Every year Starwood readjusts the award categories of their hotels to align with their projected average daily rate, since it doesn’t make sense for them to have a hotel that goes for $500 a night be available for 10,000 points while a cheap $150 hotel requires 12,000 points. Last year many customers were annoyed with mass increases in categories (when the economy was in recession), but this year Starwood seems to have righted some of those wrongs.Starwood just announced their category readjustment and I have to say I’m actually kind of happy about the changes. There are more down-shifts in categories (meaning they require less points for a free night) than there are increases. In fact 93 hotels are going down and only 84 going up. With any shift in categories, there will be winners and losers, but I think I’ll come out on the winning end of this. I bolded some of the more popular properties that are changing categories and added in some commentary.Overall, I’m surprised to see NYC, LA, San Fransico, and Shanghai properties decreasing. I would have thought the upswing in tourism and business travel would have kept them the same or even increased their value, but I certainly won’t complain.I’m a little disappointed that my go-to London property for point redemptions Le Meridien Picadilly is going up, but I’m going to try out the Andaz next time anyway.These changes go into effect March 1, 2011, so if you are planning to stay at a property that is going up, BOOK NOW! Even if you don’t know your exact dates, you should book several and then cancel them once your figure out your final plans.And if you are booked at a property that is going down, wait until March 1 and then rebook your reservation at the lower category. SPG customer service should be able to assist you automatically - I’ve done it in the past and it feels great to get points back before your stay even begins.Sign up for our daily newsletterEmail addressSign upI would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. See privacy policy.Starwood award chart:Overall, I’m happy, but feel free to share your comments below.Property / 2010 Category / 2011 CategorySheraton Great Wall from 3 to 2Sheraton Tianjin Hotel from 4 to 3Luxury Collection/Windsor Bengaluru from 5 to 4Westin Resort Macau from 4 to 3Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers from 5 to 4Sheraton Hanoi Hotel from 4 to 3Le Meridien Royal Shanghai from 5 to 4 (Great value at category 4. I am planning a Shanghai visit later in the year and plan to take advantage of this)Aloft Beijing from 2 to 1Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort from 3 to 2Aloft Bengaluru from 3 to 2Aloft Chennai from 3 to 2Luxury Collection/ITC Royal from 5 to 4Westin Nusa Dua from 3 to 4Sheraton On The Park from 4 to 5Sheraton Surayaba Hotel & Towers from 1 to 2Sheraton Bandung Hotel & Towers from 1 to 2Sheraton Langkawi Beach Resort from 3 to 4Westin Langkawi from 4 to 5Luxury Collection/ITC Mughal Agra from 2 to 3Sheraton Noosa Resort from 4 to 5Sheraton Rajputana Palace from 2 to 3Sheraton Grande Walkerhill from 3 to 4Sheraton Kobe Bay from 3 to 4Sheraton Taipei Hotel from 3 to 4Westin Chosun, Busan from 3 to 4Westin Sydney from 4 to 5Westin Melbourne from 4 to 5Four Points by Sheraton Sydney from 3 to 4Four Points by Sheraton Chung Ho from 1 to 2W Seoul Walkerhill from 4 to 5Luxury Collection/ITC Sonar Kolkata from 3 to 4Sheraton Jiuzhaigou Resort from 2 to 3St. Regis Singapore from 5 to 6Sheraton Haikou Resort from 2 to 3Sheraton Changsha Hotel from 2 to 3Sheraton Urumqi Hotel from 3 to 4Le Meridien Jakarta from 1 to 2Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu from 1 to 2Sheraton Wenzhou from 2 to 3Sheraton Ningbo Hotel from 2 to 3W