Completely disagree with the previous poster. SNAs are not worth much but they’re definitely worth more than EQNs you don’t need IMO. Most properties, including the STR NY, seemingly don’t care about the difference between Titanium and Platinum. Perhaps it plays a role in upgrade priority but I cannot think of a single night where that hotel has run out of suites. They are more likely to run out of base superior rooms or even grand luxes.

Strategy for 2023
 

Thanks to an inordinate amount of family business this year that required stays in places where there are no available WoH hotels but plenty of Bonvoy hotels where the price is right (plus two 1-night mattress runs), I will be downgraded from WoH Globalist to Explorist and upgraded from Bonvoy Gold to Titanium. Not a great tradeoff, but here's my plan for the next year.

1. First of all, amass enough points to book a midtier hotel that charges >$1000/night during a luxury trade show that is a must-do for me. I already booked 3 nights using points and certificates, and should have enough points and certificates to book the rest of the stay before 1 January, when all hell breaks loose.

2. Leverage my Titanium status for status matches elsewhere.

3. Check if United has any sales from the nearest airport to places where I want to go.

4. If I can't do enough business with WoH to get Globalist, I'll look into booking through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal (maybe even through LHRC if the price is right and I can't stay at WoH), and use the UR points for WoH stays or flights through Chase Travel (flights booked using UR points still qualify for mileage earnings).

I hope that Marriott will let you keep the booking. They canceled a booking I made for my husband in a similar situation. The trade show is the biggest in the world in its specific area. It's held in a small California town with only midtier and down hotels. I made the booking the day space opened for each of the 4 days that I needed. Several months went by. I got a call from corporate telling me they were canceling the booking, that they had the right to do so as it was an extraordinary event. I argued and argued but did not prevail.

Thanks for the warning, although I booked with points for the same trade fair this year and I didn't have a problem. FWIW, the trade fair I referred to in my post is not in California. How far in advance of the show did they cancel their booking?

Roughly six months. This year, i was able to make a booking for 2023 the day that bookings opened up at a Holiday Inn Express. They caught it within a week and immediately canceled. I've had success with Hilton bookings for the same trade show that were honored.