One of the positive aspects of the Starwood Preferred Guest program that Marriott has adopted is “Choice Benefits.” Specifically, Platinum members are able to select special rewards when they pass 50 and 75 elite qualifying nights in a year.
This is a benefit that those of us who are SPG loyalists have had for years, and many of us have already selected our benefits for this year before the programs were merged. However, if you’re a Marriott loyalist then this is likely new to you.
What are Marriott’s Choice Benefits?
With Marriott Choice Benefits, those who pass 50 elite qualifying nights in a year can choose from the following rewards:
- 5 Suite Night Awards
- 5 Elite Night Credits
- The ability to gift Silver Elite status
- 40% off a hotel bed
- A $100 UNICF donation
Then those who pass 75 elite qualifying nights in a year can choose from the following rewards:
- 5 Suite Night Awards
- 5 Elite Night Credits
- A free night award (valid at a hotel costing up to 40,000 points)
- The ability to gift Gold Elite status
- 40% off a hotel bed
- A $100 UNICF donation
You actually have to earn the elite nights associated with the above status levels to select these benefits. In other words, those who have lifetime status couldn’t choose the above benefits unless they happened to qualify as well.
However, elite nights earned through credit cards, including the 15 elite nights annually offered by either the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card, Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, or Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, would qualify towards that total.
You can now select your Marriott Choice Benefit
While Marriott has had a single loyalty program for over a week now, prior to today they hadn’t rolled out the ability for Marriott Rewards members to select benefits. That has finally changed.
Marriott elite members who have passed 50 or 75 nights for 2018 should now be able to select their Choice Benefits at this link.
If you do select the suite upgrade as the reward, note that it could take up to 48 hours for the upgrades to post to your account, so it likely won’t be instant. Suite Night Awards should be valid for stays through December 31, 2019.
An oddity with Suite Night Awards
There’s one other interesting thing I’m noticing with these upgrades. With Starwood, Suite Night Awards were always (as far as I know) valid for upgrades to suites of some sort (as the name suggests — shocking concept, eh?)
It’s my understanding that Marriott isn’t regulating what rooms hotels have to designate as part of the Suite Night Award inventory, and as a result you have some hotels where the Suite Night Award would clear into an executive room. Hmmm…
Have you selected your Marriott Choice Benefits yet? If so, any further data points as to what rooms Marriotts are designating as suites?
(Tip of the hat to @tpbagala)
After calling the Platinum Elite desk to confirm I could use them for a Ritz-Carlton reservation I already had booked, I chose the 5 Suite night award, because it offered the best value for me. However, the rep I talked to apparently missed the fact that RC does not honor the Suite night award and now I'm left with a worthless option. And trust me... Marriott will not let you change your award. I tried...
After calling the Platinum Elite desk to confirm I could use them for a Ritz-Carlton reservation I already had booked, I chose the 5 Suite night award, because it offered the best value for me. However, the rep I talked to apparently missed the fact that RC does not honor the Suite night award and now I'm left with a worthless option. And trust me... Marriott will not let you change your award. I tried once I found out I couldn't use them for RC and the rep I talked to was most unhelpful in regard to this.
So I had 75 nights in 2018 and if I choose 5 nights now (1/19/2019), it will still be counted in 2018 ??. That's disappointing.
This is what the page says:
"FIVE ELITE NIGHT CREDITS.
Add five Elite Night Credits to your 2018 total."
:(
Suggest you claim them on line ASAP*; go to Plat benefit;-and choose 1 of 5 options.
M will then send an em saying takes 48 h to credit yr account
M is "silent" on this new benefit and also on many other issues (communication???). they do not send any message.
*It took me a while to find out how to claim it by going to Google..I found the deadline was Jan 14...
Suggest you claim them on line ASAP*; go to Plat benefit;-and choose 1 of 5 options.
M will then send an em saying takes 48 h to credit yr account
M is "silent" on this new benefit and also on many other issues (communication???). they do not send any message.
*It took me a while to find out how to claim it by going to Google..I found the deadline was Jan 14 , but it is EXTENDED to FEB 7,2019 bec their IT system "is on maintenance" (???) the first 2 weeks of Jan
Hope this help. Good luck.
