redeem.All for a status tier that will say no upgrades available and we don’t do breakfast for elites. Fools
My ex boss used to tell me the more you rip off the customer the customer will come back yet again for more bleeding.
Its not something I agreed with but he made many millions so who am I to argue being one of the sales people.I eventually quit and before so tried to do my best to at least sell quality even if I knew folks were overpaying.
why would you redeem Marriott points for hotels? 60,000 Marriott points gets you 30,000 UA miles (10,000 bonus). do that 3 times and you can have a transatlantic flight on Austrian, Lufthansa, Swiss in Business that costs $4000. problem solved. Why anyone would redeem Marriott points at hotels is beyond me.
I haven’t booked a Marriott stay on points since Covid. Hyatt #1 followed by Hilton and Wyndham.
Since when did dynamic pricing require a warning?
That’s what makes it dynamic.
Bonvoy’d indeed. Corporate greed is going to the stratosphere this next era. The good ole days are officially over.
Shame on bootlickers @Joe @Don G (you aren’t even playing ‘the game’)
And pity the fool @Matthew (for UA, 3:1 is awful when BILT, Chase are 1:1).
One repeat property used to be 35k to 45k. Now, it’s 44k to 58k. The good news is that you can still book a Fairfield Inn that offers no breakfast with an 85k FNC.
Thanks for the warning.
I have been tracking points prices for a number of hotels in SE Asia late this spring mostly Ritz and St Regis. All of the point redemption prices have gone up within the last few days between 12-20% for same dates in late May early June. Some examples:
Ritz Hong Kong 5/18-5/19 80.K on 1/11/25 to 97K on 1/26/25
Ritz Langkawi 6/1/25 69K on 1/19/25 to 79K on 1/26/25
Interestingly the “points and cash” cash co-pay amounts did not increase.
They have doubled here in DFW. It’s disgusting and way overdone. Needed a simple redemption in the suburbs for a family member after my brother in law had a heart & kidney transplant. The limited service Marriotts near the hospital used to be 12,500 to 15,000 a night: now 25,000 and 35,000. Ridiculous. And the free night certificates we earn and can “top off aren’t growing in value either.
The 35k FNAs are even more useless now?
So glad I canceled th bombboy!
Big waste of time
Dynamic pricing is supposed to be tied to revenue but @ Marriott
Its tied to revenue with an additional greed surcharge
More data points: Much of the Maldives properties nearly doubled. When available, it used to be around 400K points for 5 nights with 5th night free at the Ritz-Carlton Fari Islands, St Regis, W, etc.; now it’s 800K+. It’s a catastrophic devaluation—a 50% cut in the relative value of our points. And it appears to be across the board, not just a given night because of high occupancy.
We’re all getting screwed, and there’s nothing we can do, except to bring our business elsewhere. Hyatt has not done this yet. Hilton has devalued in the past but not lately.
I stayed five nights at westin for 108k two weeks ago and another five nights at Marriott for 110k a week ago. I will be staying at a courtyard next month, which I redeemed 68k for five nights.
Inflation impacts everything so why are points/miles bloggers SHOCKED that it takes more points or miles to get a ticket or night stay. Frankly that isn’t devaluation as the price per point/miles bloggers stays about the same. For example a $350 room that is 50,000 points is .7 cent/point (my personal value for Marriott). If the price of the room goes to $420 and it now takes 60,000 points that ISN’T a devaluation since the points are still worth .7 cent.
Problem is everyone is entitled and doesn’t want any of their awards to increase even though the underlying prove of the hotel or airline has increased. Also people are apparently CLUELESS about basic economics and capitalism which is really sad.
@AC, I agree with you with one caveat. You’re assuming the price of the room/flight has increased. While that may be true, it’s also possible the prices have remained the same or only slightly higher, and therefore, the increase in points needed would represent a devaluation.
Glad I canceled BombBoy along time ago. Worthless program!
Wow I feel quite delighted and lucky that I managed to redeem (and cash out basically all my Marriott points) for the JW Marriott Masai Mara in November!
As always the single strongest signal you can send is to cancel your Bonvoy credit cards. They know that means you’re disengaging…
Who here really expects to see value from Bonvoy rather than getting Bonvoyed? Hands? Buhler? Buhler? Anyone?
@1990, I agree with @Matthew on the math.
Going back in history, when Marriott bought Starwood, they gave us 3 Bonvoy points for 1 SPG point. So that sort of established the value of a Bonvoy point.
When you stay at Marriott, you’re earning 10x-17.5x (or more), which would convert to 3.33x-5.83x points per dollar at the old SPG rate. Bilt is generally paying you 1x per dollar (up to 3x for dining).
What is most definitely not a value is spending on a Bonvoy card when you’re getting less than 6x per dollar. In that case you’d be better off with the CapOne card, or some other card that pays a category bonus for your spend. Should only be using a Bonvoy card at Marriott.
