[Final Day, Book Now!] Brutal! A Look Into The Marriott #Bonvoyed 2020 Category Changes: 1,686 Going Up, Just 499 Going Down, Plus More Capacity Controls

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Update: Today is the final day to book. Don’t forget to book awards at hotels that are going up in category! Prices may go up at 12AM local time or ET on 3/4!

Where will you book before prices go up?

Originally posted on 2/5:

Marriott 2020 Complete List Of Annual Category Changes 

Read about previous category changes:

• Marriott 2019 Annual Category Changes
• Marriott 2018 Annual Category Changes
• Starwood 2018 Annual Category Changes
• Starwood 2017 Annual Category Changes
• Starwood 2016 Annual Category Changes
  
• Starwood 2015 Annual Category Changes
  
• Starwood 2014 Annual Category Changes
  
• Starwood 2013 Category Changes
  
• Starwood 2012 Category Changes
  
• 2011 Starwood Category Adjustments
  
• 2010 had no Starwood category changes
  
• 2009 Starwood Category Adjustments
  
• 2008 Starwood Category Adjustments
  
• Starwood 2007 Changes: Launch Of Worldwide Cash+Points Awards (The good old days of Starwood in Israel)

Marriott’s race to the bottom continues with no end in site. Oh do I miss SPG.

Then again, Marriott claims that members prefer the dumpster fire known as Bonvoy to the beloved SPG by an 8 to 1 margin...

Most hotels chains reorganize their categories yearly to keep them current with the average rates that they charge.

Then again, Marriott now changes categories throughout the year, so this is just their opportunity to do it en-masse.

This year’s hotel category changes have 1,686 hotels going up in category compared to just 499 going down.

In the US, some 1,291 hotels are going up, compared to just 257 going down.

There will be 28 new top-tier category 8 hotels, and 95 new pricey category 7 hotels. Just 4 category 8 hotels are going down in category and just 9 category 7 hotels are going down.

28 Ritz Carlton hotels will go up in category, and just 1 will go down.

That’s just brutal.

Additionally, Marriott will allow all properties, including pre-merger Starwood properties, to select a limited number of dates per year when they will limit the number of standard rooms that are available for award redemption. I’ve noticed this before at ex-SPG hotels like the S. Regis Bal Harbour, but I guess now it’s official that they can do that.

Marriott claims that pre-merger Marriott properties won’t be able to have as many capacity controlled dates as before.

Why have capacity controls when there’s no peak pricing?

Peak pricing gets more revenue for Marriott on dates they think a hotel may sell out, but that doesn’t affect the payment from Marriott to the individual hotel. A hotel gets paid very little for award stays unless they are nearly sold out for the night. Marriott added peak dates to make up for the additional payment they need to make to the hotel when someone books an award room and the hotel is nearly full for the night.

You can book stays before 3/4 to lock in current rates for future stays at hotels that are going up.  You can book stays up to 350 days in advance. Almost all hotel stays are cancellable for free until a certain amount of time before the stay (read the fine print).  If you have a reservation at a hotel that is going down then just cancel and rebook the stay on 3/4 when this year’s category changes go into effect.

If you have travel packages, you’ll want to reserve hotels for those before categories go up.

Hotels going up from category 5 to 6 will no longer be bookable with anniversary nights from cards like the discontinued Starwood Consumer AMEX, Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, and the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Consumer Card.

Hotels going up from category 6 to 7 will generally no longer be bookable with anniversary nights from cards like the Marriott Brilliant AMEX and the discontinued Ritz Carlton card. However you can still use these nights at category 7 hotels during off-peak times when they only cost 50K points.

Note that you won’t be able to change the dates on a reservation after the price goes up, your only options are to use the stay or cancel it and get your points back. You can make one night reservations if you’re not sure how many nights you want to stay, though you won’t be able to take advantage of a free night on a 5 night point stay like that.

Unfortunately you can no longer lock in rates with Points Advance if you don’t have enough points to book a stay.

Marriott is doing all it can to prove what I always preach about hybrid points being the way to go. There’s no reason to use their credit card and lock yourself into a currency that constantly being devalued. With this devaluation some people will likely determine that it’s not even worth keeping the card in their sock drawer just to earn an anniversary night that is usable at fewer hotel each year and was devalued by peak nights as well.

