Confirmed upgrade before checking w/o SNA?
 

I’ve seen people posting about getting upgrades confirmed before check-in when not using SNAs. How does that work? How do you know? Does it show up in the app? Does it require someone from the property to upgrade you manually?

Curious, since I’m about 95% on upgrades this year (when there has been a room category to upgrade to), but I’ve never had it happen before arriving at the property— as far as I know.

Any insight?

Yes, pre-upgrades typically (but not always) show in the app.

I've already been upgraded for a late December stay. Of course there's always the risk they take the upgrade away between now and then.

Typically I see them when I review my reservation online or on the app and see that my room has changed. Usually, I go ahead and check in early when I see these.

As Kacee mentions, any pre-upgrade you might see in the app or online is not guaranteed. So "confirmed" isn't a word I would normally use in this case. "Possible" is a better word. ;)

Downgrades to those upgrades can also happen. Screenshot away.

Screenshot doesn't help unless you have SNA or points applied. There is no entitlement of "confirmed" upgrade without upgrade instrument.

It has helped me before. YMMV.

Thanks, all. Have people on this thread found that checking in online without upgrades ultimately hinders upgrades? I seem to have seen people on other threads suggesting that it doesn't.

I used to think it was a negative but no longer. I think it may draw front desk attention to your reservation, which can be a positive.

I routinely get upgraded to suites without using SNA's, but the UG rarely shows on the app. I rely on my personal connections to take care of me rather than the algorithm that Bonvoy uses to process SNA's. I have used only two of my five SNA's to date, and will most likely see them expire at the end of the year.

Thanks, all. Will let you know how it goes at check-in this evening. I did check in online.

Currently staying at the Marriott Vienna, booked base CAT room.
Nowadays I intentionally NOT check in on my app, despite the app prompting me a few days before checking in.
The night before check in date, we were pre-upgraded to a "1 BR" junior suite, click on "info" in your app, it will shows the upgraded room type listed as changed.

Checked in, we were assigned to the assigned suite, even had early check in at 11AM, which was pleasantly surprisingly!
Upgrades is always property dependent, but if I'm pre-upgraded, I usually will see the room type change in my app the night or few days before checking in.
Chances are also always higher when you DON'T check in online a few days prior to your arrival on the app.

As others had mentioned, YMMV, sometimes these rooms can be taken away from you depending on the property and how busy they are.
This rarely happens - when the property if overbooked or at occupancy capacity. Only happened to us once, when we arrived quite late and it was understandable they gave away the upgraded room to other elites.

As for the "1 BR suite" we are in now, honestly.. doesn't even look like a suite when compared to its pictures online, it's just a base room that has more sq footage and an odd corner layout.
We are just happy to have a larger room assigned to us, but it's looking like Marriott these days like to con their members how these odd layout rooms are categorized as "suites" just to upgrade its pool of members into, so they can continue to sell more of their base rooms. That's for a story to tell on another day.

People's individual experiences shape what they believe is an actual formal process. In my experience, it's like this: checking in online makes absolutely no negative difference to the possibility of the suite upgrade nor to whether that upgrade appears on the app as a room change before or after the online check in. It's about the hotel's own processes and availability of upgrades for elites rather than a process tied to the app. All you're doing with online check in is let the hotel know that you're definitely arriving and the approximate time. If anything, this useful information can help a proactive hotel assign you a specific upgraded room before you actually arrive but never guaranteed until you walk through the door of the room. I always check in online about a day before I arrive to let them know what time I arrive irrespective of what the app is showing for the room type. I've had all scenarios but the most common is that room upgrades appear on the app at some point on the day of arrival whether or not I've checked in online. Second most common scenario is that I'm upgraded a few days out whether or not I've checked in online. I've also had the scenario where the app told me I've got a suite upgrade (hello, Courtyard Taipei Downtown) but when I arrived late at night (about 10pm IIRC) the suite was gone and I got a basic room because presumably I was the last elite to check in and my rivals had complained louder. They moved me to a suite the next day.