Say my name, say my name
Cash price has not increased.
Points required to redeem. $100 dollars worth of hotels stay has increased.
Not inflation. Devaluation.
Doesn’t seem to be system-wide. St Regis Bora Bora still maxes out at 138k and generally points prices look unchanged. Generally, I find Marriott wildly varies point prices at some hotels (with absolutely no connection to changes in cash rates), which makes observing a devaluation difficult to impossible (obviously max rates are different).
This isn’t a misunderstanding of inflation—it’s simply corporate greed. And companies like Marriott can manipulate their pseudo-currency programs, harming users, without any real consequences to the company (so far). Their expectation is that the regime in the US will bring about broad de-regulation, so we’re about to see more of this in every industry. It’s corruption, and we all will pay the price.
@Ralph This guy gets it. Thank you.
@Don G Earlier you advocated for ‘just pay cash’ (assuming that you were admonishing those of unhappy with the devaluation). I rightly called you a bootlicker because you are defending something that harms most of us who actually earn and use points. Then, you explain how you have used points before, which is not the issue here. Try rebooking your not-yet-completed stays because the new rates are probably much worse specifically due to these devaluations.
@AC I see you’ve joined the bootlickers—then again, you always were one based on your prior comments to other posts. See you around next time.
@Mike P Your caveat is correct, and is the reason most of us who are in-the-know are upset. So, for once, we sorta agree on something.
@Nick You’re correct that the only way this gets any better is if we, consumers, in the aggregate, stop doing business with bad actors. This is increasingly difficult because for some industries and certain markers these companies have monopolies. Also, the corporate propaganda is clearly effective—see all the bootlickers above.
@Daniel A …so you think you found an exception. Good news, everyone! Ignore everything prior! We can now lick boots all the way to Bora Bora for just 138K points per night (plus like $1,200/night paid in additional fees because that property often does that).
@1990 – AC/Retired Gambler has never been one to sympathize with normal people, instead going with the “Let Them Eat Cake” mentality. Can’t say I’m a fan of the philosophy but will give him props for consistency.
Oh this is so silly. Do you say the same thing when the cash price of a room goes up? You’re just trying to generate clicks.
@Christian
How Christ-like of you to actually want to ‘empathize’ with others, especially the less fortunate, which is a newfound sin to folks like @AC (and whatever other names he and they are using these days, @AndyS, @Mantis).
That said, by all means, these ‘games’ with credit cards, banks, hotels, and airlines are all a ‘luxury’ not a ‘necessity’ so as far as the hierarchy of needs goes, it’s all pretty low on the totem pole, even though these devaluations are both unsurprising yet still upsetting.
This change is another reminder to not hoard points. Earn ‘em and burn ‘em because you never know when they’ll be worthless, or a company will go bankrupt, or another global pandemic will shut everything down for years (though it is unlikely for the US to ever again shut down anything even if millions are dying, because profits over people and ‘line must go up’), or an expansive regional or global war throws everything into chaos (has Xi taken Taiwan yet?). Anyway, smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.
I’ve been a marriott elite member for 8 years. It’s a good program for me. I rarely complain about anything while others outcry. I continue to be the elite member and wave at you guys.
I was in Paris last month, December 2024. I booked about two months out. Starting a month out, the number of points needed for a 5-night stay dropped by 3,000 to 7,000 points per night almost every week. I had to keep rebooking and getting refunds. It was absurd. Lesson learned. Always, always monitor prices after you make a reservation because with dynamic pricing of award redemptions it can go both ways. Yes, it can get expensive, but it can also get cheaper.
Right now, looking at Paris for 5 nights using random dates in December 2025, all of the desirable full-service properties are 331,000 to 476,500 points per night. That’s insane. Two of the less-desirable Renaissance properties are 260,000 to 271,000 points.
I’m fortunate in that I have 6 million-plus Marriott points, but how is someone just starting this supposed to accumulate enough points for a 471,000-point stay?
At 331,000 or 471,000 points, I’m inclined to start paying cash.
@Bob
That is exactly my thinking.
For several years having multiple Bonvoy cc meant a reasonably reliable discount on a modest nights sleep.
But as the value of 35k drops closer to the annual fee, the value equation changes.
Have added ‘cancel Bonvoy cards” to this year’s plan.
