New Marriott Rewards category 4 hotels to book before August increase

This is the third in a series of posts listing Starwood and Marriott brand hotels increasing in points cost in the new Marriott Rewards program launching August 2018 for 6,800+ hotels worldwide. This article covers Marriott Rewards new Category 4 hotels at 25,000 points per night.

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

• Marriott Rewards new award charts Aug 2018 and early 2019
• Aug 2018 Marriott Rewards finding value in Category 1-3 hotel rewards
• New Marriott Rewards Category 2 hotels to book before August increase
• New Marriott/SPG Category 3 hotels to book before August changes
• New Marriott Rewards category 4 hotels to book before August increase
• New Marriott Rewards category 5 hotels to book before August increase
• New Marriott Rewards category 6 hotels to book before August increase
• New Marriott Rewards category 7 hotels to book before August increase and 2019 category
• List of 61 Marriott Category 8 hotels coming in 2019

There are hundreds of hotels dropping in points cost for the new Marriott Rewards category 4 at 25,000 points per night. The good news is these are hotels that will be available using free night certificates. The information on Marriott Rewards changes states the certificates will have the same points value, which would mean a current Marriott Rewards category 5 certificate valid for hotels at 25,000 points will be valid for category 4 hotels at 25,000 points or lower. But 2019 peak season pricing will impact the 25,000 points level.

Please let me know in the comments if there has been a definite response from Marriott Rewards how they are handling free night certificates in August. I have not seen anything from Marriott Rewards other than the free night certificates will have same points value.

New Marriott Rewards Category 4 at 25,000 points per night; 5th Night Free 100,000 points.

The new category 4 sees far more hotels drop in reward price (801 hotels) than increase (276 hotels), while 503 hotels remain the same at 25,000 points. This is the middle level of the 7-tier reward category system in August 2018 that primarily accounts for more hotels going down in reward price overall among the 6,800+ hotels listed in the new Marriott Rewards hotel reward categories.

• 1,580 hotels in new Marriott Rewards category 4.
• 276 hotels increase in points cost.
• *** Two SPG category 2 hotels(SPG 2K,3K/MR 6K,9K) in Orlando area increase 13,000 or 19,000 points per reward night to 25,000 points as new MR Category 4 rewards.
• 8 old Marriott category 3 hotels at 15,000 points increase 10,000 points as new MR category 4 at 25,000 points.
• 103 old Marriott Rewards category 4 hotels at 20,000 points increase to 25,000 points as new MR category 4 hotels.
• 163 former SPG category 3 hotels at 7000SPG/21,000MR increase 4,000 points as new MR category 4 at 25,000 points.

Weekend nights at Four Points by Sheraton Orlando International Drive and Sheraton Lake Buena Vista Resort see reward rates jump from 6,000 points to 25,000 points for Friday and Saturday nights in the new Marriott Rewards program. This is a deal to jump on now if Orlando is in your plans.

• 503 old MR category 5 at 25,000 see no change in points cost as new MR category 4 hotels.
• 801 hotels in new Marriott Rewards category 4 have a decrease in points cost.
• 710 hotels drop 5,000 points from old MR category 6 and SPG category 4, both at 30,000 points to new MR category 4 at 25,000 points.
• 14 SPG category 5 hotels (12,000 Starpoints; 16,000 peak/MR 36,000;48,000 points) change to new MR category 4 with a reward rate drop of 11,000 points from 36,000 to 25,000.
• 77 Marriott old MR category 7 hotels at 35,000 points drop 10,000 points as new MR category 4 hotels at 25,000.

87 international Starwood Hotels at SPG category 3 (21,000 points) rise 4,000 points to 25,000 points per reward night in August 2018.

I highlighted Sofia Hotel Balkan, Luxury Collection in Sofia, Bulgaria due to this being its second reward category increase in 2018. I stayed at this hotel twice in October 2017 when it was SPG category 2 at 4,000 points for weeknights and 3,000 points (Fri-Sat).

Sofia Hotel Balkan Luxury Collection feeling marble (Oct 21, 2017).

76 Starwood Hotels in USA at SPG category 3 increase from 21,000 to 25,000 points as Marriott Rewards category 4 hotels.

33 international Marriott Rewards hotels at old category 4 for 20,000 points increase to new MR category 4 at 25,000 points. I left Marriott Maracay Golf Resort, Venezuela off the picture chart below.

70 USA hotels in old Marriott Rewards category 4 at 20,000 points shift to new category 4 at 25,000 points.

There are 8 Marriott brand hotels increasing 67% in points cost when they change next month from Marriott Rewards category 3 at 15,000 points per night to new MR category 4 at 25,000 points per night. These hotels rise from 60,000 points for 5th night free to 100,000 points.

Courtyard Sante Fe, New Mexico or JW Marriott Mexico City Sante Fe are a couple of hotels to book in July 2018 if these cities might be in your travel plans.