In a previous post, I shared my experience for the year with Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador status, which is Marriott’s top tier status. In this post, I’d like to talk about my experience with Marriott Bonvoy Nightly Upgrade Awards, which are the upgrade “instruments” that can be used to confirm better rooms ahead of check-in.
People tend to be divided on these, with some finding them to be super worthwhile, and others finding them to be worthless. To be honest, I didn’t have an amazing year with getting these to clear, especially compared to previous years… but I still did get some value!
In this post:
The basics of Marriott Bonvoy Nightly Upgrade Awards
Marriott Bonvoy has the Choice Benefits program, whereby you can select certain perks when passing 50 elite nights and 75 elite nights in a calendar year. For many people, the default selection is Nightly Upgrade Awards (known as “NUAs”), as you can select five at each of the thresholds (for a total of up to 10).
The intent is that this is a way for Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Titanium, and Ambassador members, to confirm a room upgrade before arrival. Each NUA is valid for one night of a stay, and depending on the brand you’re staying at, these can start to clear either three or five days before arrival.
While Platinum members and above receive unlimited upgrades subject to availability at check-in, this perk essentially allows members to prioritize upgrades on the stays that matter most to them.
The catch with NUAs is that even at the three and five day mark, they’re capacity controlled, so they don’t offer last room availability. Instead, there’s an algorithm that decides whether or not to clear them, which makes it a bit of a mystery.
The other thing to keep in mind with NUAs is that you can specifically choose which upgraded rooms you’d like to use an NUA for. Some properties may have one or two choices, while others have 10 choices.
This could include everything from rooms with slightly better views, to massive suites. So it’s always a bit of a decision making process when requesting them — you want the best suites possible, of course, but the more upgrade options you select, the better the odds of them clearing.
My Nightly Upgrade Award luck this year wasn’t great
With the year wrapping up, how did I do with Marriott Nightly Upgrade Awards in 2025? Well, I successfully used five of them, I had one disappear (long story), and I’ll end the year with four expiring. Bleh — I absolutely hate to see these expire, so I really need to be less conservative when it comes to deciding on which stays to request them.
To be more specific, I cleared NUAs on the following stays:
- For one night at the Tokyo EDITION Toranomon, where I got a Tower Suite, probably the most exciting upgrade of the year
- For one night at the Tokyo EDITION Ginza, where I got a Premier Suite, which was comfortable and cozy
- For three nights at the St. Regis Kanai Riviera Maya, where I got a St. Regis Suite, which was appreciated, since we were traveling with our older son
Meanwhile I had Nightly Upgrade Award requests fail five times, including at properties like the St. Regis Hong Kong, Ritz-Carlton New York NoMad, Koenigshof Munich (Marriott Luxury Collection), The Vinoy St. Petersburg (Marriott Autograph Collection), and more.
That’s honestly worse luck than I’ve had in the past. I do tend to be specific about the types of room upgrades I request — in other words, I don’t try to use an NUA for a room with a slightly upgraded view, since I’d hope to get that upgrade anyway. In all cases, the rooms I requested were still for sale at the upgrade window, but the upgrades didn’t clear.
Obviously I’m still too conservative with using these, given that I have four expiring this year. I’ve had worse luck this year than in past years, though that ultimately comes down to a few specific stays not clearing, so I can’t necessarily draw bigger conclusions from that.
I am curious to hear what kind of experiences others have had — did you notice a difference in these clearing this past year compared to previous years, or no?
Bottom line
2025 hasn’t been a great year for me when it comes to Marriott Bonvoy Nightly Upgrade Awards. I did manage to confirm three upgrades, though I also had five failures. Ultimately I try to be strategic with using these, and also try to be realistic in terms of them clearing. However, I definitely had worse luck this year than in previous years.
Even so, I continue to select NUAs with the Choice Benefits program, because when the upgrades do clear, I find them to be super valuable.
What has your experience been with Marriott NUAs this year? Did you have more successes or failures?
I was denied my upgrade certificates at two Hawaii hotels in November and one denied a month later in Chicago. One was approved but that hotel didn’t have suites so it only a slightly better view. But since they were expiring within in a month it was better than wasting them. So two certificates left and I needed one more night to hit Platinum again so we did a staycation here in Dallas and that...
I was denied my upgrade certificates at two Hawaii hotels in November and one denied a month later in Chicago. One was approved but that hotel didn’t have suites so it only a slightly better view. But since they were expiring within in a month it was better than wasting them. So two certificates left and I needed one more night to hit Platinum again so we did a staycation here in Dallas and that one was not even allowed because as I found out certificates are not allowed if the reservation is within 48 hours of check in. I did not know this rule and neither did the first Marriott rep I spoke to. So two wasted. I will probably take the Stay Credits next time.
This topic has been written about extensively. By many authors. My conclusion, DON’T STAY AT MARRIOTT HOTELS! We’re tired of hearing the same old story!
