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
Jan 15, 2019, 9:52 am
#616
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Southern California, USA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador and LTT, UA Plat/LT Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 8,764
Sorry if this is already discussed...I just got told by customer service that my stay in May is ineligible for using SNAs because it was a points stay with a cash upgrade to a better room. Even though there are still rooms above that level, they say that their computer won't apply the SNA.
Of course the same person said, in the same call, that the reason was "no other suites were available" and "that hotel doesn't take SNAs" but after I pushed back on both of those as being false (I had already called the hotel) I was put on hold for some period of time and then told the third story, above.
Can anyone confirm or cite T&Cs that cash+points stays are non-SNA?
Of course the same person said, in the same call, that the reason was "no other suites were available" and "that hotel doesn't take SNAs" but after I pushed back on both of those as being false (I had already called the hotel) I was put on hold for some period of time and then told the third story, above.
Can anyone confirm or cite T&Cs that cash+points stays are non-SNA?
Jan 15, 2019, 9:59 am
#617
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Williamsburg, VA
Programs: DL DM, Bonvoy LTT, HH Diam, UA Silver, USAF million miler ;)
Posts: 1,596
Granted, its a "points + Cash" stay. but how hard is it to actually say so in the T&Cs? And really, why does giving them money for one upgrade keep me from using SNAs? In this particular case, theoretically, someone with a standard room on points only could get a complimentary upgrade to the room I can't get as someone who is offering cash and SNAs. Doesn't make sense. Not that making sense is a rule or anything, but seems weird.
Jan 15, 2019, 10:04 am
#618
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Southern California, USA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador and LTT, UA Plat/LT Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 8,764
Granted, its a "points + Cash" stay. but how hard is it to actually say so in the T&Cs? And really, why does giving them money for one upgrade keep me from using SNAs? In this particular case, theoretically, someone with a standard room on points only could get a complimentary upgrade to the room I can't get as someone who is offering cash and SNAs. Doesn't make sense. Not that making sense is a rule or anything, but seems weird.
Again, your cash upgrade rate on an award stay is NOT the same as a standard cash+points rate.
You still will be eligible for a complimentary upgrade on arrival, just like any other Platinum guest. That has nothing to do with the automated system utilized for SNAs.
It makes sense. You just don’t like it.
Jan 15, 2019, 1:09 pm
#619
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Williamsburg, VA
Programs: DL DM, Bonvoy LTT, HH Diam, UA Silver, USAF million miler ;)
Posts: 1,596
It in fact doesn't make sense, to me. They'd rather give the complimentary upgrade than use my SNA instrument? I can both not like it, and not think it makes sense, and its really not up to you to say what my motivation is for pointing it out. Why don't you stick to telling us what you think, not what I think?
I didn't say my rate was a cash+points rate after you pointed that out originally, in fact, I reversed the terms in the last post to make it clear that it was points, plus a cash upgrade. So we can leave that argument behind.
And finally, I believe that the point is quite valid, that if they are going to point out several cases where stays are, and are not, eligible, for SNAs, they could just as easily given a comprehensive list instead of confusing people and having a CS agent give me three different answers, two of which were provably false. What's to like?
Jan 15, 2019, 9:39 pm
#620
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 88
Marriott IT doesn’t allow for non-refundable stays to be eligible for SNAs to be applied, either. So it isn’t so surprising that an unusual cash upgrade rate as you’ve arranged isn’t eligible for SNAs to be applied.
Again, your cash upgrade rate on an award stay is NOT the same as a standard cash+points rate.
You still will be eligible for a complimentary upgrade on arrival, just like any other Platinum guest. That has nothing to do with the automated system utilized for SNAs.
It makes sense. You just don’t like it.
The stay in question is a Free Night Award stay, and thus should be eligible.
The cash upgrade is not relevant according to the terms, and in a world where Marriott IT systems functioned properly (rate should simply not be relevant to SNA requestability in the way it currently appears to be) it probably wouldn't be relevant to the Agent's computer either. The fact that a Marriott IT systems failure is unsurprising neither makes the program behavior in this case acceptable nor sensical.
