Dec 19, 2018, 10:39 am
Last edit by: RedSun
IF YOU HAVE A PREPAID RATE, PLEASE READ THIS WIKI!
Recommended SNA Best Practices:
- According to the Marriott Lurkers in this forum (see post #220 in this thread), as confusing as it sounds, the SNA system is separate from the reservation system, so if a suite is showing as currently unavailable or available on the website, that does not necessarily mean it is currently unavailable or available for SNAs.
As of March 2019, there is an IT bug on Marriott's website that prevents SNAs from being applied to many if not all prepaid reservations. One member has identified a workaround that enables you to "trick" the website into allowing you apply SNAs to prepaid reservation. Several members have reported success using this workaround to apply SNAs to their prepaid reservations. Hopefully Marriott will fix this IT bug in the near future.- After SNAs are redeemed, they are removed from member's account. But they are in pending mode and will only be processed (confirmed or denied) about one week (normally 5 days) prior to actual stay. Any change to the reservation during this pending period may detach the SNAs. Check with reservation agent again to have SNAs re-attached again.
- After SNAs get cleared and confirmed, they are locked with the reservation. Any further changes to the reservation may break the confirmed SNAs. It is a hazard to ask agent to process SNAs again since the SNA processing window is closing
- If your SNA clears, be sure to take a screen shot of what suite category you are assigned in the app and be prepared to show this to the front desk at check-in. Several members have reported being confirmed in certain suite categories when there SNAs have cleared or during mobile check-in only to be assigned lower a category room at check-in. Members who have taken screenshots of their initial SNA assignments have had success in getting properties to honor those original assignments after initially getting assigned inferior rooms at check-in.
- If you are assigned a lower category of room than any of the options offered during the SNA application process and/or if the hotel refuses honor the representations they made at any point during the SNA process, be sure to submit a formal complaint to Marriott and ask for your SNAs used during your stay to be reinstated. If you have followed the screenshot best practice, your screenshot should go a long way towards getting Marriott to eventually refund your SNA, although it may take a long time for customer service to process your request.
Non-Participating Brands:
Not all hotels participate in Suite Night Awards. Suite Night Awards are not redeemable at the following brands (subject to change at any time; see Marriott Bonvoy Terms and Conditions for full details): The Ritz-Carlton®, Protea Hotels®, Aloft®, Element®, Design Hotels™, all-suite hotels, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, EDITION®, Ritz-Carlton Reserve®, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Clubs® and Marriott Grand Residence Club properties. In addition, Suite Night Awards are not redeemable at select Participating Properties. Contact Member Support for individual hotel Suite Night Award participation.From post # 220.
The system is not checking what is available for sale at any marriott.com web site, so you should not be using the web sites as a guide for what is and is not available for SNA approval.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Marriott International
FOR ANYONE TRYING TO ADD SNAs TO PRE-PAID NONREFUNDABLE BOOKINGS THAT MARRIOTT IT
CURRENTLY DOESN’T SEEM TO ALLOW, HERE IS A WORK-AROUND. GOOD LUCK!
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/30575978-post541.html
All, I believe that I've found a way of getting around Marriott's IT issue where SNA's cannot be used on advance purchase rates. It takes advantage of another error in the Marriott IT system (go figure) where changes in different windows are not handled properly. It seems to work for me - would be great if someone else can confirm.
For this to work, in addition to a pre-paid reservation where SNAs are disabled you need a rate at a hotel where SNA's are eligible - so go book a bog-standard fully flex rate at your local Westin or whatever which you can cancel later if you don't currently have any flexible rates booked.
Log in to Marriott.com and click on "My Trips" (obviously this won't work for people whose trips are still not showing). Open "View/ Modify" in a new browser window/ tab on the flexible reservation first, and then open "View/ Modify" in the non-refundable reservation in another new window/ tab. Go back to the flexible reservation and click on "Start Upgrade Request" and it should take you to a webpage for the pre-paid reservation where you can finally select your SNAs.
For this to work, in addition to a pre-paid reservation where SNAs are disabled you need a rate at a hotel where SNA's are eligible - so go book a bog-standard fully flex rate at your local Westin or whatever which you can cancel later if you don't currently have any flexible rates booked.
Log in to Marriott.com and click on "My Trips" (obviously this won't work for people whose trips are still not showing). Open "View/ Modify" in a new browser window/ tab on the flexible reservation first, and then open "View/ Modify" in the non-refundable reservation in another new window/ tab. Go back to the flexible reservation and click on "Start Upgrade Request" and it should take you to a webpage for the pre-paid reservation where you can finally select your SNAs.
