Marriott Bonvoy Points Are Reportedly Worth Less Than They Were Last Week

According to a report from LoyaltyLobby, Marriott Bonvoy raised award costs across its portfolio over the weekend. The increase averages 5-10% and appears widespread.

Because Bonvoy uses dynamic pricing with no published award chart, there's nothing for Marriott to formally update or communicate. The price just goes up, and you find out when you search.

LoyaltyLobby pulled prices for 20 Bangkok Marriott properties in September, and the average redemption was 0.56 cents per point after taxes and fees. At the same time, One Mile at a Time notes that you can still find good value at some high-end properties, such as The Gritti Palace in Venice, where a sample night shows 2.2 cents per point. But this seems to be an exception rather than the norm.

Andrew's Take

Dynamic pricing exists, in part, because it lets programs raise costs without having to call it a devaluation. There's no award chart to update, no blog post to write, no members to notify — the number just changes. As such, if you're sitting on a lot of Bonvoy points, I wouldn't wait to redeem them. It's only a matter of time until they devalue again.