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Suite Night Awards or Free Night?

snackyx

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My Platinum gift is 5 free suite night award upgrades or one free night. In the opinion of those with far more knowledge of this than I, which is the better play?
 

Steve Fatula

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Depends on if you have a use for a 5 night suite upgrade (and realizing if you stay a week in a Marriott hotel, those last 2 days if you did get the upgrade will be a different room. Also where and when matters. These seem to be hit and miss, with quite a few misses from reading here on TUG. I am 1 for 1 this year, but, that was foreign. But a hit can be huge.
 

Fasttr

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I thought the free night was only available at 75 nights...Titanium. I didn't think the 50 night (Platinum) included a free night as an option.

In any event, do you have upcoming hotel stays where you could use the 5 suite night upgrades (keep in mind, you can use them as individual nights or 2 here 3 there, etc....doesn't have to be only on a 5 night ressie). Keep in mind, they are a gamble if you will get to use them, where the free night is likely more of a given you will be able to use it. If you travel in hotels a lot and would really enjoy being in a suite some of those nights, then I would likely take the suite nights, as I have enjoyed personal "value" when I have been able to use them which exceed the personal "value" I would place on a free night. For perspective.... I had 10 suite nights to use this year and was able to use them all. Had I had less success using them as others have posted, I would likely have a different opinion. ;-)
 
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Steve Fatula

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I thought the free night was only available at 75 nights...Titanium. I didn't think the 50 night (Platinum) included a free night as an option.

That is correct, not for 50 nights. I missed that he said for platinum.


Members with 50 Qualifying Nights in a calendar year may choose one from the following benefits each year: five Suite Night Awards™, give the gift of Silver Elite status, 40% off your favorite mattress, five Elite Night Credits or a $100 charity donation. Members with 75 Qualifying Nights in a calendar year may choose an additional gift from the following options: five Suite Night Awards™, give the gift of Gold Elite status, 40% off your favorite mattress, five Elite Night Credits, a $100 charity donation or a Free Night Certificate.
 

TheTimeTraveler

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My Platinum gift is 5 free suite night award upgrades or one free night. In the opinion of those with far more knowledge of this than I, which is the better play?



Take the free night. It is a sure bet!

I've tried using the upgrade and have yet to succeed. The better rooms are always booked.




.
 

bazzap

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My Platinum gift is 5 free suite night award upgrades or one free night. In the opinion of those with far more knowledge of this than I, which is the better play?
I opted for the 5 SNAs at 50 nights and the Free night at 75 nights.
My reasoning though was that I would not be able to benefit from the 2nd 5 SNAs whereas I could from the free night.
Update, I have just seen the very latest posts and yes the Free night option is only available at 75 nights.
 
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Fasttr

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I've tried using the upgrade and have yet to succeed. The better rooms are always booked.
Do we know how they are assigned. Is it status first, then date suite night request was made second, or something else. If I am platinum and place a suite night award request 9 months out, do I trump a Titanium member who places a suite night request 6 months later, or does he trump. Knowing that may help us in our strategies.

In both of my successes, I was Titanium and booked my ressies and made my suite night requests fairly far out, which is likely why I had good success.
 

Saintsfanfl

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Take the free night. It is a sure bet!

I've tried using the upgrade and have yet to succeed. The better rooms are always booked.

I had a request in for a single night stay at Grand Bohemian in Orlando and the suites I requested weren't booked but they still denied it. They had rooms that went empty. Marriott should be forcing the upgrade since they are touting it as a benefit.

I am 1 for 2 on single night requests.
 

VacationForever

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Recently I applied 5 SNA to Lido House, an Autograph hotel, in Newport Beach. I was given 4 or 5 options when I first applied the 5 SNA. 5 days before my stay I received the message that my requested upgrade was not matched. I waited until 2 days out and changed my selection to a lesser SNA upgrade option - a balcony room instead of my original request for a 1BR suite. I was notified shortly after that my SNA upgrade was successful.

BTW, if anyone is contemplating staying at the Lido House, I do NOT recommend this hotel. The entire experience was awful. We left after 4 nights. PM me if you want to know more.

I would pick a free night over 5 SNA as the 75 nights award.
 
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Big Matt

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I get upgraded to suites without using the suite night upgrade so somewhere or another they aren't being used that often. To me the free night (only 40k points) is probably the one I'd take. Bird in hand, etc. It is worth anywhere from $175-300. I stay in timeshares other than for business so that clouds my logic.
 

Steve Fatula

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I do agree that generally, the free night is better since it is guaranteed. But, in Fiji, I got upgraded from a $200/night room for titanium to an ocean front bure, then, from there via the SNA, to an over water bure, $800/nt. So, in my case, was a huge success. But it is hit or miss. However, if you get lucky....
 

kds4

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Do we know how they are assigned. Is it status first, then date suite night request was made second, or something else. If I am platinum and place a suite night award request 9 months out, do I trump a Titanium member who places a suite night request 6 months later, or does he trump. Knowing that may help us in our strategies.

