Marriott award pricing has increased steadily since the program began tracking rates publicly
Marriott Bonvoy award prices — the number of points you need to book a night — have risen across nearly all property categories over the past decade. The increases happen through annual adjustments that Marriott announces, usually in January. Properties move between categories based on demand, location, and operational costs, which means the same hotel can cost more points one year than the previous year, even if you're booking the same room type.
Understanding this history matters because it shows you whether points are becoming harder to earn relative to what they buy. If you're deciding whether to pursue a Marriott card, knowing the trend helps you estimate what your future points might be worth.
Key Takeaways
- Marriott adjusts award pricing annually, usually in January, moving properties between point categories rather than adjusting individual property rates.
- Entry-level properties (Category 1) have stayed relatively stable, while premium and luxury properties have seen the largest point increases.
- The same property often moves up one or more categories over time, meaning the cost to book it rises even if the hotel itself hasn't changed.
- Award pricing varies by season — peak dates cost more points than off-peak dates at the same property.
- Marriott occasionally introduces new categories or restructures the entire system, which can shift prices unpredictably for specific properties.
How the category system works and why prices move
Marriott doesn't set a fixed point price for each hotel. Instead, it assigns each property to a category — ranging from 1 to 8 — and the category determines the base nightly cost in points. A Category 1 property costs fewer points than a Category 5 property. When Marriott wants to raise the price of a specific hotel, it moves that property from one category to a higher one.
This system lets Marriott adjust prices without announcing "we're raising the cost of the Marriott in Denver by 15,000 points." Instead, the Denver property moves from Category 4 to Category 5, and the change applies automatically. Properties move up when demand increases, when the property undergoes renovation, or when Marriott wants to reflect higher nightly rates in the cash market.
Peak and off-peak pricing also affects what you pay. The same Category 4 hotel might cost 30,000 points on a Saturday in July but 20,000 points on a Tuesday in February. These seasonal adjustments have become more granular over time, with Marriott now using specific date ranges rather than broad "peak" and "off-peak" seasons.
Price increases for entry-level and mid-range properties
Category 1 through 3 properties — typically budget and mid-range hotels — have seen modest increases. A Category 1 property has remained around 10,000 points per night for off-peak stays for several years, though some have moved to Category 2. The stability at the lower end reflects Marriott's strategy to keep entry-level redemptions accessible to members with smaller point balances.
Category 3 and 4 properties have shifted more noticeably. Properties that cost 25,000 points in 2015 might now cost 35,000 or 40,000 points, either because the individual property moved up a category or because the point value of that category itself increased. Urban properties and those in high-demand markets have moved up more aggressively than suburban or rural hotels.
Significant increases for premium and luxury properties
Category 6, 7, and 8 properties — luxury resorts, flagship city hotels, and premium beach properties — have seen the steepest increases. A luxury property that cost 50,000 points per night ten years ago might now cost 70,000 to 85,000 points. Some properties have moved from Category 6 directly to Category 8, skipping intermediate steps.
This trend reflects Marriott's focus on premium redemptions. As the company has acquired more luxury brands and expanded its high-end portfolio, it has pushed members toward spending more points on luxury stays. The increases also track real-world inflation in luxury hotel pricing — a five-star resort in Bali or Maldives that charged $400 per night in 2012 now charges $600 or more, and Marriott adjusts point prices to match.
Major restructuring events and their impact
Marriott has restructured its award pricing system multiple times, which can cause sudden shifts rather than gradual increases. In 2019, the company introduced a new dynamic pricing model that allowed individual properties to have different point costs on different dates, rather than using fixed peak and off-peak seasons. This gave Marriott more flexibility to raise prices on high-demand dates.
The 2020 pandemic period saw some temporary freezes on category changes, but pricing resumed its upward trajectory in 2021 and 2022. In 2023, Marriott introduced a new top tier (Category 8) and expanded the use of peak pricing windows, which increased costs for popular travel dates at many properties.
Each restructuring has made it harder to predict future prices, because the rules themselves change. A property's price history from five years ago may not predict its price today if the system has been redesigned in the interim.
What this means for your point value and earning strategy
If award prices are rising faster than you can earn points, your points are effectively losing value. A member earning 50,000 points per year through a hotel card can book a Category 4 property off-peak today, but in five years that same earning rate might only cover a Category 3 property. The purchasing power of your points declines even though the point balance stays the same.
This is why some members prioritize booking sooner rather than later — the longer you hold points, the fewer nights they may buy. It's also why comparing the point cost of a specific property year to year can be misleading; you need to look at the broader trend across categories to understand whether the program is becoming more or less valuable.
Conversely, if you earn points faster than prices rise, or if you focus on lower-category properties that have remained stable, the program may still deliver strong value. The trend matters most if you're targeting specific luxury properties or if you have a fixed earning rate and want to know whether your annual points will stretch further or less far in the future.
How to track pricing changes yourself
Marriott publishes its award chart updates on its website, usually in December or January, before the changes take effect. The chart shows which properties are in which categories and what the nightly point cost is for each category at peak and off-peak times. You can read the current chart and compare it to previous years' versions to see which properties have moved.
Third-party websites and blogs that track Marriott pricing also publish summaries of annual changes, highlighting which properties moved up, which moved down (rare), and which categories saw the biggest shifts. These summaries can save you time if you're trying to understand the overall trend rather than tracking individual properties.
If you're considering a specific redemption, checking the award chart before you book is essential. The price you see today may not be the price next year, and knowing the historical trend for that property can help you decide whether to book now or wait.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Marriott award prices ever go down?
Rarely. Properties occasionally move down one category, usually after a major renovation or repositioning, but the overall trend is upward. Off-peak pricing for some properties has remained flat, but peak pricing has consistently increased. Marriott's business model favors raising prices over lowering them.
How often does Marriott change award pricing?
Marriott makes formal category changes once per year, typically announced in December and effective in January. However, the company can adjust peak and off-peak date ranges throughout the year, and it occasionally makes mid-year changes to specific properties or introduces new pricing tiers.
Will my points be worth less in the future?
Historically, yes — award prices have risen faster than inflation. If you earn a fixed number of points each year, you'll likely be able to book fewer nights in the future unless you increase your earning rate. This is why some members focus on redeeming points sooner rather than accumulating them long-term.
Can I lock in a price by booking now?
Once you book a stay with points, the price is locked in — you won't pay more if prices rise before your stay. However, you can't book a future stay at today's prices; you can only book stays that are available for redemption at the current award chart rates.
How do I know if a Marriott card is still worth it given rising prices?
Compare the annual earning rate from the card (points per year, plus any anniversary bonuses) against the average cost of the properties you actually want to book. If you earn 75,000 points annually and a Category 4 property costs 35,000 points off-peak, you can book two nights per year. Whether that's worth the card fee depends on your travel plans and whether you value those nights more than the annual cost.