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 16, 2018, 2:11 am
#242
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: UA 1K, Delta PM, AA EXP, Marriott AMB, IHG Gold
Posts: 448
I’m very annoyed by this - was quite sure that the SNAs would have cleared and I had been saving them all year for this trip. I love my ambassador but this makes me feel a bit better about my decision to aim for only 75 nights this year instead of 100.
Overall lots of IT incompetence which has been generating lots of extra work for my ambassador this year. (The new IT platform means that I can’t make reservations at certain hotels without going through her!) If IT issues continue I may drop down further next year to 50 nights. We’ll see.
Nov 16, 2018, 10:36 am
#243
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: BKK
Programs: World of Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Bonvoy LTP; IHG Plat
Posts: 2,232
Nov 16, 2018, 10:47 am
#244
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: La Jolla, CA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, Lifetime Titanium, Delta Plat, Hilton Diamond , Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,615
Usually, an SNA will put you into whatever suite category you chose as an option—as available. That’s done by central reservations automatically so the hotel doesn’t have any control. But it is possible that you could be given an even better upgrade at check in. Hard to say. Depends on the property and inventory.
I had an SNA clear 5 days ago for a Marvelous Suite at the W Hollywood today—but arrived and had been upgraded yet again to a Fantastic Suite. So yes, any Plat can be upgraded beyond an SNA based on hotel discretion and/or recognition of even higher status (PP or Ambassador). That’s almost always based on availability...but Ambassador guests may find they get further upgraded more than most. (The W Hollywood is sold out tonight, as an example.)
But on very rare occasions, an SNA also can knock you out of a higher upgrade a hotel already may have assigned you due to Plat or more likely PP or Ambassador status. The StR San Francisco almost always pre-upgrades me to a Metropolitan Suite, but once I used SNAs which cleared 5 days in advance—and downgraded me from the Metropolitan to an Astor Suite. A quick call to the hotel remedied that, of course.
I am thinking in the future I would call the hotel and ask if I should cancel my SNA.
Last edited by damon88; Nov 19, 2018 at 7:17 am
Nov 18, 2018, 8:40 am
#245
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 88
The past week, I have been attempting to use a handful of SNAs at an Autograph Collection property which I know participates in the program. I can confirm they participate by creating a reservation for a few months from now and successfully requesting.
Unfortunately, I can't seem to successfully make the request for my actual upcoming reservation. All reservations made directly with Marriott via the site (or telephone reservations).
In the newly integrated system, is there any kind of availability check done at time of request? Phone agents keep trying to tell me stories about availability that don't make sense to me. What might cause a failure to request at a property for one night, when it works at the same property for another night? Can/do properties shift the SNA pool inventory from date to date?
Thanks for any wisdom any can provide...
Unfortunately, I can't seem to successfully make the request for my actual upcoming reservation. All reservations made directly with Marriott via the site (or telephone reservations).
In the newly integrated system, is there any kind of availability check done at time of request? Phone agents keep trying to tell me stories about availability that don't make sense to me. What might cause a failure to request at a property for one night, when it works at the same property for another night? Can/do properties shift the SNA pool inventory from date to date?
Thanks for any wisdom any can provide...
Nov 18, 2018, 4:31 pm
#247
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,169
Nov 19, 2018, 2:17 am
#249
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,083
SNA noob here, but have a question regarding properties that have multiple room options for SNA request.
What happens if I select multiple room options, in order to increase chance of SNA clearing. Does the system process from highest category room down?
Would hate to basically shoot myself in the foot by selecting all the available options.
What happens if I select multiple room options, in order to increase chance of SNA clearing. Does the system process from highest category room down?
Would hate to basically shoot myself in the foot by selecting all the available options.
Nov 19, 2018, 2:28 am
#250
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,720
SNA noob here, but have a question regarding properties that have multiple room options for SNA request.
What happens if I select multiple room options, in order to increase chance of SNA clearing. Does the system process from highest category room down?
Would hate to basically shoot myself in the foot by selecting all the available options.
What happens if I select multiple room options, in order to increase chance of SNA clearing. Does the system process from highest category room down?
Would hate to basically shoot myself in the foot by selecting all the available options.
Nov 19, 2018, 7:01 am
#251
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 88
Further testing with a bunch of reservations at multiple hotels seems to confirm either a much wider scale tech issue, or a major new and undisclosed restriction: it looks to me that no advance purchase non-modifiable reservations are eligible for SNA requests whatsoever.
I tested with Advance Purchase, no change allowed reservations at five hotels - 0/5 request-able. The same five hotels on a Member Rate for the exact same dates - 5/5. Elite services desk has no ability to assist.
Nov 19, 2018, 4:13 pm
#252
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,169
This was always my experience with SPG... I never had any issues like what UA-NYC seems to be describing.
Further testing with a bunch of reservations at multiple hotels seems to confirm either a much wider scale tech issue, or a major new and undisclosed restriction: it looks to me that no advance purchase non-modifiable reservations are eligible for SNA requests whatsoever.
I tested with Advance Purchase, no change allowed reservations at five hotels - 0/5 request-able. The same five hotels on a Member Rate for the exact same dates - 5/5. Elite services desk has no ability to assist.
Further testing with a bunch of reservations at multiple hotels seems to confirm either a much wider scale tech issue, or a major new and undisclosed restriction: it looks to me that no advance purchase non-modifiable reservations are eligible for SNA requests whatsoever.
I tested with Advance Purchase, no change allowed reservations at five hotels - 0/5 request-able. The same five hotels on a Member Rate for the exact same dates - 5/5. Elite services desk has no ability to assist.
But the "no advance purchase" thing IMO is new and is a massive
I'm sure it's the latest "technological limitation" or whatever (vs. malice) but it still stinks
Nov 19, 2018, 10:07 pm
#253
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 88
My Ambassador has confirmed with me (a few times) that if the property is sold out, you can't apply SNAs to that existing reservation
But the "no advance purchase" thing IMO is new and is a massive I'm sure it's the latest "technological limitation" or whatever (vs. malice) but it still stinks
But the "no advance purchase" thing IMO is new and is a massive
I'm sure it's the latest "technological limitation" or whatever (vs. malice) but it still stinks
Nov 20, 2018, 7:19 am
#254
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC, BA, Marriott, SPG
Posts: 842
Does anyone know what suite upgrade options are typically available for the W South Beach? The Marriott site won't show me as I am short 1 upgrade cert for my stay right now (I get 5 more next week when I cross the 75 night threshold).
Nov 20, 2018, 9:21 am
#255
Join Date: Aug 2016
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, A3 Gold, M&M Senator
Posts: 121
This is rather inconvenient. So you have to keep checking back to apply them, because if a hotel is sold out today on a given date it doesn't mean it's going to be the case 5 nights out when all the cancellations happen...