Last Day: Marriott Bonvoy and the disappearance of its categories on March 29, 2022

Updated Aug 22, 2024
JW Marriott Maldives Villa on stilts second
To the point Reminder: Today is the last day before the Marriott Bonvoy hotel categories are discontinued. Starting tomorrow, 200 hotels will cost more in points.

As of March 29, 2022, Marriott Bonvoy hotel categories will disappear. The points charged will now vary according to a dynamic fee schedule.

Negative change

Marriott Bonvoy Flexible Point Redemption Rates: Dynamic pricing

Until now, hotels of the Marriott Bonvoy program were splitted into 8 categories, themselves subdivided into 3 rates (off peak, standard, peak).

A free hotel night could therefore cost between 5,000 points (category 1 hotel – off peak reate) and 100,000 points (category 8 hotel – peak rate).

Category Off peak Standard Peak
1 5 000 7 500 10 000
2 10 000 12 500 15 000
3 15 000 17 500 20 000
4 20 000 25 000 30 000
5 30 000 35 000 40 000
6 40 000 50 000 60 000
7 50 000 60 000 70 000
8 70 000 85 000 100 000

From now on, as of March 29, 2022Marriott Bonvoy will no longer display hotel categories or seasonal rates. It is the introduction of a dynamic pricing model.

And this is VERY bad news, which can be described as a devaluation of the program. Indeed, hotel point rates will closely follow cash rates.

Here are examples of Marriott Bonvoy hotels to book before tomorrow to avoid a point increase.

Still, there could be some beneficial surprises on the traveler’s side. Starting tomorrow, it is possible that a hotel already booked in points will cost less. It may be worth checking, because you never know!

The 8 categories and 3 rates will now be replaced by the flexible point redemption rates.

From March through December 2022, Marriott Bonvoy assures that you can expect almost all hotels to require the same number of points to redeem as before. A hotel that was charging 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points may be able to charge 31,000 points, or 38,000 points during peak periods.

Except that as of March 29, there will be 200 hotels that will require more points. Increases will range from 5,000 points to 30,000 points.

In Canada, for example, there will only be the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver which will cost up to 10,000 points more in points.

For popular destinations like the Maldives, these hotels will increase by up to 20,000 points per night:

For the rest, these 200 hotels are very popular and represent places where the demand is very high.

Increase to 5,000 points

Region Hotel
Asia Courtyard Changsha South
Asia Courtyard Hong Kong Sha Tin
Asia Courtyard Shanghai Hongqiao
Asia Courtyard Xiamen Haicang
Asia Four Points by Sheraton Changsha, Meixi Lake
Asia Four Points by Sheraton Jiaxing
Asia Four Points by Sheraton Srinagar
Asia ITC Kakatiya, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hyderabad
Asia JW Marriott Hotel Zhengzhou
Asia Marriott Nanjing South Hotel
Asia Midea Shunde, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel
Asia Ningbo Marriott Hotel
Asia Renaissance Guiyang Hotel
Asia Renaissance Xiamen Hotel
Asia Shanghai Marriott Hotel Kangqiao
Asia Sheraton Changsha Hotel
Asia Sheraton Harbin Xiangfang Hotel
Asia Sheraton Nanchang Hotel
Asia The Westin Desaru Coast Resort
Asia Xiamen Marriott Hotel & Conference Centre
Asia Xiamen Marriott Hotel Haicang
Asia Zhejiang Taizhou Marriott Hotel
Europe Courtyard Oxford City Centre
United States Courtyard North Brunswick
United States Courtyard South Padre Island
United States Fairfield Inn & Suites Birmingham Downtown
United States Fairfield Inn & Suites El Dorado
United States Fairfield Inn & Suites Morganton Historic Downtown
United States Fairfield Inn & Suites Tulsa Catoosa
United States Fairfield Inn & Suites Williamstown
United States Four Points by Sheraton Greensboro Airport
United States Four Points by Sheraton Salt Lake City Airport
United States SpringHill Suites Denver Tech Center
United States SpringHill Suites Gulfport I-10
United States SpringHill Suites Tulsa at Tulsa Hills
United States TownePlace Suites Kingsville
United States TownePlace Suites St. Louis Louis O’Fallon

