Last Day: Marriott Bonvoy and the disappearance of its categories on March 29, 2022
Loading article…
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.
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $120 | |||
| $150 |
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.
- Annual fee
- $120
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$600Total$600Plus $100 of bonus paid after the first year, not counted in this total.Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $600
- Welcome offerAfter $3,000 in 3 months
- Up to 70,000 points
Apply Now
on American Express's website
Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).