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BREAKING: the new Marriott and SPG reward chart is now LIVE

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I am dropping this in as a ‘rough and ready’ article as I am out in Paris this afternoon.  I will take a proper look later.

You can see the new combined Marriott and Starwood reward chart by clicking here This pricing will be active from some point in August.  Current pricing continues until then.

It looks as it there will be some excellent deals between August and December, when pricing will be capped at 60,000 points per night until Category 8 launches in January.

The current all-suite resorts, like W Maldives, will be bookable for the first time at standard rates – so just 60,000 Marriott points per night!  Closer to home, Pine Cliffs in Portugal – probably the best European beach hotel in quality terms – will be just 60,000 points per night.  What we don’t know, of course, is how much availability there will be.

Marriott has also now released the new Travel Package pricing which you can see here.

New Marriott Travel Package pricing

These packages are going to be less of a bargain going forward, frankly, although it depends which airline you wanted to use.  Those which gave fewer miles before, like Lufthansa, are now more attractive.

When doing the maths, remember that you get ‘5 nights for the price of 4’ when doing a straight redemption so you should multiple the nightly rate by 6 and not 7 to get to the 7 night price.  It isn’t clear how peak and off-peak pricing will impact here

The rest of this article is a cut and paste from what Marriott sent me:

Points Go Further Starting in August with the New Award Chart:

Nearly 70 percent of all participating hotels can be redeemed for the same or fewer points (52 percent of hotels will move to a lower redemption rate and only 31 percent will go higher.)

6,300 hotels can be redeemed for just 35,000 points or lower

Members can save up to 25,000 points per night by redeeming future Category 8 hotels that are priced at Category 7 rates until early 2019

For the first time, SPG’s all-suite hotels such the W Maldives, the St. Regis Bora Bora Resort, or the Phoenician Residences, a Luxury Collection Residence Club in Scottsdale, are now included in the published award chart. These sought-after properties can be redeemed for 5,000 fewer points.

Also, please note a number of our most popular redemption hotels are becoming more affordable:

Hotel Talisa in Vail, Le Méridien Barcelona, W Punta de Mita, The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka’anapali, The Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, and Le Méridien San Francisco will redeem for 10,000 fewer points in the new program.

The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, Renaissance Paris Republique Hotel, The St. Regis Princeville Resort, Courtyard New York Manhattan/Midtown East, Autograph Collection’s Hotel Punta Islita, and Las Alcobas, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Napa Valley will redeem for 5,000 fewer points in the new program.

Full details can be found here.


How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards

How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (April 2024)

There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.

You can apply here.

Marriott Bonvoy American Express

20,000 points sign-up bonus and 15 elite night credits each year Read our full review

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.  We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:

and for small business owners:

The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Marriott Bonvoy points

(Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)

Comments (69)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Optimus Prime says:

    Domes Of Elounda going up from 45k/night to 85k in 2019 🙂

    At least the adults-only Domes is going up to ‘just’ 60k/night…

    • New Card says:

      And they’re preventing any opportunity to book now for 2019 at current rates by refusing to load dates in the system until August…

    • Rob Walker says:

      I just got back from Domes yesterday. It doesn’t look like we’ll be making a return visit with these changes. I noticed there was no a availability showing for next year as well. As already mentioned, now we know why…

      • jason says:

        Hi Rob we are going in August any tips?
        thanks
        Jason

        • Rob Walker says:

          Yes I’ll try to add as much detail as I can. Feel free to ask any questions!

          We traveled as a family of four including two young children – a three year old and a ten month old. We live in Yorkshire and have decent jobs, but there would be no way on earth we could have afforded the cash price. I think it was about £500 a night at the time of booking. So this was a special trip for us, definitely something out of the ordinary.

          We called the hotel a week before and arranged a private transfer. I would recommend this if you’re not hiring a car and have young kids. They were able to arrange car seats which was a big help. It cost about 100 euros which didn’t seem much more than arranging it ourselves.

          Our (BA) flight was a bit late, and because is was around midnight, we were greeted on arrival and taken straight to our room/suite. This meant we missed the usual check-in that a lot of the reviews rave about – free cocktail etc. We did however have plates of sandwiches and cakes waiting for us in our room, along with a bottle of wine. I’m not sure how much of this was standard procedure and how much having Marriott Gold may have influenced it.

          We were staying in 309 which I have to say, had a spectacular view. It was a family suite with sea view and hot tub. From our balcony we could see one of the ‘private’ pool suites which obviously wasn’t that private. It was also very small. I think the private residences/villas come with decent size pools, but the normal suites definitely don’t. They have those swim jet things in them to enable you to actually do some swimming, they’re that small. The hot tubs on the other hand are excellent. They have a cover which you just unclip and remove when you want to use it. Ours seemed to run all day and evening until about 11:20 PM when it would abruptly lose power. I assume it was on some sort of timer switch. We could hear one in a neighbouring suite which always stopped about 15 minutes after ours.

