One benefit of select tiers of Marriott elite status is complimentary, space-available room upgrades at check-in. However, for some stays, you may want to guarantee a specific view or a larger room at booking instead of hoping for an upgrade.
You can book a paid rate for the room type you want. However, you can also sometimes redeem Marriott points for upgraded room types. Here's what you should know.
Redeeming Marriott points for upgraded rooms: What to know
Marriott Bonvoy offers two primary avenues for using points to upgrade. You may be able to use more Marriott points to book an upgraded room, or you may be able to redeem points for the standard room award cost and then pay a cash copay to upgrade. However, you won't earn Marriott points on the cash copay, and it won't count toward the Ambassador spending requirement.
If you want to redeem points to upgrade, you must do so at booking. And unfortunately, you won't see the option to upgrade with Marriott points at every property. So, if you're hoping to secure an upgraded room with points for an upcoming stay, you may need to check multiple properties before you find one that lets you redeem Marriott points for an upgraded room.