@Dhruv, you should have two choices, award nights count.
I reached 76 nights during 2018 (53 paid and 23 from credit cards). Should I have been elegible for two Choice awards (50 and 75 night benefits) or does this only count the paid nights ?
My guess is the site is swamped by all the members who are just now selecting the benefits due to the email notice. I never got one though, probably cause i requested in December.
My SNAs eventually showed up after a day.
i have Plat and 50 nites for 2018. I was informed I can choose 1 of the extra Benefits; but I MUST do ON LINE by mid-Jan 2019; I choose the 5 nite credits to use for 2019.
BUT for 5 days since Jan 4 to Jan 8, 2019, the M benefits choice web is NOT working- supposed is under maintenance... be patient etc. I tried 4 times a day- and still see the...
i have Plat and 50 nites for 2018. I was informed I can choose 1 of the extra Benefits; but I MUST do ON LINE by mid-Jan 2019; I choose the 5 nite credits to use for 2019.
BUT for 5 days since Jan 4 to Jan 8, 2019, the M benefits choice web is NOT working- supposed is under maintenance... be patient etc. I tried 4 times a day- and still see the same message (3 lines) today .. I called MR- they said they cannot access either but created a case number for me to refer to, whenever that site works. and said; you can try every day or other day..!!!???
What else is going at M, in addition to the SPG data breach issue (which they called incident)?
Do others have the same problem?? Any advice? Thanks
@ Per, the elite nights count this current year so you can qualify for status next year. For instance if you are at 70 nights and have no more travel then choose the 5 elite nights to get to 75 to qualify for Platinum and receive an additional Choice at that point. But if you are well below that then it doesnt matter besides Lifetime Status.
On another note, I just requested my 2nd...
@ Per, the elite nights count this current year so you can qualify for status next year. For instance if you are at 70 nights and have no more travel then choose the 5 elite nights to get to 75 to qualify for Platinum and receive an additional Choice at that point. But if you are well below that then it doesnt matter besides Lifetime Status.
On another note, I just requested my 2nd set of SNA. The first set showed up instantly but this set has not and its been 3 hours.
Be aware, that if you choose 5 elite night credits as your choice benefit, the nights will apply to the present year (2018) only - which I find really odd! Would make more sense if it would apply to your new membership year.
@Lucky, Shamus and H both had clarification questions about the 5 Elite Night Credits. Any additional information to provide? I'm over 50, but barely, so the 5 Elite Night Credits would only really be helpful for lifetime status. Can you confirm if they count towards lifetime status?
Newbie question:- What does the 5 Elite Night Credits actually give you?
I was able to choose suite nights today. So it must’ve just been the website having issues as opposed to my rollover nights.
@C.J.: That could be my problem too. I thought it was that the Choice Benefit site wasn't taking SPG nights into account, though now that you mention it it could also be the rollover nights for me.
I know rollover nights dont exist anymore but is it possible they are not counting them this year towards elite nights completed even though this was the last year for them? I have 44 nights + 11 rollover + 1 credit card night and its saying im not eligible.
I have 81 earned nights this year and selected the suite nights for my gift. I was awarded 5 suite nights for reaching 50 qualified nights, but I'm unable to find where I can select an additional 5 suite nights for reaching 75 qualified nights. Anyone else experienced this?
I have now tried to apply SNAs to bookings at legacy Marriott hotels to find out that some hotel simply opted out and many others just allow them for "enhanced" rooms depsite having different types of suites. After breakfast and platinum suite upgrades this seems to be the next occasion where they sell valuable spg perks but only deliver poorly executed Marriott things.
Getting tired of their approach to this all....
@Lucky, I...
I have now tried to apply SNAs to bookings at legacy Marriott hotels to find out that some hotel simply opted out and many others just allow them for "enhanced" rooms depsite having different types of suites. After breakfast and platinum suite upgrades this seems to be the next occasion where they sell valuable spg perks but only deliver poorly executed Marriott things.
Getting tired of their approach to this all....
@Lucky, I know I may be getting on your nerves (if you read the comments at all) but I definitely am curious how much time you consider appropriate for them to change the wording regarding the upgrade policy. I guess their strategy is to just tire us and have us forget about it...