Retreat Koh Samui from 6 to 7 (Lock this in at a 6 if you have any plans to go to Koh Samui. Haven’t been myself, but have heard good things)Sheraton Zhoushan Hotel from 1 to 2Four Points by Sheraton Lhasa from 2 to 3Sheraton Qiandao Resort from 2 to 3Four Points by Sheraton Navi Mumbai Vashi from 2 to 3Westin Siray Bay from 3 to 4Westin Sendai from 4 to 5Sheraton Jinan from 1 to 2Four Points by Sheraton Geelong from 2 to 4Sheraton Deira Hotel, Dubai from 5 to 3Le Méridien Dead Sea from 3 to 1Le Méridien Abu Dhabi from 6 to 4Hotel Excelsior, Naples from 6 to 5Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel, Tbilisi from 4 to 3Sheraton Palace Hotel, Moscow from 6 to 5 (Surprising to see Moscow hotels go down since the city is so expensive)Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan from 4 to 3Sheraton Bologna Hotel & Conference Center from 3 to 2Sheraton Genova Hotel & Conference Center from 3 to 2Sheraton Cairo Hotel, Towers and Casino from 4 to 3Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel from 5 to 4Sheraton Abu Dhabi Resort from 6 to 5Santa Marina Resort & Villas, Mykonos from 7 to 6Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai from 4 to 3Sheraton Khalidiya Hotel, Abu Dhabi from 5 to 4The Westin Valencia from 5 to 4Le Méridien Barbarons- Seychelles from 5 to 4 (I stayed here last summer and had a service experience, but I wouldn’t have expected this hotel to drop. It was an absolute steal at Category 5 cash and points compared to other options on the island and at a category 4, I may have to go back again!)Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi from 6 to 5Al Sondos Suites by Le Méridien from 4 to 3Dar Al Sondos Hotel Apartments by Le Méridien from 3 to 2Sheraton Gambia Hotel Resort & Spa from 3 to 2Castillo Hotel Son Vida, Mallorca from 6 to 5Four Points by Sheraton Downtown Dubai from 4 to 3Four Points by Sheraton Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai from 5 to 4Sheraton Prague Charles Square Hotel from 5 to 4Sheraton Bratislava Hotel from 4 to 3The Westin Excelsior, Rome from 5 to 6 Hotel Gritti Palace, Venice from 6 to 7 (Yikes, yet another super expensive SPG Italian property)The Park Lane Hotel, London from 4 to 5 (I’m not a huge fan of the Park Lane, but it hurts to see the London SPG properties increase - makes Hyatts all the more valuable)Four Points by Sheraton Brauneck from 1 to 2Sheraton Munich Arabellapark Hotel from 3 to 4Sheraton Oman from 4 to 5Sheraton Skyline Hotel London Heathrow 3 to 4Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel & Conference Center from 4 to 5 (Yikes - a category 5 airport hotel! I guess it’s close enough to the city center, but I’d rather splurge for the Pullitzer). Sheraton Casablanca Hotel & Towers from 3 to 4Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel and Towers from 4 to 5Sheraton Djibouti Hotel from 2 to 3Sheraton Pretoria Hotel from 4 to 5Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa from 3 to 4Sheraton Carlton Hotel Nuernberg from 3 to 4Sheraton Tirana Hotel from 3 to 4The Westin Cape Town from 3 to 4 (Sad to see it go up, but it will still be a good value at category 4)The Westin Leipzig from 3 to 4Four Points by Sheraton Le Verdun from 3 to 4Le Méridien Chari from 3 to 4Le Méridien President from 3 to 4Le Méridien Piccadilly from 5 to 6 :-( (I like this hotel, but it’s not category 6 material) Arion Resort & Spa, Astir Palace, Athens from 5 to 6The Romanos, Costa Navarino from 5 to 6The Westin Resort & Spa, Los Cabos from 5 to 4The Westin Resort & Spa, Puerto Vallarta from 4 to 3Sheraton Hacienda Del Mar Resort & Spa Los Cabos from 5 to 4Sheraton Mendoza Hotel from 4 to 3Sheraton Bogota Hotel from 3 to 4The Westin San Luis Potosi