Suite Night Awards

[4Sunsets]

My SNA worked in Fiji. Got upgraded to a over water bure. Not bad since I used a cat5 cert there, so ending up with a $700/nt over water villa for free! In this case, well worth it and very pleased.

Congrats! I'd be over the moon with that result!

 

[Davey54321]

@Eli Mairs you said “We do have one requested for New Orleans in October. Fingers crossed” do you mind if i ask if you if you got the requested upgrade for New Orleans and regardless, which hotel in Nola that was for? We are going to New Orleans ourselves in a few weeks and have had an upgrade request in for the past 4 (or 5?) months...

 

[jpc763]

Just got back from a trip to Coronado at the Coronado Marriott and was upgraded to a City View room It was a great room over the water with a view of the San Diego skyline. Well worth the certificates!

 

[jtp1947]

We love the Coronado Marriott but the $40 resort fee is a bit much.

 

[GetawaysRus]

We love the Coronado Marriott but the $40 resort fee is a bit much.

It does seem that Marriott has learned from the airlines. The resort fees and the parking fees are getting irritating.

We used a Chase reward night to stay at a cat 5 Springhill Suites about 2 weeks ago. It was only because my wife had an early medical appointment and we didn't want to fight the traffic for several hours early in the morning. So it was a "free night stay" with an $18 overnight parking fee. (That's for self parking, not valet parking.) I suppose I was lucky that it wasn't a resort property.

I've seen many big city Marriotts with parking fees in the range of $35-40 daily.

 

[MOXJO7282]

I just got a great suite night upgrade for my daughter and her boyfriend in Italy at the Westin Rome Excelsior earlier this month. Used a 5 night cert and then the suite award and they got a crazy upgrade to a grandluxe room that had a living room and huge bedroom and wraparound balcony. I was so happy they let my daughter use the cert and the suite award. She has my last name so I'm sure that helped.

 

[LisaH]

I just got a great suite night upgrade for my daughter and her boyfriend in Italy at the Westin Rome Excelsior earlier this month. Used a 5 night cert and then the suite award and they got a crazy upgrade to a grandluxe room that had a living room and huge bedroom and wraparound balcony. I was so happy they let my daughter use the cert and the suite award. She has my last name so I'm sure that helped.

Was the reservation under her name? I thought the certificates can only be used for the account holder.

 

[ilene13]

Was the reservation under her name? I thought the certificates can only be used for the account holder.

Me too, they wouldn’t let us use one for our son!

 

[MOXJO7282]

Me too, they wouldn’t let us use one for our son!

I'm surprised because I've done this a number of times for wife and daughter previously. I just add their names.

 

[LisaH]

I'm surprised because I've done this a number of times for wife and daughter previously. I just add their names.

I see. So the reservation is under your name, and you add your daughter or wife’s name to the reservation even though you do not check in yourself?


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[StevenTing]

I’ve added names to certificate reservations. No issues there. However the SNA was denied since I wasn’t present at check in.

 

[LisaH]

I’ve added names to certificate reservations. No issues there. However the SNA was denied since I wasn’t present at check in.

That’s what I thought to be the case...


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[SueDonJ]

I’ve added names to certificate reservations. No issues there. However the SNA was denied since I wasn’t present at check in.

That's been my experience, too. We've never had a problem with booking rooms for our adult kids to stay without us, leaving Don's name on the reservations and adding guest's names. They've never questioned that's it's not him checking in, even when they were booked on certs or Bonvoy Points, and they've been generous with upgrades and Lounge access more often than not, but they've refused every time to allow SNA's to be attached.

I had a Renaissance Times Square trip with my sisters and our daughters a few weeks ago (go see To Kill A Mockingbird on Broadway - it was fabulous!) using four rooms, two on cash and two on Points. This was the first time I'd ever been denied access to the Lounge, for even one of the rooms, and SNA's weren't an option. I know that's the rules but honestly, it was the first time in all these years that we came up against them being so rigidly followed, the first time that Don's status wasn't considered for a room booked in his account. The guy at check-in told me it was probably because while I was checking in to the four rooms in NYC, Don was already checked in to the JW in Bangalore. <shrug>

 

[MOXJO7282]

I was concerned that they wouldn't honor the upgrade because I was actually at the Frenchman's Cove at the time but they did.