@Peabody, it would be so much cheaper to just find a low-end Marriott near your home and check-in for 15 nights (~$1,500). But if you're already Lifetime Platinum Elite, I don't see why you would bother. Those 5 Suite Night Awards are not worth that cost 98% of the time.
LPE status and have the old Marriott Biz card from Chase with 1 room night per $3k spend. Does that still apply or is that a thing of the past? If it does, would it be worth it to spend $45k to get another 15 nights of credit to reach 50 for the year? Have no stays at M planned for the rest of 2018. Thanks for help, have been away for a while and trying to catch up on all the changes.
SPG Lifetime Platinum with more than 800n nights and 12 years . When I opened my profile it said : "We're sorry ! Your points expired in 2020. "
2020 ??? That's how futuristic they get :-)
Is there a post about what these rewards are and what’s the most bang for the buck? I’m really confused at the options.
I am lifetime gold, but have a premiere elite status. Over 105 nights this year so far.
Not really sure how these work because I usually don’t get upgraded when I stay, or if I do, I’m told it’s a better view.. nothing drastic that I have ever noticed.
I’m not...
Is there a post about what these rewards are and what’s the most bang for the buck? I’m really confused at the options.
I am lifetime gold, but have a premiere elite status. Over 105 nights this year so far.
Not really sure how these work because I usually don’t get upgraded when I stay, or if I do, I’m told it’s a better view.. nothing drastic that I have ever noticed.
I’m not really sure what these upgrades are used for as I thought we already were out on upgrade lists?
Thx!
At 72 nights YTD, I'm also in the situation that it says I don't have enough nights for my Choice Benefit.
Likewise, it says I'm on my way to Lifetime Silver Status with 1134 lifetime nights, 13 Elite Years, and 11 years platinum.
Great......
They rather should activate the Choice Benefit of booking Suite-Only Properties with Points :@
Still Not Able. It really sucks
@lucky thank you so much. when I looked last night it wasn't on the reservation but today it is.
Error, error everywhere! Marriott's choice benefit link returns, surprise!, more errors! My missing prepaid reservation finally showed up, 1 day before the stay, yet the points are still miscalculated, and now this additional error. Their status page still says things are honkydory except for a small number of issues. If it's a small number of issues, why is it taking them so long still? Telling your customer lies is not a good way to start...
Error, error everywhere! Marriott's choice benefit link returns, surprise!, more errors! My missing prepaid reservation finally showed up, 1 day before the stay, yet the points are still miscalculated, and now this additional error. Their status page still says things are honkydory except for a small number of issues. If it's a small number of issues, why is it taking them so long still? Telling your customer lies is not a good way to start off the new program. I've been through more than a few corporate mergers, including some really bad ones, the radio silence from Marriott's customer support team (website, Twitter) is the worst. The telephone folks are useless and rude. I wonder how long this is going to drag on. I bet other chains are watching Marriott and waiting to get the spoils.
So every year each member will be notified right when they pass the 50 or 75 night threshold that they can now choose their elite benefit for that year? It will NOT be that everyone chooses the 50 (and 75) night benefit on January 1st of the following year based on their previous year record. So 2018 is unique in that a large number of people are being given their gift all at the same time.
Bummed that the free night is no longer offered at the 50 night level, that was always my pick :/
Thanks Lucky. I am a Marriott person and never had status with SPG, now not sure what to choose. I wish they had the option of just 30K points or something like with Deltas choice benefits for Platinum and Diamonds. Those free night certs aren't always useful if you want to stay in a major city or not at a residence inn by the airport. I like to choose the Tiffany's gift cards and then sell them for cash with Deltas program.
Not seeing anywhere to apply these to my current reservations...? Trying to apply to one SPG reservation and one Marriott reservation.
Lucky, I know you referenced that you can request the SNA on an existing reservation.
I'm sorry if this sounds childish, but can you show us exactly how to do so? Like where on the page, because I'm looking and don't see it.
Have the SNA always been applied as one each night if stay? SEems like a horrible way to reward someone.
@ Bob -- Yep.
Ugh, it looks like we can't use these at Ritz Carlton. I'm at 70 nights right now, so would it be worth it to redeem for 5 elite nights to reach 75 before my upcoming RC stay, in the hope that as a platinum premier member I'd get an upgrade?
