Hey there, fellow traveler! Ever dreamed of stretching out in a spacious suite or enjoying a breathtaking view from a premium room without breaking the bank? Marriott Bonvoy's Nightly Upgrade Awards (formerly known as Suite Night Awards) can make that dream a reality. These coveted awards are a fantastic perk of elite status, allowing you to confirm an upgrade in advance of your stay. But how exactly do you get your hands on them? Let's dive into a comprehensive, step-by-step guide!
Unlocking the Door to Upgrades: Earning Marriott Bonvoy Nightly Upgrade Awards
Earning Nightly Upgrade Awards (NUAs) in the Marriott Bonvoy program is primarily tied to achieving higher elite status tiers. It's a reward for your loyalty and frequent stays.
Step 1: Embark on Your Elite Status Journey – Where Do You Stand?
Before we talk about earning NUAs, let's understand the foundation: Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. Have you checked your current status? Knowing where you are on the loyalty ladder is the first crucial step.
Marriott Bonvoy has several elite tiers, each offering progressively better benefits:
Member: The entry-level.
Silver Elite: 10 Elite Night Credits (ENCs) per year.
Gold Elite: 25 ENCs per year.
Platinum Elite: 50 ENCs per year.
Titanium Elite: 75 ENCs per year.
Ambassador Elite: 100 ENCs per year + $23,000 USD qualifying spend.
The key to Nightly Upgrade Awards lies with Platinum Elite status and above.
Step 2: Accumulating Elite Night Credits – Your Path to Platinum and Beyond
Nightly Upgrade Awards are primarily earned through the Annual Choice Benefit program. To qualify for these benefits, you need to accumulate a certain number of Elite Night Credits (ENCs) within a calendar year.
Sub-heading 2.1: Earning ENCs Through Stays
The most straightforward way to earn ENCs is by staying at Marriott Bonvoy participating hotels. Every eligible night you stay counts as one Elite Night Credit. This means booking directly through Marriott's official channels (website, app, or by calling reservations) and paying eligible rates.
Tips for Maximizing Stays:
Business Travel: If your job involves frequent travel, ensure your company's bookings are linked to your Marriott Bonvoy account.
Leisure Travel: Choose Marriott properties for your vacations and weekend getaways.
Promotions: Keep an eye out for Marriott Bonvoy promotions that offer bonus ENCs for stays. These can significantly accelerate your progress.
Sub-heading 2.2: Accelerating ENCs with Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards
This is where things get really interesting and often become the fastest way for many to reach elite status. Marriott offers co-branded credit cards that provide a significant boost to your Elite Night Credits each year.
Personal Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards: Many personal Marriott Bonvoy credit cards offer 15 Elite Night Credits annually just for being a cardmember. Some premium cards, like the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, can even offer 25 Elite Night Credits annually.
Business Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards: Similarly, Marriott Bonvoy business credit cards typically offer 15 Elite Night Credits annually.
Important Note on Stacking ENCs from Credit Cards: While you can hold multiple Marriott Bonvoy credit cards, you can generally only stack elite nights from one personal card and one business card. This means, at most, you could get up to 40 ENCs annually from credit cards (25 from a premium personal card + 15 from a business card). This alone gets you very close to Platinum Elite status!
For example: If you have the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (25 ENCs) and a Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (15 ENCs), you'll start each year with 40 Elite Night Credits. This means you only need to stay 10 additional nights to reach Platinum Elite status (50 ENCs total) and become eligible for your first Annual Choice Benefit!
Sub-heading 2.3: Other Ways to Earn ENCs
While less common for the primary purpose of earning NUAs, other methods to accumulate ENCs include:
Marriott Bonvoy Events: Earn ENCs for hosting qualifying meetings and events at participating properties.
Promotional Offers: Occasionally, Marriott Bonvoy runs targeted or global promotions that offer bonus ENCs for specific activities or stays.
Step 3: Reaching the Elite Night Credit Milestones – The Annual Choice Benefit
This is the crux of earning Nightly Upgrade Awards. Once you hit specific Elite Night Credit thresholds within a calendar year, you become eligible for an Annual Choice Benefit.
Sub-heading 3.1: 50 Elite Night Credits – Your First NUA Opportunity
When you achieve 50 Elite Night Credits in a calendar year, you qualify for your first Annual Choice Benefit. You'll be presented with several options, and among them, you'll find the Five Nightly Upgrade Awards.
Other Choices at 50 Nights (you choose one):
$1,000 USD off a bed from a Marriott retail brand.
Gift of Silver Elite status to a friend or family member.
$100 USD charity donation.
Five Elite Night Credits (to help you reach the next tier faster!).
For most travelers aiming for better room experiences, the Five Nightly Upgrade Awards are often the most valuable choice at this level.
Sub-heading 3.2: 75 Elite Night Credits – Doubling Down on Upgrades
If you push your Marriott Bonvoy loyalty further and reach 75 Elite Night Credits in a calendar year, you'll earn a second Annual Choice Benefit! Again, the Five Nightly Upgrade Awards will be an option.
Other Choices at 75 Nights (you choose one):
All the options from the 50-night tier.
A Free Night Award worth up to 40,000 points.
Gift of Gold Elite status to a friend or family member.
If your goal is to maximize your chances of confirmed upgrades, choosing the Five Nightly Upgrade Awards at both the 50-night and 75-night thresholds means you can earn a total of 10 Nightly Upgrade Awards per year!
Step 4: Making Your Choice – Selecting Your Nightly Upgrade Awards
Once you qualify for an Annual Choice Benefit, Marriott Bonvoy will notify you. You'll need to log into your Marriott Bonvoy account and navigate to the Annual Choice Benefit portal to make your selection.
