Suite Certificates with Marriott Rewards Platinum status

[TravelTime]

I have two 5 night suite upgrade certificates for 2019. I have a few questions:

- I noticed that the rules state they can’t be used at the Ritz Carlton. Is this actually the case?

- What are some good uses of the suite upgrade certificates? Which hotels are they honored at that would be a good use?

- The rules say the suite upgrade is not guaranteed and they start searching 5 days before check in. In your experience, is it likely that the suite upgrade will be available and honored?

 

[ilene13]

I want to use one at a Ritz. I called MR and they told me to call back after the first of the year as the rules are going to change. So I’m calling them back on 1/2.

 

[GetawaysRus]

Use SNAs at full service hotels (pretty obviously). Not at Courtyards, Fairfields, or other lower tier chains.

I had 5 and my wife had 5. We are finishing an Asia trip. Our success has been variable.

1. Marriott Sukhumvit Soi 57 - award stay, used Chase Marriott credit card e-certificates, did not apply SNAs here. Both my wife and I have Plat Premier status this year. 5 night stay. We were upgraded to a suite based on our status.

2. Le Meridien Chiang Mai (Thailand) - 5 night award stay using SPG points (pre-merger), applied my 5 SNAs. Successful upgrade to a suite.

3. Marriott Tang Plaza, Singapore - 5 night award stay using MR points, applied wife's 5 SNAs. No suite upgrade. SNAs promptly returned to her account (and we will try to use them in 2019).

So plan a nice trip and take your best shot at it. If you have 2 sets of 5 SNAs, you must have pretty high Marriott status and might be upgraded anyway. I suspect that the likelihood of success with SNAs is location and season dependent. Some hotels may have more suite rooms than others.

 

[TravelTime]

Use SNAs at full service hotels (pretty obviously). Not at Courtyards, Fairfields, or other lower tier chains.

I had 5 and my wife had 5. We are finishing an Asia trip. Our success has been variable.

1. Marriott Sukhumvit Soi 57 - award stay, used Chase Marriott credit card e-certificates, did not apply SNAs here. Both my wife and I have Plat Premier status this year. 5 night stay. We were upgraded to a suite based on our status.

2. Le Meridien Chiang Mai (Thailand) - 5 night award stay using SPG points (pre-merger), applied my 5 SNAs. Successful upgrade to a suite.

3. Marriott Tang Plaza, Singapore - 5 night award stay using MR points, applied wife's 5 SNAs. No suite upgrade. SNAs promptly returned to her account (and we will try to use them in 2019).

So plan a nice trip and take your best shot at it. If you have 2 sets of 5 SNAs, you must have pretty high Marriott status and might be upgraded anyway. I suspect that the likelihood of success with SNAs is location and season dependent. Some hotels may have more suite rooms than others.

I am Platinum Premier Elite so I got 2 sets of 5 suite night upgrades. I would love to use them at the Ritz but I do not think the Ritz currently participates.

 

[hangloose]

Will suite night rewards work at MVC Pulse properties...like NYC, Wash DC...which might have larger rooms as part of the hotel section?

 

[frank808]

Will suite night rewards work at MVC Pulse properties...like NYC, Wash DC...which might have larger rooms as part of the hotel section?

Can't use them at MVC properties. Here is a portion of t&c:

12) Not all Participating Properties participate in Suite Night Awards. Suite Night Awards are not redeemable at the following brands: The Ritz-Carlton, The Ritz-Carlton Reserve, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club, EDITION, Protea Hotels, Aloft, Element, Design HotelsTM, all-Suite Hotels, Marriott Executive Apartments, ExecuStay, Marriott Vacation Club, Marriott Grand Residence Club properties and participating Vistana properties. In addition, Suite Night Awards are not redeemable at select Participating Properties. Contact a Customer Engagement Center for individual Participating Property Suite Night Award participation.

Sent from my SM-T217S using Tapatalk

 

[GetawaysRus]

Here's a tidbit that I am plagiarizing from Flyertalk.com. There is a discussion thread on Suite Night Awards in the Marriott Program forum and the following was posted there:

What is the easiest way to lookup how many suites vs. total rooms are available a property? That seems like a good strategy to determine the likelihood (of an upgrade).

Easy! Just go to the Marriott.com overview page for the hotel, scroll down to the Key Amenities section and select the box with “All Hotel Details”. The room and suite totals can be listed there or you may have to select “Arrival Details” section to find the information under Propery Details.

I ALWAYS consider the proportion of suites when choosing any property and hoping to get a suite upgrade. I always temper my expectations whenever there is low proportion of suites (10% or less), especially if it’s a particularly large hotel with many rooms. Larger hotels with small proportions of suites usually are non-luxury brands in resort or convention locations, and often have corporate and VIP customers more willing to pay for actual suites, as well.

 

[Sunbum]

I too am not sure if it is that big of a deal. As a Lifetime Plat Premier, i usually get upgraded to a suite anyway. So not sure when/why i will use the 10/yr.

 

[Fairwinds]

I too am not sure if it is that big of a deal. As a Lifetime Plat Premier, i usually get upgraded to a suite anyway. So not sure when/why i will use the 10/yr.

Try it. I just returned from 5 night stays in two Autograph hotels. Each gave us an upgrade due to PPE status and we were bumped up again when they honored the 5 night suite request. We booked their lower tier rooms with points and ended up in fantastic accommodations at both locations.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

They seem to be described in this thread as "5-night" but they are 5 individual nights. You can use one at a time or any combination. I just used one a couple weeks ago and it worked out really well. I was passing through Mobile and the Battle House is only a Cat 4 so I booked it with my free 25,000 certificate. I then added a single suite night upgrade request. You are able to choose the exact suite rooms you want to be upgraded to but ones they are far higher than your reservation will not be an option. Exactly 5 days before check-in I was upgraded. This is much better than being upgraded at check-in because it happens 5 days prior and locks you in. This is usually before the cancellation deadline....

 

[TravelTime]

They seem to be described in this thread as "5-night" but they are 5 individual nights. You can use one at a time or any combination. I just used one a couple weeks ago and it worked out really well. I was passing through Mobile and the Battle House is only a Cat 4 so I booked it with my free 25,000 certificate. I then added a single suite night upgrade request. You are able to choose the exact suite rooms you want to be upgraded to but ones they are far higher than your reservation will not be an option. Exactly 5 days before check-in I was upgraded. This is much better than being upgraded at check-in because it happens 5 days prior and locks you in. This is usually before the cancellation deadline....

Is it possible to book the free 25K room online? I have one too but I have not figured out how to book it yet. I also have 1 suite night upgrade left so maybe I will use it with the free night.

 

[Beachspace]

Is it possible to book the free 25K room online? I have one too but I have not figured out how to book it yet. I also have 1 suite night upgrade left so maybe I will use it with the free night.

Yes, just did it for a new 4points Sheraton near Sea World Orlando. You can check the box for 'credit card 25k certificate' and it booked the room as well as all taxes/fees. Then for being newly Platinum, they upgraded me to a King suite with 60" TV ;-) And I only booked a 20k point 2 double beds room...

 

[Saintsfanfl]

Is it possible to book the free 25K room online? I have one too but I have not figured out how to book it yet. I also have 1 suite night upgrade left so maybe I will use it with the free night.

Yes. You have to search with points for a hotel cat 4 and below. Once you do that when you choose your room you will see the option to attach your 25,000 night certificate.