I’m not fanning the flames, I was denied a suite upgrade because I was on an award stay, this week, after Aug 18th at a Marriott Courtyard of all places.

In the new tc an award stay is not a qualifying rate it’s only a qualifying stay night. Obviously from both programs it seems like this was never an issue before August 18th to get an upgrade as a Platinum on an award stay but it also wasn’t even an issue for a SPG Platinum to get club lounge access at any SPG hotel if they weren’t staying on the club floor.

It says Elite Benefits only apply on a qualifying rate.
I too believe an award night is a qualifying rate but that is not what the tc say.
4.1.c. Benefits of Elite membership apply to stays on Qualifying Rates (as described in Section 2.1.e.

It doesn’t say Elite Benefits apply on a qualifying stay.

Per my stay being refused an upgrade and another poster at a Luxury Collection being refused club lounge access because of the new TCs I am very worried. The time to find out for certain is not once you get to a property on vacation.

I agree with you fully, an award stay is usually the most important stay ie vacation with family where all your hard earned status should be getting you the upgrade.

If the hotels start denying Platinums upgrades on award stays the line will have been crossed.

2.1.d. Qualifying Stay. A “Stay" or “Qualifying Stay” means all consecutive nights a Member registers for, and personally pays and stays at any Participating Property, for which the room is billed to the Member.

i. A “Stay” is a stay of one or more consecutive nights at the same Participating Property by a Member who: (A) provides his/her Membership Number at the time of reservation or at check-in; (B) pays a Qualifying Rate or redeems a Points redemption Award or a promotional Award for the stay; and (C) stays in one of the reserved guest rooms. If a Member checks out of a guest room and then checks back in to a guest room at the same Participating Property on the same day, it will count as a single stay for purposes of calculating Stays. A Member may only earn Points for up to three (3) guest rooms during any Stay if he/she stays in one of the reserved guest rooms and pays a Qualifying Rate or redeems a Points redemption Award or a promotional Award for all of the guest rooms.

ii. A “Qualifying Stay” is a credit pursuant to these Program Rules that counts toward earning Elite Night Credit. Members will only earn credit for each Qualifying Night which is part of a Qualifying Stay for the guest room the Member personally pays for and stays in, and not for any additional guest rooms.

iii. Members cannot earn or receive benefits at multiple Participating Properties for the same stay date(s).

iv. Only one Member per guest room can earn Points/Miles and receive benefits. If there is more than one Member staying in the same guest room, the Members must decide upon check-in whose Membership Number will be applied to the guest room provided it is the same Member who will be paying the bill.



2.1.e. Qualifying Rates. A “Qualifying Rate” is the rate a Member pays for a Stay in a guest room at a Participating Property which qualifies to earn Points or Miles unless the Member stays under a “Non-Qualifying Rate,” as defined in Section 2.1.f. Unless otherwise specifically stated, Members will receive their membership tier benefits during stays on Qualifying Rates.