Which Marriott Hotels Are Going Up In Points Cost This Year?

It’s that time of year again when Marriott announces which of its hotels are changing category & going up or down in points cost for redemptions. The changes for all Marriott hotels take place on the 3rd March 2021. Read on to see how they may affect you!

Which Marriott Hotels are changing category?

201 Marriott Hotels (around 2% of all Marriott Hotels) are either going up or down in points costs. You can view the full list on the Marriott website here – https://points-redemption.marriott.com/en-us/category-change

The majority of these are moving down a category and thus are cheaper for redemptions. This isn’t particularly surprisingly given the current booking climate.

It’s worth remembering that just because a hotel moves down a category it won’t necessarily be cheaper all the time. Following the introduction of on/off-peak pricing it could mean although the hotel has gone down a category they decide to have more ‘peak’ pricing which is more expensive than a standard redemption… keep an eye out!

Any noticeable Marriott Hotels category changes?

Not really… in the UK there are a grand total of 4 hotels changing category. They are…

Delta Milton Keynes which moves from Category 4 to Category 3
Moxy Edinburgh Airport which moves from Category 4 to Category 3
Moxy York which moves from Category 4 to Category 3
The Langley which moves from Category 6 to Category 7

Only one of these goes up which is The Langley. Although a shame, it’s not particularly surprising given the disparity between cash & points rates which means you could easily beat our valuation of 0.66p a point.

How do I minimise the damage?

If your favourite hotel is moving to a higher category, you can save points by booking at the current redemption rate before the changes go into effect. You will need the full points for the redemption. Booking whilst you don’t have the points only secures the room, not the price.

If it’s moving to a lower category, you might want to wait until the changes take effect. If you already have a hotel booked & you want to take advantage of lower pricing you will need to cancel and rebook. Your booking won’t automatically default to the new pricing.

Remember you have until the 3rd of March to secure your bookings before the increase!

If you are looking to kick-start your Marriott Points don’t forget to take a look at our guide to fast track yourself to a rather cool 250,000 Marriott points – https://pointsuncovered.com/earning-points/fast-track-yourself-to-250000-marriott-bonvoy-points/ – If you need a referral for bonus points check here – https://pointsuncovered.com/amex-referral-link-uk/ .