New Marriott/SPG Category 3 hotels to book before August changes

Marriott Rewards hotel category changes in August 2018 when all 6,864 Marriott, Ritz-Carlton and Starwood Hotels are placed on the same hotel category reward means there are many hotels increasing in reward cost from their current category placement in Marriott Rewards and SPG.

This article looks at hotels in the new Marriott Rewards hotel category 3 list for hotels increasing to 17,500 points per reward night in August 2018.

You will save points at these hotels if you book in July 2018 before reward rate increases next month.

You can make bookings today into June 2019.

Starwood Hotels can be booked 350 days out, through June 19, 2019 for reservations made today at current SPG reward rates. Marriott Rewards allows booking through June 22, 2019 today.

Marriott Rewards New Award Charts and Hotels to Book Before August Series

Category 2 Marriott and Starwood Hotels rising to category 3 in August 2018.

July 2018 Marriott Category 2 hotel reward night = 10,000 points.
SPG category 2 hotel reward night = 3,000 Starpoints (Fri/Sat) or 4,000 Starpoints (Sun-Thu).
Marriott category 2 hotels on 5th night free reward = 40,000 points for 5 night reward stay.
SPG 5th night free is not an option at category 2 hotels. SPG only offers 5th night free starting at category 3 and higher category hotels.
NEW Marriott Rewards rate for category 3 is 17,500 points or 70,000 points for 5th night free.

The Good News for August 2018

Category 3 in the new Marriott Rewards August 2018 chart is 17,500 points per reward night. Since this is a completely new redemption level, hundreds of hotels drop from their current Marriott Rewards category 4 rate at 20,000 points per night.

26 hotels drop from category 6 at 30,000 points to new MR category 3 at 17,500 points.
307 hotels drop 7,500 points from 25,000 points as MR category 5 to the new MR category 3 at 17,500 points.
172 Starwood Hotels currently listed as SPG category 3 drop to MR category 3 at 17,500 points
790 hotels currently listed as Marriott Rewards category 4 at 20,000 points per night drop to 17,500 points in August 2018.

August 2018 category 3 hotels you should book in July 2018

On the flip side of 1,200 hotels dropping to a lower reward rate in August are 671 hotels currently priced at lower reward rates than they will be in August 2018 as Marriott Rewards category 3 hotels.

5th night free caveat: All Marriott brand hotels listed below will cost more points in August 2018. SPG Category 2 hotels will cost more for all stays, except 5th night free stays will require fewer points in August 2018 for Starwood Hotels booked as 5th night free award stays in new Marriott Rewards category 3.

There are 551 hotels currently in Marriott Rewards category 3 at 15,000 points which will cost 17,500 points per night in August 2018. This is too long a list for this article and only a 16.7% increase in rate.

My focus are hotels currently in Marriott Rewards category 2 at 10,000 points per night and SPG category 2 at 3,000/4,000 Starpoints per night that will rise to 17,500 points per night.

35 hotels increase from MR category 2 at 10,000 points to new MR category 3 at 17,500 points.

Courtyard Edmonton Downtown
Skopje Marriott, Macedonia
Marriott Suites, Pune, India
Kigali Marriott, Rwanda

Loyalty Traveler-2018

75 SPG category 2 Starwood Hotels (3000/4,000) become Marriott Rewards category 3 hotels at 17,500 points in Aug 2018.

Le Meridien Angkor, Cambodia
Sheraton Zagreb, Croatia
Westin Zagreb, Croatia
Four Points Bali, Kuta
Sheraton Parco de Medici, Rome, Italy
Sheraton Rome Hotel and Conference Center, Italy
Four Points Venice Mestre, Italy
Four Points Cancun Centro
Metropol Palace, Luxury Collection, Belgrade, Serbia

A general trend I see in the new Marriott Rewards hotel category placement is a general increase in price for hotels in Eastern Europe. Belgrade, Serbia; Sofia, Bulgaria; and Zagreb, Croatia and Macedonia are all locations with hotel category increases.