          The suite itself was great. Plenty of room and well appointed. I think I heard they are refurbing everything over the winter, and to be honest, given the prices charged, it probably needs it. The jacuzzi bath (in the bathroom) looked a little dated but was still lovely. There were a few marks on the floor here and there as well.

          The hotel emailed us a few days before we arrived asking for an arrival time etc, and I took the chance to ask about a half board upgrade. We were offered their buffet restaurant for 25 Euros per adult per night, with the kids free. As I knew we’d miss it on the first night, I took them up on this offer for 6 nights (300 EUR). It was… OK. Well, better than OK, but not really 5 * food if I’m honest. More like a solid 4. Drinks were extra (even water), but free at breakfast. The waiting staff and restaurant management were superb with the kids. Possibly a bit too attentive at times, picking up our youngest and playing with him etc. Breakfast was also good, but essentially the same every morning. Because of the kids, we didn’t eat dinner in any of the other restaurants. I believe the food is better in those. We also didn’t really drink in any of the bars. Instead we bought a load of wine in a supermarket in Elounda and drank on our terrace or in the hot tub whilst the kids slept. Drinks were a bit expensive in my opinion, but I guess it depends on your usual social circles! A large beer 5.50, a small glass of wine – 9 euros. Bottles from 24. We bought the same bottle in the supermarket for 6 I think. Lunch time food was also pretty pricey. On the last day we ordered a pizza, souvlaki and a kids pasta. With a coke and a beer, it was about 45 euros. Most days we filled up a breakfast and just had a small snack for lunch.

          The beach is very very nice. It feels more like you’re at the shore of a lake than the sea. It did seem to be quite busy though. The main pool(s) were generally much quieter and so we frequented those more. There was a small shop near the pool, but the prices were a joke. 4-5x the usual price for everything. 2 pints of milk 4.50, 1.5L Coke 4.50, 150g bag of crisps 5.80!

          We ended up not using the kids club. It was chargeable for the very young ones, but the facilities looked good from what we saw.

          Overall I would say it’s a superb resort, but it doesn’t quite know what it wants to be. An exclusive resorts for adults/couples or a family getaway. I think it manages both reasonably well though. The staff really are excellent and are what make it special. The buggies are pretty essential for getting around due to the whole place being built on a hillside. We could walk to breakfast and back, but the pools were way too far and the hill insanely steep. The buggies were generally easy to get and the drivers very helpful.

          I have plenty of pics of you want to see anything.

      • Rob says:

        It will ‘only’ be 60k between Aug and Dec, assuming it reappears then, so 48k per night on a 5-night booking.

    • Flyerstarter says:

      Well this has ruined my day. Was set on booking this for June 2019, guess that is now 2020

      • Rob says:

        Capped at 60k until Dec 2018 remember.

        • jason says:

          Thanks Rob W, we are a family of 5 so i was forced to to upgrade to http://domesofelounda.com/luxury-two-bedroom-family-suite/ which included

          “Complimentary” Dine Around
          Includes Half Board consisting of breakfast served in Blend Restaurant and a daily dinner on a Dine Around basis in any of our restaurants across Domes of Elounda (set menu in selected restaurants or a supplement reduction on à la carte items)

          Spina Beach Club
          The Spina Beach Club is a reserved beach area only available to Haute Living guests. It offers an exclusive use bar with DJ sets, an ice cream stand and a variety of added services such as elite treats, complimentary baby-sitting (one x 30’ session / day) and an exclusive menu of snacks, smoothies and cocktails to choose from (items consumed in Spina Beach Club are not offered on a complimentary basis except otherwise stated above).

          Haute Living Lounge
          An elite lounge accessible only to Haute Living Selection guests. A variety of all-day included services, an upgraded status and exclusive premises are only a small sample of this new elevated offering – Inclusions:

          24/7 access
          Ultra-comfortable lounge area with a rich variety of tablets, magazines, and coffee table books
          State of the art exclusive gym facilities with wellness elements
          Private showers and lockers with luxury amenities
          On-the-go massage services
          Signature canapes by Kostas Efthimiou, the resort’s executive chef
          Afternoon tea with a selection of sweet and savoury items
          Eclectic cocktails and spirits
          Dedicated concierge staff
          Express check-in and check-out
          Computer workstations
          Complimentary high speed, wireless internet

          I have managed to get this for an extra £250 a night…not sure how i have done on value but hope my platinum status might gets us a Luxury residence which they wanted an eye watering £650 a night,,,many thanks for the review

          jason

        • Rob Walker says:

          You’ll definitely enjoy it. Having the Haute Living option and being able to dine around will definitely be a big plus. The HL Lounge is next to the main pool and looked good from the fleeting glimpses I caught. I think the beach area is basically a roped off section where the bar is. I thought it was just reserved for people eating and drinking at the bar, but looks like it’s a bit more exclusive than that.

