Marriott Bonvoy Makes 2 Small, Positive Changes for Elite Members

Marriott Bonvoy’s terms-and-conditions page contains over 34,000 words. That’s 70 pages of single-spaced text. You’d be forgiven for not reading it.

However, we’ve detected 2 important changes that bear good news for Bonvoy members.

You now have more time to select your Annual Choice Benefit, and your Nightly Upgrade Awards will start clearing earlier at select brands.

Here’s what Bonvoy members should know about these improvements.

More Time To Select Your Annual Choice Benefit

Marriott Bonvoy offers a nice perk to those who earn Platinum and Titanium Elite status each year. Upon reaching these thresholds (50 nights and 75 nights, respectively), you can choose an Annual Choice Benefit from the following:

• Platinum Elite options:
  • 5 Nightly Upgrade Awards
  • Save $1,000 on a mattress from your favorite Marriott Bonvoy retail brand.
  • Give Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status to someone.
  • $100 contribution to the Arne M. Sorenson Hospitality Fund, UNICEF, or World Wildlife Fund in your name
  • Add 5 Elite Night Credits to your account for the current year to help you reach the next status tier.
• Titanium Elite options:
  • All of the Platinum Elite options (including the ability to choose the same benefit again)
  • Free Night Award worth up to 40,000 points
  • Give Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status to someone.

If you don’t select your Annual Choice Benefit by the deadline, the default selection is 5 Nightly Upgrade Awards. It’s nice that Marriott won’t forfeit the benefit entirely if you fail to meet the deadline.

And the deadline is exactly what has improved here. Section 4.3.c.vi now says you have until “11:59 p.m. Eastern US Time on February 1 of the year following the applicable Qualifying Period” to choose your preferred benefit. Previously, you had to choose by January 7 of each year for the status you earned in the previous calendar year. That gives you more than 3 extra weeks to make up your mind.

You can choose your benefit here once you’re eligible.

Nightly Upgrade Awards Clearing Sooner at Some Marriott Brands

Marriott has also made a change for the better regarding the Nightly Upgrade Awards, which are one of the Annual Choice Benefits for elite members.

Scrolling down a bit, subsection 4.3.c.vi.A.5 partially undoes a change for the worse that Bonvoy members have been unhappy about. When Suite Upgrade Awards were changed to Nightly Upgrade Awards, members gained the ability to use these awards at additional brands and additional room types. However, the hotels went from approving these awards 5 days before arrival to just 3 days.

Now, that’s changing back … sort of.

Here are the new terms (emphasis ours):

(5) Nightly Upgrade Award use is based upon availability of the requested suite or Premium Room. Checking for availability begins as early as five (5) days before arrival (effective December 2024, for all brands except for EDITION, the Ritz-Carlton, and the St. Regis where fulfillment will begin at three (3) days prior to arrival). Availability is checked each day before arrival up until around 2 p.m. local time of the Participating Property one (1) day prior to arrival. If at that time Nightly Upgrade Awards cannot be confirmed, the Nightly Upgrade Awards are credited back to the Member’s account if they have not expired.

Thus, your awards will now clear as early as 5 days before check-in at most eligible Marriott hotel brands, though the approval time remains 3 days beforehand for Marriott’s high-end brands.

Remember that these awards only clear if the requested room is available during the days leading up to check-in. You can’t use them to confirm an upgrade months or weeks in advance.

Final Thoughts

Marriott Bonvoy has made 2 small — but valuable — changes to its impressively long terms and conditions. These include extra time to choose your Annual Choice Benefit each year and additional days for Nightly Upgrade Awards clearing before check-in at most brands (though not the most luxurious properties, unfortunately).

These are both good news for Bonvoy elites.