 

[Ann in CA]

I got a suite upgrade without a SNA in Madrid (due to Titanium status) but no suite upgrades where I requested SNAs. However, I did get a regular room upgrade even though SNA was denied. I will be in Edinburgh next week but not bothering with SNAs. I have some SNAs requested for BVI and Costa Rica. Let's see if I get those.

We'll be in Edinburgh in July for a granddaughter's wedding. Right now I have 5 days at the Courtyard booked, but Glass House looks more interesting and the Residence Inn has better reviews. Do you have a favorite in Edinburgh? The wedding is at Castle Campbell so we will be in a village near there later, but the location of the Courtyard sounded good. Any favorite restaurants in Edinburgh? Haven't been there since the 1970s, so hoping to get back to Isle of Skye and that spectacular West Coast of Scotland. Thanks for any opinions. We'll have 5 suite upgrades, but I have never used them before so am trying to learn all the ins and outs. Very helpful, and I'll check the link to Flyertalk!

 

[ilene13]

We are going to Boca Raton for 2 nights 1/3-1/5. We are using MR. I just called to request a suite night and I was told that I couldn’t get it for the property that we are going to. The MR representative said that it if it was available I would have been asked on the website if I wanted to request it. I’ve never been able to use them. Why have the free ones? I’d love to hear some other experiences.

 

[jme]

We are going to Boca Raton for 2 nights 1/3-1/5. We are using MR. I just called to request a suite night and I was told that I couldn’t get it for the property that we are going to. The MR representative said that it if it was available I would have been asked on the website if I wanted to request it. I’ve never been able to use them. Why have the free ones? I’d love to hear some other experiences.

I have gotten several upgrades using these, and I have also been denied, but there were valid reasons.
These are the reasons they may not always be available, in my experience:
All hotels are different---some have larger or better "regular" rooms (views, location, layout, etc which are often more expensive ),
some have suites, but some hotels have all the same type rooms.

You must be booked at a hotel that has upgradable rooms in the first place to have a shot at them.
If a suite or "better" upgrade is there, you might get it.
If the higher level rooms ARE available, ie, nobody has already purchased them by the time you arrive, you will get it.
They say call the week before----that's because they're holding out for someone to purchase them. Makes financial sense for them.
It's an award, not something you paid for necessarily, so the chance at getting a great upgrade is still possible,
and when you do get it it's quite nice, but is totally a toss of the coin.

Recent Examples: I got a fabulous upgrade at Boston's Long Wharf Hotel in October (> nice large suite),
but did NOT get one two weeks ago at Charleston SC's Renaissance Hotel in the historic district
(hotel always sold out and higher level rooms had been purchased).
In October of 2018 we got awesome upgrades for TWO rooms for three nights (two couples) at Rome's Palazzo Naiadi.
I have twice elected the Suite Night Upgrade Rewards even knowing they may not always be available, only because when you do get them,
they're generally fabulous and perhaps cost prohibitive otherwise.
It's worth the chance, imho....and far better than a free night (or the other awards).

 

[Steve Fatula]

Yep, at Springhill Suites in Zion national park, there are no better rooms, they are all the same. So, you never get any upgrade there.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

Just doing some out loud thinking about the "Suite Night Award" upgrade............Since the upgrade points expire at the end of each calendar year then doesn't it make sense that there is good availability at all locations for the first few months of each year ?

I am making the presumption that all eligible members are competing with each other, and the competition is far greater later in the year when many members reach the 50 night usage which triggers the SNA.

Basically, NO members can realistically qualify for SNA until at least February 20th, and then that assumes they've been away from home and qualifying for 50 straight nights. In reality, most members won't qualify until later in the year.

In essence there should be 100% upgrade availability of rooms during January, and most of February each year with fewer and fewer SNA rooms as the year progresses.....

Just a few interesting things to think about.





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[jme]

Just doing some out loud thinking about the "Suite Night Award" upgrade............Since the upgrade points expire at the end of each calendar year then doesn't it make sense that there is good availability at all locations for the first few months of each year ?

I am making the presumption that all eligible members are competing with each other, and the competition is far greater later in the year when many members reach the 50 night usage which triggers the SNA.

