Marriott Bonvoy, the world’s largest resort loyalty program, proudly walks the tightrope between rewarding loyal prospects and conserving resort homeowners smiling all the best way to the financial institution. Or at the least, that’s the objective.
However let’s be actual—us miles and factors lovers have had our fair proportion of Bonvoyed moments, the place “enhancements” to this system felt extra like a slap than a handshake.
On this submit, we’ll discover what Nightly Improve Awards are, how they work, and find out how to benefit from them.
What Are Nightly Improve Awards?
A fast refresher: Marriott doesn’t really personal the lodges underneath its title. As a substitute, they comply with an “asset-light” enterprise mannequin, which means they handle or franchise properties for resort homeowners. This little tidbit is essential with regards to one of many program’s massive perks for Marriott Bonvoy Elite Members: Nightly Improve Awards (previously often known as Suite Night time Awards).
These Awards intention to take a few of the guesswork out of upgrades, which, let’s face it, are sometimes extra of a bet. Certain, standing members are often within the operating for suite upgrades at check-in, but it surely’s by no means a certain factor—you’ve bought to appeal your means by means of together with your greatest “suite-talking” expertise.
And let’s not neglect how ambiguous the phrase “improve” may be. I nonetheless chuckle concerning the time a resort entrance employees excitedly knowledgeable me I’d been “upgraded to the very best ground”—in a constructing that was solely 4 tales tall.
Fortunately, Nightly Improve Awards exist to supply just a little extra readability and a much-needed dose of assurance in your subsequent keep, saving you from relying solely on smooth-talking or optimistic interpretations of “upgrades.”
How Do You Earn Nightly Improve Awards?
Nightly Improve Awards are earned as a part of your Marriott Bonvoy elite standing. Whenever you attain Platinum Elite standing by incomes 50 elite qualifying nights per 12 months, you’re invited to pick an Annual Selection Profit.
When it turns into accessible, you’re in a position to decide on one of many following gadgets:
- 5 Nightly Improve Awards
- Present of Silver Elite standing to a pal or member of the family
- $1,000 (USD) off your favorite mattress
- 5 Elite Night time Credit
- $100 (USD) charity donation
Moreover, in case you’re capable of obtain Titanium Elite standing by incomes 75 elite qualifying nights per 12 months, you’re given a further Annual Selection Profit with barely totally different choices:
- 5 Nightly Improve Awards
- Free Night time Award price as much as 40,000 factors
- Present of Gold Elite standing to a pal or member of the family
- $1,000 (USD) off your favorite mattress
- 5 Elite Night time Credit
- $100 (USD) charity donation
Nightly Improve Awards expire on December 31 of the 12 months following the 12 months through which they have been earned, in order that they’re not one thing you need to ‘save for sometime’.
If reaching 50 or 75 nights per 12 months appears daunting, keep in mind that the Marriott Bonvoy American Specific Card and Marriott Bonvoy Enterprise American Specific Card present 15 elite qualifying nights per 12 months, which is a wonderful technique to jumpstart your means into standing with Marriott.
Marriott Bonvoy American Specific Card
- Earn 55,000 Bonvoy factors upon spending $3,000 within the first three months
- Additionally, obtain an annual Free Night time Award price 35,000 Bonvoy factors beginning in your second 12 months with the cardboard
- Additionally, obtain 15 elite-qualifying nights yearly and automated Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite standing
- Bonus Bonvoy factors for referring household and buddies
- Annual price: $120
You probably have entry to US bank cards, incomes elite qualifying nights turns into a lot simpler. With a mixture of the
US Marriott Bonvoy Good® American Specific® Card and the US American Specific Bonvoy Enterprise®Card, you possibly can earn as much as 40 elite qualifying nights. The Bonvoy Good Card gives 25 nights, whereas the Bonvoy Enterprise Card gives 15 nights, making this duo a robust device for fast-tracking your elite standing.
You probably have different US-issued private co-branded bank cards, such because the US Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Specific® Card, the Chase Bonvoy Bountiful® Card, the Chase Bonvoy Boundless® Card, or the Chase Bonvoy Daring® Card, in addition to the Amex US Bonvoy Enterprise Card, then you definately’ll earn a complete of 30 elite qualifying nights (15 from the non-public card and 15 from the enterprise card).
It’s price mentioning the Bonvoy Good Card’s distinctive benefit: not solely does it grant 25 elite qualifying nights, but it surely additionally provides you an immediate Platinum Elite standing. This implies these additional nights you earn are primarily helpful for buying Annual Selection Advantages or working towards lifetime elite standing.
That stated, in case you maintain each Canadian and US Bonvoy playing cards, understand that elite qualifying nights don’t stack throughout borders. The utmost you possibly can earn stays 40 nights, achieved with the Bonvoy Good and Bonvoy Enterprise Card combo.
We are able to solely hope that, sooner or later, Canadian Bonvoy cardholders may additionally profit from such a setup. It will actually stage the enjoying area and be sure that throughout our home travels or staycations, we aren’t outshone by Individuals cruising to elite standing with relative ease.
