Marriott Rewards has shifted some properties in hotel categories since the major March 2010 shift of 600 hotels when slightly more hotels moved down one category than up one category.
This FlyerTalk thread shows 26 hotel changes since March 2010.
Autograph Collection, Marriott’s new hotel brand of independent hotels, accounts for three of the hotel category shifts. Two hotels shifted down from category 6 at 30,000 points per night to category 5 at 25,000 points per night.
The Bohemian Hotel Celebration in Celebration, Florida is a DisneyWorld vicinity, Orlando-area Marriott Rewards category 5 hotel. El Monte Sagrado is located in Taos, New Mexico. Since both of these Autograph Collection destinations are the kind of hotels where a five night stay may be your desire, the cost of Marriott Rewards 5th night free 5-night reward is 100,000 points. These two hotels dropped since March 2010 when they required 120,000 points as category 6 hotels for a 5-night reward stay.
But you will need to pay 5,000 points more per night for the recategorized Category 6 Autograph Collection Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville in North Carolina. That tacks on a 20% points increase with 120,000 points needed for a five night vacation using the 5th night free reward.
The Algonquin Hotel in midtown Manhattan New York, another Autograph Collection hotel being added to Marriott Rewards in September 2010 adds to the highly select trophy travel properties in Marriott Rewards category 8.
(Click the hotel name links and the hotel photos tell the story of why you might want to linger on these stays.)
Here are 13 hotels in the top half Marriott rewards hotel categories of 5 through 8 with changes and initial category level for new hotels .
Category 8 – 40,000 points per night (160,000 points 5th night free award)
New York- Algonquin Hotel, Autograph Collection (new Marriott Rewards property)
Category 7 – 35,000 points per night (140,000 points 5th night free award)
Miami, Florida – Hotel Beaux Arts Miami (new Marriott Rewards property – opening Oct 2010)
Honolulu, Hawaii – The Waikiki EDITION (new Marriott Rewards property – opening Sep 2010. This will be the first hotel of the newest Marriott brand.)
Category 6 – 30,000 points per night (120,000 points 5th night free award)
Miami, Florida – JW Marriott Marquis Miami (new Marriott Rewards property – opening Oct 2010)
Orlando, Florida – Marriott’s Lakeshore Reserve (Marriott Vacation Club property)
Chicago, Illinois – JW Marriott Chicago (new Marriott Rewards property – opening Oct 2010)
Asheville, North Carolina – Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville, Autograph Collection (increase from category 5)
San Antonio, Texas – JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa (increase from category 5)
St Croix, US Virgin Islands – Renaissance St. Croix Carambola Beach Resort & Spa (new Marriott Rewards property – opening Sep 2010)
Category 5 – 25,000 points per night (100,000 points 5th night free award)
4 hotels dropped from category 6 to category 5 since March.
Celebration, Florida – Bohemian Hotel Celebration, Autograph Collection
Miami, Florida – JW Marriott Hotel Miami
Hyannis, Massachusetts – Courtyard Cape Cod Hyannis
Taos, New Mexico – El Monte Sagrado, Autograph Collection