Increase to 10,000 points

Region Hotel
Asia Beijing Marriott Hotel Changping
Asia Courtyard Suwon
Asia ITC Royal Bengal, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Kolkata
Asia Le Méridien Shanghai, Minhang
Asia Marriott’s Bali Nusa Dua Gardens
Asia Shanghai Marriott Hotel Riverside
Asia Shenzhen Marriott Hotel Golden Bay
Asia The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi
Asia The Ritz-Carlton, Nanjing
Asia The Shanhaitian Resort Sanya, Autograph Collection
Asia St. Regis Langkawi
Asia The Westin Pushkar Resort & Spa
Asia W Goa
Canada JW Marriott Parq Vancouver
Europe Aegon Mykonos, Autograph Collection
Europe Château de la Resle, a Member of Design Hotels
Europe Le Metropolitan, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, Paris
Europe Marriott’s Village d’ile-de-France
Europe Reges, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Cesme
Mexico City JW Marriott Los Cabos Beach Resort & Spa
Mexico City The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun
Mexico City The Westin Los Cabos Resort Villas & Spa
United States Aloft Ocean City
United States Avalon Hotel & Bungalows Palm Springs, a Member of Design Hotels
United States Charleston Historic District/Hotel Bella Grace
United States Courtyard Winter Haven
United States Fairfield Inn & Suites Branson
United States Fairfield Inn & Suites Helen
United States Fairfield Inn & Suites Lake Geneva
United States Fairfield Inn & Suites Plymouth
United States Fairfield Inn & Suites Wellington-West Palm Beach
United States Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa
United States Four Points by Sheraton Orlando Convention Center
United States Key Largo Bay Marriott Beach Resort
United States Luminary Hotel & Co, Autograph Collection
United States Marriott Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa
United States Marriott’s Willow Ridge Lodge
United States Residence Inn Corpus Christi Downtown
United States Residence Inn Modesto North
United States Residence Inn Ocean City
United States Residence Inn Palm Beach Gardens
United States Residence Inn Reno Sparks
United States Residence Inn Rocklin Roseville
United States Sheraton Kauai Resort
United States Sheraton Lakeside Terrace Villas at Mountain Vista, Avon, Vail Valley
United States SpringHill Suites Fort Worth Historic Stockyards
United States SpringHill Suites Hampton Portsmouth
United States SpringHill Suites Jackson Hole
United States SpringHill Suites Kalispell
United States SpringHill Suites Nashville Brentwood
United States SpringHill Suites Ocala
United States SpringHill Suites Orange Beach at The Wharf
United States SpringHill Suites Springdale Zion National Park
United States SpringHill Suites St. Louis George Washington
United States The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes
United States The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort
United States TownePlace Suites Phoenix Glendale Sports & Entertainment District
United States TownePlace Suites Whitefish Kalispell
United States Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach, Autograph Collection
United States W Fort Lauderdale