@khatl, which hotel!?
How long are Suite Night Awards good for, and can the be used on a 7-night Hotel + Air package reservation. I’m looking to book my 7-night trip sometime next summer and would like to have the SNAs as my 50 & 75 night bonus awards if they can be used like this. Anyone know? Thanks!
I have 58 nights combined in 2018 but I am told I am not eligible until I reach 50 nights..
There were always some SPG hotels that stretched the definition of an SNA-eligible room -- the W Amsterdam for example upgrades to a Cool Corner room I believe. And of course some hotels just have a big room labeled a "suite" that is used for SNAs.
Of course I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Marriott hotels take far worse liberties with this.
Wow! Something finally works, though it basically means I was told a complete load of garbage by the platinum desk yesterday!
Called re an Autograph Collection hotel to apply my SNA's. Was told that not all hotels, including this one, offer SNA's (huh??? - would love to know if that is actually true... and certainly shouldn't be true for Autograph). Told them that I'd wait 48 hrs and see if it changes, to which...
Wow! Something finally works, though it basically means I was told a complete load of garbage by the platinum desk yesterday!
Called re an Autograph Collection hotel to apply my SNA's. Was told that not all hotels, including this one, offer SNA's (huh??? - would love to know if that is actually true... and certainly shouldn't be true for Autograph). Told them that I'd wait 48 hrs and see if it changes, to which the rep said 'it won't change, that's the policy of some hotels'.
But to your article, sure enough this morning, it's changed... and the upgrade options at this hotel were simply amazing, including a 3 bedroom villa with private plunge pool!!! Count me in!
From the t&c:
"The Free Night Award (up to 40,000 Points) must be redeemed for a stay that occurs no later than December 31 of the year following the year in which the additional benefit is selected (e.g. if the benefit is selected in 2019, the deadline for redemption is December 31, 2020)."
Most interestingly is that:
"One Suite Night Award is required per room per night."
How odd is that? Hyatt, Fairmont etc. all...
From the t&c:
"The Free Night Award (up to 40,000 Points) must be redeemed for a stay that occurs no later than December 31 of the year following the year in which the additional benefit is selected (e.g. if the benefit is selected in 2019, the deadline for redemption is December 31, 2020)."
Most interestingly is that:
"One Suite Night Award is required per room per night."
How odd is that? Hyatt, Fairmont etc. all allowed or still allow to use such a voucher for a stay and not a single night. Sucks!
Made my Platinum selection, but it isn't giving me the option to make a Platinum Premier selection :/ Marriott's website definitely says I'm Platinum Premier, though some of the nights were transferred from SPG (I was over 50 just at Marriott but not 75 just there). Maybe this particular system isn't counting the SPG nights yet. Anyone else have this issue?
@Ab yes, they are valid for any stay booked through an SPG/Marriott channel no matter if paid, award, cash and points or on a free night certificate.
are the suite night awards valid for stays booked on points or free night certificates ? thanks!
@Lucky, were you able to score 5 SNAs in addition to the ones you had selected under legacy spg terms? I had reached Plat50 in May and chose 10 SNAs and while I was now able to choose 5 SNAs for reaching more than 75 in the combines program and received an e-mail
confirmation instantly that they had posted already, I just can’t see them anywhere. I will wait until those 48 hours will have passed but it’s weird that they confirm their posting already....
Well, some (very few) spg hotels in the past also had them connected to other premium rooms but I guess this is a vital sign for how much Marriott cares about suite upgrades in general. The just don‘t care and leave it up to the hotel to
offer or upgrade as they wish.
Im am still curious to see the updated t&c that they have promised to you ... I really believe it‘s...
Well, some (very few) spg hotels in the past also had them connected to other premium rooms but I guess this is a vital sign for how much Marriott cares about suite upgrades in general. The just don‘t care and leave it up to the hotel to
offer or upgrade as they wish.
Im am still curious to see the updated t&c that they have promised to you ... I really believe it‘s all smoke and mirrors and as long as bloggers believe whatever lie their SVP loyalty throws around...