The link for selecting your benefit:
https://choice-benefit.marriott.com/
How to cancel an Award request:
Suite Night Award requests may be canceled until 2 p.m. local hotel time the day before you arrive, as long as the Awards have not already been confirmed for use on a reservation. Once your Awards have been confirmed, you must cancel the entire reservation to receive credit back for all the Awards; however, after 2 p.m. local hotel time the day before you arrive, a reservation cancellation will result in the forfeiture of all Suite Night Awards applied to the entire reservation. This is in addition to any other cancellation fees applicable to the reservation itself.NOTE: Always detach the SNA before cancelling a reservation. It's the only way to ensure your SNA is returned to your account immediately. Otherwise, you could be waiting hours/days to see your SNA again.
FAQ : Suite Night Awards - SNA - questions and discussion thread
Oct 28, 2019, 11:21 pm
#1666
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: Bonvoy :Ambassador , ALL :Diamond, Skywards :Silver, Krisflyer :Silver
Posts: 2,808
Lots of good insights in this thread, especially for someone relatively new to Marriott elite status (and who didn't have a ton of pre-merger SPG experience either) so thanks to all those who have contributed the valuable information.
As a mix of (1) putting my views on record since apparently there are people from Marriott who read this forum and (2) free therapy, as an experienced FTer on a different board likes to say, I thought I would register my views on the whole SNA program. TL;DR, this program sucks, I regret choosing it, and it certainly doesn't make me feel like a valued customer or want to give more business to Marriott.
Lack of Transparency
The program is not at all transparent. There was nothing that I could find in a few minutes of research on the Marriott site on how the awards worked, other than being subject to availability. There's never any explanation in the app or on the website as to why the awards can't be used, it just says, over and over, "Your Suite Night Award(s) can't be used towards this reservation."
The only way I've learned anything about that is by coming to FT. I probably could have learned some by phoning Marriott too, but there's no excuse, in this day or age, for there to be so little information on their own website. How hard would it be to append a small message to the previously quoted text saying "because this hotel does not participate in the SNA program", "because this hotel does not have any suites", "because this rate is not applicable", etc? Or to have an explanation in the FAQ on their site about some of these things?
Lack of Usability
I think the only times that I've been advised that I could use my SNAs were one or two times at airport hotels where I was checking in late and leaving early the next day. I get that upgrades are never guaranteed in any program, whether it be airline, hotel, car rental, etc, but for me to have probably 30-40 stays this year and not be able to use these things once (for something even half-decent) is pretty pathetic.
The discussion above about prepaid rates probably explains some of it, as that probably contributed to a couple of my issues, but even then, why should that matter? If the rumours above that pre-paid rates are truly no longer eligible, that's just ridiculous.
Although at least I haven't had any confirmed upgrades pulled or bait-and-switched like some of the people above.
Bottom Line
This program has been essentially useless to me in my first year of having it. I will certainly eat a small share of the blame for not doing more research before selecting these as a benefit, but I'm a veteran of numerous hotel and airlines programs, and never have I seen such a dramatic mismatch between the way the benefit was presented and what it was actually like to try to use it. I'll definitely keep this underwhelming experience in mind as I asses the value of the program and where to direct my future business.
As a mix of (1) putting my views on record since apparently there are people from Marriott who read this forum and (2) free therapy, as an experienced FTer on a different board likes to say, I thought I would register my views on the whole SNA program. TL;DR, this program sucks, I regret choosing it, and it certainly doesn't make me feel like a valued customer or want to give more business to Marriott.
Lack of Transparency
The program is not at all transparent. There was nothing that I could find in a few minutes of research on the Marriott site on how the awards worked, other than being subject to availability. There's never any explanation in the app or on the website as to why the awards can't be used, it just says, over and over, "Your Suite Night Award(s) can't be used towards this reservation."
The only way I've learned anything about that is by coming to FT. I probably could have learned some by phoning Marriott too, but there's no excuse, in this day or age, for there to be so little information on their own website. How hard would it be to append a small message to the previously quoted text saying "because this hotel does not participate in the SNA program", "because this hotel does not have any suites", "because this rate is not applicable", etc? Or to have an explanation in the FAQ on their site about some of these things?
