Moderator, Marriott Bonvoy & FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: McKinney, TX, USA
Programs: United Silver; AA Plat/2MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,727
My personal experience has been that I am more likely to receive a suite upgrade in the following situations:
1. Traveling with family for vacation. I have a much higher suite upgrade % on my family vacations than I do with normal business travel. This may have to do with the hotels I travel to for vacation versus work. It may also have to do with the front desk person seeing me come in with my family. Who knows.
2. Non-NA properties. I have received some pretty nice upgrades to suites in China, Malaysia, Singapore, etc.
3. Shorter stays. When I'm staying at a hotel for a week or more, it rarely happens. But those 1-3 night stays? I'm more likely to be able to receive one.
4. CYs. Most of the above discussion centers around my FS Marriott upgrades. But when I stay at CYs, even in the US, I ask and more often than not get a King suite room. ^