Marriott has announced this year’s hotel category changes for its Rewards loyalty programme.
There are significantly more hotels moving up a category (meaning more points will be required to redeem a stay at these properties) than moving down.
Among the hotels that are moving up a category include seven UK properties - Bristol Marriott City Centre (from category 5 to 6), Cheshunt Marriott Hotel (4 to 5), Glasshouse Hotel, Autograph Collection (8 to 9), London Marriott Hotel Kensington (7 to 8), London Marriott Hotel Regents Park (7 to 8), Newcastle Marriott Hotel Metro Centre (4 to 5) and Waltham Abbey Marriott Hotel (4 to 5).
However the Renaissance London Heathrow – which recently completed a £20 million refurbishment project (see news December 12, 2015) – has moved down one category from 7 to 6, as has the Courtyard London Gatwick Airport (from 5 to 4).
A full list of properties moving up and down is available on the Marriott Rewards website here.
All redemption reservations booked on or before March 24 will be honoured at the existing rates, and redemptions can be booked up to 50 weeks in advance of stay.
Marriott Rewards is also making changes to its Cash plus Points option next month.
Currently members can use the option to book stays of two or more nights by combining redemption and cash nights when booking online.
But from March 24 members will be able to mix cash and points within a single night stay, as per the chart below.
EDIT:
A spokesperson for Marriott Rewards commented that "While it is correct that more properties are moving up than moving down, the reality is that 82 per cent of our 4300 hotels worldwide are staying where they are".
Mark Caswell