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.
The Brilliant’s the primary reason I focus on the Marriott Nightly Upgrade Award benefit.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
And here’s the second reason.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.
St. Regis Chicago, the only location where my Marriott Nightly Upgrade Award request cleared.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?
The post This Marriott Perk Sucks Me In Again, And That’s Fine with Me appeared first on Miles to Memories.
