Those who hold select tiers of Marriott Bonvoy elite status or certain Marriott Bonvoy co-branded credit cards may be familiar with Annual Choice Benefits or Earned Choice Awards. These perks would grant loyalists five fan-favorite Suite Night Award certificates, which did exactly as its name suggested: allowed customers to confirm an upgrade to a suite on their bookings.
The new year has brought slight positive and negative changes to Suite Night Awards. Now called Nightly Upgrade Rewards, these certificates will expand upgrades to premium rooms in addition to suites. On the downside, upgrades will be confirmed three days prior to the stay rather than the previous five days.
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Breaking Down Marriott Nightly Upgrade Rewards
Nightly Upgrade Rewards will operate similarly to Suite Night Awards. Marriott customers can still book a stay with cash or points and apply a Nightly Upgrade Reward to confirm an upgrade before check-in. Three notable changes have been made, however.
First, the name change was made for good reason, as you can use these certificates to upgrade into more than just suites. Nightly Upgrade Awards can also be applied to premium rooms, such as those with oceanfront views, balconies, patios and extra space.
The addition of upgrading into premium rooms has also expanded the catalog of Marriott brands you can use these upgrades with. Aloft, EDITION, Element, Protea and The Ritz-Carlton brand hotels will accept Nightly Upgrade Rewards, despite not previously accepting Suite Night Awards.
The final change is that Nightly Upgrade Rewards will be confirmed three days prior to your stay rather than the previous five days. This gives Marriott more time to sell higher-end rooms like suites so your upgrade only moves you into a premium room at best.
How Do I Earn a Nightly Upgrade Reward?
There are two ways to earn Nightly Upgrade Rewards.
Marriott Bonvoy members receive an Annual Choice Benefit once they reach Platinum Elite status. This requires earning 50 Elite Night Credits, or in other terms, staying 50 Qualifying Nights in a year. One of the options for an Annual Choice Benefit includes receiving five Nightly Upgrade Awards.
Members can also get another five Nightly Upgrade Awards after receiving an additional Annual Choice Benefit for reaching Titanium Elite status. This requires staying 75 Qualifying Nights to earn 75 Elite Night Credits.
If staying that many nights per year does not sound feasible, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card customers can leverage their spend to earn Nightly Upgrade Awards (Terms apply). After spending $60,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year on their card, cardholders can select an Earned Choice Award. An option for this reward is a similar five Nightly Upgrade Rewards.
Keep in mind that there are other Marriott co-branded credit cards that grant you Elite Night Credits without actually having to hit the hay in a hotel room. The Bonvoy Brilliant also provides 25 Elite Night Credits per year, while the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card*, Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card*, Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card (Terms apply) and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card* each deliver 15 Elite Night Credits.
Read more: 9 Valuable Benefits Of Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards
Bottom Line
If you frequently stay at Marriott properties or hold a Marriott credit card, you have likely come across Suite Night Awards. The rebrand of these certificates to Nightly Upgrade Rewards presents a few changes to take note of, particularly the expansion of the rooms and Marriott brands to which these awards can be applied.
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