from 2 to 3Sheraton Guayaquil Hotel from 2 to 3Sheraton Montevideo Hotel from 3 to 4Four Points By Sheraton Curitiba from 3 to 4Sheraton Barra Hotel & Suites from 4 to 5Four Points By Sheraton Cali from 2 to 3Four Points By Sheraton Monterrey Linda Vista from 1 to 2Sheraton Sao Paulo WTC Hotel from 4 to 5Aloft Dulles Airport from 4 to 2Sheraton Norfolk Waterside from 3 to 2Sheraton Houston Brookhollow from 3 to 2Sheraton Gateway Hotel Los Angeles from 3 to 2Sheraton Reston Hotel from 4 to 3Sheraton Charlotte Airport Hotel from 3 to 2Sheraton Suites Orlando Airport from 3 to 2Four Points by Sheraton Manhattan Chelsea from 5 to 4Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel from 4 to 3 (while this hotel isn’t that nice, its a great option for pre-cruise stays - very centrally located)Westin Tampa Bay from 4 to 3Westin DFW Airport from 3 to 2Four Points by Sheraton Chicago Downtown from 4 to 3Sheraton Pleasanton Hotel from 3 to 2Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel from 4 to 3Le Meridien San Francisco from 5 to 4Aloft Charleston Airport from 3 to 2Sheraton Herndon Dulles Airport from 4 to 3Sheraton Suites San Diego from 4 to 3Aloft Chesapeake from 3 to 2Le Meridien Dallas Galleria from 3 to 2Aloft Portland from 3 to 2Aloft Arundel Mills from 3 to 2Sheraton Tribeca New York from 5 to 4 (Nice to see lower NYC categories. I used to live in Tribeca not far from the Sheraton - not the most prime location, but it’s a brand-new hotel and near a lot of subways and good restaurants)Four Points by Sheraton Jacksonville from 3 to 2Four Points by Sheraton Tempe from 3 to 2Aloft Rancho Cucamonga from 3 to 2Westin Lake Mary from 4 to 3Sheraton Atlanta North from 3 to 2Westin Dulles Airport from 4 to 3Aloft Frisco from 3 to 2Aloft Overland Park from 3 to 2Aloft Richmond West from 3 to 2Aloft Phoenix Airport from 3 to 2Four Points by Sheraton Cary from 3 to 2Four Points by Sheraton Raleigh Durham from 3 to 2Four Points by Sheraton Pineville from 3 to 2Luxury Collection/The Joule from 5 to 4 (Maybe my poor experience this past fall had something to do with it? Just kidding - aside from my experience, this hotel is pretty nice and a great value at category 4) Four Points by Sheraton Columbus Airport from 3 to 2Four Points by Sheraton San Antonio Northwest from 3 to 2Aloft Bolingbrook from 3 to 2Aloft San Antonio from 3 to 2Aloft Harlem from 4 to 3 (a cheap option for NYC stays)Four Points by Sheraton San Jose from 4 to 3Four Points by Sheraton Oklahoma City Airport from 1 to 2Sheraton Cavalier-Saskatoon from 3 to 4Four Points by Sheraton Huntsville Airport from 1 to 2Sheraton Philadelphia City from 3 to 4 (shame, this place was a great value, especially for Platinums - generous upgrades and perks)Sheraton JFK Airport Hotel from 3 to 4 (bizarre, this place gets awful reviews, though I guess there aren’t a lot of options)Sheraton Duluth Hotel from 2 to 3Sheraton Augusta from 2 to 3Element Arundel Mills from 3 to 4Element Summerlin from 3 to 4Aloft Dallas Downtown from 2 to 3Four Points by Sheraton Philadelphia Airport from 3 to 2Sheraton Parsippany Hotel from 4 to 3Westin Peachtree from 4 to 3 (rightfully so, this place is a dump)Sheraton Suites Cypress Creek from 3 to 2W Atlanta - Perimeter from 4 to 3W San Diego from 5 to 4Luxury Collection/US Grant from 5 to 4Luxury Collection/SLS Beverly Hills from 6 to 5Sheraton Centre Toronto from 3 to 4Westin Harbour Castle from 3 to 4Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort from 5 to 6Westin River Front Mountain Villas from 4 to 5Sheraton Steamboat Resort Villas from 4 to 6[card card-name=‘Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card – Bonus Point Offer’ card-id=‘22145660’ type=‘javascript’ bullet-id=‘1’]
