Marriott Bonvoy award category changes for 2020

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I got to be honest, I can’t relate to how people feel about Marriott Bonvoy category changes because I do not redeem my Marriott points for hotel stays. Here are the reasons why:

  1. I struggle to find nights in Marriott hotels that are cheaper with points (at $0.01 valuation) than cash because I have flexible travel plans and avoid nights that cost more than 20% above the hotel’s lowest rate. I also do not stay in uber luxury hotels all the time.

  2. I can get much better value by redeeming my points for miles on exotic Frequent Flyer Programs (as a Singaporean) like ANA Mileage Club, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Japan Airlines Mileage Bank and of course, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan.

However, if I have fixed travel plans around the region, I will be happy with the changes this time round as there are plenty of properties going down a category or two.

Mattress run

These changes also make it easier to do a mattress run if you are close to reaching a desired Elite status as there are now a whopping 11 properties in category 1 close to Singapore. Category 1 properties cost just 5,000 points per off-peak night. Of course, this goes down to just 4,000 points per night (worth $40) if you make a 5-nights redemption.

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Conclusion

I’ll probably find it harder to re-qualify for Marriott Platinum/Titanium when I decide to stop living in hotels. Besides, I value my Hilton Honors status more than Marriott Bonvoy and will make it a priority to re-qualify for Hilton Diamond. But if I am close to 50-nights with Marriott, it will be nice to know that there are 11 category 1 properties nearby for a mattress run.

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Fai

Founder & Writer at Suitesmile

Suites and miles make me smile :)

Fai has been travel hacking for over a decade, visiting 50+ countries through high-value redemptions of miles and points and helping readers save thousands on travel, including in Business and First Class flights and luxury hotels. As a recognized expert, his insights have been featured in major media publications like Channel News Asia and The Straits Times.

All reviews and recommendations come from Fai's own credit card use, travels and research, with rare sponsored articles clearly disclosed.

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