Here is what the Marriott award chart looks like, along with values in cents per points for cash+points stays:

Highlights:

• The main highlight is that Marriott still has award charts. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them killed off in the coming years.
• The Sheraton Miyako Hotel Tokyo is a solid hotel located within walking distance of Chabad of Tokyo. I reviewed it here.
• The Westin Southfield Detroit is a decent option near kosher restaurants there and drops to a category 3 hotel.
• Lots of Baltimore hotels will be cheaper.
• The W Hong Kong goes down from category 8 to 7. It’s a phenomenal hotel in Kowloon with a rooftop pool and an Airport Express station in the basement, so that a bellhop can check your bags all the way from the hotel to your final destination. Then again with Coronavirus, rates at Hong Kong hotels are likely to plummet anyway.

Lowlights:

• Israel gets hit with the Ritz-Carlton Heraliya, one of my favorite hotels in Israel, climbing from a category 6 to 7, making it ineligible for anniversary nights on the Ritz Carlton or Marriott Brilliant cards.
• Dozens of Ritz-Carlton hotels across the world are getting more expensive.
• Many Hawaii hotels are going up in price. Maui is hit hard.
• Dozens of Manhattan hotels climb from category 5 to 6, making them ineligible for anniversary nights on the base Marriott cards.
• Hotels in cities like Boston, New Orleans, and Vancouver face big hikes.
• Lots of Caribbean and Mexican hotels are going up.
• Many hotels in China go up in category despite rates that are plummeting due to Coronavirus. OK then Marriott.
• 30 hotels in Spain go up versus just 4 going down.
• 21 hotels in South Africa go up versus just 2 going down.
• Several Greece resorts jump to top-tier category 8 pricing.
• If Machu Picchu is on your bucket list as it is mine, several Cusco hotels will no longer be eligible for anniversary nights.
• Too many more to mention here 🙁

Sample hotels going up in category:

