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
Sep 19, 2022, 6:47 am
#3796
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Floating around
Programs: UA 1K (1MM), DL Gold (1MM), Marriott LTT
Posts: 10,346
You may contact our Customer Center https://www.marriott.com/help/global...ion-numbers.mi and our colleague will help you to check room details.
Please let us know if you need further assistance.
Best Regards,
Abbey L
Specialist, Social Media
Marriott International
[email protected]
Please let us know if you need further assistance.
Best Regards,
Abbey L
Specialist, Social Media
Marriott International
[email protected]
Thanks,
-RM
Sep 19, 2022, 7:01 am
#3797
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Bangkok
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Titanium, BAEC Silver, TK Miles & Smiles Elite
Posts: 2,210
Thank you Lurker. The app has indeed updated to the lowest tier SNA I requested -- and only after I was able to click on the room type showing "Sauna Suite" to have it downgraded to the regular suite. So I was downgraded after the initial upgrade was allocated to me. I have a screenshot showing the higher room tier I was originally granted. I will have to try to fix this at the hotel and if that fails I'll be writing customer service to get my SNAs back or a chunk of the points I used on this reservation.
Thanks,
-RM
Thanks,
-RM
If you choose to select a particular room type as part of the SNA application process then you cannot complain if this is the room type that the process ultimately allocates you whatever ups and downs happen along the way. You may have to take this as a learning experience and follow the very clear advice given in this very thread more times than I care to mention that you should only choose upgrade room types during the SNA application process that you are happy using your SNAs on. You absolutely do not choose each room type offered if you're not happy using your SNAs on the lower room types offered. As you admit you clicked the box for this "lowest tier" room type then you were saying you wanted to use your SNAs for this room type if that was the outcome.
I point this out not to diminish your disappointment and irritation with the flow of information that was given to you through this flawed and inconsistent process but to ensure that in the future you only click the boxes next to the room types you actually want to use your SNAs on. By all means, escalate this to customer service or attempt to cancel the SNA application but you don't have anything to complain about. You said you ticked the box. You got what you asked for.
Sep 19, 2022, 9:35 am
#3798
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Floating around
Programs: UA 1K (1MM), DL Gold (1MM), Marriott LTT
Posts: 10,346
Whatever is going on under the hood, you say in this post that the SNA has been updated to the "lowest tier SNA I requested" and that you will be writing to customer service to get your SNAs back.
If you choose to select a particular room type as part of the SNA application process then you cannot complain if this is the room type that the process ultimately allocates you whatever ups and downs happen along the way. You may have to take this as a learning experience and follow the very clear advice given in this very thread more times than I care to mention that you should only choose upgrade room types during the SNA application process that you are happy using your SNAs on. You absolutely do not choose each room type offered if you're not happy using your SNAs on the lower room types offered. As you admit you clicked the box for this "lowest tier" room type then you were saying you wanted to use your SNAs for this room type if that was the outcome.
I point this out not to diminish your disappointment and irritation with the flow of information that was given to you through this flawed and inconsistent process but to ensure that in the future you only click the boxes next to the room types you actually want to use your SNAs on. By all means, escalate this to customer service or attempt to cancel the SNA application but you don't have anything to complain about. You said you ticked the box. You got what you asked for.
If you choose to select a particular room type as part of the SNA application process then you cannot complain if this is the room type that the process ultimately allocates you whatever ups and downs happen along the way. You may have to take this as a learning experience and follow the very clear advice given in this very thread more times than I care to mention that you should only choose upgrade room types during the SNA application process that you are happy using your SNAs on. You absolutely do not choose each room type offered if you're not happy using your SNAs on the lower room types offered. As you admit you clicked the box for this "lowest tier" room type then you were saying you wanted to use your SNAs for this room type if that was the outcome.
I point this out not to diminish your disappointment and irritation with the flow of information that was given to you through this flawed and inconsistent process but to ensure that in the future you only click the boxes next to the room types you actually want to use your SNAs on. By all means, escalate this to customer service or attempt to cancel the SNA application but you don't have anything to complain about. You said you ticked the box. You got what you asked for.
This hotel is also playing games with my second reservation there. I booked a second room with two beds and that reservation is now showing it got moved to a classic king bed. That's not an upgrade so I have no clue why they changed it. No SNAs applied to this one. Going to be fun at check-in for these two. Obviously another human touched this reservation as well.
-RM
Sep 19, 2022, 10:30 am
#3799
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: DL DM 2MM, Marriott LT Titanium, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 15,206
Sure would be useful to have a list of hotels that don't offer/participate in SNAs... or hotels that don't offer anything but a better view.
