One of the features enjoyed members of the Marriott Bonvoy program is the Annual Choice Benefits. These benefits are available to Marriott Bonvoy Platinum members after achieving 50 Qualifying Nights during the year. They are then able to make a choice after 75 Qualifying nights.
After 50 qualifying nights, members can select up to five awards through the Annual Choice Benefit. After 75 nights, members can choose another five awards. Each of these is valid for one night, and may be applied to paid, Free Night Award stays and Cash & Points stays.
According to Marriott, the Suite Night Awards are one of the most popular choices among the Annual Choice Benefits. Under this offer, members are able to request a one-night confirmable upgrade to a suite.
Form early 2024, Marriott Bonvoy will be renaming and improving the offer, and they will go by the new name of Nightly Upgrade Rewards. There will also be some changes to the way the offer works.
Nighty Upgrade Rewards
Name Change
First up, Nightly Upgrade Rewards will be the new name for Suite Night Rewards. Marriott say they are making this change to better reflect the way the benefit works. In particular, Nightly Upgrade Rewards will be one night confirmable upgrades to suites, or other premium rooms.
Premium Rooms
As noted, Marriott Bonvoy will be extending the offer to include what it calls Premium Rooms. These are rooms that might include features like oceanfront rooms, balconies, and extra space. So, maybe not a suite, but a better room.
As a result of this change, Marriott Bonvoy are saying that there will be 20% more rooms available to choose from.
Additional Brands
Members will be able to choose from five additional brands when redeeming their awards: The Ritz-Carlton, EDITION, Aloft, Element and Protea Hotels.
Having said that, there are some exceptions under the Ritz Carlton banner where the awards can’t be used. These include Ritz Carlton Reserve and Ritz-Carlton Residences.
Confirmation time lines
As part of the change, upgrade requests will be confirmed closer to check-in. Once the changes kick in, the confirmations will starting three days prior to arrival. This compares to the current timeline where confirmations can begin five days prior to check-in.
Final Words
Overall, the change from Suite Night Awards to Nightly Upgrade Awards in 2024 seems positive. The new name is more reflective of how it actually works. In addition, adding extra brands and offering 20% more rooms is positive.
The main downside seems to be not confirming until closer to check-in.