Until early 2024, Marriott Bonvoy members had the option to select Suite Night Awards as their Annual Choice Benefits. These Suite Night Awards allowed members to upgrade to a standard suite or premium room at most Marriott Bonvoy hotels and resorts. However, starting in early 2024, Marriott converted these Suite Night Awards to Nightly Upgrade Awards. In this article, we will discuss what Nightly Upgrade Awards are, how to earn them, and how to use them.
Nightly Upgrade Awards, formerly known as Suite Night Awards, allow Marriott Bonvoy members to confirm an upgrade before their stay to a standard suite or premium room at participating Marriott hotels and resorts. The specific room types available for upgrade vary by each participating property but may include suites or premium rooms with better views, balconies, patios, or extra space.
To use a Nightly Upgrade Award, members must apply one award per night of their stay. For example, if a member has a five-night stay, they must use five Nightly Upgrade Awards. It’s important to note that Nightly Upgrade Awards can only be applied to existing reservations for which the member has paid an eligible Marriott Bonvoy rate or redeemed Marriott points, including points-and-cash rates.
Members can request to use Nightly Upgrade Awards until 2 p.m. the day before check-in for their stay. However, even if a member submits their request months in advance, the request won’t be considered until three days before check-in. Additionally, there is no guarantee that the request will be approved.
There are certain properties where Nightly Upgrade Awards cannot be used, including Ritz-Carlton Reserve, The Ritz-Carlton Club, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Design Hotels, Marriott Executive Apartments, All-Inclusive Resorts, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott Vacation Club, Marriott Grand Residence Club, Sheraton Vacation Club, Westin Vacation Club, and The Phoenician Residences, a Luxury Collection Residence Club, Scottsdale. However, Nightly Upgrade Awards can now be used at brands such as The Ritz-Carlton, Edition Hotels, Aloft, Element, and Protea Hotels.
To earn Nightly Upgrade Awards, members need to reach 50 and 75 elite night credits within a calendar year. Members can also earn Nightly Upgrade Awards by spending at least $60,000 on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card in a calendar year. Nightly Upgrade Awards are the default option at these milestones, but members can choose a different option if they prefer.
Previously, Suite Night Awards were available at these milestones, but they have now been converted to Nightly Upgrade Awards. Any previous requests to use Suite Night Awards before the transition will still be honored and approved based on availability. However, the new three-day window for confirming these requests will apply.
To use Marriott Nightly Upgrade Awards, members can log in to their online account and click on their name in the upper right-hand corner. From the dropdown menu, they can select “Overview” to access their account homepage. In the “Watch your rewards add up” section, members can see their Nightly Upgrade Awards and check their expiration dates. Nightly Upgrade Awards expire on December 31 of the year following the one in which they were earned.
To apply Nightly Upgrade Awards to existing reservations, members can click on “My Trips” when logged in to their Marriott Bonvoy account. They can expand their reservation details and click “View/Modify” next to the stay for which they want to use the awards. If the option to take an upgrade is available, members can click “Start Upgrade Request” to see the room upgrades they can request. The available room types for upgrade vary by property.
Once the upgrade request is submitted, the hotel’s system will automatically start checking for upgrade availability three days before the arrival date and continue checking daily until 2 p.m. one day before check-in. If the upgrade is not confirmed by 2 p.m. on the day before check-in, the request will be canceled, and the Nightly Upgrade Awards will be returned to the member’s account.
Members can cancel unconfirmed Nightly Upgrade Awards until 2 p.m. on the day before check-in and have them redeposited into their account. However, confirmed Nightly Upgrade Awards can only be canceled by canceling the entire stay, and they will not be returned if the cancellation is made after 2 p.m. on the day before check-in.
In conclusion, Marriott Bonvoy members can now use Nightly Upgrade Awards instead of Suite Night Awards to upgrade their stays at participating Marriott hotels and resorts. These awards can be earned by reaching elite night credits or through spending on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card. Members can apply Nightly Upgrade Awards to existing reservations and have the option to cancel unconfirmed awards. It’s important to check the specific terms and conditions for using Nightly Upgrade Awards at each property and be aware of their expiration dates.