Its really a pain to go through and book at a location only to find out they don't allow SNA or don't offer anything but a slightly better view, and having to cancel and book somewhere else.
Its really a pain to go through and book at a location only to find out they don't allow SNA or don't offer anything but a slightly better view, and having to cancel and book somewhere else.
Sep 21, 2022, 10:03 pm
#3800
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,465
First time trying to use SNA, and success. Booked standard room using points before devaluation at Marriott Momi Bay in Fiji for 5 nights, applied SNA, got upgraded to Ocean Front Bure Villa 5 days before check in. Very happy with the experience.
Sep 22, 2022, 4:47 am
#3801
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: Bonvoy :Ambassador , ALL :Diamond, Skywards :Silver, Krisflyer :Silver
Posts: 2,808
These SNA, if they used properly then it does offer great value.
Book base room, then SNA to much better suites.
Unfortunately, more and more hotel only offer mediocre options for these (higher level or better view rooms) make the SNA lose its value.
And some hotels even opt to not participate at all. further reduce the SNA value.
Book base room, then SNA to much better suites.
Unfortunately, more and more hotel only offer mediocre options for these (higher level or better view rooms) make the SNA lose its value.
And some hotels even opt to not participate at all. further reduce the SNA value.
Sep 22, 2022, 8:54 pm
#3803
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: KSA
Programs: Marriott AMB, Skywards Gold
Posts: 3,737
These SNA, if they used properly then it does offer great value.
Book base room, then SNA to much better suites.
Unfortunately, more and more hotel only offer mediocre options for these (higher level or better view rooms) make the SNA lose its value.
And some hotels even opt to not participate at all. further reduce the SNA value.
Book base room, then SNA to much better suites.
Unfortunately, more and more hotel only offer mediocre options for these (higher level or better view rooms) make the SNA lose its value.
And some hotels even opt to not participate at all. further reduce the SNA value.
Sep 23, 2022, 8:41 am
#3804
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: Bonvoy :Ambassador , ALL :Diamond, Skywards :Silver, Krisflyer :Silver
Posts: 2,808
Currently yes, international locations do offer better than standard suites for their SNA
But seeing their US counterparts can get away without offering proper suite, I won't be surprised if these hotels follow suit.
The Prince Gallery TOkyo no longer offering SNA.
St Regis Singapore only offer SNA up to their standard suites.
But seeing their US counterparts can get away without offering proper suite, I won't be surprised if these hotels follow suit.
The Prince Gallery TOkyo no longer offering SNA.
St Regis Singapore only offer SNA up to their standard suites.
Sep 25, 2022, 11:08 am
#3806
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Delta Gold
Posts: 4,351
Sep 27, 2022, 2:20 pm
#3808
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: SEA/NYC/IAD
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 1,932
Is there really any point in picking the 5x SNAs for Titanium over the 40k FNA?
With the way things are going wrt point inflation, 40k doesn't really go very far, but I also haven't really had much luck with SNAs either.
Maybe I just take the 10x EQN to get lifetime out of the way faster.
With the way things are going wrt point inflation, 40k doesn't really go very far, but I also haven't really had much luck with SNAs either.
Maybe I just take the 10x EQN to get lifetime out of the way faster.
Sep 27, 2022, 3:46 pm
#3809
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 1,880
Is there really any point in picking the 5x SNAs for Titanium over the 40k FNA?
With the way things are going wrt point inflation, 40k doesn't really go very far, but I also haven't really had much luck with SNAs either.
Maybe I just take the 10x EQN to get lifetime out of the way faster.
With the way things are going wrt point inflation, 40k doesn't really go very far, but I also haven't really had much luck with SNAs either.
Maybe I just take the 10x EQN to get lifetime out of the way faster.
As far as I'm concerned SNAs are useless. Whenever they've cleared for me, I probably could have gotten the same upgrade just asking at check-in.
Sep 27, 2022, 5:54 pm
#3810
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Saipan, MP 96950 USA (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands = the CNMI)
Programs: UA Silver, Hilton Silver. Life: UA .57 MM, United & Admirals Clubs (spousal), Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,061
At 50 nights my wife & I always make the 5 Elite Qualifying Night (EQN) choice. I will continue to do this as a lifetime Marriott Bonv∘y Platinum Elite, assuming I actually meet that threshold again
, in the off chance that lifetime Titanium Elite qualification is ever reinstated.In the four years I reached 75 nights, as my ACB I selected the 40K-point FNA, and have put those to good use.