• Four Points by Sheraton Cleveland Airport, OH, was 1, now 2
• Protea Hotel O.R. Tambo Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa, was 1, now 2
• Sheraton Cleveland Airport Hotel, was 2, now 3
• SpringHill Suites Detroit Southfield, was 2, now 3
• Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel, was 2, now 3
• Protea Hotel Cape Town Waterfront Breakwater Lodge, South Africa, was 2, now 3
• Protea Hotel Dar es Salaam Amani Beach, Tanzania, was 2, now 3
• Sheraton Grand Hotel Wuhan, China, was 2, now 3
• Courtyard Phoenix Airport, AZ, was 3, now 4
• Courtyard Newark Airport, NJ, was 3, now 4
• Courtyard Philadelphia Airport, PA, was 3, now 4
• JW Marriott Hotel Chengdu, China, was 3, now 4
• JW Marriott Hotel Shenzhen, China, was 3, now 4
• Courtyard Prague, Czech Republic, was 3, now 4
• JW Marriott Absheron Baku, Azerbaijan, was 3, now 4
• Le Méridien Abu Dhabi, UAE, was 3, now 4
• Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel, CA, was 4, now 5
• AC Hotel Chicago Downtown, IL, was 4, now 5
• Courtyard Pittsburgh Downtown, PA, was 4, now 5
• Courtyard King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel, HI, was 4, now 5
• Fairfield Inn & Suites Anchorage Midtown, AK, was 4, now 5
• Moxy New Orleans Downtown/French Quarter Area, LA, was 4, now 5
• Aloft Manhattan Downtown – Financial District, NY, was 4, now 5
• Costa Rica Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belen, was 4, now 5
• Four Points by Sheraton Auckland, New Zealand, was 4, now 5
• Moscow Marriott Grand Hotel, Russia, was 4, now 5
• W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island, UAE, was 4, now 5
• W Scottsdale, AZ, was 5, now 6
• Avalon Hotel Bungalows Palm Springs Design Hotels, CA, was 5, now 6
• Westin Denver International Airport, CO, was 5, now 6
• Sheraton Kauai Resort, HI, was 5, now 6
• Courtyard Maui Kahului Airport, HI, was 5, now 6
• Courtyard Oahu North Shore, HI, was 5, now 6
• Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile, IL, was 5, now 6
• JW Marriott Chicago, IL, was 5, now 6
• The Raphael Hotel, Autograph Collection, KS, was 5, now 6
• Four Points by Sheraton French Quarter New Orleans, LA, was 5, now 6
• W New Orleans – French Quarter, LA, was 5, now 6
• Courtyard Boston Brookline, MA, was 5, now 6
• Courtyard New York Manhattan/Fifth Avenue, NY, was 5, now 6
• Courtyard New York Manhattan/Times Square West, NY, was 5, now 6
• Fairfield Inn & Suites New York Manhattan/Central Park, NY, was 5, now 6
• Four Points by Sheraton Manhattan Midtown West, NY, was 5, now 6
• Moxy NYC Times Square, NY, was 5, now 6
• Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland, OH, was 5, now 6
• Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, PA, was 5, now 6
• Westin Austin Downtown, TX, was 5, now 6
• Marriott Marquis Houston, TX, was 5, now 6
• W Dallas – Victory, TX, was 5, now 6
• Marriott Marquis Washington, DC, was 5, now 6
• SpringHill Suites Jackson Hole, WY, was 5, now 6
• Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino, was 5, now 6
• Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa, Australia, was 5, now 6
• Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Gold Coast, Australia, was 5, now 6
• Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Port Douglas, Australia, was 5, now 6
• Marriott Vacation Club at Surfers Paradise, Australia, was 5, now 6
• Le Méridien Vienna, Austria, was 5, now 6
• The Coral at Atlantis, Bahamas, was 5, now 6
• Kananaskis Mountain Lodge, Autograph Collection, Canada, was 5, now 6
• Le Westin Montreal, Canada, was 5, now 6
• Four Points by Sheraton Niagara Falls Fallsview, Canada, was 5, now 6
• Delta Hotels Vancouver Downtown Suites, Canada, was 5, now 6
• Westin Grand, Vancouver, Canada, was 5, now 6
• JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa, Costa Rica, was 5, now 6
• Prague Marriott Hotel, Czech Republic, was 5, now 6
• Boscolo Exedra Autograph Collection Nice, France, was 5, now 6
• AC Hotel Nice, France, was 5, now 6
• Budapest Marriott Hotel, Hungary, was 5, now 6
• Le Méridien Visconti Rome, Italy, was 5, now 6
• AC Hotel Venezia, Venice, Italy, was 5, now 6
• Courtyard Tokyo Station, Japan, was 5, now 6
• Westin Miyako Kyoto, Japan, was 5, now 6
• JW Marriott Hotel Mexico City, Mexico, was 5, now 6
• W Mexico City, Mexico, was 5, now 6
• Hacienda Temozon, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Temozon Sur, Mexico, was 5, now 6
• JW Marriott El Convento Cusco, Peru, was 5, now 6
• Palacio del Inka, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Cusco, Peru, was 5, now 6
• Renaissance Lucerne Hotel, Switzerland, was 5, now 6
• Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach, Thailand, was 5, now 6
• Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa, Thailand, was 5, now 6
• Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites, UAE, was 5, now 6
• JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai, UAE, was 5, now 6
• S. Regis Abu Dhabi, UAE, was 5, now 6
• JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa, Vietnam, was 5, now 6
• Courtyard Santa Monica, CA, was 6, now 7
• Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey, CA, was 6, now 7
• Westin Monache Resort, Mammoth, CA, was 6, now 7
• JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square, CA, was 6, now 7
• W San Francisco, CA, was 6, now 7
• Ritz-Carlton, Denver, CO, was 6, now 7
• Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, FL, was 6, now 7
• Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami, FL, was 6, now 7
• Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples, FL, was 6, now 7
• Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club – Molokai, Maui & Lanai Towers, HI, was 6, now 7
• Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection, HI, was 6, now 7
• Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa, HI, was 6, now 7
• Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas, HI, was 6, now 7
• Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka’anapali, HI, was 6, now 7
• Wailea Beach Resort – Marriott, Maui, HI, was 6, now 7
• Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, LA, was 6, now 7
• Boston Marriott Long Wharf, MA, was 6, now 7
• Renaissance Boston Patriot Place Hotel, MA, was 6, now 7
• New York Marriott Marquis, NY, was 6, now 7
• Renaissance New York Times Square Hotel, NY, was 6, now 7
• Westin New York at Times Square, NY, was 6, now 7
• Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia, PA, was 6, now 7
• Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, TX, was 6, now 7
• Hotel Park City, Autograph Collection, UT, was 6, now 7
• Seattle Marriott Waterfront, WA, was 6, now 7
• Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, was 6, now 7
• Hotel Imperial, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Vienna, Austria, was 6, now 7
• Ritz-Carlton, Vienna, Austria, was 6, now 7
• The Royal at Atlantis, Bahamas, was 6, now 7
• Le Westin Resort & Spa, Tremblant, Quebec, Canada was 6, now 7
• JW Marriott Parq Vancouver, Canada was 6, now 7
• JW Marriott Cannes, France, was 6, now 7
• Paris Marriott Opera Ambassador Hotel, France, was 6, now 7
• Renaissance Paris Arc de Triomphe Hotel, France, was 6, now 7
• Westin Dublin, Ireland, was 6, now 7
• Ritz-Carlton, Herzliya, Israel, was 6, now 7
• Westin Excelsior, Rome, Italy, was 6, now 7
• JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa, Italy, was 6, now 7
• Ritz-Carlton, Macau, was 6, now 7
• Ritz-Carlton, Mexico City, Mexico, was 6, now 7
• S. Regis Mexico City, Mexico, was 6, now 7
• Amsterdam Marriott Hotel, Netherlands, was 6, now 7
• Caresse, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Bodrum, Turkey, was 6, now 7
• S. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi, UAE, was 6, now 7
• Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre, UAE, was 6, now 7
• Ritz-Carlton, Boston, MA, was 7, now 8
• Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles, CA, was 7, now 8
• Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, CA, was 7, now 8
• S. Regis San Francisco, CA, was 7, now 8
• Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa, Avon, Vail Valley, CO, was 7, now 8
• Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa, FL, was 7, now 8
• Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach, HI, was 7, now 8
• Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, Maui, HI, was 7, now 8
• The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas, Ka’anapali, Maui, HI, was 7, now 8
• The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Autograph Collection, NV, was 7, now 8
• Ritz-Carlton, Aruba, was 7, now 8
• The Cove at Atlantis, Bahamas, was 7, now 8
• French Leave Resort, Autograph Collection, Bahamas, was 7, now 8
• Westin Excelsior, Florence, Italy, was 7, now 8
• Domes Noruz Chania, Autograph Collection, Greece, was 7, now 8
• The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort, Costa Navarino, Greece, was 7, now 8
• Vedema, a Luxury Collection Resort, Santorini, Greece, was 7, now 8
• Le Méridien Beach Plaza, Monaco, was 7, now 8
• S. Regis Singapore, was 7, now 8
• Hotel Maria Cristina, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Sebastian, Spain, was 7, now 8
• Hotel Alfonso XIII, Luxury Collection, Seville, Spain, was 7, now 8
• Hotel Arts Barcelona, Spain, was 7, now 8
• The Barcelona EDITION, Spain, was 7, now 8
• W Barcelona, Spain, was 7, now 8
• Ritz-Carlton Hotel de la Paix, Geneva, Switzerland, was 7, now 8
• London Marriott Hotel County Hall, UK, was 7, now 8
• London Marriott Hotel Park Lane, UK, was 7, now 8

