Marriott used to have award categories from 1 to 8, where the most expensive hotel awards were 100,000 points per night, but these caps were abolished in 2022 when Bonvoy moved more dynamically priced awards.
A LoyaltyLobby reader alerted us that there has been a significant increase in the number of points required for most sought-after properties over the past 24 hours; where some of the hotels now require more than 200,000 points per night, and I decided to have a look.
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Marriott Bonvoy Previous Award Categories:
I decided to have a look at the high-end Marriott properties where there might have been a price change and where I have either stayed at or had an award reservation:
The Gritti Palace Venice
The price here can be up to 152,000 points per night; the lowest I saw was 98,000. The price that I paid here was 240,000 points in 2019 for FIVE NIGHTS.
The St. Regis Bora Bora
The point pricing here is 88,000 to 138,000 points per night for a standard room.
I redeemed 340,000 points for a five-night stay in 2020 for 2021, but unfortunately, I had to cancel the reservation because it was challenging to get to French Polynesia from Asia at the time.
The Ritz-Carlton Maldives Fari Islands
The award pricing here ranges between 104,000 and 198,000 points per night. In 2022, I paid 400,000 points for five nights.
The St Regis Maldives Vommuli Island
The award pricing here fluctuates between 100,000 to 198,000 points per night. I paid 400,000 points for 5 nights in 2022 (same trip as the one above) and another 50,000 (total) for an upgrade.
JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge
The pricing has undoubtedly increased significantly. The pricing fluctuates between 194,000 to 236,000 points per night.
This is a lovely hotel. I stayed there in December 2023 and paid 94,000 points for 5 nights.
Conclusion
The number of points higher-end hotels can cost per night during the high season has undoubtedly changed, as they can now cost up to 236,000 points per night.
There must always, however, be a balance between the available inventory and the point pricing. If the point pricing is ridiculously cheap, there won’t be any award availability at all, or it will be very scarce.
But when you start charging close to a million points for five nights, it isn’t easy to see that there are many takers at that price.