Timelines: There's usually a deadline to make your selection (often by February 1st of the year following the qualification year). If you don't make a choice by the deadline, Marriott will automatically default to giving you Five Nightly Upgrade Awards. So, even if you forget, you're likely to receive them!
Step 5: Understanding Your Nightly Upgrade Awards – What They Are and How They Work
Now that you've earned them, let's clarify what Nightly Upgrade Awards are and how to use them effectively.
Sub-heading 5.1: What is a Nightly Upgrade Award (NUA)?
A Nightly Upgrade Award is a one-night confirmable upgrade to a premium room or standard suite. It's not a guaranteed suite, but rather an upgrade to an available higher room category as designated by the hotel. This can include:
Larger Rooms: More square footage.
Rooms with Better Views: City skyline, ocean, pool, etc.
Club Level Rooms: Offering lounge access.
Standard Suites: Entry-level suites with a separate living area.
Important: Each NUA is valid for one night. So, a five-night stay requiring an upgrade would consume five Nightly Upgrade Awards. You cannot use them for partial nights of a stay.
Sub-heading 5.2: Applying Your Nightly Upgrade Awards
Once you have NUAs in your account and a reservation booked, you can apply them.
Book an Eligible Reservation: NUAs can be used on eligible paid stays, award redemption stays (using points or Free Night Awards), and Cash & Points stays. Ensure your booking is directly with Marriott.
Access Your Reservation: Log into your Marriott Bonvoy account on the website or mobile app. Go to your "My Trips" or "Trips" section.
Initiate Upgrade Request: For eligible reservations, you'll see an option like "Start upgrade request" or "Request Nightly Upgrade Award(s)."
Select Room Options: You'll be presented with a list of premium rooms and suites that are potentially available for upgrade at that specific property. You can select multiple options.
Submit Request: Confirm your selection. You'll typically receive an email confirming that your request has been received.
Sub-heading 5.3: The Approval Process and When to Expect Confirmation
This is where the anticipation comes in!
Availability Check: Marriott's system begins checking for NUA availability typically five days prior to your arrival. For EDITION, The Ritz-Carlton, and St. Regis properties, this check starts three days prior to arrival.
Daily Checks: If an upgrade isn't confirmed on the first day of checking, the system will continue to look for availability daily until approximately 2:00 PM local hotel time the day before your arrival.
Confirmation or Denial: You will be notified by email whether your upgrade request has been confirmed or denied. If denied, the NUAs will be returned to your account (unless they are about to expire).
No Guarantee: It's crucial to remember that Nightly Upgrade Awards are subject to availability. They are not guaranteed. Hotels want to sell their best rooms, so approval often depends on occupancy levels.
Strategy for Success:
Book during off-peak times: Your chances are higher when hotels are less busy.
Select multiple room types: Give yourself more options for the system to consider.
Consider shorter stays: While you need an NUA per night, some find it easier to get approval for 1-2 night stays compared to longer ones, as it ties up fewer suites for the hotel.
Sub-heading 5.4: Expiration of Nightly Upgrade Awards
Nightly Upgrade Awards typically expire on December 31st of the year following the year in which they were earned. For example, if you earned them in 2025, they would expire on December 31, 2026. Keep an eye on their expiration dates in your Marriott Bonvoy account to ensure you use them before they're gone!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Marriott Bonvoy Nightly Upgrade Awards
Here are 10 common questions about earning and using Marriott Bonvoy Nightly Upgrade Awards, with quick answers:
How to earn Nightly Upgrade Awards through elite status?
You earn Nightly Upgrade Awards as an Annual Choice Benefit when you reach 50 and 75 Elite Night Credits within a calendar year in the Marriott Bonvoy program.
How to accelerate earning Elite Night Credits for Nightly Upgrade Awards?
You can significantly accelerate earning Elite Night Credits by holding Marriott Bonvoy co-branded credit cards, which offer annual elite night credits (e.g., 15 or 25 ENCs per year per card, with limits on stacking).
How to select Nightly Upgrade Awards as my Annual Choice Benefit?
Once you hit 50 or 75 Elite Night Credits, Marriott Bonvoy will notify you. Log into your Marriott Bonvoy account online and navigate to the Annual Choice Benefit portal to choose Nightly Upgrade Awards from the available options.
How to apply Nightly Upgrade Awards to a reservation?
After booking an eligible stay, go to your reservation details on the Marriott website or app. If available, you'll see an option to "Start upgrade request" where you can select the desired room types.
How to know if my Nightly Upgrade Award request is confirmed?
Marriott will send you an email notification confirming or denying your upgrade request. The system starts checking availability 5 days (or 3 days for certain luxury brands) prior to arrival.
How to increase my chances of a Nightly Upgrade Award being approved?
Increase your chances by applying them to stays during off-peak times, selecting multiple eligible room types, and potentially choosing properties with more available suites.
How to use Nightly Upgrade Awards for multiple rooms?
Nightly Upgrade Awards can be used for more than one room on a single reservation, as long as each room is in your name, one room is for your own stay, and you are present for the duration of the stay.
How to check the expiration date of my Nightly Upgrade Awards?
You can check the expiration dates of your Nightly Upgrade Awards by logging into your Marriott Bonvoy account on the website or mobile app, typically found in the "My Awards" or "Earned Rewards" section.
How to cancel a pending Nightly Upgrade Award request?
You can typically cancel an unconfirmed Nightly Upgrade Award request from your reservation details up until 2:00 PM local hotel time the day before arrival. The awards will be returned to your account.
How to combine Nightly Upgrade Awards with Free Night Awards?
Yes, Nightly Upgrade Awards can be used on reservations booked with Free Night Awards, provided the reservation is otherwise eligible for NUA application.
