Marriott- Changes to rewards program taking effect soon

If you are into collecting Marriott points- this is just a reminder that there are a few changes happening to the program starting January 15th.

• No Blackout dates. Marriott is touting this as an important feature- but this does not guarantee that standard rooms will be available. However, for people wanting to stay at a particular hotel who have a lot of points this could be good.
• Redeem for 4 nights and get the 5th night free.
• For Platinum members, increase of points bonus from 30% to 50%. This is good if you happen to be a Platinum member (you have to stay 75 nights in a year to achieve Platinum)

At the same time as these changes they are adding an extra hotel category… this means that staying at the top rated hotels will cost you even more points.

For the full information on these changes- click the Marriot Rewards 2009 Enhancements FAQ.