Jan 15, 2019, 10:42 pm
#621
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Southern California, USA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador and LTT, UA Plat/LT Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 8,764
This is unnecessarily apologetic to my eyes.
The stay in question is a Free Night Award stay, and thus should be eligible.
The cash upgrade is not relevant according to the terms, and in a world where Marriott IT systems functioned properly (rate should simply not be relevant to SNA requestability in the way it currently appears to be) it probably wouldn't be relevant to the Agent's computer either. The fact that a Marriott IT systems failure is unsurprising neither makes the program behavior in this case acceptable nor sensical.
The stay in question is a Free Night Award stay, and thus should be eligible.
The cash upgrade is not relevant according to the terms, and in a world where Marriott IT systems functioned properly (rate should simply not be relevant to SNA requestability in the way it currently appears to be) it probably wouldn't be relevant to the Agent's computer either. The fact that a Marriott IT systems failure is unsurprising neither makes the program behavior in this case acceptable nor sensical.
If one wants to apply the SNA, simply cancel the cash upgrade and take one’s chances with the SNA. If one wants the certainty of the cash upgrade, then one has to accept the numbing reality that the SNA isn’t going to work.
Life is about making choices.
Jan 16, 2019, 7:47 am
#622
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: UA 1K | MR Platinum
Posts: 492
Anyone had luck applying SNAs over the last few days? Each time I try, it accepts them, then immediately cancels them and gives me a vague error message about the transaction failing. App and website have similar results.
Jan 17, 2019, 4:32 pm
#623
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,167
Same issues. My Ambassador is on it but with her 5,000 clients or whatever I'm assuming it's lower priority (May stay).
Meanwhile, a cleared SNA for my weekend stay has erased any visible record of my reservation (Ambassador says it's fine, they called the hotel, re-confirmed it, etc. etc.) Amusing when I was invited to check in and then it bombed out when it couldn't find said reservation.
Reason #47 while I'm looking forward to checking out Hyatt.
Meanwhile, a cleared SNA for my weekend stay has erased any visible record of my reservation (Ambassador says it's fine, they called the hotel, re-confirmed it, etc. etc.) Amusing when I was invited to check in and then it bombed out when it couldn't find said reservation.
Reason #47 while I'm looking forward to checking out Hyatt.
Jan 19, 2019, 6:15 am
#624
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 481
Suite Night Awards not showing
just selected SNA as the 50 nights attained option.
however I can’t seem to find it.
also can’t seem to apply it my existing reservation.
myst day since the migration Marriott is much worst than SPG. The website and app is much harder to use
however I can’t seem to find it.
also can’t seem to apply it my existing reservation.
myst day since the migration Marriott is much worst than SPG. The website and app is much harder to use
Jan 19, 2019, 6:25 pm
#626
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 28
Lurkers or others any comment on the issue of SNAs being immediately cancelled when applied? I am similarly having issues applying SNAs for a reward stay I have next month. Same issue using app, website and even ringing SPG/Marriott platinum lines and asking them to apply - in every case SNAs are applying and then immediately returned to my account.
Jan 20, 2019, 6:55 pm
#629
Join Date: Jun 2013
Programs: Marriott/SPG,Hilton HHonors, QFF
Posts: 17
Lurkers or others any comment on the issue of SNAs being immediately cancelled when applied? I am similarly having issues applying SNAs for a reward stay I have next month. Same issue using app, website and even ringing SPG/Marriott platinum lines and asking them to apply - in every case SNAs are applying and then immediately returned to my account.
Have been advised to try again closer to the stay. Hmmmmm....
Jan 20, 2019, 8:38 pm
#630
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,520
Chalk it it up to Marriott IT. Unless you need them right away, I’d just wait it out. They’ll probably come back.
And thanks for not starting a new thread like some people do for every little issue.
