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
Feb 17, 2019, 4:23 pm
#721
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,717
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.
Feb 18, 2019, 6:31 am
#723
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,450
This just seems like poor management. They've given the properties complete discretion to select their SNA pool, and many properties have, predictably, totally gamed the process.
And what's with properties (hello, Prince Gallery) opting out entirely? How is that allowed?
And what's with properties (hello, Prince Gallery) opting out entirely? How is that allowed?
Feb 18, 2019, 6:53 am
#724
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: ORD
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Platinum/LT Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 5,594
A couple things from the SPG side, but need help from others here...for business travelers, there's now a Marriott/SPG hotel virtually anywhere you're likely to travel. Courtyards and other lower Marriott brands fill a gap that SPG seemed to have in smaller cities and more suburban areas. Also, having experienced a couple SPG concierge lounges since the merger, access to the Marriott lounges appears to be an upgrade (but admittedly I've only seen a couple SPG brands).
I think, overall though, it's easy to discount "more hotel choices" as only one thing, when in fact it's a pretty big one thing. Having a greater choice of properties and a larger overall footprint trickles down to earning more points and more places to redeem points. I was just recently looking at the St. Regis Bora Bora, which I couldn't have reserved with the small amount of SPG points I had. I also just stayed at the El Mangroove in Costa Rica on points, which wouldn't have been available to SPG members before.
Feb 18, 2019, 10:41 am
#725
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: Bonvoy :Ambassador , ALL :Diamond, Skywards :Silver, Krisflyer :Silver
Posts: 2,808
Afterall its a SUITE Night Award ... not Room night award.
Pretty silly move for Marriott
Feb 18, 2019, 11:11 am
#727
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: YVR
Programs: United Silver, Bonvoy Titanium, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 378
Exactly. I hardly want to use my few SNAs to upgrade my room to the same size room, but pool view or partial ocean view for instance. I haven't seen 'high floor' as a choice yet, but that may be coming.
Feb 18, 2019, 11:21 am
#728
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,717
There were selected reports of it, but it was pretty rare. I must have looked at 50 to 100 hotels with SNAs in the SPG days and I never came across one with non-suites. It's more like 60% now.
Feb 18, 2019, 11:21 am
#729
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
"Non-suites previously allowed w/SPG" = false equivalency, as those were few and far between
New Marriott SNAs = freedom to allow hotels to just put them on a couple high floor / view rooms and consider that an "upgrade"
New Marriott SNAs = freedom to allow hotels to just put them on a couple high floor / view rooms and consider that an "upgrade"
Feb 18, 2019, 11:36 am
#730
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: South Florida
Programs: AA LTG (EXP), Hilton Silver (Dia), Marriott LTP (PP), SPG LTG (P) > MPG LTPP
Posts: 11,329
This may be more than Marriott can take on right now. What was the count of properties, 6,700? They are having a tough time managing one IT department, how are they going to handle the properties. I think the best we can do is to keep complaining when a property seems to be breaking the rules. Post the disingenuous properties here and on TA to expose the game players.
Feb 18, 2019, 11:42 am
#731
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: Bonvoy :Ambassador , ALL :Diamond, Skywards :Silver, Krisflyer :Silver
Posts: 2,808
This may be more than Marriott can take on right now. What was the count of properties, 6,700? They are having a tough time managing one IT department, how are they going to handle the properties. I think the best we can do is to keep complaining when a property seems to be breaking the rules. Post the disingenuous properties here and on TA to expose the game players.
Feb 18, 2019, 11:42 am
#732
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 498
I've had 20+ SNAs clear over the years and distinctly recall making a conscious choice not to check the non-suite upgrade options around half the time. It was nowhere near rare, especially if you count hotels offering junior suites that were simply a moderately larger room (rather than separate bedroom and living area). And enhanced ocean views at certain resort properties were definitely in the pre-merger SPG SNA upgrade pools.
Feb 18, 2019, 11:50 am
#733
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: YVR
Programs: United Silver, Bonvoy Titanium, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 378
The annoying part is these potential upgrades are not even clearing until five days before the stay (unlike Hyatt certs for instance). So the properties still have the opportunity to sell the suites up to almost the end. But some properties seemingly still do not offer suites as a SNA option.
Feb 18, 2019, 12:07 pm
#734
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,450
I unfortunately would tend to agree. It's fairly obvious they've devoted no management resources to pro-actively ensuring property compliance with the rules, and that the only form of policing consists of ad hoc reactions to social media criticism or follow-up by the lurkers here on FT.
Feb 18, 2019, 1:19 pm
#735
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: South Florida
Programs: AA LTG (EXP), Hilton Silver (Dia), Marriott LTP (PP), SPG LTG (P) > MPG LTPP
Posts: 11,329
I'd give the "average TA reader" to understand if they property is not playing by their own rules you shouldn't expect anything spectacular if you are not one of their supposedly-recognized loyalty members. Bad is still bad no matter your level of involvement.