Whenever you hit Platinum Elite standing, selecting the 5 Nightly Improve Awards as your Annual Selection Profit is often a no brainer. Nonetheless, Marriott’s current standing match with Air Canada, which upgrades Titanium Elite members to Aeroplan 25K standing, provides a brand new layer of worth. Due to this fact, this would possibly make pushing towards Titanium Elite standing worthwhile. In such instances, choosing 5 Elite Qualifying Nights as your Annual Selection Profit may enable you unlock this perk extra rapidly.
At Titanium Elite standing, the choice turns into much more nuanced. The Free Night time Award price 40,000 factors is undeniably beneficial, however does it outweigh the advantages of 5 Nightly Improve Awards—particularly in case you’ve chosen 5 Elite Qualifying Nights as your Platinum Annual Selection Profit and end up with none Nightly Improve Awards readily available?
The reply relies upon solely in your journey fashion and priorities. If you happen to’re planning a once-in-a-lifetime journey to locations just like the Maldives or Al Maha, the place suite upgrades can elevate your keep to one thing actually unforgettable, Nightly Improve Awards might be the higher selection.
Alternatively, in case your journey plans lean extra towards city locations otherwise you’re not significantly centered on chasing luxurious suites, the Free Night time Award would possibly present extra total worth.
Redeem Nightly Improve Awards
If you happen to fall into the center of this very uncommon Venn diagram, rely your self fortunate.
Right here’s the way you really make use of these hard-earned Nightly Improve Awards when you’ve earned them:
- Make a reservation: To find out which room sorts are eligible for Nightly Improve Awards at a selected property, you’ll have to have an lively reservation. Merely guide your potential keep on the property you’re interested by, after which test to see which improve choices can be found for making use of your awards.Simply watch out in doing so as a result of some lodges have very strict cancellation insurance policies. Triple test the reserving phrases and be sure to’re choosing a completely refundable price.
- Discover your reservation:
Whenever you log into your Marriott account, click on on “My Journeys” and discover the reservation you need to use your Nightly Improve Awards on. As soon as you discover it, click on on “View/Modify”.
- Begin improve request:
In case your resort participates in Nightly Improve Awards, you’ll see a banner that claims “Take an improve. You’ve earned it.” Throughout the banner, click on the button that’s labelled “Begin Improve Request.”
- Select your upgrades:
Right here, you’ll see the improve choices accessible to you. The very best and most dear improve possibility is on the prime of the listing, with the worst possibility on the backside.One thing to bear in mind right here is that you would be able to select a number of improve choices. If you happen to solely select the highest possibility and it seems to be unavailable, Marriott is not going to robotically attempt to course of the next-best possibility until you particularly test it off.
- Wait to see in case your Nightly Improve Award request is cleared:
When you submit your request for an improve, you’re carried out – now to attend to see if the improve is processed, which occurs inside 5 days of your arrival aside from EDITION, Ritz Carlton, and St. Regis, the place the system will begin checking for availability at three days previous to arrival.
If you happen to change your thoughts at any time previous to the improve being confirmed, you possibly can cancel the request had have your Nightly Improve Awards redeposited.
A Key Caveat to Hold in Thoughts
Every Nightly Improve Award is legitimate for simply one night time, which means you’ll want a separate award for each night time of your keep. For instance, in case you’re planning a six-night keep, you’ll want six Nightly Improve Awards in your account to use them to the reserving.
Sadly, in case your keep exceeds the variety of awards you will have, you received’t have the ability to apply them to only a portion of your keep. Utilizing the identical instance, in case you’re staying for six nights however solely have 5 Nightly Improve Awards, you received’t have the ability to use any of them.
One potential workaround is to break up your keep into back-to-back reservations and apply your awards to the corresponding nights. For example, in case you’re staying for six nights however solely have 5 Nightly Improve Awards, you possibly can guide a five-night reservation adopted by a one-night reservation, then apply the Nightly Improve Awards in direction of the five-night reservation.
Whenever you test in, kindly ask the entrance desk employees if it’s potential to remain in the identical room for the whole keep, explaining that you just’d choose to not relocate for the ultimate night time. In my expertise, lodges are sometimes beneficiant and can honour the upgraded suite for the complete period of your keep.
That stated, that is undoubtedly a “your mileage might differ” scenario, so handle your expectations accordingly.
How Do Nightly Improve Awards Work?
When you’ve made a reservation at a resort, you possibly can apply your Nightly Improve Awards to the reserving, as outlined earlier. The resort begins trying to find accessible upgrades 5 days earlier than your arrival and continues checking every day till your keep begins.
In idea, Nightly Improve Awards are a incredible perk—who wouldn’t need a assured suite improve sorted out upfront? When issues go easily, you’ll obtain an e mail confirming your improve as much as 5 days earlier than check-in, leaving no room for uncertainty.
In apply, nevertheless, success could be a bit hit-or-miss. Denials may be extra widespread than you would possibly anticipate, particularly in case you intention for the resort’s highest-tier suites.
