hockeyinsider

You might try calling and asking for the operations manager or front office manager. Just say you wanted to call since nobody is responding to the chat. Obviously, there's a diplomatic way to put it. Unfortunately, even some legacy Marriott properties before 8/18 were very bad about responding to the chat messages through the mobile application. In general, however, I find that most properties respond within 15 or 20 minutes. Surprisingly, the limited-service properties seem to be the best.

I was upgraded yesterday to a suite for my stay tomorrow at an airport Sheraton and this morning I was upgraded to a suite for my weekend stay at a downtown Delta hotel. Both times no questions asked. Who knows if I would have gotten the upgrade had I waited until arrival at the front desk.

C17PSGR

That's not my experience. Prior to 8/18, I was 10 percent suite upgrades at legacy Starwood properties and 40 percent at legacy Marriott properties. The Marriott suite upgrade language is/was better because it dropped the work "standard" which was subject to abuse. Of course, post 8/18 suite upgrades have dropped at both since everyone is "Platinum" or above and even hotels that want to comply don't know what to do.

Hoping things are better next week.

hockeyinsider

Newport News Marriott at City Center in Newport News, Virginia, was the latest hotel to upgrade me. As I've done for two or three months now, I asked for a suite upgrade at T-minus 48 hours when I checked in online. It was given without question.

flyme2

I've been fortunate in that my 5 stays, 22 nights thus far, apart from an airport CY, have resulted in my being upgraded to suites. Now I must admit, I occasionally had to do some nudging at check-in, but nothing untoward or DYKWIA. BTW, my suite success rate at Hilton is 100%, with 3 stays/13 nights. I'm not showing off, but merely suggesting that it is harder to deny a request face to face than by email or chat.

hockeyinsider

Sure, as they say, you can say anything you want as long as you can keep a straight face. However, it's much easier for a front desk to claim the suites are no longer available when you've waited until time of arrival to ask for an upgrade as opposed to asking for an upgrade at the time of check-in, which is as early as T-minus 48 hours. With more and more properties utilizing the mobile key technology this is becoming even more important.

Cll1881

hockeyinsider

I normally say something like, "Hey. I just checked in through the app. I had a question. Do you have an ambassador status suite upgrade available?"

I make a point of prefacing "upgrade" with "suite" because I don't want them to respond, "Well, we've already upgraded you to a high-floor room" or whatever.

flyme2

Coincidentally, I utilized the advance request via online check-in and chat with the property in which I am currently a guest. I was told, all sold out, if there is a cancellation, we'll upgrade you. Upon arrival there was no suite upgrade. A bit of friendly coercion, and a few minutes of keyboard clicking and a couple of telephone calls, and a deluxe suite was found. So it really is a case of either YMMV, or consider that both strategies work, or do not.

hockeyinsider

Another noncompliant property to avoid: The Washington Marriott at Metro Center.

FTLexMUC

mahasamatman

You should expect that you are entitled to the upgrade, and you should also expect that many (most?) properties are reluctant to give out what you are entitled to and are willing to lie to cover their asses.

myperks

dimramon

C17PSGR

Interesting experience this weekend at a legacy Marriott property where I have stayed at dozens of times that confirms another data point in the downgrade of the program from the Starwoodization. As a legacy Platinum Premier, before 8/18, the GM and Rooms Manager pulled a list of the handfful of Plat Premiers staying at the property and preupgraded them to suites. On the rare occasion where I wasn't preupgraded, they would take care of it at checkin, This time, however, they explained that all the suites had been preupgraded for people using SNA's. Obviously. that benefits the 50 night a year guest who might not otherwise get a suite upgrade but is a downgrade to the 125-150 night guest, I hadn't realized this might be part of the reason suite upgrades have almost stopped.

hockeyinsider

Why not name the property? I imagine this is highly dependent on brand and destination. I can't imagine there are many eligible elites using suite night award certificates for an airport Courtyard.