Lack of Usability
I think the only times that I've been advised that I could use my SNAs were one or two times at airport hotels where I was checking in late and leaving early the next day. I get that upgrades are never guaranteed in any program, whether it be airline, hotel, car rental, etc, but for me to have probably 30-40 stays this year and not be able to use these things once (for something even half-decent) is pretty pathetic.
The discussion above about prepaid rates probably explains some of it, as that probably contributed to a couple of my issues, but even then, why should that matter? If the rumours above that pre-paid rates are truly no longer eligible, that's just ridiculous.
Although at least I haven't had any confirmed upgrades pulled or bait-and-switched like some of the people above.
Bottom Line
This program has been essentially useless to me in my first year of having it. I will certainly eat a small share of the blame for not doing more research before selecting these as a benefit, but I'm a veteran of numerous hotel and airlines programs, and never have I seen such a dramatic mismatch between the way the benefit was presented and what it was actually like to try to use it. I'll definitely keep this underwhelming experience in mind as I asses the value of the program and where to direct my future business.
In fact, most of my suite upgrade comes from SNA.
And for clearance rate, I was quite lucky that I manage to clear 13/15 SNA I got last year.
The other 2 is used for a December stay and if it got rejected, it will be expired.
For the SNA achieved this year, I have applied them for stays on January- February next year.
So I will have plenty of time to use them in case it got rejected.
However, I still think the program needs to be improved especially in communication side.
The confirmation email should include the detail of which suite we select and approved for.
Also, the issue with prepaid rate. If SNA cant be used at prepaid rate then it will reduce the usability of the SNA.
Oct 29, 2019, 10:25 am
#1667
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: En Route
Programs: Many
Posts: 6,798
Which on these options would YOU use your SNA on?
I have 5 to burn on some combination of the follow since sadly RC properties don't allow.
- 2 nights Gritti Palace Venice
- 4 nights JW Phu Quoc
- 3 nights JW Rio
- 5 nights Cervo Hotel Porto Cervo
I am unlikely to stay anywhere else before they expire that participates or that is good enough to warrant burning them.
My thoughts are basically:
1. Gritti + JW Rio
or
2. Porto Cervo
My worry being that since Cervo Hotel is kind of a dump, I will feel like it's a poor use because even if upgraded it won't be particularly nice. Also...any chance of RC every signing up for this, the overwhelming majority of my bonvoy nights are RC and it'd be nice to cop DAT free upgrade to a suite. I am ruling out Phu Quoc because we will have a nice enough room, and not be spending much time in it.
- 2 nights Gritti Palace Venice
- 4 nights JW Phu Quoc
- 3 nights JW Rio
- 5 nights Cervo Hotel Porto Cervo
I am unlikely to stay anywhere else before they expire that participates or that is good enough to warrant burning them.
My thoughts are basically:
1. Gritti + JW Rio
or
2. Porto Cervo
My worry being that since Cervo Hotel is kind of a dump, I will feel like it's a poor use because even if upgraded it won't be particularly nice. Also...any chance of RC every signing up for this, the overwhelming majority of my bonvoy nights are RC and it'd be nice to cop DAT free upgrade to a suite. I am ruling out Phu Quoc because we will have a nice enough room, and not be spending much time in it.
Oct 29, 2019, 10:59 am
#1669
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: Bonvoy :Ambassador , ALL :Diamond, Skywards :Silver, Krisflyer :Silver
Posts: 2,808
I have 5 to burn on some combination of the follow since sadly RC properties don't allow.
- 2 nights Gritti Palace Venice
- 4 nights JW Phu Quoc
- 3 nights JW Rio
- 5 nights Cervo Hotel Porto Cervo
I am unlikely to stay anywhere else before they expire that participates or that is good enough to warrant burning them.
.
- 2 nights Gritti Palace Venice
- 4 nights JW Phu Quoc
- 3 nights JW Rio
- 5 nights Cervo Hotel Porto Cervo
I am unlikely to stay anywhere else before they expire that participates or that is good enough to warrant burning them.
.
If h-5 Gritti failed, cancel Rio as well and reapply for Phu Quoc
And if you are extremely unlucky and failed Phu Quoc as well, apply all of them at Cervo
And pray more I guess
Oct 29, 2019, 11:58 am
#1670
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: En Route
Programs: Many
Posts: 6,798
Oct 29, 2019, 4:28 pm
#1671
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: IAH
Programs: Delta Platinum & 2MM, Marriott Lifetime TIT, Hertz Pres Club, IHG Gold, *A Gold
Posts: 1,253
I have 10 SNAs. I believe five expire 31-Dec-2019 and five expire 31-Dec-2020, but could be wrong. I first applied the five with 2019 expiration to reservation B in December and later applied the other five with 2020 expiration to reservation A in November. If the reservation A goes through and reservation B doesn't, will I retain five SNAs through 2020 or be SOL?