Basically, NO members can realistically qualify for SNA until at least February 20th, and then that assumes they've been away from home and qualifying for 50 straight nights. In reality, most members won't qualify until later in the year.

In essence there should be 100% upgrade availability of rooms during January, and most of February each year with fewer and fewer SNA rooms as the year progresses.....
Just a few interesting things to think about..

Mine go over into the following year whenever I elect them, so no.
For instance I elected them this past year when I went over 50 & 75 nights, and they are good for 2020.
I reached that level of 50 & 75 about mid-year, and saw that I immediately qualified for the awards, so I went in and elected those.
You're actually not competing with those others who have the awards too, but you're competing with those who have already booked
the higher-level rooms and suites. That is, who paid cash (or whatever other means) for those best rooms. If they're all sold, no one will get an upgrade.
And people paying cash definitely book those for the following Jan, Feb, Mar, April, and so on.....

 

[frank808]

Just doing some out loud thinking about the "Suite Night Award" upgrade............Since the upgrade points expire at the end of each calendar year then doesn't it make sense that there is good availability at all locations for the first few months of each year ?

I am making the presumption that all eligible members are competing with each other, and the competition is far greater later in the year when many members reach the 50 night usage which triggers the SNA.

Basically, NO members can realistically qualify for SNA until at least February 20th, and then that assumes they've been away from home and qualifying for 50 straight nights. In reality, most members won't qualify until later in the year.

In essence there should be 100% upgrade availability of rooms during January, and most of February each year with fewer and fewer SNA rooms as the year progresses.....

Just a few interesting things to think about.





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The SNA awards I earned in 2019 are good till 12/31/2020.

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[jme]

The SNA awards I earned in 2019 are good till 12/31/2020.

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Exactly, otherwise they would be difficult if not impossible to use.
In general for those who elect them, they'll be good for the remainder of the current year in which they were elected,
and for the full following year, or at least that's what I understand from the Rewards people at Marriott, and also that's how it's listed in my account.

 

[frank808]

Exactly, otherwise they would be difficult if not impossible to use.
In general for those who elect them, they'll be good for the remainder of the current year in which they were elected, and for the full following year, or at least that's what I understand from the Rewards people at Marriott.

That has been my experience with SNA expirations these past 2 years.

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[jabberwocky]

I have four expiring this year (12/31/19) I hit Titanium in June this year and thought I could use more of them but was only able to use one this past weekend.

Most properties I was at gave a free upgrade or were already essentially all-suite properties. I also shifted a lot of my stays to Hyatt to get status with them as I actually prefer staying there even though I don’t have Globalist status.

 

[ilene13]

I have gotten several upgrades using these, and I have also been denied, but there were valid reasons.
These are the reasons they may not always be available, in my experience:
All hotels are different---some have larger or better "regular" rooms (views, location, layout, etc which are often more expensive ),
some have suites, but some hotels have all the same type rooms.

You must be booked at a hotel that has upgradable rooms in the first place to have a shot at them.
If a suite or "better" upgrade is there, you might get it.
If the higher level rooms ARE available, ie, nobody has already purchased them by the time you arrive, you will get it.
They say call the week before----that's because they're holding out for someone to purchase them. Makes financial sense for them.
It's an award, not something you paid for necessarily, so the chance at getting a great upgrade is still possible,
and when you do get it it's quite nice, but is totally a toss of the coin.

Recent Examples: I got a fabulous upgrade at Boston's Long Wharf Hotel in October (> nice large suite),
but did NOT get one two weeks ago at Charleston SC's Renaissance Hotel in the historic district
(hotel always sold out and higher level rooms had been purchased).
In October of 2018 we got awesome upgrades for TWO rooms for three nights (two couples) at Rome's Palazzo Naiadi.
I have twice elected the Suite Night Upgrade Rewards even knowing they may not always be available, only because when you do get them,
they're generally fabulous and perhaps cost prohibitive otherwise.
It's worth the chance, imho....and far better than a free night (or the other awards).

Thank you. I called the hotel directly and they said that they do participate in the SNA. She connected me to someone at Bonvoy who submitted my request. I am sick of representatives who are not all on the same page!