Unlocking Marriott Points: How to Secure Room Upgrades

When planning your next hotel stay, especially with Marriott, you may find yourself wanting to enhance your experience with an upgraded room. While Marriott elite status can provide complimentary upgrades based on availability, there are times when you might prefer to secure a specific view or a larger room at the time of booking. Fortunately, Marriott Bonvoy offers options for redeeming points to achieve that desired upgrade. Here’s everything you need to know about using your Marriott points effectively.

Marriott provides two main ways to redeem points for room upgrades. You can either use a larger amount of points to book an upgraded room directly, or you can redeem points for a standard room and then pay a cash copay to secure an upgrade. It’s important to note that you won’t earn Marriott points on the cash copay, and it won’t count toward the spending requirement for Ambassador status.

If you’re interested in redeeming points for an upgrade, it’s crucial to initiate this process at the time of booking. Keep in mind that not every Marriott property will offer the option to upgrade with points, so you may need to explore multiple locations to find one that allows this kind of redemption.

When booking through the Marriott Bonvoy website, you may encounter the option to select upgraded room types with points at certain properties. Depending on the hotel, you can choose to either fully pay with points or redeem points for a standard room while covering the upgrade cost with cash.

For instance, imagine planning a five-night stay at the Marriott Mena House in Cairo, Egypt. You could book a deluxe room with a garden view and balcony for 114,000 Marriott points. If you desire a room with a partial view of the pyramids, you could opt for a $500 cash copay or redeem an additional 100,000 Marriott points.

If you hold Titanium Elite status, you may enjoy executive lounge access as a benefit. However, guests without at least Platinum Elite status might need to pay either $550 or 110,000 points to upgrade to a garden-view deluxe room that includes lounge access. During my recent stay at the Marriott Mena House, the executive lounge provided a modest breakfast buffet and an impressive dinner spread featuring beer and wine daily.

For those keen on securing a room with a partial pyramid view and access to the executive lounge, you could pay an upgrade copay of $1,050 or 210,000 points. Marriott recognizes that many guests are drawn to this hotel for its stunning pyramid views, making the option to pay with cash or points for such upgrades appealing.

While Marriott’s policy allows members to redeem points or pay a cash upgrade fee, it’s worth noting that the rates can be quite high compared to standard paid rates at some properties. Additionally, not all Marriott locations provide the option to redeem points for upgrades, which can limit your choices.

If the upgrade costs seem excessive or if the property does not offer cash or points upgrade options, consider booking a standard award stay and then requesting Nightly Upgrade Awards. However, there are some drawbacks to this approach. First, there’s no guarantee that your Nightly Upgrade Awards will be approved for your stay. You won’t receive confirmation until five days before your arrival (or three days for stays at Edition, Ritz-Carlton, and St. Regis properties). Furthermore, not every Marriott property allows for Nightly Upgrade Awards, which could limit your options.

You can earn Nightly Upgrade Awards as Marriott Choice Benefits after accruing 50 or 75 elite night credits each calendar year. If you hold the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, you can also select Nightly Upgrade Awards as your Earned Choice Award each year you spend at least $60,000 on eligible purchases.

As a Marriott Titanium Elite member, I have never redeemed points for an upgraded room. Instead, I have relied on my elite status for complimentary upgrades or utilized Nightly Upgrade Awards. My experiences with Nightly Upgrade Awards, especially while traveling abroad, have generally been positive, often resulting in better room locations or upgrades.

However, it’s reassuring to know that if I decide to reserve an upgraded room with Marriott points, there are options available to do so.

In conclusion, understanding how to navigate the Marriott Bonvoy points system for room upgrades can significantly enhance your travel experience. Whether you choose to redeem points directly or explore cash copay options, being informed will help you make the most of your Marriott stays. Happy travels!