This always confuses me, I thought that the benefit was when we check-in, if there are nicer rooms available we get them for free?

But there's is a courtyard that I stay at regularly that makes all kinds of excuses not to give me upgrades. I usually check on the web for the dates I'm staying what room types are available (while I'm in the taxi on the way to the hotel). If it shows a suite, I ask for it at check-in. My understanding was that they were supposed to give it to me.

But this property keeps trying to make excuses not to give me an upgrade, and I'm just curious if as a Platinum I'm entitled to it and should press the issue, or if it's totally at the discretion of the property whether they choose to give it or not.

Some examples:
-At check-in asked if there were suites available he said yes and told me how much extra it would be, I told him I'm gold (this was a while ago, now I'm plat), and he said that they are holding the suites in case any plats show up and wouldn't give me one
-At check-in saw online that a suite was available and asked for it, they said they didn't have any available. I told them online was showing availability. They said they need availability for the full 5-days, I told them that I checked for the 5-day period online, its showing as available. They said they typically don't give upgrades for 5-day stays only shorter stays (???), I told them I had a suite upgrade for 5-days just last week at another courtyard. Then they said that if they only have one suite available they don't give it out as comp upgrade because they like to keep it open in case a paying guest shows up. Finally after all these excuses they did give me the suite.

But should it really be so hard? I thought that if one is showing available online I should get it - always. Is that not how its supposed to work?

I hardly have 5 night stays or 4 for that matter. Majority of mine are 1-2, and few 3 night stays. I ask politely at check-in and accept whatever answer they give me.

Only time I push is if room I get is at undesirable location (near ice/vending or elevators).

I do not push for upgrade. When traveling with family I do try to ask ahead of time.

Suites are not a guaranteed part of the upgrade process, so you have no leg to stand on. However, the day, time and length of your arrival and stay do have an impact, as well as how often you stay at the property. If often, ask to speak to the GM or some other manager and make your dissatisfaction known, as well as the presence of the competition that you could stay at. However, a 5 day stay at a C/Y at one of their few suites is something highly unlikely to be provided, especially during the business week, as someone likely would be willing to pay for the suite for at least one night, so why should they give it to you when they could maximize a great deal of money from that customer?

The only thing you are "entitled" to is the room you booked. Upgrades are at the discretion of the property.

Here's how Marriott defines the Platinum Elite "Room Upgrade" benefit http://www.marriott.com/rewards/memb...ts/platinum.mi
There's a lot of room for a hotel to interpret this benefit.

Especially that "subject to availability identified by each hotel" statement. That pretty much allows a hotel to do whatever it wants.

Yep. Give business to those hotels that treat you well and don't return to those that don't. On the rare occasion I stay at a CY, about once every 2 years, or any hotel for a one-off stay for that matter, I really don't care as I'll never be back anyway.

Just for a point of reference. I've booked a FS room yesterday for Thursday night. I just checked the reservation and it was already upgraded to a Concierge level room in the system.

"there's is a courtyard that I stay at regularly"

And this is OP's problem. If you don't like what you are getting and continue to stay there, why on earth would the property give you more.

Stay somewhere else where you get more for less. Or accept what you've got.

The "Room Upgrade" paragraph I posted earlier in this thread included the line, "See terms and conditions for details." So I looked for the terms and conditions.

The "Rewards Terms & Conditions" page at https://www.marriott.com/rewards/terms/elite.mi has this:
Aside from adding the Marriott Vacation Club exclusion, it's not much different.

While Marriott considers a room on the concierge level an "upgrade", why don't you make the argument its really not upon check-in? I've been successful once getting a better UG saying I viewed it as a downgrade with all the floor traffic to the CL.

BTW, you just can't expect much from CYs in terms of UGs. Last CY stay I had (on a Saturday), they considered an upgrade being a room next to the lobby.

Some Marriott hotels consist almost entirely of identical "cookie cutter" rooms. The Des Moines Downtown Marriott comes to mind. Apparently, when it was built in the 1980s, the idea was to give every guest the same experience.

With the exception of one or two hospitality suites, every room at the Des Moines Downtown Marriott is the same. Even the corner rooms don't have side windows. The room on the concierge floors have the same square footage, furnishings, and amenities as the regular rooms. The Concierge Lounge is down on the mezzanine level.

It makes a meaningful Gold, Platinum, or PP upgrade pretty much impossible.

As a LT Plat I basically agree with you. However, my status generally assures me that I will be assigned a room:

On a high floor
Away from the elevators
Away from the ice & soda machines

In addition, whenever I might call the front desk about an issue with my room,it is addressed virtually immediately.

Upgrades is definitely not a strength for MR. Mr. Nacho is plat and he got upgrades once in a while, mostly if it's one night stay. The very used excuse we heard is 'we are sold out tonight'. Some hotels offered us paid upgrade as elite - even just for an upgrade to the club level. For those hotels I definitely avoid those in the future.