Actually I had already reached ambassador service at SPG and selected the 10 suite upgrades months ago. I logged using the link and it gave me the choice to pick a benefit again. Selected the free night as 15 suite upgrades is useless. It processed fine. When I click on the link that says history of your choices 2018 shows both selections. ;)
Do the 5 elite nights count towards lifetime status?
@Bob no more roll-over nights.
Do the five nights roll over? Or did Marriott get rid of roll over nights? Another downgrade.
I didn't know you needed one Suite Night Award per night of your stay. That really makes it less attractive to me. If I am in a three day business trip and want to use one the terms say they would take all three if it was
confirmed. Should be one per stay.
I have 59 nights now, have additional booked to 72, I'll probably get another night or 2 from credit card and will also likely have another trip or 2 that I just don't know about yet. So not taking the 5 nights credit seems obvious but... There are some booked nights that I chose a Marriott brand just to get to 75 even though some other hotel is more geographically suitable or nicer. Taking the 5 nights credit would let me fix that. Now I have to ponder on it.
If I choose the 5 elite nights, do they count towards my nights for earning status next year, (eg. will I start out next year with 5 nights), or will it be added on to this years count?
I picked SNA for my 50 and 75 night tiers. I got emails saying they are added to my account. I don't know where to see them. Additionally, when looking at reservations I don't see any options to apply these. What am I doing wrong?
Need only be Platinum now or need to have stayed 50+ nights so far in 2018?
@ T. -- You need 50+ elite nights for 2018 to qualify for this.
@Aaron—credit card spend doesn’t mean 50 or 75 nights, only that one gets Platinum status. One must reach 50 and 75 nights, regardless of credit card spend, for these Choice Benefits.
Didn't they work out a game plan before announcing an integration date? I mean come on, this is ridiculous. If the technology was so difficult to figure out, they should have left everything as is until they did figure it out. This isn't 1997, they could buy some servers to duplicate all of the data very cheaply and kept running practice runs on the duplicate data until they got it right. The CSR's are completely...
Didn't they work out a game plan before announcing an integration date? I mean come on, this is ridiculous. If the technology was so difficult to figure out, they should have left everything as is until they did figure it out. This isn't 1997, they could buy some servers to duplicate all of the data very cheaply and kept running practice runs on the duplicate data until they got it right. The CSR's are completely clueless so the training was just skipped entirely. In addition to the communication of major changes to members being piecemeal through some idiot named lurker giving wrong information, to incomplete information on several topics, to downright withholding information like the travel packages. It is 2018. This is a complete fail. Flueck should be let go, he is not up to the job.
Any idea how to apply them to an existing reservation? Do we have to call in to do that?
@ Eric -- If you log into an existing reservation you should see the option to apply them.
Anyone know how they handle folks that receive platinum via credit card spend? Anyone seeing suite night option?
@ Aaron -- Nope, only if you earn the actual required elite nights.
Nothing on the AC breach?
@ majik -- There has been a lot of news today! James wrote a post about it that's scheduled for first thing tomorrow.
Same as Andrew. Looks like their IT team is continuing to do a top notch job.
I’m at 65 nights for the year and the system is telling me
“We’re sorry.
You're not yet eligible to choose an Annual Choice Benefit. Once you stay at least 50 eligible nights in a qualifying period, you'll get to choose one of these Annual Choice Benefits”
Oh man, I'm a newly minted Platinum and chose the Suite Night Awards but I have no idea how to apply them to a current reservation. Any tips?
All I get is a new screen with "Oops. It looks like something went wrong with your request. Please try again or reach out to Member Support with any questions."
Anyone else get ti select benefits?
All rooms are sweet, but some are Suiter.
"It’s my understanding that Marriott isn’t regulating what rooms hotels have to designate as part of the Suite Night Award inventory, and as a result you have some hotels where the Suite Night Award would clear into an executive room. Hmmm…
Translation in Mo speak. By "Suite" they mean "sweet" as in: A Sweet Night Award.
It's a sweet benefit to get a sweet upgrade into a sweet room.
All Suites are equal, but, some are sweeter than others. -Animo Farm
I have 40 nights with Marriott and 12 with spg. I merged my accounts to have 52 nights. Used your link and it says I'm not eligible. Wtf?