Across the board at ALL Marriott properties it takes more points than ever to book a stay. For example, a Springhill Suites in a non-touristy area of, say, Ohio – 5 years ago could book a night for 20k points, rooms were cleaned daily, early check-in was available, and late check out was guaranteed and we frequently got upgrades across all brands. Now it’s 40k points a night, they don’t clean the rooms or bring fresh towels unless you ask, no early check-in, and they try to get out of late check out. We only get upgrades at the low end properties now. As in international example, in 2017 we booked a weekend at the Ritz in Vienna. At the time the weekend was 150k points, and we got upgraded to a suite larger than our house. I just checked and right now a weekend off season is running 300k points. And recently wanted to book a Residence Inn in Colorado Springs and that would run over 100k points for a 2 night stay. WTF
@Ralph and others – agree cash price didn’t increase overnight. However, if you go back to when the previous award level was set (maybe up to a year ago) and compare the price then to now I assure you they have almost certainly increased. The award levels are just being reset (and is done on a periodic basis) to reflect the then current pricing.
And for all of you (especially 1990) they want to call me a boot licker or corporate shill look I like getting a cheap reward as much as the next guy. I’ve been collecting airline miles and hotel points since the mid 80s. I can’t tell you how much it has changed in that time but I’m also someone that understands the balance between marketing (award programs) and profitability. Hotels are complicated more as the vast majority are franchises when the hotel company has to first focus on the hotel owner and then the traveler. May not like it but that is reality.
Personally I’m fine with dynamic pricing and, while I know many will say this can’t happen, I fully expect Hyatt to go dynamic in the next year or two along with the few remaining airlines that have award schedules either on their metal or for alliance partners. That is simply how the business has evolved. Again, not what I prefer but reality. You can either adjust and move along or constantly bemoan things you will never be able to change. Personally I find it better to just roll with it and look for the best current value across all hotels and airlines (retired and lifetime elite on most programs plus focus heavily on transferable currencies).
@ @ Gary’– Marriott is the worst. My advice to all — JUST SAY NO.
I Prince de Galles in Paris for 5 nights in August. I think it was 475,000 when I booked and I track and it subsequently came down over time and I booked it for 461,500 points. It went up a few days ago to 475,000 points and today I see it is 513,000 points. Same with the Hotel Granse Brittanje and King George in Greece where I booked 2 nights in August and points increased yesterday.
@AC
Mmm. Those tasty boots! No, no, you’re right: ‘corporate shill’ sounds more elegant.
In all seriousness, the day that Hyatt goes dynamic will be a sad day for many of us–though, as you wisely said, it is best to just ‘roll with it’ when these things happen. Either that, or a mass-boycott.
I just got boned for a five night points stay, use points for four, get fifth, for 160000 points at Hotel Metro, Autograph Collection in Milwaukee during thr Milwaukee’ hotel month, The lowest time of year. The cash rate was $187 per night. Thankfully if there is such a thing I used all mine.
@AC
I just checked a Residence I have stayed at numerous times over the past 5 years.
Just to make sure, I checked several sets of dates including high and shoulder season.
In each case the case price for the 2025 dates was roughly what I paid last year. In most cases the cash rate was almost 25 percent in 2025.
In all cases the points prices for 2025 were higher than I have ever seen for this property. And on a year over year basis 15 to 25 percent more points than in 2024.
Admittedly a meaninglessly small sample size. But I am seeing what I am seeing.
I don’t know what else to tell you. I couldn’t care less what marriott does as I will just pivot to whatever else makes sense.
But I have made 8 other marriott property reservations so far this year and only 1 a foreign Design resort was remotely a good points deal.
@Ac
Meant to say the 2025 cash price was often up to 25 percent lower for 2025 than what I paid in 2024.
Sorry for the typo
Masai Mara data point – I stayed there 5 nights in Feb 2024 for 470k; looking at the screenshot in Gary’s post rates are around 80% higher today
I don’t know why y’all expect points prices to move with cash rates.
Marriott Bonvoy pays hotels a deeply discounted rate, assuming rooms would have gone empty. That rate only rises with high occupancy. And that’s why Marriott does dynamic pricing – they increase points cost when they expect a hotel to have high occupancy and their reimbursement rate to rise.
The base or low redemption price is for when a standard room is available and they expect hotel occupancy to be low, and reimbursement to the hotel to be very low. This is not based on prevailing room rates at all.
Bonvoy gets beat up regularly while the points redemptions exploding at some Hyatt all inclusives get ignored
The 35K Free Night Awards that can be topped off up to 50,000 are barely useful anymore. The desirable 50,000 point hotels bumped up just enough to be out of reach last year.
@Gary Leff
Well, that settles it. We did indeed get Bonvoy’d yet again.
Marriott to is members: “Y’all (don’t) come back now, ya hear!”
If it’s only increased 10 or 20% that’s not bad considering, if you have American Airline miles check out what happen there. Example being last year I could use approximately 160k miles for a business class round trip ticket SF to Tokyo but today it’s 800k.
A friend used to work at their headquarters and said they just laid off 1/3 of their staff, most in marketing and operations. Isn’t that the company’s core business? She said it’s a chaotic place and department heads don’t have advanced degrees. The decision making here tracks.