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
Mar 21, 2019, 1:41 am
#901
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: CLT
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,551
Thanks for taking the time time to respond It is indeed a black box.
For you or others here: If a SNA does "clear" 5 days out roughly what time does the email notification come out? Is it a set time eastern time 5 days out? Does it vary?
For you or others here: If a SNA does "clear" 5 days out roughly what time does the email notification come out? Is it a set time eastern time 5 days out? Does it vary?
All too often people believe what they see online is the absolute truth and don't want to hear anything else. Reality is the website/app is merely a reduced copy of what is run in the back office and that's a reduced copy (although collection of many properties) of what the property carries. Also, properties are allowed to load more inventory than actually exists based upon statistics about no-shows and cancellations in order to maximize their bookings. Lastly, SNA are pulled from the property's SNA pool of rooms which may not contain all the rooms with the same category names and is not reflected in the website. I'm not sure if SPG could have built a more black-box process short of not confirming the upgrade at all (and since some properties fail to deliver confirmed upgrades, maybe they have).
Mar 21, 2019, 2:33 am
#902
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: La Jolla, CA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, Lifetime Titanium, Delta Plat, Hilton Diamond , Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,615
I just checked my last one and it was sent at 1:09 PM Spain time 5 days prior. IIRC I usually get my SNA confirmations very early in the morning when I am home in the US (PST) so that would correlate.
Mar 24, 2019, 2:42 pm
#903
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 502
I have to wonder if I would have received this upgrade anyways.
At check in, the agent mentioned we have upgraded you to a st regis suite (if this was out of their hands, why would they state the same things they say for regular, non-SNA room upgrades?). All of the evidence we have seen lately really makes me think this whole process isnt as "black box" as some keep saying and really depends on the property to execute.
Either way, its a great property with a great breakfast spread.
Mar 25, 2019, 5:48 pm
#904
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 6
I just got back from a 6 night points stay here. Very nice property. As for your SNA question, I applied SNAs awhile back. SNAs didnot clear at the 5 day mark so I figured all hope was lost but the next day at the 4 day mark, I received a success email shortly after 2 PM EST. I had chosen the top 2 suites as my options and was successful in getting a St. Regis Suite. Side note, with this suite selling for $2400 a night during my stay, combined with the 5th night free benefit i managed to get a value of 4 cents per point out of the points used on this redemption.
Mar 25, 2019, 5:56 pm
#905
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,416
I'm not sure any of us truly knows how these are actually being handled now.
Mar 25, 2019, 6:06 pm
#906
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 502
" Hotels must have GXP and One Yield to participate in SNAs"
and
"Only the Suite Night Awards choice requires property execution, where available. All other choices are delivered above property."
Mar 25, 2019, 6:49 pm
#907
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,416
As I posted here, https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/30799616-post755.html I really think properties are handling these now.
Mar 25, 2019, 7:29 pm
#908
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: San Francisco
Programs: Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton, IHG
Posts: 54
Do some SNA pools include no suites? I was checking the Kauaii Marriott SNA upgradeable room types and they have about 6 choices of rooms, which are all pretty much the same size room, but with either different bedding types or varying degrees of better views. Somewhat underwhelming choices.
Mar 26, 2019, 9:53 am
#909
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: DL DM 2MM, Marriott LT Titanium, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 15,165
Can we start a wiki, either in this thread or a new one for a list of hotels that are not offering real suites (or in some cases anything) with SNAs? The above example of only offering minor room view upgrades is an insult to the purpose of using an SNA.
I'll start.
The following hotels either do not participate in the SNA program, or only offer minor view/room choices and not real suites.
Boston Marriott Copley
I'll start.
The following hotels either do not participate in the SNA program, or only offer minor view/room choices and not real suites.
Boston Marriott Copley
Mar 26, 2019, 9:58 am
#910
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 502
Can we start a wiki, either in this thread or a new one for a list of hotels that are not offering real suites (or in some cases anything) with SNAs? The above example of only offering minor room view upgrades is an insult to the purpose of using an SNA.
I'll start.
The following hotels either do not participate in the SNA program, or only offer minor view/room choices and not real suites.
Boston Marriott Copley
I'll start.
The following hotels either do not participate in the SNA program, or only offer minor view/room choices and not real suites.
Boston Marriott Copley
Mar 26, 2019, 10:28 am
#911
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 35
I already detailed my story of getting an SNA award at the Dolphin (WDW) from 2 double beds with no view to one with a view.
Mar 26, 2019, 11:03 am
#912
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,416
I just had SNA fail to clear at Sheraton LAX Gateway, which I find absolutely incomprehensible given the number of suites at this property. My suspicion is they're not making any available for confirmed in advance upgrades. Have always gotten one at check-in, so will just hope that streak holds.
Mar 27, 2019, 1:47 pm
#913
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: DL DM 2MM, Marriott LT Titanium, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 15,165
I do not classify a slightly improved room as a reasonable benefit or worth selecting and using SNAs. As others mentioned, getting a marginally better 'view' should not constitute a hotel's participation in the program.
Mar 27, 2019, 2:12 pm
#914
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 502
At least they tell you in the description of SNAs that premium rooms are an option in addition to suites now.
Mar 27, 2019, 10:04 pm
#915
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,416
I just had SNA fail to clear at Sheraton LAX Gateway, which I find absolutely incomprehensible given the number of suites at this property. My suspicion is they're not making any available for confirmed in advance upgrades. Have always gotten one at check-in, so will just hope that streak holds.
Big fan of this property (even if they don't confirm SNAs).