          Your suite certainly looks bigger than ours (even without the extra bedroom).

  • New Card says:

    Why is Pine Cliffs singled out – it’s showing as 60k points currently and not changing, so presumably you could book for this price now, or after August 2018, or in 2019?

    • Rob says:

      The villas and family suites are currently not bookable unless you pay double. This is going away.

      • New Card says:

        I see – thanks, so good opportunities for larger rooms!

      • Nick M says:

        Is this disappearing for all properties? (eg The Marriott Vacation Club properties)

        • Rob says:

          This only applies to SPG hotels which currently cost double because they are ‘all suite’.

      • Graeme says:

        I was looking at Pine cliffs earlier in the year and for the hotel the price was only 36K per night? Does this mean now the Hotel / Suites / Residences are all going to 60k?

  • meta says:

    Al Hamra Beach & Al Wadi Desert is also going up by 10k points. Glad I got my room for Al Hamra for next year when Rob mentioned it here a month or so ago.

  • Tracy says:

    ok, so if I want to buy a marriott travel package to redeem for 7 nights in a category 6 hotel per the new list which will be 50k per night but current price is 45k per night, should i buy the travel package now? Ahh, this is too complicated for my wee brain……

    • New Card says:

      If you have the points then I would order the TP now, and make sure the travel package certificate is attached to your booking now (so the booking is paid for), to lock in the current rate.

      • Tracy says:

        i do have the points so will probably bite the bullet now, wanting hotel room for mid July 2019 so will have to wait until that’s available to lock in the hotel. cheers

        • Genghis says:

          Is that the best advice? I have the points to strike but waiting due to uncertainty surrounding pricing

        • Tracy says:

          I have no idea what the best advice is lol…..hoping a font of all knowledge of which there are a few on here, yourself included Genghis :-), might know

        • New Card says:

          Of course no one knows yet what will happen to travel package pricing but I think it’s fair to assume the overall TP price won’t be coming down… and acting now helps the OP effectively lock in at the current lower nightly category rate.

          The only real uncertainty (to my mind at least) is what will happen to unused TP certificates on August 1st. On FT the SPG rep has suggested these will all be cashed in for points on August 1, but it’s not clear whether a cat 1-5 certificate will be cashed in for 45k points (a disastrous rate), 150k points (arguably the fair rate) or something else. If 150k points then there’s a bit of an arbitrage opportunity now as one could effectively get 1 avios per Marriott point before then and then get the rest of the points back in August. I assume none of this matters to the OP as they have a use in mind for the points so there won’t be any floater TP certificate.

        • New Card says:

          I see they have now released new the new TP pricing – I should have read the rest of the comments first!
          As expected, pricing generally higher… 🙁

        • Genghis says:

          So what do you think is the best advice?

          If no Reward night availability, too much uncertainty? (OP could just end up buying 120k avios or whatever for 225k Marriott, which I wouldn’t do).

  • W says:

    Shouldn’t the St Regis San Francisco get a shout-out, at -30k points?

    • the real harry1 says:

      It says Cat 8 (90,000), which only kicks in from 2019 – currently would price up at Cat 7 (60,000).

  • Jeremy says:

    Why are the great deal possibilities from August to September, rather than until December?

  • Nick M says:

    Do we know what is happening with existing travel packages as yet?

  • Doreen says:

    Wow … the Travel Packages have certainly become very expensive … I will be using 2 x Cat 9 packages over the next 2 months – one which cost 390,000 (incl 120k Avios) will now need 570,000 points (a new Cat 7 in London), the other cost 370,000 for 100k Avios (250,000 points then upgraded with 120,000) will be a new Cat 6 selling at 510,000 (and the rooms are currently advertised at 799 euros a night)

    • the real harry1 says:

      looks like that great deal is semi-over, no point for me stashing loads of points in SPG now? does anybody see fantastic value any more?

      • Genghis says:

        No. Rolled the dice and I think I “lost”. Will try to get some luxury properties booked between Aug and Dec.

        • the real harry1 says:

          even by booking a Cat 8 @ Cat 7 prices by Dec 18, for stays in 2019?

        • rams1981 says:

          Can’t you order a travel package now at current rates or is that gone?

        • Genghis says:

          Good point. I might buy and then see what happens to the voucher. Need to think about it.

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