My technique?
I usually choose the highest-tier suite and the second-highest suite when making use of Nightly Improve Awards. For lower-tier suites or deluxe rooms, I usually go away it to probability and depend on suite-talking technique.
In case your request is denied, you’ll obtain an e mail confirming that you just weren’t profitable, and the Nightly Improve Awards will probably be robotically deposited again into your account.
The extra problem round Nightly Improve Awards is that there’s an enormous selection amongst lodges when it comes to which suites can be found for request.
For instance, you might even see an choice to improve to one of many higher-level suites, which might undoubtedly be a rating if it have been to be confirmed. Alternatively, the choices may be for a room with a greater view, which doesn’t actually appear to be a worthwhile use of Nightly Improve Awards.
Because you solely have a restricted variety of Nightly Improve Awards accessible annually, one of the best apply is to be selective about which stays you select to redeem them on. Your expertise is more likely to be elevated through the use of them at aspirational lodges, even when competitors is likely to be increased.
If you happen to’re denied, take a look at another upcoming reservations and apply your Nightly Improve Awards to a unique keep.
Motels Not Collaborating in Nightly Improve Awards
As if clearing Nightly Improve Awards wasn’t sufficient of a problem, there’s an inventory of resort manufacturers that don’t take part in Nightly Improve Award redemptions in any respect. These lodges manufacturers embrace:
- Ritz-Carlton Reserve®
- The Ritz-Carlton Membership®
- The Ritz-Carlton Residences®
- The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Assortment
- Design Motels taking part in Marriott Bonvoy®
- MGM Assortment with Marriott Bonvoy
- Marriott Govt Flats
- All-Inclusive Resorts
- Marriott Trip Membership
- Marriott Grand Residence Membership
- Sheraton Trip Membership
- Westin Trip Membership
- Properties & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy®
- The Phoenician Residences, a Luxurious Assortment Residence Membership, Scottsdale
Motels Collaborating, However Not Collaborating in Nightly Improve Awards
There are additionally instances when Nightly Improve Awards aren’t accessible for redemption, even when the resort model does usually take part in them. In different phrases, some lodges can merely select to not take part in this system.
Each resort has the flexibility to designate dates after they consider that suites will probably be occupied by paying friends. That clearly leaves quite a lot of wiggle room for lodges to not provide Nightly Improve Award redemptions underneath the auspice that the suites will probably be occupied, even when they find yourself not being occupied throughout your keep.
That is additional borne out within the catch-all language in Marriott’s Phrases and Circumstances:
Not all Collaborating Properties take part in Nightly Improve Awards.
There will probably be many conditions through which you both don’t see Nightly Improve Award redemptions accessible, or they’re merely denied, solely to search out out later within the app that suites have been certainly accessible throughout your whole keep. That is clearly fairly irritating and opposite to the unique intent of Nightly Improve Awards.
Why Don’t Motels At all times Honour Nightly Improve Awards?
Why don’t resort homeowners honour Nightly Improve Awards extra persistently? Whereas there’s no definitive reply, right here’s an informed guess.
Motels are compensated by Marriott for every certificates they honour, however the payout is probably going minimal. From the attitude of a resort proprietor, honouring these awards may imply leaving potential income on the desk.
If a set is upgraded for a Nightly Improve Award, it turns into unavailable for buy. Even when there’s solely a slim probability—say, 1-in-100—{that a} excessive curler visitor walks in final minute and pays full worth for the suite, it’s nonetheless a extra profitable possibility than what Marriott seemingly pays out for the award redemption.
And that doesn’t even issue within the increased value of cleansing and servicing a set in comparison with a normal room.
One other disincentive is the character of Nightly Improve Award redemptions. They’re usually used at aspirational properties or throughout trip stays, the place the chance of a visitor changing into a repeat buyer is decrease.
For resort homeowners, this implies much less long-term worth in comparison with a enterprise traveler who would possibly return often and contribute extra persistently to the resort’s backside line.
Whereas these upgrades construct loyalty to the Marriott Bonvoy model, they don’t all the time align with the monetary pursuits of particular person properties.
Conclusion
Marriott Bonvoy’s Nightly Improve Awards provide elite members an opportunity at securing suite upgrades with extra certainty, however their sensible use can generally fall wanting expectations. From restricted suite availability to inflexible software guidelines, they require a strategic method to unlock their full potential.
If you happen to’re a Platinum Elite member, selecting Nightly Improve Awards as your Annual Selection Profit is sensible in case you don’t plan to push for Titanium Elite standing or can already attain it with out the assistance of 5 Elite Qualifying Nights.
For Titanium Elite members, the Free Night time Award price 40,000 factors is usually the higher selection. Nonetheless, if in case you have a full five-night keep at an aspirational property on the horizon, choosing Nightly Improve Awards may add important worth to your expertise.
Whereas Marriott’s efforts so as to add certainty by means of this program are commendable, there’s nonetheless room for enchancment. With some refinements, Nightly Improve Awards may develop into a really indispensable device for Bonvoy members sooner or later.