First of all, everyone on this thread is awesome. Thanks.



So I’m planning on checking in on property at about 6PM (I checked in yesterday on the app). Three hours before that, I go online to see what rooms are bookable. I search to book three (not just one) 1BR suites. No problem. They’re available to book for the nights of my stay. I file that away.



Show up at the hotel, and go to the front desk. There are three positions. The “Bonvoy Elite” desk has no human anywhere in sight, so I stand in line for one of the two desks with people.



Here’s where it gets interesting. In general, in the US, I tip. I’ve worked enough service industry jobs to know how hard they are, and how a couple extra bucks can make someone’s day. I go to the clerk, and like always, hand over my driver’s license, Bonvoy credit card, and a $20 bill, and say, “thank you, this is for you.” The desk clerk says... “Oh, sir, there’s a $20 bill with your driver’s license,” and tries to hand it back to me. (We’re in Manhattan, by the way.) Sigh.



I politely let her know that that the $20 is a gratuity, and recognition for the hard work she does. (And by the way, I do the same thing whether I’m checking into a place with named suites or if it’s a Moxy where the room I booked is the room I’m going to get no matter what.) To me, tipping is karma and actual gratitude, not a bribe.)



So she says “Let me see if I can get you a King bed room.” Ok. Cool. At this point I say “That would be lovely, thank you; might there be any suites available to upgrade to?” She types for a while, and calls over the manager, points to something on the screen and says, “Mr. X is a Platinum member, but I don’t know if I can upgrade him to this room.” The manager laughs and says, “Of course. No problem.” The clerk says “I’m nervous to do that,” and the manager says “If you’re worried, just note the record that I said it was ok.”



So, I go to the room and it’s... nicer than what I booked, but, not anything like what I saw available online. At this point, I’m figuring, hey, whatever... not gonna be in the room that long, no problem. Then I look on the desk and there’s a bottle of champagne and some chocolate covered strawberries—and a postcard welcoming someone who is... not me... to this room.



I go back down to the front desk with the postcard and see the manager who approved the upgrade and say “Hey—don’t want to get anyone in trouble—seems like the room you gave me might have been reserved for someone else.” He frowns, and gets on the computer and rolls his eyes. We then start talking about the craziness of hotel rooms in Manhattan, etc... and he says “I’m really sorry about that. Let me see what I can do for you. I have a junior suite on a high floor...” then pokes around a bit more and says “Oh. No. Cool. I have a great 1BR suite for you, if that’s ok.” Of course it’s ok. I say thank you, and I’m now in a great, quiet room in Manhattan, that, incidentally, is way better than the first room, so...



I don’t think checking in online or not made any difference whatsoever... But, you know, like in other things in life, being nice to people and being empathetic leads to them being inclined to take care of you.



But.. grateful to folks on this thread for their insight.

I found out something recently when I exchanged emails with an Asst GM. She had sent me a note asking if my stay was "warm and memorable". The stay was fine but nothing special. I was thanked for my status at check in, but that was it. No one asked about my welcome amenity, there was no note from mgmt in my room, there was no welcome gift. I wasn't complaining, just replied honestly to her question. In her reply, she mentioned this which I wasn't aware of:

Otherwise, OLCI doesn't prevent you from getting suite upgrades, nor does it lock in your suite if you've been pre-assigned to one.

I always receive a message to that effect when I do mobile check in.

Yes, I concur it has no effect on my upgrade.

I find that long as I’m paying cash (typically standard member flex rate) for a standard room in a Marriott hotel in China, I get pre-upgraded to a suite, without exceptions unless the hotel is full, days or weeks ahead of time. With point stays I typically would have to request ahead of time via the chat function and I almost always get upgraded to a suite or at least a studio/ corner room. Titanium status. This did NOT happen when I was Platinum.

I agree that checking in online has not made a difference in upgrades for me, but YMMV.

Speaking of the chat function (and emails), my experience has been that agents are helpful about sorting out room issues, and making upgrades to particular rooms. In addition, I have often met those agents in person later, which seems to have smoothed the in-hotel experience as well.