Increase to 20,000 points

Region Hotel
Africa The Westin Turtle Bay Resort & Spa, Mauritius
Asia Duxton Reserve Singapore, Autograph Collection
Asia Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay
Asia HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOTO, a Luxury Collection Hotel & Spa
Asia JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa
Asia Le Meridien Maldives
Asia Marriott’s Mai Khao Beach – Phuket
Asia Suiran, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Kyoto
Asia The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands
Asia The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto
Asia The Sanya EDITION
Asia St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort
Asia The Westin Yilan Resort
Asia Westin Goa
Australia & Pacific Islands St. Regis Bora Bora Resort
Caribbean French Leave Resort, Autograph Collection
Caribbean The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman
Caribbean The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis Thomas
Caribbean The Ritz-Carlton, Turks & Caicos
Caribbean St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort hotel in Puerto Rico,
Europe Domes Miramare, a Luxury Collection Resort, Corfu
Europe Giardino Ascona, a Member of Design Hotels
Europe Hotel Cala di Volpe, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Costa Smeralda
Europe Hotel Pitrizza, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Costa Smeralda
Europe Hotel Romazzino, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Costa Smeralda
Europe Marriott’s Playa Andaluza
Europe Mystique, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Santorini
Europe Santa Marina, a Luxury Collection Resort, Mykonos
Europe Schloss Lieser, Autograph Collection
Europe The Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice
Europe The Ritz-Carlton Hotel de la Paix, Geneva
Europe St. Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort
Europe W Verbier
Mexico City St. St. Regis Punta Mita Resort
Middle East Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort and Spa, Dubai
Middle East Le Méridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Waterpark
Middle East The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Hamra Beach
United States Courtyard Myrtle Beach Oceanfront
United States Fort Lauderdale Marriott Pompano Beach Resort & Spa
United States JW Marriott Denver Cherry Creek
United States Marriott Hilton Head Resort & Spa
United States Marriott’s Canyon Villas
United States Marriott’s Desert Springs Villas I
United States Marriott’s Desert Springs Villas II
United States Marriott’s Grand Chateau
United States Marriott’s Grande Vista
United States Marriott’s Harbour Lake
United States Marriott’s Legends Edge at Bay Point
United States Marriott’s Ocean Pointe
United States Marriott’s Shadow Ridge II- The Enclaves
United States Marriott’s Shadow Ridge I-The Villages
United States Marriott’s Villas at Doral
United States Moxy Miami South Beach
United States Phoenician Residences, a Luxury Collection Residence Club, Scottsdale
United States Residence Inn Big Sky/The Wilson Hotel
United States Residence Inn Myrtle Beach Oceanfront
United States Residence Inn Virginia Beach Oceanfront
United States Sheraton Mountain Vista Villas, Avon / Vail Valley
United States Sheraton Steamboat Resort Villas
United States SpringHill Suites Myrtle Beach Oceanfront
United States SpringHill Suites Panama City Beachfront
United States The Ben, Autograph Collection
United States The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician, a Luxury Collection Resort, Scottsdale
United States The Residences at The St. Louis St. Regis Deer Valley, Snow Park
United States The Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, Miami
United States The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park
United States The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad
United States The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch
United States The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua
United States The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe
United States The Ritz-Carlton, Naples
United States St. St. Regis Aspen Resort
United States St. St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort
United States St. St. Regis Deer Valley
United States St. St. Regis New York
United States The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas, Ka’anapali
United States Tideline Ocean Resort & Spa
United States TownePlace Suites Outer Banks Kill Devil Hills
United States W South Beach

Increase to 30,000 points

Region Hotel
Asia The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui
Asia The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko
Caribbean The Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa
Caribbean The Westin St. Louis John Resort Villas
Europe Cristallo, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Cortina d’Ampezzo
Europe Five Seas Hotel Cannes, a Member of Design Hotels
Europe Paris Marriott Champs Elysees Hotel
Europe Renaissance Paris Arc de Triomphe Hotel
Europe Renaissance Paris Vendome Hotel
Europe The Bodrum EDITION
Europe The Pantheon Iconic Rome Hotel, Autograph Collection
Mexico City Casa Maat at JW Marriott Los Cabos Beach Resort & Spa
Mexico City Solaz, a Luxury Collection Resort, Los Cabos
Middle East The Jaffa, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Tel Aviv
Middle East The Ritz-Carlton Jeddah
Middle East The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert
United States Beaver Creek Lodge, Autograph Collection
United States Bethany Beach Ocean Suites Residence Inn
United States Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville, Autograph Collection
United States Grand Bohemian Hotel Charleston, Autograph Collection
United States Hotel Park City, Autograph Collection
United States JW Marriott Essex House New York
United States JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort
United States Key West Marriott Beachside Hotel
United States Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection
United States Playa Largo Resort & Spa, Autograph Collection
United States The Cavalier Virginia Beach, Autograph Collection
United States The Cloudveil, Autograph Collection
United States The Lodge at Sonoma Resort, Autograph Collection
United States The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara
United States The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
United States The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale
United States The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay
United States The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel
United States The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota
United States The Saint Hotel Key West, Autograph Collection
United States The West Hollywood EDITION
United States The Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas
United States The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka’anapali
United States The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas
United States The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa, Avon, Vail Valley
United States Wailea Beach Resort – Marriott, Maui

Negative change

Take for example this hotel in the Maldives that has been getting a lot of press for being a category 5 hotel available from as little as 30,000 points per night up to 40,000 points.

