Both award charts and individual hotel categories within an award chart can change, so pay attention

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ravenna hotel italy One of the saving graces of the multiple recent hotel award chart increases is that most chains give you a period of time where you can still book at the old rates.  This is not always the case, but thankfully Starwood, Hyatt, and Priority ravenna hotel italy Club all seem to have adopted that policy.  That means you have a limited period of time to make some points reservations at the old rates for your trips over the next 12 months.
Many families plan most of their travels way in advance anyway, so this really isn't a huge strategy change.  Plus, typically these points reservations are refundable up until shortly before ravenna hotel italy the trip, so if your plans change you can back out of your reservations without penalty ( but double check each property individually ).  Bottom line is you really don't have much to lose by making some speculative reservations now before the old (lower) rates are no longer available.  Here are a few tips to make sure you aren't spending more points than you need to for a hotel award.
Both award charts and individual hotel categories within an award chart can change, so pay attention to both.  For example, Hyatt hasn't announced any changes to their award chart itself (thank goodness!), but there are a few properties that are going up or down in points ravenna hotel italy price , so you should check to see if any properties that are increasing are ones that can be useful ravenna hotel italy for your travel ravenna hotel italy plans.  You must book by February 6 th to get the current/old rate.  Here are the properties that are increasing in points price after that date.
You can still book online at the old rates now, through February 6 th .  I personally am very sad to see the Hyatt 48 Lex go from a 4 to a 5 as it takes it out of the range for the free Hyatt Card annual night certificate.  I highly recommend making some speculative ravenna hotel italy reservations there if your travel plans are taking you to NYC in the next year.
Priority Club has just revealed their new award chart, and while they didn't release what properties were increasing or decreasing until the changes were live, they are giving Priority Club members the chance to call in until March 18 th to book at the old rates.  However, without a good memory or a time traveling machine it would be very difficult to know what the old rates were…. without this awesome ravenna hotel italy chart that Loyalty Lobby created that shows both the old and new rates.
Starwood has not yet released which properties are changing categories this year ( expect that some time in February most likely ), but they did already announce some increases to their cash and points award chart that will take effect on March 5 th .  Unlike a category change that only impacts specific properties, an award chart change like this one impacts virtually all properties.  That means if you want to try to stay at a SPG Hotel on a cash and points reservation in the next year, it is absolutely worth checking now to see if there is availability before the rate increase takes effect.  Of course availability at the old cash and points rates can be scarce (which is why they are changing), but if you can find availability then lock it in.  I just found a cash and points reservation for our Hawaii trip that is still many months away, so it is possible to get lucky.  I may even look for ski season 2014 availability as we get closer to the March 5 th deadline.
If you book a room..for instance Hyatt 48th street with the old price in points and then lets say in June, have to move it a little..is there a way to move it without paying extra points? In other words..can you pick a date in 2013 and then move it after the March cut off? I know I want to stay there but don t know exactly which day at this point. Thanks
@BLT If you call Central Reservations after end of Feb. they will have to cancel and re-book and you will have to pay the new points, however it doesn t hurt to ask the hotel directly to move it a day or two if the standard room is available for the new dates once you know for sure. They may or they may not, especially in the New-York market. Good luck.