It's hard to understand the point of having non positive space, non confirmed at booking upgrade instruments that largely just upgrade you to rooms you were already eligible to get a complimentary upgrade to. Sounds like they just found a way to gamify upgrades while making them worse
Some people complain that Ben recycles articles. Yet, from the comments, we see people making the same mistakes over and over and over again. The comments prove that the story needs to be retold. Keep this in mind the next time someone complains about a recycled article. Thanks to Ben for the reminder.
Everytime I had a nua denial including just few days ago at jw marriott charlotte, the requested room was still for sale at time of check in, followed by a lie by the front desk agent at check in that their all "sold out" upon requesting for upgrade there.
Have 3 unused expiring nuas this year!
Not sure why Ben and others still stick with Marriott. IHG has suite upgrade award certificates for up to five nights (not nightly certificates). As Diamond Ambassador with IHG luckily, thus far, all of my upgrade certificates had been confirmed and ahead of check in time. I think they can be cleared fourteen days before the check in date. Had used these certificates at some fantastic hotels such as the Regent Taipei or the Intercontinental HK.
Most annoying is to have upgrade requests unfulfilled while the property continues to incessantly peddle paid upgrades for the same class of suite prior to arrival. This happened repeatedly this year at properties ranging from resorts and JW Marriott to freaking Four Points. You'll have to convince me that this is something other than a marketing sham by corporate.
For the past five years I got the 5 NUAs, each year I tried to use them at high end Marriott properties in London,New York and Mexico City. Never got a single one approved. Next year I will select another option. Has noticed that Bonvoy has really jacked up the required points to stay at Marriott properties outside the USA? At JWs in Europe next year I will need 50% more points than I used the last three years. Thinking I too will start building points in Hyatt.
If it didn't sink in after the second year, shame on you.
For me they turned out to be pretty useless as an Ambassador. Over 120 nights, I requested upgrades multiple times at various hotels around the world and wasn’t able to use a single one. Luckily, I only selected five based on the previous year’s results and they are all going to waste. The Marriott upgrade program really pales in comparison to Hyatt, and I ended up staying at a lot more Hyatt properties this year....
For me they turned out to be pretty useless as an Ambassador. Over 120 nights, I requested upgrades multiple times at various hotels around the world and wasn’t able to use a single one. Luckily, I only selected five based on the previous year’s results and they are all going to waste. The Marriott upgrade program really pales in comparison to Hyatt, and I ended up staying at a lot more Hyatt properties this year. I made Ambassador again, but I’m really struggling to see the benefits of the program.
You need to have your personal ambassador work upgrades on your behalf.
I myself have had more success than failure overall with NUAs. This year I started with 5 and ended with 0, with 2 nights used at the Westin in Warsaw and 3 nights used at the Marriott in Copenhagen. Next year though may be a different story, since I'll probably struggle to use any of the 5 I have...
I started the year with 5 and end the year with 5. Tried to use them at the Westin Bora Bora for a 5 night stay. They did not clear. However, they were happy to sell me an upgrade.
I tried using 2 at Tambo del Inka in Peru and these also did not clear.
They are a scam.
I reached platinum via my business travels. Have the 5 and they will expire this year. On the one personal trip that I took and stayed at the Prince Gallery in Tokyo for 5 nights, they couldn't be used. All of my business trips, I had to book the cheapest rooms which tended to be Courtyard Hotels. There was no point using them at those properties.
More broadly, could’ve just said… ‘Bonvoy…more failure than success.’
got two NUA back which will expiry. It depends on the hotel I guess. however it's a shame the process is not more clear. If I apply an NUA and it's 4 days for the stay why is is it not confirmed. that would be great. In practice it can be the day of arrivasl though or you hear nothing. Got one cleared (!) tommorow on december 31st though. Nice. hoepfully it will not change when we check in ;-)
This is actually nothing new. And, in a way, it is no different than a property denying an elite-based upgrade at check-in even though there are upgrade-eligible rooms for your entire stay. In spite of the upgrade algorithm, it is an elusive benefit.
@ Fred -- I don't think I suggested anything was new? I was just sharing my experience with the benefit over the past year.
Certainly. Just sharing with newbies this has been ongoing for some time.
Reading all the negative comments about Marriott staff, management and Bonvoy progam, I have a simple question: why do you keep staying at Marriotts ?
There are some truly good properties. Some will use those and be free agents for other stays. For many, it's a matter of wanting a single program and taking the bad with the good. In other cases, a specific hotel network has the geographic footprint or convenient locations. In the case of business travelers, some are mandated to use a specific hotel network due to their company having a corporate/contract rate.
Corporate travel. Same reason as flying United (or any US based airline for that matter).
I was just denied NUA over this Christmas (got my 5 awards back that will expire in a few days...). Still, it is better than Hilton as a Diamond, as there isn't even a certificate. However, this is the reason why Hyatt tops the rest with their SUA... and that's why my next year's winter vacation is with Hyatt now.