Marriott's complimentary upgrade list is a test screen in the Marriott Bonvoy app that shows elite members their place in line for a complimentary room upgrade and how many upgrades the hotel expects to have. It first surfaced on October 11, 2026, in a screenshot a member shared in a Marriott Bonvoy Facebook group, and Marriott confirmed the beta after its Member Day on October 12. The screen is marked as a beta and is limited to a small subset of hotels for now.
The one rule printed on the screen that matters most: Nightly Upgrade Awards are handled before anyone on the complimentary list.
What the Test Screen Shows
The screen appears close to arrival and shows three things:
- An estimate of how many complimentary upgrades are available for your stay.
- Your current position in line. In the shared screenshot, the member was second in line with zero upgrades available.
- A note that Marriott will tell you one day before arrival if your complimentary upgrade is confirmed.
The small print under it reads: "Your Current Position in Line may change. Estimated Upgrades Available reflect rooms matching booked stay dates and bed type. Nightly Upgrade Awards are prioritized before Complimentary Upgrades and are not reflected above."
Nightly Upgrade Awards Go First
Nightly Upgrade Awards are upgrades you can confirm in advance to select premium rooms and suites. Under Marriott's program terms, members who reach 50 or 75 qualifying nights can pick five of them as an Annual Choice Benefit. Marriott starts checking availability for them as early as five days before arrival (three days at EDITION, The Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis) and keeps checking until around 2 p.m. hotel time the day before arrival.
The test screen puts those requests ahead of the complimentary list and says its count of available upgrades doesn't reflect them.
How This Fits the Current Upgrade Rules
Marriott's terms describe the complimentary upgrade for Platinum Elite members and above as "subject to availability upon arrival, for the entire length of stay," and it can include suites. Gold Elite members get an enhanced room upgrade, also subject to availability on arrival. The test screen's day-before confirmation is earlier than that "upon arrival" wording. Marriott's elite benefits page still describes the upgrade the same way: "For Platinum Elite members and above this includes select suites."
Marriott already processes some upgrades before arrival. We covered that system in our explainer on Marriott's automated upgrades, and our Marriott Bonvoy elite status guide walks through what each tier gets.
What You Should Do
If you have Nightly Upgrade Awards, apply them to the stay where an upgrade matters most. The screen says they go ahead of the complimentary list, and the request deadline in Marriott's terms is 2 p.m. hotel time the day before arrival.
If the screen shows up in your app, treat your position as a snapshot. The screen itself says it may change.
If you're after Platinum Elite without 50 nights, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card comes with it. American Express says that status can get you room upgrades, including enhanced views or suites, when available at check-in on stays booked at a qualifying rate. For how the suite odds compare across chains, see our hotel suite upgrade comparison.
Marriott says the upgrade list will reach more than 250 hotels in the United States and Canada by November, so check your app before your next stay.
Marriott Also Announced a Bonvoy Lounge
The same Member Day announcement introduced the Marriott Bonvoy Lounge, a pilot Marriott describes as an elevated experience for qualifying lounges at select Premium hotels across Asia Pacific, including Greater China. About 100 qualifying hotels in Asia Pacific, excluding China, are expected to move to it by February 2027, and about 220 in Greater China by the end of the first quarter of 2027.
Marriott's own lounge page says it's coming soon to participating properties in Asia Pacific and Greater China and is "available to eligible Elite members at participating properties." It names two signature items: the Coral Pour, a wellness beverage to start the day made with locally inspired ingredients, and Marriott Bonvoy Bites, featured regional dishes each evening that are available only in the Marriott Bonvoy Lounge. Marriott says participating hotels will appear under a lounge filter in the Bonvoy app and on Marriott.com, with lounge hours and property details.
For U.S. members, this matters on a trip to Asia Pacific or Greater China, the two regions Marriott's lounge page names. If you're planning a trip there, use the lounge filter once it's live and check the property's lounge details for your tier before you count on access.
Updated October 16, 2026: upgrade list overview.
