Suite Night Awards at Marriott (now “Nightly Upgrade Awards”) are one-night upgrade certificates you can request for premium rooms or suites.
Travelers see the phrase everywhere: Suite Night Awards at Marriott. Marriott now calls them Nightly Upgrade Awards, but the older name still appears across blogs and forums. The mechanic is simple: you attach one certificate per room per night to an eligible reservation, Marriott starts checking close to arrival, and if a qualifying premium room or suite opens, your stay gets upgraded. This guide explains exactly how they work, where they apply, the timing rules, and smart ways to use them without wasting a single certificate.
What Are Suite Night Awards At Marriott? Details And Rules
Suite Night Awards at Marriott are upgrade credits tied to your Bonvoy account. Each award covers one night of an upgrade request. If your stay is three nights, you need three awards to cover the whole stay. These awards are earned through Annual Choice Benefits after hitting elite-night thresholds, and through select Earned Choice Award promotions. They are valid on both paid and points bookings at participating brands and room types, with a check window that starts a few days before you arrive. If an eligible room isn’t found, your awards go back to your account.
Fast Facts You Need To Know
The table below compresses the core rules so you can decide quickly when to attach awards and when to hold them for a better stay.
| Rule Or Topic | How It Works | Practical Takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| What The Award Is | One certificate requests a one-night upgrade to a premium room or suite. | Match awards to the full length of stay; partial nights aren’t allowed. |
| Who Can Earn | Offered as an Annual Choice Benefit to members who hit 50 and 75 elite nights; also appears via select Earned Choice promos. | Frequent Marriott guests and some cardholders with high elite-night totals see these most. |
| Where They Work | Participating Marriott brands and properties with eligible premium room categories. | Some brands and individual hotels are excluded; check the property page. |
| Booking Types | Valid on standard paid rates, points stays, and many free night certificates. | Attach awards to both cash and points trips. |
| When Checks Begin | Marriott begins checking five days before arrival for most brands; three days for select luxury flags. | Don’t expect instant confirmation months out; watch the window near check-in. |
| Request Deadline | You can request up to 2:00 p.m. hotel time the day before arrival. | Set your request early, but you still have a late cutoff if plans shift. |
| Expiration | Certificates expire on December 31 of the year after they’re earned. | Use them in the following calendar year; don’t bank them past year-end. |
| If Not Cleared | No eligible room found? Awards return to your account. | There’s no penalty for trying when nothing clears. |
| Room Types | Upgrades can be suites or other premium rooms (view, larger layouts, club access rooms where offered). | Pick acceptable categories when you submit the request. |
How Suite Night Awards At Marriott Work: Step-By-Step
1) Make An Eligible Reservation
Book a participating property at a rate that qualifies. Both paid and points bookings work. If you’re stacking with a free night certificate, check that the hotel participates and that premium categories exist for that date.
2) Attach Awards To The Stay
In your Marriott Bonvoy account or app, open the reservation and select “Request Nightly Upgrade Awards.” The system asks which premium categories you’d accept. Pick multiple options to widen your chances while still staying true to what you’d actually enjoy.
3) Marriott Starts Checking Before Arrival
For most brands, checks begin five days before check-in. For EDITION, The Ritz-Carlton, and St. Regis, checks begin three days before arrival. If a match appears, you’ll see the new room type in your reservation and receive a notice.
4) Travel Day And Check-In
Once cleared, the upgrade is locked to your reservation. If nothing cleared by the request deadline, your awards bounce back automatically and you check in to your booked room type.
Timing, Deadlines, And The Clear Window
Marriott’s timing rules matter. You can request at any time after booking, up to 2:00 p.m. hotel time on the day before arrival. The system then checks inventory in the final days, which is when many hotels finalize suites and premium rooms. The window is tighter at some luxury brands, where checks begin three days out. If you need certainty months ahead, these awards won’t provide it; they’re built for near-arrival confirmation.
Eligible Brands, Common Exclusions, And Property Quirks
Most full-service and many select-service brands participate, and Marriott has broadened coverage in recent program updates. That said, several categories don’t take part: Design Hotels, all-suite extended-stay flags, Marriott Executive Apartments, and vacation ownership brands remain outside the program. Individual hotels can also opt out. Always open the property’s page or the app award screen to see if premium categories appear for your dates.
Premium Rooms Versus True Suites
Don’t fixate on the word “suite.” Many hotels label view, corner, club-level, or larger non-suite rooms as premium. Those are eligible targets too. If you only want a true suite, mark only those choices when you submit the request. If you’re flexible, include a mix to improve the odds of clearing.
Earning Nightly Upgrade Awards (Formerly SNAs)
You earn awards through Bonvoy Annual Choice Benefits at 50 and 75 elite nights. Members often select a pack of upgrade awards at these milestones. Some promotions and card-linked Earned Choice offers can also grant awards. Lifetime status alone doesn’t grant them; you need to post the required elite nights in the current year.
