?? Upgrade Secrets ??
 

Does anyone have any special secrets to getting upgrades. Haven't had one in 2 years???

Dennis

Hotels usually assign guests rooms the day before their arrival. I was able to get a confirmed upgrade once by calling the hotel (not the national reservations line) two days before I arrived. The reservationist was able to see capacity information for my stay and put me in a suite right away. I checked online right after the call and found the reservation had changed.

Your results will most certainly vary. It helps to have reason for your request like, "I'm trying to decided between two hotels" or "It's a special occasion", etc. Best to call during a slower time at the hotel when the agent can spend more time on your request.

Are you staying at full service properties? Not even a lowly upgrade to the concierge floor?

I got my first upgrade, as a lowly Silver, in a year when I used that "Virtual Concierge" to ask the Marriott Minneapolis to "do their best" to find two double beds, since we were traveling with a child, in a hotel that was filled to capacity for a convention I was attending (and we had snagged a Summer Sleepover rate way back!) Had a personal response in an hour saying two double beds were guaranteed, and a Concierge Level room waiting when we arrived at midnight the next day! Nice touch (and, I have to say an enthusiastic staff there throughout, for a hotel that doesn't always get rave reviews on the Web).

I suspect during conventions when rooms are filled with non-Elite members, it may be easier for relative lowlife like me to get an upgrade.

By the way, is there any distinction between Silvers who have stayed 49 nights a year and someone who just got a Marriott Visa Card, in terms of upgrade chances?

I am astonished that someone who has been a Marriott Platinum for two years has never gotten upgraded.

I usually stay in Fairfield Inns, and there's not much they can do for you there, but even there I usually get a "suite" or something.

It may have something to do with, for want of a better term, "agressiveness". If you never do anything proactively, your chances of getting upgraded are less than if you call ahead, or mention it to the desk clerk (with a printout of the Marriott T&C's in your hand), etc.

If you just passively show up and hope for the best, you may never get it.

It's easy to do - even as a silver (like me)

1.) Find out the type of room you would like (i.e. King Suite)
2.) Upon check-in, ask if any of those rooms are available.
3.) If yes, politely mention that you are a MR elite member and would greatly appreciate a complimentary upgrade.

This works for me 90% of the time if the room type is available.

I would say about 1 out of 5 Full Marriotts I get Concierge floor, but the rooms are very small. Never had a suite.

I normally stay at Full Marriotts if available, if not, I stay CourtYard. I will try your suggestion of requesting an upgrade. I do ask for Conceige Level but most of the time I get denied and told I will have access to the lounge.

virtual concierge?
 

How did you contact the "virtual concierge"? Did not find on the web site, nor was there a link on my reservation

I'd estimate that I'm upgraded about 75% of time, most often to suite.

This bothers me a little. According to the MR T&C's (I think), you are entitled to the "best available room" excluding suites. You are also entitled to lounge access, and you say you do get that.

As a platinum, you're spending at least 75 nights a year in a Marriott property. As you say, most of them are full service properties. It boggles my mind that all of them are sold out on the Concierge level whenever you stay there.

Try the "agressiveness" route. You're not looking for them to bend the rules, just to follow them.

PS - Courtyards are just high class Fairfields, IMO, and they don't even give you breakfast.

The answer is no.

According to your profile (and this thread), you're hanging in at about 49 nights this year. You have over 4 months left to get that last elusive night. This requires, what we call in the business, a "matress run". :)

1. Pick a convenient Fairfield Inn.
2. Look for dates with a discount rate. Try AAA, Senior, Government, or any of the discount codes listed in the sticky for this forum.
3. Using the "flexible dates" feature (see my post elsewhere in this forum), find the cheapest rate you qualify for and book it.
4. Show up on the date and check in.
5. Look over the room, maybe muss up the bed.
6. Go home.
7. Maybe drop in the next morning for breakfast; you've paid for it!
8. If you don't go for brekkies, stop back a couple of days later and explain you had to leave early, and get your receipt.

Now, this may not be worth it to you, depending on how many Marriott stays you have planned for the future. But the status does count when getting upgrades, etc. and you are then eligible for the EEO offers.

You've got lots of time left; think it over. :)

I have done this but not for status. Remember when they would run the Summer promos when you had I think three stays and received a voucher good for two free weekend nights at cat 1-5? My friends and I always go to the Renaissance Meadowlands Hotel every Summer. Right before I did two one night stays at a FI by my work where we get a $40 rate. Did not stay either night but for $80 I got a stay for 2 nights worth $119 or so a night.

I made my reservation at marriott.com. A day or two before my stay, there was an email "reminder" with a virtual concierge listing (gives opportunity to order things like appetizer plates in the room, an hour of massage, etc.), and a window to send any "special requests".

Most likely, only some properties have this, though I seem to get reminders from all classes of hotels...

I was being "extreme" - I actually will be lucky to make 30 this year, as I most of the time don't have control over where I stay on business. Have done "mattress runs" a couple of times to get Promo clocks running, but I don't qualify for the real goodies!