LSL

Sent you a PM, thanks William!

dingo

I arrive at the Sheraton Park Lane in London on Thursday, the 25th. I booked on points, and booked a room larger than a standard room (though not a suite). Thus, I can't see the details of my reservation online.

I've applied SNA's to the reservation via conversation w/ the plat line.

Today is the 20th.

When do the attempted upgrades begin? Is it arrival day (25th) - 5? What time do the attempts typically run, or is there such a thing as a set schedule?

dingo

I arrive at the Sheraton Park Lane in London on Thursday, the 25th. I booked on points, and booked a room larger than a standard room (though not a suite). Thus, I can't see the details of my reservation online.

I've applied SNA's to the reservation via conversation w/ the plat line.

Today is the 20th.

When do the attempted upgrades begin? Is it arrival day (25th) - 5? What time do the attempts typically run, or is there such a thing as a set schedule?

margarita girl

Here is a recent experience:

Booked at Sheraton Salt Lake City which is in mountain time zone. Exactly 5 days before at 16:14 EDT (14:14 MDT), I received an email telling me they were working on it. Make of it what you wish.

Edit: Here's one that was approved for a hotel in Europe on Apr 25. On Apr 20 at 08:15 EDT, I received an email confirming that my SNA had been approved, so that would have been 14:15 European time.

MSPeconomist

Here's the way I remember it:

For DL, five days means 5 pm ATL time "six days" in advance, for example on Thursday for a Wednesday flight.

For SPG, five days means 2 pm local hotel time "five days" in advance, for example, on Friday for a Wednesday arrival. If your hotel is in the Eastern time zone, this would be 22 hours after the DL upgrade window open for top tier elites.

You're looking at days of the week "mod 5" for SPG versus "mod 6" for DL.

IME the email stating whether you were or were not initially upgraded with SNAs tends to be sent about fifteen minutes after 2 pm local hotel time. I suspect (but don't know for sure) that if the upgrade cannot be confirmed, SPG looks again at 2 pm local time on days 3, 2, and 1 before arrival but not on day 4. If the upgrade still fails the day before arrival, your SNAs are returned to your account within the hour.

RogerD408

I do believe there was a statement made some time ago, that SNAs are scanned at 2pm hotel local time up until the day before arrival. Now allowing for system hiccups and/or operator error, expect them to be looking for ways to <snark> decline </snark> the SNA up until your arrival at the front desk.

damon88

For what it's worth I've never had one declined (25 for 25). (I'm knocking on wood though because we still have 5 pending)

I attribute our success to strategically applying at the right hotels, way in advance, typically during off season. And 15 years of loyalty (14 elite) and over 500 nights are probably also factors.

I really hope that Marriott will include the SNA benefit in the merged program.

margarita girl

Per William, the SNAs are automated and the hotels have zero control over them so loyalty not a factor. That being said, I have had cases where the SNA did not clear, but hotel still upgraded me to a better suite. Like right now. My SNA did not clear, but I'm in a Presidential Suite.

Dr. HFH

Just notified that SNAs have cleared for three nights next week at PDG in Paris. I'm verrry excited!!

dingo

Thrilled that I won't be losing my 10 SNA's again this year. 8 cleared for a Park View Suite at the Sheraton Park Lane in London, five days out.

damon88

But the SNAs are automated using an algorithm which takes multiple factors into consideration. If 7 SNAs are pending and the hotel only has 5 the computer has to prioritize somehow. You really don't think that Years Elite, date booked, etc. are factors? They have so much data on us now.

Congrats on the Presidential Suite! Which hotel are you at? We've had 3 hotels upgrade us to the Presidential Suite (although at the Danieli it was called the Royal Suite). The Danieli, the US Grant and last October Suiran in Kyoto. All 3 were award stays. The Suiran Suite went for $3500 night (8 nights)and back in 2007 the Royal Suite at the Danieli went for 6000 euros a night (5 nights) I looked the other day and it's a lot more now.

To modify the old SNL catchphrase: "Starwood has been berry berry good to me". (And so has the Luxury Collection)

We are going to travel as much as we can before the programs merge because who knows what the future holds.

margarita girl

I believe William said they are prioritized on who requested it first.

I'm at Sheraton Salt Lake City which I know is not as meaningful as some hotels in Europe, but the SNA was for a 700 sq ft room, and I'm in an 1100 sq ft room, so I'm happy. (Sheraton Waikiki regularly upgrades me to 1100 sq ft suites, but they have at least 3 of those per floor, so about 90 total!)

damon88

Suites are always sweet. 👍 I could have sworn William said it was based on an algorithm that considered multi factors, and was not as straightforward as chronological order, but I may be mixing memories of old discussions on upgrades in general.

I'm curious now and will see if I can find the thread.

travelswithmyself

❤️ this... hahaha

YYJMSP

I am trying to apply SNAs to a couple of bookings approx. a month from now.

It isn't letting me do so online for a variety of unknown reasons (from the generic "Suite Night Awards cannot be applied to this reservation" to "due to a complex rate...")

So I asked my Ambassador to look in to it, assuming it's just some tech glitch, as it has been in the past and they were able to attach the SNAs in their system.

His response back was that "the allotment for Suite Night Awards has been filled, meaning all suites available for the Suite Night Award program have been filled". He went on to say that I could go ahead and book suites outright (at additional cost) for those dates.

How can that be?

It's more than 5 days in advance of the reservations, so how can the suites in the SNA pool already be filled, as they shouldn't be allocated until 5 days in advance of arrival?

If the underlying suites are booked (which is the only way the first statement would make sense), how can I be offered bookings for those suites?

I don't understand...