How Many Do You Need For One Stay?
One award covers one night for one room. A four-night stay needs four awards. Traveling with two rooms for those four nights would need eight awards if you want both rooms upgraded.
Can You Mix And Match Nights?
No. The system requires you to cover the entire stay. If you only have part of the nights available, the request option won’t show, or it will prompt you to add more awards.
Where These Awards Shine
Think shoulder-season city trips, properties with many premium categories, or resorts mid-week. Hotels that routinely sell out every suite are harder. International properties often show more premium inventory in the final week. Pick dates where the hotel is less likely to be at peak occupancy and your odds rise.
Where You’ll See Tougher Odds
Holiday beach weeks, popular city conventions, or properties with a tiny suite count. If the hotel expects to sell its top rooms, it won’t release them to upgrades. In those cases, consider saving the awards for a different trip.
Real-World Strategy To Avoid Wasting Awards
- Cast A Slightly Wider Net: Select two to four acceptable categories rather than one. You still control the lowest room you’ll accept.
- Book Smart Dates: Aim for mid-week at city hotels or shoulder periods at resorts.
- Mind The Deadline: If plans change, pull the request before the 2:00 p.m. cutoff the day before arrival.
- Watch The App: The upgrade shows in the reservation when cleared. Turn on push alerts so you don’t miss it.
- Pair With Club Access: Some premium categories include lounge access; read the room descriptions carefully.
Terms That Matter Most
A few lines in the fine print decide whether your request will work. Two standouts: the clear window and the “all nights” rule. The system won’t split a stay, and it won’t start checking months ahead. Plan your trips around how these certificates clear, not the other way around.
Refunds And Cancellations
If the award never clears, your certificates return automatically. If it clears and you later cancel the reservation within the hotel’s cancellation window, the system returns the awards to your account after the hotel reverses the upgrade. If you cancel late and incur a no-show or late-cancel fee, the hotel may mark the stay as used and the certificates can be consumed; don’t risk a last-minute change without checking the policy.
Eligible And Excluded Brands Snapshot
This brand overview helps set expectations. Properties can opt out, and some flags have shorter check windows or special suites policies. Always verify eligibility for your exact dates.
| Brand Group | Eligible? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| EDITION / The Ritz-Carlton / St. Regis | Yes | Checks begin three days before arrival; suite mix varies by property. |
| JW Marriott / Marriott / Sheraton / Westin / Le Méridien | Yes | Broad coverage; premium rooms often include club floors and views. |
| W / Autograph Collection / Tribute Portfolio | Yes | Many premium categories; individual hotels can opt out. |
| AC / Aloft / Element / Moxy | Yes | Coverage expanded; suite counts are limited at some sites. |
| Design Hotels | No | Excluded from Nightly Upgrade Awards. |
| All-Inclusive / Vacation Club Flags | No | Marriott Vacation Club, Sheraton Vacation Club, Westin Vacation Club excluded. |
| Extended Stay | No | Marriott Executive Apartments and similar categories are excluded. |
Answers To Common Hang-Ups
Can You Request A Specific Suite Name?
You pick from categories the hotel has mapped to the program. If a specific named suite isn’t listed in that menu, the system can’t target it. Pick the closest listed category that matches your goal.
Do Awards Work On Back-To-Back Reservations?
If you string separate reservations for one continuous stay, the system treats each booking on its own. To avoid drop-offs, ask the property to link the stays, then attach awards to the combined set if the app shows that option.
Can You Stack With Elite Upgrade At Check-In?
Yes. If an award clears into a premium room, the hotel can still move you to a higher room at arrival if space allows. That’s discretionary, so be polite and brief when asking.
When To Save Your Awards
Skip peak weeks, sold-out conventions, and resorts with tiny suite inventories unless you’re fine with a premium non-suite. Save awards for trips where any premium category would change your stay, like space for a family, a quiet corner, or access to a lounge.
Policies And References
Marriott’s official pages outline the naming change, clear windows, request deadline, and expiry rules. If your plans hinge on these details, scan the terms before attaching awards. You can also open the hotel’s room list in the app to see which categories are eligible on your dates.
Bottom Line For Bonvoy Members
These awards aren’t a magic button months out. They’re a near-arrival nudge that often lands you in a better room without paying retail. Pick the right hotels and dates, keep your accepted categories broad enough to clear, and attach awards to trips where the extra space or perks will earn their keep.
Editorial notes: Program names and windows shift from time to time. Always verify the property’s eligibility and current timing rules before you attach awards.
Reference pages: confirm timing, brand coverage, and expiry on Marriott’s Nightly Upgrade Awards page and the official program terms.