A Cost/Benefit Analysis for the Marriott Bonvoy Amex

In the spring of 2017 I opened a Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express. At the beginning of this year, that card was product changed to the Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card.

The Mariott Bonvoy Amex Card is not open for applications. Those that have one were all product changed from a Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card.

Marriott Post-Merger Travel Package Updates

Right after the Marriott/SPG merger this past weekend, Marriott announced how hotel certificates from travel packages bought before August 18 would convert in the new travel package pricing system, at least for the remainder of 2018.

Travel Package Hotel Certificates bought before August 18Conversion
Category 1-5 (Good at hotels that cost up to 25k points per night)Category 1-4 (Good at hotels that cost up to 25k points per night)
Category 6 (30k)Category 1-4 (25k)
Category 7 (35k)Category 5 (35k)
Category 8 (40k)Category 5 (35k)
Category 9 (45k)Category 6 (50k)
Ritz Tier 1-3 (50k)Category 6 (50k)
Ritz Tier 4-5 (70k)Category 7 (50k)

Your hotel certificates must be redeemed at its converted category (in other words, they aren't worth x amount of points to use at whatever property). The points pricing I listed to the right of the converted categories is standard, to represent the more accurate translation.

Marriott Award Booking Now Live

(1:30 am on August 19): You can now book Marriott awards--which also includes SPG properties--online at marriott.com.

Quick SPG/Marriott Merger Prep Checklist

August 18--the day Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott Rewards are merging into one unified loyalty program--is Saturday. Below is a checklist of things to make sure you've done before then, as well as some things you should wait to do on merger day/as close to it as possible (whenever their award booking reservation system comes online).

Identify SPG and Marriott hotels you want to book, and check if they are going up in price with the merger book before August 18.

Marriott Travel Package Hotel Certificates Will Be Unusable For One Month

**Update: A document containing the apparent terms and conditions of the new merged loyalty program was leaked over the weekend, and in it says that members will not be able to book pre-merger SPG hotels via Points Advance.

SPG Luxury Card Loophole: Apply Aug 23-25 Before New Rules Hit

The Starwood Preferred Guest Luxury Card, which will be the latest addition to the Marriott family credit card portfolio, is actually scheduled to launch August 23, 2018.

Eligibility Rules for New Marriott & SPG Cards Hit Aug 26

Despite the fact that Marriott and the Starwood Preferred Guest programs are merging into one unified loyalty program on August 18, both Marriott and SPG credit cards will continue to be issued for the time being, by Chase and Amex respectively. Both banks have published new terms for all current (and future) Marriott-family credit cards that define who is and isn't eligible for sign up bonuses, as of August 26.
Why These New Rules are Different
Sign up bonus rules are not new to the miles and points community.

The State of Marriott Travel Packages & Strategy Moving Forward

We have been watching the merger of Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott unfold for a long time now.

New Marriott Award Category Assignments & Strategy Moving Forward

We have been watching the merger of Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott unfold for a long time now.

Book Top Tier SPG Properties Between August & December 2018

Update 7/6/18: The most expensive, off the award chart all-suite SPG properties will actually be bookable for 60k Marriott Rewards in August. Read New Marriott Award Category Assignments & Strategy Moving Forward for further info. 

In August of this year, SPG and Marriott are merging their loyalty programs.