Marriott has once again raised award prices at many popular hotels – here’s what the data shows – Image for illustrative purposes only (Image credits: Unsplash)
Loyal Marriott Bonvoy members planning special trips have started noticing steeper points requirements at several high-profile properties. The latest adjustments, spotted over the weekend, continue a pattern of rising redemption costs that began after the program shifted to dynamic pricing in 2022. For travelers who have saved points toward a particular resort or city hotel, the increases can suddenly place a long-awaited stay out of reach.
Weekend Changes Add to Ongoing Pressure
Reports from booking sites and pricing trackers in China first flagged the most recent round of increases. Award costs at many properties climbed between 5 and 10 percent in a short period. The moves were not announced in advance, leaving members to discover the new rates only when they checked availability for upcoming dates. These adjustments build on earlier shifts that have already raised the highest nightly rates at numerous locations. Members tracking specific hotels have seen the same properties require noticeably more points than they did even a year earlier. The lack of a fixed award chart makes it difficult to anticipate when or by how much prices will move next.
Luxury Brands Lead the Increases
The largest jumps have appeared at St. Regis, Ritz-Carlton, Edition, and Luxury Collection properties. In one tracked sample, the highest award rates rose by an average of nearly 13 percent over roughly one year. Properties in popular destinations showed some of the steepest changes. The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad now lists a top rate of 160,000 points per night, up from 142,000 points last year. The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort reached 220,000 points, compared with 198,000 previously. The Mystique Santorini, a Luxury Collection hotel, moved from 126,000 to 172,000 points, a 36.5 percent increase.
Free Night Certificates Lose Ground
The higher rates also affect members who hold free night certificates. Several properties that once fit comfortably within the 35,000-, 50,000-, or 85,000-point certificate tiers now exceed those levels. Travelers must then supplement the certificate with additional points, though the program caps such top-ups at 25,000 points. This shift reduces the flexibility certificates once provided for aspirational stays. Members who planned to use them at upscale resorts may now need to combine multiple certificates or pay cash for part of the stay.
Properties Showing Notable Changes
A comparison of peak award rates at selected hotels illustrates the trend across different regions and brands.
| Property | 2025 Peak Rate | 2026/2027 Peak Rate |
|---|---|---|
| The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad | 142,000 | 160,000 |
| The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort | 198,000 | 220,000 |
| Mystique, Santorini | 126,000 | 172,000 |
| The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort | 136,000 | 166,000 |
| The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto | 152,000 | 168,000 |
Other tracked properties, including several St. Regis and Ritz-Carlton locations in the United States and Asia, followed similar upward paths. A few more modest hotels showed little or no change, highlighting that the increases have concentrated at the upper end of the portfolio. Members now face a more expensive landscape when redeeming points for peak dates at flagship properties. The cumulative effect over multiple years has quietly reduced the purchasing power of accumulated balances for many travelers.
