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 2, 2021, 6:45 am
#2821
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But they are still selling the suites/rooms in question, so the whole thing is a bit of a joke. I made the reservation months ago, selecting the minimum suite/room I would like to use it against to maximize chance of upgrade. Well turns out that was a meaningless activity, if they allowed it it would be a sure thing. Because the property can just remove that category from the upgrade pool. So there is no apparent advantage of applying SNA's well ahead of time, as most of the options may be removed by the time they come to process them.
Sep 2, 2021, 8:12 am
#2822
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
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Yeah and this system gets worked by properties. (At least this is what I suspect is happening) Well ahead of time the advertise category X>Y>Z in the upgrade pool. They are have 3 X suites, 6 Y suites, and 12 Z suites. Closer to time they remove Y and Z from upgrade pool. they were just "bait" The actual number of suites they have to give out is more minimal.
Not quite. The properties can do whatever they want with the reservation prior to check-in, including cancelling the SNA request or downgrading a confirmed SNA upgrade.
Sep 2, 2021, 8:56 am
#2825
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You'll get an email 5 days prior to check-in saying either it's confirmed or that they were unable to confirm but will keep checking.
Sep 2, 2021, 9:46 am
#2827
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Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: EWR/PHL/BWI
Posts: 4,412
Some may be that devious, but I suspect in most instances it's just inventory manipulation in an attempt to sell the suites, rather than a broader bait and switch scheme.
Not quite. The properties can do whatever they want with the reservation prior to check-in, including cancelling the SNA request or downgrading a confirmed SNA upgrade.
Not quite. The properties can do whatever they want with the reservation prior to check-in, including cancelling the SNA request or downgrading a confirmed SNA upgrade.
Last edited by RedSun; Sep 2, 2021 at 9:53 am
Sep 2, 2021, 9:51 am
#2828
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Certain hotels have more suites than other hotels. Hotel policy matters too since some do not want to release suite inventory and want to max out its own cash revenue.
Sep 2, 2021, 11:04 am
#2830
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: None - previously UA
Posts: 4,864
Some may be that devious, but I suspect in most instances it's just inventory manipulation in an attempt to sell the suites, rather than a broader bait and switch scheme.
Not quite. The properties can do whatever they want with the reservation prior to check-in, including cancelling the SNA request or downgrading a confirmed SNA upgrade.
Not quite. The properties can do whatever they want with the reservation prior to check-in, including cancelling the SNA request or downgrading a confirmed SNA upgrade.
Sep 2, 2021, 11:15 am
#2831
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Yeah I realize that but if they previously allowed that suite for an upgrade option Marriott should force them to honor it for those who already selected that category. I suspect Marriotts IT does not support this, IE the way it works now either everyone gets to choose/waitlist a particular suite category or no one does including those who already chose that category.
Sep 2, 2021, 11:35 am
#2832
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Chicago
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Posts: 1,642
You sure can insist on whatever you believe, or maintain your own "Marriott" SNA policy. But I share what I believe and from my own experience. You just do not have to a forum police who tries to guard your line and try to "correct" all other people's "misinformation" who disagrees with you. Hope we all get some peace here.
). The fact that a property can actively flout the process in the way that they do simply demonstrates that the process is not ironclad, and that properties can easily play games with inventory. Cleared SNA's mean nothing until your butt is on a bed in the room that you're cleared into.
Sep 2, 2021, 11:41 am
#2833
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Sep 2, 2021, 12:03 pm
#2834
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When I spoke with Marriott agents, they made it very clear to me. The SNAs get cleared at about one week prior to actual stay. The clearing is based on the hotel room inventory at clearing time, not based on the inventory when the SNAs are attached. They made it very clear to me that the inventories are different. They do not guarantee that SNAs will get cleared when SNAs clearing windows opens.
Clearly Marriott agent did not want to say things in the stone. So they said ABOUT one week. Five days clearly fit what Marriott agent stated. Do not say that Marriott agents have no clue and they spread misinformation.
You just need to learn how to have peace with other people and do not act as a forum police or Marriott overlord.
Certainly some Marriott agents have not done very good jobs. But I find most of them are friendly and a lot are very capable. Or they won't stay employed so long.
If the SNA process were completely above board, the Aegon thread would not be 300 posts deep at this point (maybe only 200 or so ). The fact that a property can actively flout the process in the way that they do simply demonstrates that the process is not ironclad, and that properties can easily play games with inventory. Cleared SNA's mean nothing until your butt is on a bed in the room that you're cleared into.
). The fact that a property can actively flout the process in the way that they do simply demonstrates that the process is not ironclad, and that properties can easily play games with inventory. Cleared SNA's mean nothing until your butt is on a bed in the room that you're cleared into.I'd rather give Hyatt my business and use one of my TSUs and get suite confirmed. I know a lot Marriott members do not get that option....
Sep 2, 2021, 1:19 pm
#2835
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: SFO
Posts: 4,914
Sure you know much more than Marriott agents. You are above Marriott agents and all FT numbers. Your words are Bible words?
Clearly Marriott agent did not want to say things in the stone. So they said ABOUT one week. Five days clearly fit what Marriott agent stated. Do not say that Marriott agents have no clue and they spread misinformation.
You just need to learn how to have peace with other people and do not act as a forum police or Marriott overlord.
Certainly some Marriott agents have not done very good jobs. But I find most of them are friendly and a lot are very capable. Or they won't stay employed so long.
I agree with what said. This is the reason I pretty much ignored the SNAs. I'm surprised to see that some or many people do the extra distance to fight something they get low chance of winning.
I'd rather give Hyatt my business and use one of my TSUs and get suite confirmed. I know a lot Marriott members do not get that option....
Clearly Marriott agent did not want to say things in the stone. So they said ABOUT one week. Five days clearly fit what Marriott agent stated. Do not say that Marriott agents have no clue and they spread misinformation.
You just need to learn how to have peace with other people and do not act as a forum police or Marriott overlord.
Certainly some Marriott agents have not done very good jobs. But I find most of them are friendly and a lot are very capable. Or they won't stay employed so long.
I agree with what said. This is the reason I pretty much ignored the SNAs. I'm surprised to see that some or many people do the extra distance to fight something they get low chance of winning.
I'd rather give Hyatt my business and use one of my TSUs and get suite confirmed. I know a lot Marriott members do not get that option....
