Starwood Award Category Changes 2014

Beginning March 4, Starwood properties will see some award category changes. The full list of affected properties can be found here.

More hotels are moving down a category than up, although it is interesting to note that 48 of the 140 properties moving down are located in China whereas only 3 of the properties there are moving up.  21 properties are moving down in the US, while 73 are moving up. This may be a bit of a disappointment for those who primarily redeem in the US.

Here is the award chart as a refresher –

Personally, I’m pleased to see that the Le Meridien Angkor is moving down a category from 3 to 2. I haven’t yet been there so this change makes a stay even more enticing.

Overall, the changes look fairly neutral considering other hotel chain devaluations from the last year.