Marriot Bonvoy introduces new demand-driven Award chart for redemptions

On 14 September, Marriott Bonvoy is introducing his promised demand-driven Award chart, so the number of points required for redemptions will depend on the category of the hotel (1 to 8) and the predicted demand at the time you wish to book.

There will be three rates:

• Off-peak
• Standard
• Peak

for each category. Practically, you will spend fewer points for off peak (from 5,000 points), the same points (from 7,500 points per night) as you do know for Standard, and more points during Peak times (10,000 and up)

Cash + Points

These new three classifications will also apply to Cash + Points rewards. You can see a summary in the table below.

The promotional video they have suggests that the more you forward plan, the more likely you are to get the Standard Rate.

New Scheme

Marriott Bonvoy is the name chosen for the loyalty scheme developed when Marriott International and Starwood Hotels and resorts combined nearly two years ago. Although the merger of the two schemes (three if you count Ritz Carlton) – one being Marriott Rewards and the other Starwood Preferred Guest or SPG – was not without its problems. Most of the anomalies for people transferring points seem to have been solved. Or maybe, like me – many ignored it and just presumed that their points would be combined at the correct ratio.

2PAXfly takeout

To my mind, this change to a demand-driven award chart is the first major change to the combined program. There have been other changes – like the introduction of the new name for the program (‘Bonvoy’), and the new Category 8 classification for their ‘best’ properties. But this is the first structural change.

It is not being well-received, with loyal members of the previous schemes seeing it as a devaluation of the program since it allows the Bonvoy to require higher rates of redemption, while only providing redemption discounts (Off-Peak) when paid rates are likely to be low anyway.

I’m not a big user of the program, so I am no expert. I prefer the simplicity of the redemption scheme of something like Hotels.com where you book 10 nights, and then get a ‘free’ night to the equivalent of 10% of what you paid collectively for those 10 nights. It doesn’t tie me to a particular brand, and I can easily price compare my bookings on other sites.

. . . and that header image is of the courtyard at the JW Marriot in Cusco, Peru.