I want to clarify my reading of this specific thread. My understanding to date, based on years of experience at a wide range of hotels, has been the following: Upgrades often show up in the app ahead of time. They can be retracted until you actually do mobile check-in, at which time they become confirmed. Right so far? Then does it not make sense that if you do mobile check-in showing the room type you actually booked, you are accepting this as your final choice? This has been confirmed to me on several occasions when I actually arrive at the hotel, with clerks saying that I have accepted the room choice by checking in online and that they would need "management override" to change my room type. Usually they just say no upgrade was available. There seems to be a suggestion here that somehow you can still get upgraded. I'm thinking this is not the case if you use mobile check-in. When I have not checked in on the mobile app (either because it didn't work or I wanted to negotiate at the front desk) I have had significant success with upgrades. Agree in advance - not at all. "What's done is done" was one front desk comment.

Your understanding is incorrect. I get upgraded all the time after checking in when the mobile app reflects the room I originally booked. I always check in with the mobile app as early as possible:

My procedure is to check-in so I get access to the chat function, and then contact the hotel to politely request an upgrade to a suite or another higher category room type I see is available.

To say my understanding is incorrect based entirely on your luck is a bit of a stretch. If you've had success in beating the system - great. I have had conversations with several front desk personnel and managers that confirm my position. I have been told that by clicking on "Check in" on the app, you are agreeing to the "terms and conditions" at that time. Your room is blocked at that time and any modification after that point is entirely dependent on the good will of the hotel in question. Kudos on your success; I would suggest it is far from typical.

I don't think it's a stretch. If it worked the way you described my experience would be impossible, as my room would be locked in and could not be changed. It seems clear that is not how the system works. I've never needed any sort of "management override" either. Any FDA can make these changes.

I will say that I tend to stay at Marriott's luxury properties that are well known or personally known to myself to treat elite members well, and I doubt any of them would deny an available upgrade they would have given otherwise just because I did OLCI.

I can see why some properties would try to pull that as an excuse to avoid giving an upgrade and I probably wouldn't patronize them again if they did. Other people on FT have reported properties claiming they can't do an upgrade because a prepaid rate doesn't allow a room type change, which isn't true, but it's an example of how some properties will simply make things up to avoid giving upgrades.
Also this. At the JW Singapore I had an SNA clear, and I did OLCI, and then had that suite downgraded afterward. Having done OLCI I was able to use chat to demand the return of my SNAs, and I ended up being able to keep the lesser suite which was still very nice. OLCI is no lock-in, whether it be to the room you booked, or a pre-check-in upgrade.

My experience as well!

I had a check in yesterday, I had booked two basic rooms and was assigned two club rooms about 4 days out on the app. After I checked in the rooms changed back to the original booked room. Fair enough if the hotel was full etc.. however, I had taken a screenshot of it by chance and on check in I showed the front staff.

They confirmed there were plenty of rooms available and for a 'promotional fee' they could give me two club rooms (again). After a bit of a discussion the best they could do was to give one room the upgrade then for the second room they would only charge one of the two people the lounge fee promotion instead of both. We settled for this as it worked out around £75 total for three nights.

Whilst I don't expect upgrades this experience seems a little disappointing that they would assign these rooms prior to check in then remove them despite plenty of availability.

IIRC as a Bonvoy Plat, you're entitled to lounge access for you plus one guest sharing your room. You should be upgraded to the best available room at check in, including club floor (but not Sheraton Towers, etc. nor anything at a RC).

There are so many exceptions based on brand/region/convention and resort hotel status, etc. that it's hard to know exactly to what you were untitled without further details, including whether you booked an eligible rate or booked with Marriott, etc.

Hangover plus purposely keeping it vague but yes happy with the benefits I am entitled to but I also understand those benefits are only to my room. Yes I did book direct. The disappointment is that the rooms were available but the hotel chose to remove the upgrades and then tried to make me pay for them.