I'm looking to upgrade an award reservation at an RI to a two-bedroom using points. When I book online I don't see any options for upgraded rooms using points, MR told me to contact the hotel directly. The hotel told me they can upgrade day of arrival if available.

Is there any way to confirm the upgrade in advance using points? Has anyone had success with this?

I'm just guessing here, but it sounds a bit like the hotel thought you were requesting a free upgrade - and told you they'd do it if they could.

Did they definitely understand that you were trying to use and additional 5,000 points/night to confirm the upgrade now?

I believe they understood. I've talked with two separate RI's and was told they same answer. I may try again and try to make extra clear that I'm requesting a point upgrade.

I've found that RIs don't seem to show their 2-bedroom award availability with the online tool. Your best bet is to call MR and ask them to check availability for you. (And they may still have to call the hotel.)

I'm running into the same issue. I'm planning a trip in Spring and haven't made my reservation yet but called MR line today and they couldn't tell me how many upgrade certs would be needed to upgrade from a standard room to a 2 room suite at the JW Marriott Hill Country in San Antonio. He said I should call the Hotel and they would know. I called the Hotel and they didn't know either and would only be able to give me a complimentary upgrade day of arrival but doubted I'd be able to get to a two room suite. I explained I wasn't looking for a free upgrade and was planning on using additonal points under the program guidelines to upgrade.

I've never attempted to do this before. What is the normal process for getting this accomplished and has anyone had any luck at JW HC San antonio in the past and know the req upgrade certs off hand to get a 2 room suite?

Thanks

The few times I actually used points to upgrade to an RI 2-bedroom suite, I was charged 1 upgrade cert per night.

I would suggest calling the Marriott Gold line and tell them you want to reserve a 2-bedroom suite using points. It is possible that they would need to call the hotel to verify that the hotel is offering 2-bedroom suite awards. If the Gold line rep you talk with doesn't know how to find out if the hotel has those awards, then ask for their supervisor. They should be able to help you.

any update on this issue? I have the exactly same problem and was told the exactly same answer by RI front desk that I had to wait till the day of check-in.

Perhaps they're using the highlighted sections below (which the property alleges is not known until day of check-in)............

Upgrade Rewards
When using Points for a hotel stay, Members may need to redeem additional Points to reserve an "upgraded room," such as a suite or ocean view room. This “Upgrade Reward” may be required for certain room types in addition to a standard hotel Reward.
There are two types of Upgrade Rewards, "point upgrades" and "paid upgrades":
"Point" Upgrade Rewards: Point Upgrade Rewards, where Points are used to upgrade a standard hotel Reward, generally “cost” 5,000 Points each. Most upgraded rooms require one or two Point Upgrade Rewards per night, however, some hotels and resorts require three or more Point Upgrade Rewards per night, depending on the view or room type. Availability varies by hotel; check the details for your selected hotel when making a reservation.
"Paid" Upgrade Rewards: At select hotels, Members may pay for an upgrade to a standard Reward reservation on a cost per night basis. Upgrade Rewards price varies by hotel and will be charged to the room folio during the guest’s stay. Additional Points are not required with Paid Upgrade Rewards.
Upgrade Reward requirements vary by hotel/hotel category, room type and by season.
Upgrade Rewards may be used only when redeeming Rewards Points for a hotel stay. In most cases**, Upgrade Rewards cannot be used to upgrade a paid room.
** Based on hotel availability and Point balance, Members may choose to use Points at check-in to upgrade a paid room. Point Upgrade Rewards are 5,000 Points each and offered at hotels in the US (except Hawaii) and Canada only. Not applicable at Marriott Vacation Club and The Ritz-Carlton; cannot be reserved in advance.
5. Most upgraded rooms require only one or two Upgrade Rewards per night. However, some hotels and resorts require three or more Upgrade Rewards per night, depending on the view or room type.
6. Most resorts require upgrades for rooms with special views, such as ocean or bay view. Where available, 2-Bedroom Suites at Residence Inn by Marriott and TownePlace Suites by Marriott require the use of an Upgrade Reward. Marriott Vacation Club locations require Upgrade Rewards for 3-bedroom suites.
7. Some Upgrade Rewards require payment in local currency and cannot be purchased with Points. Check the Room Description when booking Rewards Redemption reservation online for currency and other redemption requirements.
8. Upgrade Rewards may be subject to availability restrictions.