In both of my successes, I was Titanium and booked my ressies and made my suite night requests fairly far out, which is likely why I had good success.

I asked this question last night while speaking with a Titanium rep. He said my best chances of getting an SNA were to reserve at least 5 days in advance, because SNAs are assigned beginning at the 5 day mark. So, a last minute reservation within 5 nights of check-in is unlikely to ever get one. He also told me neither central reservations nor the actual hotel property make the determination of SNA upgrades. He said there is a separate office (no idea what it is called) that handles that. May be true, may not be.
 

frank808

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Wife and I choose the 5 SNA at the 50 night mark and then free 40k night at the 75 day mark. Still have 10 SNA from last year and 10 SNA from this year unused. I am 0 for 3 on SNA. With stays as short as 1 night to a 7 night stay that has not matched to a SNA.

I have used both free nights from last year and have both free nights from this year booked. I saved about $200-$275 a night using those certificates.

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bazzap

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Wife and I choose the 5 SNA at the 50 night mark and then free 40k night at the 75 day mark. Still have 10 SNA from last year and 10 SNA from this year unused. I am 0 for 3 on SNA. With stays as short as 1 night to a 7 night stay that has not matched to a SNA.

I have used both free nights from last year and have both free nights from this year booked. I saved about $200-$275 a night using those certificates.

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I thought the SNAs did not carry over from year to year?
 

frank808

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I thought the SNAs did not carry over from year to year?
We each chose 5 SNA last year good till end of 2019. Each of us chose 5 more in feb/march that is good till end of 2020. Our 10 SNA will probably go unused and expire end of this year. Hop9e we get a last chance to use 3 SNA nights in Galveston next month.

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snackyx

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I thought the free night was only available at 75 nights...Titanium. I didn't think the 50 night (Platinum) included a free night as an option.

In any event, do you have upcoming hotel stays where you could use the 5 suite night upgrades (keep in mind, you can use them as individual nights or 2 here 3 there, etc....doesn't have to be only on a 5 night ressie). Keep in mind, they are a gamble if you will get to use them, where the free night is likely more of a given you will be able to use it. If you travel in hotels a lot and would really enjoy being in a suite some of those nights, then I would likely take the suite nights, as I have enjoyed personal "value" when I have been able to use them which exceed the personal "value" I would place on a free night. For perspective.... I had 10 suite nights to use this year and was able to use them all. Had I had less success using them as others have posted, I would likely have a different opinion. ;-)

I'm the OP...just to be clear, I am Platinum and took the 5 SNA. I just hit Titanium and am being offered the "gift" of either a free night or 5 more SNA, hence my question. I'm guess I'm interested in just how often the SNA upgrade actually works.
 

Big Matt

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I do agree that generally, the free night is better since it is guaranteed. But, in Fiji, I got upgraded from a $200/night room for titanium to an ocean front bure, then, from there via the SNA, to an over water bure, $800/nt. So, in my case, was a huge success. But it is hit or miss. However, if you get lucky....
You got great value, but I wonder if you would have received it anyway simply because of your status. As titanium we are supposed to get an upgraded room if available. This is simply a consequence of the Starwood and Marriott merger, and I don't know that it is all shaken out at the Marriott properties. I certainly hope upgrades don't stop coming.
 
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Steve Fatula

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You got great value, but I wonder if you would have received it anyway simply because of your status. As titanium we are supposed to get an upgraded room if available. This is simply a consequence of the Starwood and Marriott merger, and I don't know that it is all shaken out at the Marriott properties. I certainly hope upgrades stop coming.

No, I got the ocean front with titanium. The SNA bumped it to over the water.
 

controller1

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I thought tier upgrades happen at check-in or the day of but SNA is days prior. Do tier upgrades sometimes happen sooner?

Some properties "pre-upgrade" prior to arrival. When that happens the SNA would then, if granted, upgrade further from the "pre-upgraded" room.
 

Steve Fatula

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Yes, it was a while before the stay that I got an email saying the SNA happened. Of course, it was foreign. I suppose you could reverse the order too and it wouldn't matter, both could still happen I suspect. From my experience, foreign hotels are "nicer" as far as benefits!
 

controller1

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Yes, it was a while before the stay that I got an email saying the SNA happened. Of course, it was foreign. I suppose you could reverse the order too and it wouldn't matter, both could still happen I suspect. From my experience, foreign hotels are "nicer" as far as benefits!

???

Doesn't quite make sense since the SNA process is automated from Corporate and will not be accepted or declined until five days prior to arrival.
 
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