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FAQ : Suite Night Awards - SNA - questions and discussion thread

Old Dec 19, 2018, 10:39 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: RedSun
IF YOU HAVE A PREPAID RATE, PLEASE READ THIS WIKI!
Recommended SNA Best Practices:
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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
  5. 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.
  6. 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 DOESNT SEEM TO ALLOW, HERE IS A WORK-AROUND. GOOD LUCK!

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/30575978-post541.html

Originally Posted by EuropeanPete
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.

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.

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FAQ : Suite Night Awards - SNA - questions and discussion thread

Old Nov 20, 2018, 5:54 pm
  #271  
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Denied at the SGS (was sold out in the week leading up to my stay, not surprised) but still got the suite at check-in, so bonus 2 SNAs to use in Paris next week
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Old Nov 20, 2018, 6:24 pm
  #272  
 
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Regarding picking multiple room types, it seems the hotel can play with this after the SNA is awarded by the system.

I applied an SNA to a stay this weekend at the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge by Autograph Collection. There were three suite types to choose from when requesting the SNA:

1). King Hospitality Suite, 1200 sq ft, highest suite category in the hotel
2). King Loft Suite, 630 square feet, next highest category
3). King Executive Suite, 600 square ft, no window in bedroom, lowest category suite

I selected all 3 types prepared to live with which ever suite I was assigned. 5 days in advance I received the automated e-mail stating my SNA had been successful. I went online and looked and I was placed in the King Hospitality Suite, the best one (and I took a screenshot). Today, 4 days out, I received an e-mail from the front desk of the hotel stating my SNA had cleared and I had been placed in a King Executive Suite. I went back online and looked and sure enough I was downgraded 2 categories. So, the hotel can obviously go in and change the suite after it is awarded by the system.
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Old Nov 20, 2018, 6:35 pm
  #273  
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Originally Posted by MePlatPremier


Marriott ended the SPG practice of paying hotels according to a benchmark ADR when occupancy was above a certain threshold. It now pays a fixed rate, that is not strictly correlated with hotel category (also contrary to SPG practice, where rates paid to hotels were set at locksteps according hotel category). Strong incentive for fraud and inventory-tampering was one of the reasons given for the measure.
When did this start?
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Old Nov 20, 2018, 7:58 pm
  #274  
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Originally Posted by MePlatPremier


Marriott ended the SPG practice of paying hotels according to a benchmark ADR when occupancy was above a certain threshold. It now pays a fixed rate, that is not strictly correlated with hotel category (also contrary to SPG practice, where rates paid to hotels were set at locksteps according hotel category). Strong incentive for fraud and inventory-tampering was one of the reasons given for the measure.
how do you know this exactly?
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Old Nov 21, 2018, 12:16 am
  #275  
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Originally Posted by MePlatPremier


SPG also paid properties for each SNA night. Speculation was that SPG paid around US$10.00 per SNA, taking into account that for the 50-nights benefit one could opt between 10 SNAs or a US$100.00 donation to UNICEF.
Doesn't that rather prove my point?
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Old Nov 21, 2018, 5:40 am
  #276  
 
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Originally Posted by bhrubin


As Lurkers and many others constantly remind everyone, just because you see a category listed as available on Marriott.com (or SPG.com beforehand) does not signify that an eligible suite in the SNA pool is available. Not every room/suite in a listed eligible category necessarily is included in a hotels SNA upgrade pool.

Of course, it also could be another Marriott IT glitch.

Of course, that still bodes pretty well for you to get the upgrade, whether it be due to the SNA in advance or on arrival at check in within the next 4-5 days.
Well I was upgraded to the Astor suite yesterday evening - I am very excited now.
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Old Nov 21, 2018, 8:24 pm
  #277  
 
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The IT seems to be failing and attaching a SNA may result in it being cancelled if any modifications being done to the reservation (adding a certificate). The SNAs also don't return immediately to your account like it used to in SPG... the CSR is hopeless even though they are trying their best to help but said the system won't let you do so. They can't reissue it and they can't do anything about it other than waiting for the system to return it itself.

Last time it also failed when I wanted to use at a SPG property in Osaka. The certificate disappears once you attach them.
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Old Nov 22, 2018, 3:06 am
  #278  
 
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I had a very odd conversation with SPG customer care re SNAs. I have 3 remaining for this year ( so expiring 31/12, plus 7 pending on another stay) and 10 for 2019. I wanted to apply them to a reservation 28/12-02/01 but was told that the 5 would have to come from the 2019 allocation “ because they have to be consecutive”. Obviously I wanted 3 from 2018 and 2 from 2019. Is this ‘policy’ correct? I don’t get it...maybe it’s just a new way to screw the customer. Very odd indeed.
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Old Nov 22, 2018, 5:14 am
  #279  
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I have a question. I have platinum premier ambassador status. Shouldn't I have 10 certificates: five for platinum and then five for platinum premier? I only have (had) five, which I've used. They were given to me in August. So should I ask my ambassador where the additional five are? I've already re-qualified through early 2020 for platinum premier ambassador with almost 300 nights and over $20,000 in spend.
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Old Nov 22, 2018, 7:04 am
  #280  
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Originally Posted by hockeyinsider
I have a question. I have platinum premier ambassador status. Shouldn't I have 10 certificates: five for platinum and then five for platinum premier? I only have (had) five, which I've used. They were given to me in August. So should I ask my ambassador where the additional five are? I've already re-qualified through early 2020 for platinum premier ambassador with almost 300 nights and over $20,000 in spend.
SNAs are one of the choices when you cross 50 & 75 nights and not an Ambassador benefit. Did you select the second five or something else as your choice? If still pending, you should see the option in your account.
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Old Nov 22, 2018, 7:12 am
  #281  
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Originally Posted by RogerD408
SNAs are one of the choices when you cross 50 & 75 nights and not an Ambassador benefit. Did you select the second five or something else as your choice? If still pending, you should see the option in your account.
I selected the first five shortly after 8/18. I'm not getting an option for a second selection. See below:

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Old Nov 22, 2018, 7:19 am
  #282  
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Originally Posted by hockeyinsider
I selected the first five shortly after 8/18. I'm not getting an option for a second selection. See below:

What do you see when you click View Past Choices? Also presuming you have over 75 nights this year in one or combined account.
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Old Nov 22, 2018, 7:34 am
  #283  
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Originally Posted by RogerD408
What do you see when you click View Past Choices? Also presuming you have over 75 nights this year in one or combined account.
It says I select five elite-qualifying nights, which I never did.
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Old Nov 22, 2018, 7:53 am
  #284  
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Originally Posted by hockeyinsider
It says I select five elite-qualifying nights, which I never did.
So you got 5 SNAs and it says you've selected 5 EQNs (presuming those posted), that's your two choices. Sounds like something has been borked up with your account and contacting MPG may be in order. I've only heard of the selection process being automatic with SPG at year end if you did not select something beforehand. Good luck.
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Old Nov 22, 2018, 8:25 am
  #285  
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Originally Posted by RogerD408
So you got 5 SNAs and it says you've selected 5 EQNs (presuming those posted), that's your two choices. Sounds like something has been borked up with your account and contacting MPG may be in order. I've only heard of the selection process being automatic with SPG at year end if you did not select something beforehand. Good luck.
Do I get a new choice in January?
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