Sample hotels going down in category:

• Four Points by Sheraton Chicago O’Hare Airport, IL, was 3, now 2
• AC Hotel Panama City, Panama, was 3, now 2
• Courtyard Boynton Beach, FL, was 4, now 3
• Sheraton Suites Fort Lauderdale at Cypress Creek, FL, was 4, now 3
• Sheraton Suites Fort Lauderdale Plantation, FL, was 4, now 3
• Four Points by Sheraton Orlando International Drive, FL, was 4, now 3
• Westin Southfield Detroit, MI, was 4, now 3
• Renaissance Santiago Hotel, Chile, was 4, now 3
• Aloft Cancun, Mexico, was 4, now 3
• Courtyard Vilnius City Center, Lithuania, was 4, now 3
• Cape Town Marriott Hotel Crystal Towers, South Africa, was 4, now 3
• Sheraton Heathrow Hotel, UK, was 4, now 3
• Aloft San Jose Cupertino, CA, was 5, now 4
• Denver Airport Marriott at Gateway Park, CO, was 5, now 4
• Westin Fort Lauderdale, FL, was 5, now 4
• Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards, MD, was 5, now 4
• Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe, NJ, was 5, now 4
• Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel, OR, was 5, now 4
• Westin Dallas Fort Worth Airport, TX, was 5, now 4
• Le Méridien Houston Downtown, TX, was 5, now 4
• Taipei Marriott Hotel, Taiwan, was 5, now 4
• Le Méridien Khao Lak Resort & Spa, Thailand, was 5, now 4
• Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, Los Angeles, CA, was 6, now 5
• Westin San Diego, CA, was 6, now 5
• Westin Resort Guam, was 6, now 5
• Park Tower, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Buenos Aires, Argentina, was 6, now 5
• Sheraton Miyako Hotel Tokyo, Japan, was 6, now 5
• W Washington D.C., was 7, now 6
• Ritz-Carlton, Perth, Australia, was 7, now 6
• Sheraton Addis, Luxury Collection, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was 7, now 6
• JW Marriott Hotel Singapore, was 7, now 6
• W Aspen, CO, was 8, now 7
• Hotel President Wilson, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Geneva, was 8, now 7
• Cristallo, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, was 8, now 7
• W Hong Kong, was 8, now 7

Which changes will affect you the most? Which hotels will you book before rates go up?

HT: mochjas, via DDF