What is an award category change?

How does an award category change work?

An award chart is the part of a hotel programme that turns a property into a points price. Each property sits in a category, and each category maps to a nightly points figure, so the chart does two jobs at once: it ranks hotels by award price and it tells a member what a night will cost before any search begins. A category change rewrites that ranking for one property, a group of properties, or a whole portfolio.

Because the category rather than the room rate drives the award price, a reclassification can move a hotel's points cost while its cash rates, brand and facilities stay untouched. The effect on a member is directional: a property that moves up costs more points for the same night than it did before, and one that moves down costs fewer. Anyone planning a redemption around a fixed balance therefore has to recheck the chart rather than rely on the figure they saw earlier.

In Marriott Bonvoy the points price of a night is not uniform across the portfolio. The programme's redemption page describes Free Night Awards as redeemable at thousands of properties worldwide, with varying point values [5], and quotes stays starting at 12,000 points per night [5]. The program rules separately confirm that redemption levels are among the settings the operator may revise [3].

How is the points price of a Marriott Bonvoy free night set?

Several different prices can sit in front of a member looking at the same city. As of 18 October 2026, Marriott's redemption page sets them out like this [5]:

Availability is a separate variable from price. Award availability appears in the program rules alongside redemption levels in the list of things the company may change, limit or cancel [3], so a property's award price and its open award nights are two distinct questions at the point of booking.

What notice does Marriott Bonvoy give before redemption levels change?

The Marriott Bonvoy program rules, updated October 2026, allow the company to change, limit, modify, supplement, amend, suspend or cancel the programme and its rules, and to change redemption levels, award availability, earning and redemption structures, point or mile accrual and redemption rates, and the conditions for earning, redeeming, transferring, converting, adjusting, correcting or forfeiting points, with or without notice [3]. The same clause states that such changes may be made even if they affect the value of points or the ability to obtain certain awards or benefits [3].

Unless the company states otherwise, changes are effective when posted on Marriott channels or otherwise communicated, and continued participation afterwards — holding an account, or earning, redeeming, transferring or converting points — constitutes acceptance of the rules as they then stand [3]. The rules also place the burden on the member to stay familiar with the current program rules and any applicable supplemental terms [3].

One carve-out is written into the rules themselves. For members with Chinese citizenship residing in the Chinese mainland, if an adjustment is likely to have a material adverse impact on the core rights and interests of members, the company will give prior notice in a reasonable manner, and a member who does not accept the change may cancel membership before the effective date by sending written notice to Member Support [3].

Exceptions and limits

• Award nights already redeemed. An award redeemed before points are forfeited remains valid unless it is cancelled after the applicable points expiration date [3]. If an award is cancelled after that date and the member has not completed qualifying activity to extend it, the points used for the award expire [3].
• Points that lapse first. Members need qualifying activity at least once every 24 months to retain points, awards and other benefits, and gifting, transferring or receiving points from another member does not count [3]. After 24 consecutive months without qualifying activity, accumulated points, awards and other benefits are forfeited and cannot be reinstated [3].
• A property leaving the programme. This is a different event from a category move: if a participating property or brand exits Marriott Bonvoy, its awards and offers are no longer valid after the exit date, even where the reservation was made before that date [3].
• Corrections to an account. The rules reserve the right to correct, adjust, cancel or reconcile points, qualifying nights, status, benefits or transactions at any time at the company's sole discretion, including where a benefit was issued in error or the member was not eligible [3].

Frequently asked questions

What does an award category change affect?

It affects the number of points a free night costs at a property, because the category is what maps a hotel to a nightly points figure. The hotel's cash rates and facilities are not part of that calculation.

Can Marriott Bonvoy change how many points a free night costs?

Yes. The program rules list redemption levels among the elements the company may change, limit or modify, with or without notice, and say this applies even where a change affects the value of points or the ability to obtain certain awards [3].

Do Marriott Bonvoy members always get advance warning of a change?

Not necessarily. Changes are effective when posted on Marriott channels or otherwise communicated unless the company states otherwise [3]. Members with Chinese citizenship residing in the Chinese mainland are given prior notice where an adjustment is likely to have a material adverse impact on their core rights, and may cancel before the effective date if they do not accept it [3].

What happens to an award night I have already booked?

An award redeemed before points are forfeited remains valid unless it is cancelled after the applicable points expiration date; if it is cancelled after that date without qualifying activity to extend it, the points used expire [3]. Separately, if the property leaves the programme, its awards are no longer valid after the exit date, even for reservations made earlier [3].

Related pages

Terms: hotel award category, hotel award chart, free night certificate cap, and the full glossary. Guide: points devaluation response checklist.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. The rules described here are Marriott Bonvoy's own; other hotel programmes, including Hilton Honors, World of Hyatt and IHG One Rewards, are not covered on this page.

1. Marriott Bonvoy Loyalty Program Terms & Conditions, checked 18 October 2026
2. Redeem Marriott Bonvoy Points, checked 18 October 2026