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
Oct 6, 2018, 12:33 am
#136
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: somewhere north of stateside...
Posts: 4,153
I applied 4 SNA to FourPoint Auckland NZ for a stay 9/9-9/13. It was not cleared but the 4 SNAs were not returned to my account. I called SPG and was given a email to inquire. The email bounced. Still no SNA. I hope to use these for a late October trip and also an early November trip. I am afraid I will never see the 4 SNA again or until much later, after they expire. Anyone has a similar experience or know how I might recover them?
Oct 6, 2018, 3:48 pm
#137
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Montrose, CO
Programs: United 1K MM, Marriott LTPP
Posts: 548
Any benefit to requesting suite upgrade many months out?
I have a Jan 1st reservation for the JW in Lima. Is there any benefit of applying my suite upgrades this far in advance or do I just need to wait until a few days before 5 days prior? Is there any chance of a confirmed upgrade earlier or am I just wasting my time applying them?
It's possible although unlikely that I might have a reservation come up before this trip that I want to apply them to, in which case I would need to remove them. If there is a chance it confirms an upgrade sooner I will apply them.
It's possible although unlikely that I might have a reservation come up before this trip that I want to apply them to, in which case I would need to remove them. If there is a chance it confirms an upgrade sooner I will apply them.
Oct 6, 2018, 4:58 pm
#138
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Liftime Titanium Elite Marriott
Posts: 1,752
Absolutely no point. Its all based upon check-in. The only thing you can really do is drop an email and just let them know any special request and see ask nicely for an upgrade.
Oct 6, 2018, 6:26 pm
#139
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: YVR
Programs: United Silver, Bonvoy Titanium, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 378
I believe, at least with the SPG program previously, suite night upgrade requests were prioritized based on the time of request.
Oct 6, 2018, 7:00 pm
#140
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Atlanta but Washington DC will always be home.
Programs: Marriott LTP, Hilton Diamond, Accor Gold, Hyatt Explorist,, Delta Plat,
Posts: 2,070
Agree with eyeball, assuming we're talking about suite night awards, you'll be queued based on the date the SNA request is made.
Oct 8, 2018, 8:17 am
#142
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: Delta Diamond, Bonvoy something good; sometimes other things too
Posts: 5,050
Does anyone have any data points on how SNAs requested before the IT merge (on SPG properties only, obviously) are holding up? In particular, have there been any issues with the upgrades processing as usual? I have a few old reservations with SNA requests that were placed before August and it seems like the request is still there, but I've had so many other issues with my account and the website is still so dysfunctional that I'm nervous.
Also, if one cancels an old SPG booking with an SNA request on it, do the SNAs get returned to your account promptly, or are there delays? The fact that someone had an issue getting uncleared SNAs back is probably not a good sign.
Also, if one cancels an old SPG booking with an SNA request on it, do the SNAs get returned to your account promptly, or are there delays? The fact that someone had an issue getting uncleared SNAs back is probably not a good sign.
Oct 8, 2018, 12:21 pm
#144
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,521
Does anyone have any data points on how SNAs requested before the IT merge (on SPG properties only, obviously) are holding up? In particular, have there been any issues with the upgrades processing as usual? I have a few old reservations with SNA requests that were placed before August and it seems like the request is still there, but I've had so many other issues with my account and the website is still so dysfunctional that I'm nervous.
Also, if one cancels an old SPG booking with an SNA request on it, do the SNAs get returned to your account promptly, or are there delays? The fact that someone had an issue getting uncleared SNAs back is probably not a good sign.
Also, if one cancels an old SPG booking with an SNA request on it, do the SNAs get returned to your account promptly, or are there delays? The fact that someone had an issue getting uncleared SNAs back is probably not a good sign.
Oct 8, 2018, 12:38 pm
#145
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: CEB - primary/YVR -secondary
Programs: AC*Super Elite (100K) / PR*Elite / AY*Platinum (OWE) / SPG*Bonvoy Titanium (LTT)
Posts: 2,272
I cancelled a booking with 2 SNAs attached to it laat August 28. To Date, haven't received them back
Oct 8, 2018, 3:42 pm
#146
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,168
Does anyone have any data points on how SNAs requested before the IT merge (on SPG properties only, obviously) are holding up? In particular, have there been any issues with the upgrades processing as usual? I have a few old reservations with SNA requests that were placed before August and it seems like the request is still there, but I've had so many other issues with my account and the website is still so dysfunctional that I'm nervous.
Also, if one cancels an old SPG booking with an SNA request on it, do the SNAs get returned to your account promptly, or are there delays? The fact that someone had an issue getting uncleared SNAs back is probably not a good sign.
Also, if one cancels an old SPG booking with an SNA request on it, do the SNAs get returned to your account promptly, or are there delays? The fact that someone had an issue getting uncleared SNAs back is probably not a good sign.
Oct 8, 2018, 4:36 pm
#147
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Floating around
Programs: UA 1K (1MM), DL Gold (1MM), Marriott LTT
Posts: 10,344
I did get a pseudo-upgrade at the hotel. The room I booked was a king + sofa bed and I got a king bedroom + sofa bed. No two queen beds available and the only room they were selling for my nights was the "presidential" suite at $2,400 a night. They refused to upgrade me to it saying it wasn't available for "free upgrade". Ok...
But SNA communciations worked well for me this time around. I'm still going to have a ton of them expire this year.
-RM
Oct 9, 2018, 9:07 pm
#148
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Toronto
Programs: AC SE MM, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,101
I applied one for an upcoming stay at the Douglas (Vancouver) on Friday, single night. Room type (1 bedroom suite) is available (now 3 days out) but it’s not confirming. Marriott phone says the hotel has to manually do it. Hotel says they are told it’s an automated process “above property” and they don’t know what to do. Lame.
Oct 10, 2018, 1:16 am
#149
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,521
I applied one for an upcoming stay at the Douglas (Vancouver) on Friday, single night. Room type (1 bedroom suite) is available (now 3 days out) but it’s not confirming. Marriott phone says the hotel has to manually do it. Hotel says they are told it’s an automated process “above property” and they don’t know what to do. Lame.
Oct 10, 2018, 6:26 am
#150
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: DL DM 2MM, Marriott LT Titanium, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 15,193
And apparently there are plenty of Marriott properties that block out SNAs even though they have a lot of suites... meanwhile trying to provide feedback about my dissatisfaction through Marriott customer service is a futile attempt as all they respond with is a canned cut-n-paste response.