Marriott Begins Nightly Upgrade Awards Rollout

Marriott Bonvoy announced back in November (read more here) that the Suite Night Awards would be renamed Nightly Upgrade Awards with new features in early 2024, and the rollout has begun.

SPG introduced the Suite Night Awards in 2012, a feature Marriott later incorporated into the combined Bonvoy program after acquiring Starwood. Elite members can select Suite Night Awards (SNAs) as a Choice Benefit after achieving 50 and 75 nights each year.

You can access Marriott’s page for Nightly Upgrade Awards here.

READ MORE: Marriott Bonvoy Rate & Bonus Points Offers

Nightly Upgrade Awards can be used at all Bonvoy participating hotels except:

• All-Inclusive Resorts
• Bulgari
• Design Hotels
• Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy®
• Marriott Executive Apartments
• Marriott Vacation Club
• Marriott Grand Residence Club
• The Ritz-Carlton Club
• Ritz-Carlton Reserve
• The Ritz-Carlton Residences
• The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
• Sheraton Vacation Club
• The Phoenician Residences, a Luxury Collection Residence Club, Scottsdale
• Westin Vacation Club

Nightly Upgrade Awards versus Suite Night Awards Differences

Name Change

The Suite Night Awards will be renamed Nightly Upgrade Awards. This change reflects that not all upgraded room types available are suites; some are enhanced rooms.

Participating Brands

The Ritz-Carlton, EDITION, Aloft, Element, and Protea Hotels will also participate in the Nightly Upgrade Awards program. However, it’s worth noting that the latter three brands typically have fewer suites available.

Availability

Marriott has announced a nearly 20% increase in the availability of premium rooms (those with balconies, views, or extra space) and suites under the Nightly Upgrade Awards program. The exact percentage of suites available remains unclear.

Confirmation Window

Nightly Upgrade Awards will have a shortened confirmation window of three days compared to five under Suite Night Awards.

SPG & Marriott Suite Night Awards Coverage:

Reader Email: Marriott Bonvoy Suite Night Awards Not Clearing & No Extensions? (December 2023)

CANCELLED! No Marriott Suite Night Award Extensions! (July 2022)

Reader Email: Marriott Bonvoy Suite Upgrade Scam (March 2022)

Marriott Bonvoy Further Restricts Suite Night Awards Usage (July 2021)

Marriott Upgrade Minefield: Bonvoy Complimentary & Suite Night Award Limitations At Various Brands (Aloft, Element, Ritz Carlton etc) (February 2021)

Marriott Bonvoy Suite Night Award (SNA) Success: Case Danieli Venice (September 2020)

How Many Marriott Bonvoy Suite Night Awards Do you Have Expiring Today? (December 2019)

Reader Question: Marriott Bonvoy Suite Night Awards Cannot Be Applied To Prepaid Reservations? (Workaround Explained) (October 2019)

SPG Suite Night Award Woes (December 2013)

SPG SNA (Suite Night Award) Validity Extension Until April 30, 2014 (And Why I Think They Are Worthless) (December 2013)

Conclusion

There is always feedback from our readers and our own experiences about using these now Nightly Upgrade Awards, what they can be applied for, if they clear, and how many of these vouchers often expire unused.

Based on my personal experiences, you should really use these upgrade vouchers only towards stay at Marriott’s most luxury properties think of St. Regis, Luxury Collection, and now also Ritz-Carlton and Editions), as the use of them for run-of-the-mill Sheraton or Marriott hotels don’t make much sense. Also, You should only use them towards meaningful upgrades (read suites) and pass those other options that have been widely available even before this expanded non-suite inventory rolled out.

If these upgrades won’t clear before your stay, it doesn’t mean that you won’t get upgraded during the overnight shift when most of the upgrades at well-run hotels are processed or at the time of checking in. These vouchers don’t have access to the entire upgrade inventory that hotels have.

It is good that you can now (or very soon) apply these for stays at Ritz-Carlton and EDITION hotels. I probably wouldn’t use them for stays at Aloft and Protea hotels.

Note that you have a shorter window to decide where you stay if you plan to cancel your stay if the Nightly Upgrade Award doesn’t clear, as they can now be confirmed only three days before the stay instead of the previous five.

Frequently Asked Questions by Marriott:

How do I request a Nightly Upgrade Award?

After you confirm your reservation, you can request to apply your Nightly Upgrade Awards to the reservation from the Confirmation page or the Reservation Details page. Click on the Start Upgrade Request link provided.

When can I request to redeem a Nightly Upgrade Award?

Nightly Upgrade Awards can be requested at any time after your reservation is confirmed, up to 2:00 PM hotel time, the day before arrival. Once you request to use your Nightly Upgrade Awards for a stay, we will check the upgrade availability starting three days prior to arrival.

How many awards are needed for a stay?

The number of Nightly Upgrade Awards used must match the entire length of stay; awards cannot be used for partial nights of a stay.

How do you determine if my request is available?

Once you request to use your Nightly Upgrade Awards for a stay, we will check the upgrade availability starting three days prior to arrival and will keep checking every day until 2:00 PM local hotel time, one day prior to arrival.

How do I know if my NUA request is confirmed?

We will let you know either way (via email) if we are able to confirm the upgrade or not. Nightly Upgrade Awards are not confirmed until you receive an email confirmation. If the upgrade is not available, we will return the Nightly Upgrade Awards to your account.

What types of upgraded rooms are offered for a Nightly Upgrade Award?

Nightly Upgrade Awards are offered for premium rooms or suites as designated by the hotel.

What types of reservations can I use for Nightly Upgrade Awards?

Nightly Upgrade Awards can be used on Marriott-Bonvoy-eligible reservations including paid stays as well as Free Night Award stays and Cash & Points stays.

How do you determine if a room is available for a Nightly Upgrade Award?

The hotel’s system will automatically check for availability three days before arrival. If availability is not confirmed three days before arrival, availability is checked each day before arrival, up to 2:00 PM hotel time one day prior to arrival. If Nightly Upgrade Awards cannot be confirmed on the day before arrival, the awards are credited back to the member’s account.

Can I cancel my request if my Nightly Upgrade Award has not been confirmed?

Requests to withdraw the use of unconfirmed Nightly Upgrade Awards may be made up to 2:00 PM hotel time one day prior to arrival.

Can I cancel my confirmed Nightly Upgrade Award?

Confirmed awards can only be cancelled if the entire reservation is cancelled. This may be done up to 2:00 PM hotel time one day prior to arrival.

When do my Nightly Upgrade Awards expire?

Nightly Upgrade Awards expire on December 31 of the year following the year in which they were earned.

For example, if members earn an Annual Choice Benefit or Earned Choice Award in 2024 and Nightly Upgrade Awards are selected, they will have an expiration date of December 31, 2025.

Can Nightly Upgrade Awards be transferred?

Nightly Upgrade Awards cannot be transferred or given as a gift, however, a member may use Nightly Upgrade Awards for additional single-room reservations on his/her own stay as long as the member is present for the stay and the other rooms are under the member’s name.

Can I pay cash for some nights?

You cannot pay cash to cover some nights if your awards do not cover the entire length of stay.

What hotels participate in Nightly Upgrade Awards?

Not all hotels participate in Nightly Upgrade Awards. NUAs are not redeemable at the following brands: The Ritz-Carlton Reserve, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club, Design Hotels™, all-Suite Hotels, Marriott Executive Apartments, Marriott Vacation Club, Marriott Grand Residence Club properties and Vistana properties. In addition, NUAs may not be redeemable at select Participating Properties.