Marriott Rewards (including Ritz-Carlton) - Platinum upgrade in Hawaii

Has anyone had any luck getting upgrades at either the Waikiki Beach Marriott or Maui Renaissance Wailea Beach Resort? I am tempted to just book a garden or mountain view rooms and hope for an upgrade, but if I am flying all the way from ORD, I want to look at the Ocean!!!

Also which is better:

Renaissance Wailea Beach Resort - Maui
Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa - Maui

I am bringing my children, so the pools are important.

Thanks for your help.

I have had very good upgrades at Waikiki Beach Marriott. I book at our ridiculously cheap corporate rate, which basically entitles me to a room on the 3rd floor of the back tower overlooking an alley. Both times I have been upgraded as a Plat to an ocean view, the last time to the top floor of the front tower with excellent views of the ocean and Diamond Head.

^ to Waikiki Marriot with plat upgrades
:td: to Renaissance W... I don't think what I had was an u/g.. but thats a topic for another thread

both as plats

Just got back from the Waikiki Marriott and was upgraded from Mountain view on an award to full ocean view.

Also, they extended checkout to me to 8PM day of departure (I had a 10:30PM Flight) and they said they would try and extend to 6PM for Plat based on occupancy rates (if near 100% they can't).

You can pay $ and get upgraded to suites, if available at check in. I didn't need one for an additonal $260/night.

Billy

I booked an ocean view at the Wailea Ren and got the worste ocean view ever. Could not see the beach, however over the tree tops I could see the ocean. It was in the Mekena wing on the same level as checkin. As a platinum with a ocean view booked, I considered it a downgrade.

We were at the Waikiki Beach Marriott about 2 months ago. I'm a gold...booked a standard room, was upgraded to ocean-view room on 20th floor (or somewhere around there). It was a "crooked" ocean view (ie. off to an angle) but a good view nonetheless.

I very much liked this property, although they need an elite check in line or something as the lines can get long during peak check-in/out times.

Wailea Beach Marriott was amazing....pools were great complete with water slides for the kids. We were platinum upgraded last July to ocean front ground floor. Booked room on award stay. I would stay here again in a heartbeat!

I was upgraded as a Platinum at Renaissance during peak season in Feb this year. I booked a garden room and received a corner ocean view ^

The Renaissance has been quite stingy with upgrades. Although I've finagled Mokapu club rooms a couple of times, generally they act like I should bow down in thanks for their "you can almost see a sliver of water if you lean way out over your balcony" oceanfront rooms.

superj said: Wailea Beach Marriott was amazing....pools were great complete with water slides for the kids. We were platinum upgraded last July to ocean front ground floor. Booked room on award stay. I would stay here again in a heartbeat!

I was there last August....they are in the middle of renovating and haven't gotten to the pools yet. I don't think the pools are great, but certainly better then the Ren Wailea! Will definetly go back to Wailea Marriott, but will wait until pools are done and it is a true 7!
Then again... loved the JW Ihiliani and thought it was one of the worst Marriott pools! JMHO

Renaissance Wailea Beach Resort - Maui
Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa - Maui

I am bringing my children, so the pools are important..

Do not ever, ever, ever stay at the Renaissance Wailea Beach Resort (there is another thread on this topic). My wife and I were there a month ago and it was the greatest disappointment I have ever had at any Marriott property. I used Marriott Rewards for the stay, thus the room was 'free", but even at that rate, it was overpriced! :(

does anyone know if they give ever give upgrades on MR stays? i am pretty sure they don't, but wondered if there was ever the odd fluke?

i can't comment on the two Maui properties in question as I haven't stayed at either of them. But I can say that I have been upgraded a number of times when using awards. In fact, I would say that I have been upgraded when using awards more than not being upgraded. In general, whether your stay is a paid one or an award shouldn't have an effect on your upgrade chances.

does anyone know if they give ever give upgrades on MR stays? i am pretty sure they don't, but wondered if there was ever the odd fluke?

we stayed at the Ren in Wailea last October on points and were upgraded to an ocean view room also overlooking the pool and the garden. You could even see Molokini (I think?) from our balcony. I don't know about other Plat experiences, but ours was very pleasant. The rooms are nothing to write home about (clean and comfortable), but what can you expect from a hotel that is on "death row"?

We were also upgraded at the JW Marriott Ihilani to an ocean view on points, and ocean view upgrades at both the Waikiki Marriott and the Big Island Marriott on paid stays. You may not get the premier ocean views, but every room was better than what was reserved.

We just got back from Kauai yesterday. I had booked a partial ocean view room for a 7 day award stay including the July 4th Holiday weekend. Without prompting, the front desk attendant read the notes in my web reservation during checkin and I was offered a platinum upgrade to full oceanview; however, they only had rooms with two beds. My wife and I decided to keep the partial ocean view king room we had originally booked. They gave us a room on the top floor of the Ha'upu tower with a view of the pool, Kalapaki Beach, and the Harbor. In many places I have stayed this would have been considered a full ocean view room. So while I didn't recieve a category upgrade, I would say I did recieve the best room within the category I booked.

We loved this property and recommend it. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. Please note they haven't renovated in quite a while so the rooms are a bit tired, but still very comfortable and festive. The pool and the beach are great and there are plenty of decent restaurants to chose from on property and adjacent to it (note: only Kukui's and the Apukua terrace are actually run by Marriott, Duke's Canoe Club and Portofino are independent concessions). That said Portofino will do Marriott room charges and I did get points for dining there.

--Jon

As I mentioned before, I haven't stayed at the two Maui properties in question, but just like Jon Maiman, I have stayed at the Kauai hotel. It was a few years ago, but my wife and I were upgraded to a suite room at the end of one of their hotel wings that had a full view of the ocean. Excellent rooms and definitely enjoyed that hotel. ^

Thanks for all of your replies. I booked 2 rooms at the:

Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa for 3 days

and the

Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa (Maui) for 4 days

1 rrom on points and the other one is revenue. I am hoping for upgrades for both!!!

Good luck with your stays and let us know how everything works out.

I think you have a good chance of being upgraded at the Wailea Beach Marriott. There are a lot of rooms and most of them have decent views. The biggest negative to me about the Wailea property is that there is not a sandy beach in front. Picture big lava boulders. However, there is the nice walking path so it's an easy walk to the neighboring properties which do have a sandy beach and good snorkeling.

Hint: Pack a large mesh laundry bag to tote your snorkeling gear around. We also packed a soft sided cooler to bring lunch/drinks to the beach with us.

We stayed at the Wailea Marriott for 7 nights last April on a standard award and were upgraded 4 catagories to a Deluxe Oceanfront. It was a spacious, beautiful room within a stones throw of the ocean. I LOVED it. In April they were still working on the lobby area but it really was no problem and it might be done soon. That said, they MAY just have started the new pool.

Per the travel agent section of marriotthawaii.com, the construction of the
Serenity Pool will go from Jun. 2007 - Dec. 2007
• New build, pool surface area 4,300 sq. ft.
• Over water cabanas
• Located Molokini lawn area
• Invasive, dusty, noisy

When are you going?