The devaluation of Bonvoy points will begin on March 29, but next year will be even worse
This is not a bolt from the blue; we had learned about it last October when Bonvoy, the [...]
Marriott
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This is not a bolt from the blue, we had heard about it last October When Bonvoy, the loyalty program of the Marriott hotel chain., had announced that he would abandon the fixed table For booking award nights.
However, we now know what will happen and when it will happen. Most importantly, we know that 2023 will be even worse for all those who like to book a room using points.
The current situation
Until March 28, it was super easy to book an award night at any of the more than 7,000 hotels that belong to one of the Marriott family brands. All facilities are divided into categories: from 1 to 8. And each category has a minimum/maximum cost to book an award night.
| Hotel category | Low season | Standard | High season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5.000 | 7.500 | 10.000 |
| 2 | 10.000 | 12.500 | 15.000 |
| 3 | 15.000 | 17.500 | 20.000 |
| 4 | 20.000 | 25.000 | 30.000 |
| 5 | 30.000 | 35.000 | 40.000 |
| 6 | 40.000 | 50.000 | 60.000 |
| 7 | 50.000 | 60.000 | 70.000 |
| 8 | 70.000 | 85.000 | 100.000 |
This is all set to change as of March 23, and the change will become fully effective starting next January.
What changes
Marriott has decided to follow the other major hotel chains such as Hilton and Hyatt and move to dynamic pricing. No longer will there be a fixed cost, the Bonvoy point rate will fluctuate depending on occupancy rate, room cash price, and many other factors. The change will come into effect on the night of March 29-30, 2022.
Marriott explained that most hotels will remain within the current price ranges until the end of the year, so we will see the price fluctuate in the range that was previously fixed based on the season instead.
The bad news
The truth is, no matter how much Marriott tries to sugarcoat it, it is One of the worst devaluations ever: 200 hotels, say the most beautiful and researched among the more than 7,000 in the portfolio, will become more expensive, starting immediately. And by a lot.
Four Italian hotels will be affected by the increase, which will be a minimum of 20 thousand Bonvoy points per night
- Hotel Cala di Volpe, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Emerald Coast
- Pitrizza hotels, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Emerald Coast
- Hotel Romazzino, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Emerald Coast
- The Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice
Sure, Marriott says that only 3% of hotels get more expensive, but the problem is that 3% represents the top of what this chain offers worldwide.
To make matters worse, 40 hotels (so one in five of those affected by the increase) Will come to cost as much as 130 thousand points per night.
In conclusion
This is a devaluation, disguised as an improvement. In fact, the improvement is only for Marriott, not for the customer. What will happen next year, how many more facilities will join the 200 club? If I already harbored little sympathy for the Bonvoy program, we are now at an all-time low.
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