Just a week out from launching under the Marriott Bonvoy name, Marriott have announced their 2019 category changes. Among the 375 hotels that are changing category, 350 are increasing a level, while just 35 are going down a category.
This follows the announcement last year of the combined award chart from the merger of Marriott and SPG.
These changes are coming into effect from March 5. This gives a little time to peruse the changes, and lock in any bookings by March 4, if your chosen hotel is going up a category.
Category Changes
Under the Marriott program, a hotel’s category determines the number of points required for an award night. So, the higher category, the more points that are required for a redemption.
The Marriott Awards category chart is shown below.
Marriott have published a table showing the way hotels are assigned categories. They also provide a document outlining the changes that are coming into effect on March 5.
Category 8
We new some changes were coming. When Marriott introduced the new chart, we were advised that there would be a new Category 8 from 2019. While no hotel was initially in Category 8, we knew that 60 or so were to be reclassified. In the latest list, we learn of 8 more hotels that will be in this category.
These are the following hotels
- Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina, Autograph Collection
- The London EDITION
- Pine Cliffs Residence, a Luxury Collection Resort, Algarve
- Las Alcobas, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Napa Valley
- The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai
- The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Hamra Beach
- W Hong Kong
- The Westin Europa & Regina, Venice
Interestingly, one hotel that was going up to Category 8, will now be staying at Category 7. That hotel is the St Regis Osaka.
Australia
In Australia, there is one change coming into effect, and that is a decrease. The Courtyard Sydney-North Ryde is being reduced from Category 4 to Category 3.
Thoughts
In total, it is not a big number of hotels changing category. The list is, however, skewed heavily to an increase in category. If you are planning an award, it is worth checking out the list and make a decision by March 4 if the hotel is changing.