In general, I have never been charged for a suite upgrade. But with that said, a suite upgrade is no longer an "official" benefit of gold/plat elite status. So the hotel is under no obligation to give you one. Or they could charge you for the upgrade, either full charge or possibly a reduced charge.

It looks like in this case you will have to decide whether it is worth the extra money to have the upgrade or not. If the suite will make the stay more memorable, I would think that $150 would not be too much to ask. But only you and your spouse can truly make that call.

Whether you decide to take the suite upgrade or not, please let us know how the stay goes. I love the Victoria area, but have not travelled there since Marriott has opened there. And I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on the hotel.