I can always cancel both requests and start over.
I can always cancel both requests and start over.
Oct 29, 2019, 4:51 pm
#1672
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Toronto, ON
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, AA Plat MM
Posts: 3,582
I have 10 SNAs. I believe five expire 31-Dec-2019 and five expire 31-Dec-2020, but could be wrong. I first applied the five with 2019 expiration to reservation B in December and later applied the other five with 2020 expiration to reservation A in November. If the reservation A goes through and reservation B doesn't, will I retain five SNAs through 2020 or be SOL?
I can always cancel both requests and start over.
I can always cancel both requests and start over.
Oct 29, 2019, 10:04 pm
#1673
Company Representative, Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: Feb 2019
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy
Posts: 1,089
I have 10 SNAs. I believe five expire 31-Dec-2019 and five expire 31-Dec-2020, but could be wrong. I first applied the five with 2019 expiration to reservation B in December and later applied the other five with 2020 expiration to reservation A in November. If the reservation A goes through and reservation B doesn't, will I retain five SNAs through 2020 or be SOL?
I can always cancel both requests and start over.
I can always cancel both requests and start over.
In this situation, you have the five Suite Night Awards with 2019 expiration.
Best Regards,
Christina Zhou
Specialist, Social Media
Marriott International
[email protected]
Oct 30, 2019, 6:39 am
#1674
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 88
Originally Posted by Ambassador Team
Our system does use Suite Night Awards that are expiring first. There is only one instance where it may use ones that expire later. It's a bit complicated to explain, but I'll give you an example and see if that makes sense.
- For example, you have five Suite night Awards that expire December 31, 2019 and five Suite night Awards that expire December 31, 2020. You first request the five Suite night Awards that expire December 31, 2019 on a reservation for September, and then make another request for the five Suite night Awards that expire December 31, 2020 on a reservation for October. If the suite night awards requested for September are not approved, they will go back to your account, but their expiration date does not change, they will still be the ones that expire December 31, 2019. Your reservation in October will still have the Suite Night Awards that expire on December 31, 2020 linked to them, and they are approved they will be used and the ones left on your account will expire December 31, 2019.
I take this explanation from the Ambassador team to mean that SNA's are always pulled in expiring order based on the availability of un-applied SNAs in your account when the request is made.
Oct 30, 2019, 9:03 am
#1675
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 56
SNA "Unavailable" at St Regis Moscow
Booked a room at the St Regis Moscow and in the confirmation it said the room was not eligible for a Suite Night Upgrade. Called up Marriott as well and they were seeing it unavailable from their end. Was under the impression St Regis was a brand included in SNAs so does anyone have any idea what's going on here? Thanks for any help.
Oct 30, 2019, 9:24 am
#1676
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: SFO
Posts: 4,916
Is it a prepaid rate? I was at the at St Regis Moscow last month. Although I did not use a SNA (and got upgraded to a junior suite), the “start your request” button was available on the reservation under our corporate rate.
Oct 30, 2019, 9:28 am
#1677
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 56
It is a prepaid rate. Are prepaid rates not eligible? Thanks for the help!
Oct 30, 2019, 9:43 am
#1678
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: SNA
Programs: M/R AMBASSADOR/LT/TIT/UASILVER/AAGOLD
Posts: 469
Oct 30, 2019, 10:01 am
#1680
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,046
Great question. In theory if Reservation A goes through the ones with the shortest date should be applied to it, regardless of the order you requested them. However, I'd be willing to bet that Marriott IT will mess this up. I'm in a similar situation, so really interested in how this turns out.
- Some hotels/airlines will then allow you to use that same certificate to waitlist another reservation. In that case whichever clears first use the certificate. However then you must re-request the 2nd request using a new certificate. This means a reset of the request time, bumping you to bottom of list.
- Other option is that you can only have one waitlist at a time per certificate. This means that whatever certificate is attached gets used. However there's no resetting of the request time. Thus maintaining place on list regardless if other requests clear.
Marriott uses the 2nd way of doing things.