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
Nov 18, 2020, 5:50 pm
#2221
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Bangkok
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Titanium, BAEC Silver, TK Miles & Smiles Elite
Posts: 2,209
If there's nothing in it for them then I really don't know why they bother putting any inventory in the SNA pool and don't just allocate upgrades on arrival.
Last edited by ftrichard; Nov 18, 2020 at 9:21 pm
Nov 18, 2020, 6:26 pm
#2223
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: US/TYO/LON
Programs: Marriott Titanium; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 411
Nov 18, 2020, 6:41 pm
#2224
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Tokyo
Programs: Marriott (Titanium), British Airways (Gold), American Airlines
Posts: 26
Hiroshima cleared for me yesterday. Kyoto still waiting at Surian and Mitsui to see what clears. And the Westin doesn't offer SNA redemptions, but an e-mail to the concierge got me a confirmed upgrade to a junior suite, and an offer of better (if available) when we arrive.
Nov 18, 2020, 7:00 pm
#2225
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: US/TYO/LON
Programs: Marriott Titanium; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 411
Hiroshima cleared for me yesterday. Kyoto still waiting at Surian and Mitsui to see what clears. And the Westin doesn't offer SNA redemptions, but an e-mail to the concierge got me a confirmed upgrade to a junior suite, and an offer of better (if available) when we arrive.
Nov 18, 2020, 7:58 pm
#2226
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Tokyo
Programs: Marriott (Titanium), British Airways (Gold), American Airlines
Posts: 26
Nov 18, 2020, 8:40 pm
#2227
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SFO
Programs: United 1K 2MM / Marriott LTP
Posts: 5,071
I don't know about reimbursement, but from what I have seen posted online and from what I was told by the hotel, the SNA process is completely out of the hands of the hotel, but is handled by Marriott.
Nov 19, 2020, 4:19 am
#2228
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,455
You were not told the truth. The hotel has total control over what room you wind up in. While the actual processing of the SNA is supposedly automated, there are multiple points in the process where the hotel has the ability to alter the outcome. Including particularly selecting the inventory that's available and altering the assigned room type once the SNA has cleared.
Nov 19, 2020, 12:03 pm
#2229
formerly wchinchen
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Honolulu
Programs: AA CK, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,289
You were not told the truth. The hotel has total control over what room you wind up in. While the actual processing of the SNA is supposedly automated, there are multiple points in the process where the hotel has the ability to alter the outcome. Including particularly selecting the inventory that's available and altering the assigned room type once the SNA has cleared.
Nov 19, 2020, 12:19 pm
#2230
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 502
Earlier this year, I requested all of my personal info on file, from marriott. It took several months but I finally got it. What I found interesting was that every sna request I made had an entry / case started in the Marriott corporate content management system that properties use to track everything. This case was assigned to the property. Now this whole process could still be automated but it sure seems like these cases were taken by the property and executed by either approving or denying them.
Nov 19, 2020, 1:52 pm
#2231
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Englandshire
Programs: SPG LT Plat, BA G, BD*LG, MG Blue+ ...
Posts: 16,032
Nov 19, 2020, 1:57 pm
#2232
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
Posts: 12,809
I'm not sure why there would be a reimbursement for the hotel in these circumstances. The suite is otherwise going to just sit empty overnight so there should be no real reason to reimburse the property for upgrading someone who is using an instrument.
Nov 19, 2020, 2:58 pm
#2233
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,455
I'll qualify my initial comment by noting that VFTW recently stated that Marriott properties receive "modest" compensation only on nights when the hotel is nearly sold out; otherwise they receive none. Why Marriott Suite Night Awards Don't Clear
Nov 19, 2020, 8:55 pm
#2234
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: US/TYO/LON
Programs: Marriott Titanium; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 411
I am in a dilemma. I don't want to stay at a property if my SNA doesn't clear. However, the cancel deadline is 11:59 2 days before (Nov 21st for a Nov 23rd check-in). However, it seems like the SNA can clear up to Nov 22nd 2:00 pm? That seems like a nice loophole to make you hang in there.
I already have a confirmed upgrade at a different hotel but one I have stayed prior (not Marriott). I'd rather stay in the suite there than play games with this silly Marriott system.
Is there any anecdotal evidence that "if not cleared by xxx hrs, then likely NOT going to clear"?
I already have a confirmed upgrade at a different hotel but one I have stayed prior (not Marriott). I'd rather stay in the suite there than play games with this silly Marriott system.
Is there any anecdotal evidence that "if not cleared by xxx hrs, then likely NOT going to clear"?
Nov 19, 2020, 11:09 pm
#2235
formerly wchinchen
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Honolulu
Programs: AA CK, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,289
I am in a dilemma. I don't want to stay at a property if my SNA doesn't clear. However, the cancel deadline is 11:59 2 days before (Nov 21st for a Nov 23rd check-in). However, it seems like the SNA can clear up to Nov 22nd 2:00 pm? That seems like a nice loophole to make you hang in there.
I already have a confirmed upgrade at a different hotel but one I have stayed prior (not Marriott). I'd rather stay in the suite there than play games with this silly Marriott system.
Is there any anecdotal evidence that "if not cleared by xxx hrs, then likely NOT going to clear"?
I already have a confirmed upgrade at a different hotel but one I have stayed prior (not Marriott). I'd rather stay in the suite there than play games with this silly Marriott system.
Is there any anecdotal evidence that "if not cleared by xxx hrs, then likely NOT going to clear"?