All information about the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant and Business American Express Cards has been collected independently by Miles to Memories.
Marriott Nightly Upgrade Awards
Over the last few years, I’ve learned to love Marriott again. Previously an SPG loyalist, I took a break from the chain after the Bonvoy program’s inception. But since 2021, I’ve leaned more into Marriott, now to the point where I pay attention to more niche benefits. I first started caring about the Marriott Nightly Upgrade Award benefit, previously Suite Night Awards, last year, and I’m focused on qualifying for the benefit again in 2024. I’ll start at the beginning.
Marriott Elite Choice Benefit
I don’t know when I first heard of the Marriott Elite Choice Benefit, but I started caring more about it in 2023. Last year, I reached the 50 night threshold for the first benefit choice with a combination of elite nights from Bonvoy Brilliant and Business Amex cards, plus several nights from award stays. I then crammed on the benefit, which offers the following options at 50 nights (full description here):
- Select Nightly Upgrade Awards (five) to redeem for upgrades to select Premium Rooms or Standard Suites on your next adventure
- Choose Your Favorite Mattress and save $1000 USD on your purchase of a bed from any Marriott Bonvoy® retail brands
- Gift Marriott Bonvoy® Silver Elite Status to a family member or friend
- Donate $100 to a select charity
- Add Elite Night Credits (five) to get you closer to higher Elite Status and enhanced benefits in 2024
Once a member reaches 75 nights, they can make a second selection from above or below:
- Redeem one Free Night Award with a redemption value up to 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy® Points
- Gift Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite Status to a family member or friend
How I Got Hooked
Like many of you, I easily picked the five Nightly Upgrade Awards as my Elite Choice Benefit at the 50-night threshold. Ever since, I’ve enjoyed easily requesting the upgrade and the variety of options in-app. More importantly, I value the ability to stack this benefit (or the request, at least) on award stays, our primary payment method for hotel stays.
Throughout 2024, we’ve had several Marriott stays planned, anyway, so putting in for the upgrades was a no-brainer. Meanwhile, those same nights count to requalifying for another Elite Choice Benefit for next year – more Nightly Upgrade Awards. This works out perfectly, right?
Not quite. Right now, I sit at 46 elite nights with Bonvoy for 2024. Marriott’s diabolical plan has worked on me. With a few more trips left in 2024, I’m considering Marriott properties due to Elite Choice Benefit qualification (and using this year’s remaining Nightly Upgrade Awards) when I wouldn’t have otherwise. Plenty of award hotel options exist with other chains at my remaining 2024 destinations, but I’m rationalizing Marriott stays. Marriott has manipulated me into staying more with the chain for more Nightly Upgrade Awards, in terms of redeeming my existing ones and earning more.
Marriott’s even more clever with this setup because I may not actually receive any upgrade benefit. The benefit only offers me the chance to request an upgrade, which most likely won’t clear. Indeed, in all of our stays this year, only one Nightly Upgrade Award has come through. I’ve willingly opted into this vicious cycle of false hope, which feeds on itself year to year.
Marriott Nightly Upgrade Award Benefit – Conclusion
Of course, larger vices exist than my affinity for seeing if a Marriott upgrade clears on an award stay. But I must remember how I’m now allowing this “benefit” to sway my decisions. If anything, I know I’m being entertained by the whole process – I enjoy thinking over and selecting the upgrade options and the juice that comes along with seeing if it clears. Perhaps this, more accurately, is the benefit. But I imagine I’ll be paying attention to Nightly Upgrade Awards as long as Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant and Business Amex cards are part of my portfolio. If that’s the case, I consider the Nightly Upgrade Award dilemma a worthy one, because Marriott and Amex would be giving me major reasons to hold onto the cards or acquire them again.
How much do you care about the Marriott Nightly Upgrade Award benefit, if at all?
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the old king of travel rewards cards. Right now
bonus_miles_full
Learn more about this card and its features!
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
I had too many expire on me, so I’ve given up on SNA/NUA and I always go for the 5 ENC. If only the expired ENC converted into ENC! That would be too nice. Now once I reach lifetime platinum, I guess I will switch back to NUA.
I hear you, Matthew. The ENC option is solid for many situations. My number of nights doesn’t get near the Titanium neighborhood, so that’s why we haven’t gone that route.
I’ve been Ambassador for several years. In the pre-COVID days, there was little love for being Ambassador. Given the circumstances, I opted for SNAs as one of my choice benefits one year. Not for lack of trying, they expired unused. Properties were tight-fisted with upgrades and I was ready to look elsewhere. But, with the current CEO and the reestablishment of personal ambassadors, I’m feeling the love big time. Like night and day. I never have my hand out yet I receive a range of surprises, from little to big. Including . . . are you sitting down . . . upgrades simply based on tier status. The current team has secured my business.
Thanks for sharing your experiences, Fred!
Every year I select my SNA (now NUA) as the choice benefit and the last few years they have become pretty worthless. Only been upgraded once this year.
It’s quite comical that the high bar for these clearing is seemingly twice annually, Mike.
The upgrade certificates worked great for me one time in Penang at the Courtyard but not in a single instance otherwise. Thankfully I’m about to hit lifetime Platinum in a few months so can steer clear of Marriott except where convenient for me in the future. With the direction that Bonvoy has consistently moved since its’ inception, investing substantially in Marriott just seems like a really bad idea.