According to the 200 hotel chart above, he will have a 20,000 point increase. Therefore, the points per night requested will now be between 30,000 points and 60,000 points.

Here, in this example, we have 4 hôtels of categories 5-6-7-8.

Hotel Category before March 29 Points scale before March 29 Demand for points after March 29, 2022
Le Méridien Maldives 5 30 000 – 40 000 30 000 – 60 000
The Ritz-Carlton Langkawi 6 40 000 – 60 000 40 000 – 70 000
Renaissance Paris Arc de Triomphe 7 50 000 – 70 000 50 000 – 100 000
Al Maha, Dubai 8 70 000 – 100 000 70 000 – 120 000

Of course, we can find situations where this type of change will be positive.

But this type of situation is not likely to occur often, unless you visit a destination in the off-season.

What will happen in 2023? It’s nebulous, but it’s certain that these scales will be inconsistant and not what we once knew.

Combine points with a Free Night Award

Starting at the end of April 2022, it will now be possible to combine the free night certificate with points (up to 15,000 points). The date is not yet known.

This certificate + points combination is great news for Marriott Bonvoy credit card holders.

Until now, it was only possible to use a certificate for a free hotel night with a maximum value of 35,000 points. So you were able to use it in category 1 to category 5 hotels (except in peak season for this category):

Category Off peak Standard Peak
1 5 000 7 500 10 000
2 10 000 12 500 15 000
3 15 000 17 500 20 000
4 20 000 25 000 30 000
5 30 000 35 000 40 000
6 40 000 50 000 60 000
7 50 000 60 000 70 000
8 70 000 85 000 100 000

From now on, it will be possible to use a Free Night Award (35,000 points) and to add points up to a total value of 50,000 points (i.e. up to 15,000 points more).

This is also good news for members with a Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status who opt for an annual benefit of one free night for hotels up to 40,000 points in value. With this change, they will be able to use up to 15,000 points to get a free night up to a total value of 55,000 points.

Reminder of Marriott Bonvoy measures for 2022

Elite Status Extension

Marriott Bonvoy has extended the current Elite status of all its members through February 2023.

Marriott Bonvoy had already extended the 2019 and 2020 Elite Status to February 2022.

This is good news for those who had not stayed at a Marriott Bonvoy hotel this year. Their status is self-renewing as of 2019. However, it is a shame for those who worked hard this year to maintain their Elite status. Let’s hope Marriott Bonvoy does like this year (offering Elite Night Credits counting for lifetime status).

For Ambassador Elite members, Marriott had reduced the spending threshold this year from $20,000 to $14,000. As of January 1, 2022, it will revert to $20,000 and the 100 annual qualifying night requirement will remain in place.

Expiration of points

Marriott Bonvoy confirms that the points expiration is now December 31, 2022.

However, if your account has been inactive for at least 24 months on that date, your points will expire.

Suite Night Awards

Suite Night Awards are extended to June 30, 2022.

Previously, they had been extended until December 31, 2021.

Free Night Award

Again, there will be an extension.

If you had a free night award that would have expired between January 03, 2022 and June 29, 2022, the new expiration date will be June 30, 2022.

A free night award is earned through promotions, a choice of member benefits or with a Marriott Bonvoy co-branded credit card.

Based on numerous recent testimonials from members of our Facebook group, Marriott Bonvoy’s customer service department flatly refuses to extend them past June 30, 2022.

Conclusion

Once again, the adageearnearn & burn” makes sense: if you have Marriott Bonvoy points and a stay planned in the next year, use your points by March 28, 2022 to lock in your reservation!

Subscribe to the newsletter to keep up to date and join the Facebook group to discuss it.

Come to discuss that topic in our Facebook Group!
Jean-Maximilien Voisine

Jean-Maximilien Voisine

Jean-Maximilien Voisine
Jean-Maximilien is an expert in Canada and France about Loyalty programs, Credit cards and Travel. He is the Founding President of Milesopedia.
All posts by Jean-Maximilien Voisine

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