Nearly 1,100 Marriott Properties Are Changing Categories for 2017
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Earlier today, we told you about the 325 SPG properties that are changing categories, but Marriott's making big changes to non-SPG hotels as well, from EDITION to Ritz-Carlton. These category adjustments are also taking effect on March 7, 2017.
With this year's changes, nearly 1,100 properties in the entire Marriott Rewards and Ritz-Carlton Rewards programs are moving up or down in categories or tiers, with 60% moving up in category or tier and 40% moving down. 1,100 may sound like a ton of properties, but not for this hotel giant — of the entire program portfolio, 77% of hotels are not changing categories at all. You can see the full list of properties that are changing categories on the Marriott website.
As a reminder, here's how many points you'll redeem at each category level:

And here's how many points you'll need for Tier 1-5 properties:

Before jumping into some notable changes, here's a look at several highlights on the category changes as a whole:
- 3 Ritz-Carlton properties in the US are moving up in tiers and 3 international Ritz properties are moving down
- The vast majority of these changes are in the US
- Most of the movements in the US are for less premium brands, such as Courtyard, Fairfield and Residence Inn
Here are some notable property changes:
The Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe

With these changes, the Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe is moving from a Tier 4 property (60,000 points per night) to a Tier 5 property (70,000 points per night). This is especially notable because this is the last opportunity to use your free night certificates at the property, as they're only good for Tier 1-4 properties.
The London EDITION

As of March 7, the London EDITION will be moving up in the Marriott Rewards program. The property is jumping from a Tier 3 property (50,000 points per night) to a Tier 4 property (60,000 points per night).
The Ritz-Carlton Bali

The Ritz-Carlton Bali is dropping in the Ritz-Carlton Rewards program. The luxury property is moving from a Tier 3 property (50,000 points per night) to a Tier 2 property (40,000 points per night), which means you can still use your Free Night certificate at this hotel and it'll cost you fewer points for each night.
With this announcement, travelers are getting just less than a month of warning, meaning you still have time to take advantage of the 2016 rates. If a property you've been eyeing is dropping in category or tier, it'd be best to wait until March 7 to book your stay, as you'll get to redeem at the lower rate. You can find the full list of properties for both Marriott and Ritz-Carlton that will be changing categories or tiers here.
If you're looking for more Marriott Rewards points to use toward your next redemption, consider signing up for the Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card. The card comes with a sign-up bonus of 75,000 points after you spend $3,000 in the first three months. You'll earn 5x points on Marriott and SPG stays, 2x points on restaurants, car rental agencies and airline tickets purchased directly with the airline and 1x points on everything else. The card comes with one free night stay at a Category 1-5 hotel every account anniversary, and there are no foreign transaction fees.
Featured image courtesy of the JW Marriott Macau.
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
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Annual Fee
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Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month

