Marriott is testing a feature in its app that shows Marriott Bonvoy elite members their upgrade odds and their spot on an upgrade waitlist before they arrive, One Mile at a Time reported on October 11, 2026. It works a lot like the upgrade lists airlines already show. For you, it could mean an end to guessing at the front desk, or it could be the first step toward selling upgrades that elite status used to deliver for free. We think it can be good, but only if Marriott keeps it honest.
What is Marriott actually testing?
Marriott is testing a way for Bonvoy elite members to see two things in the app before check in: how likely an upgrade is, and where they rank on the waitlist. That is the whole story as reported so far. It is a test, not a full launch, so not every member or every hotel will see it.
If you fly a lot, the idea will feel familiar. United, American and Delta all show upgrade lists in their apps. You can see who is ahead of you, how many seats are open, and whether you are likely to clear. Marriott looks to be borrowing that playbook for hotel rooms.
Why would a ranked list be good for you?
A ranked list is good for you because it replaces hope with information. Right now, most Bonvoy elites find out about an upgrade at the desk, after a long day, with no idea how the choice was made.
Marriott Bonvoy has several elite tiers: Silver, Gold, Platinum, Titanium and Ambassador. Higher tiers come with better upgrade perks, and Platinum and above can get suite upgrades when they are available. The catch has always been that word, available. Nobody outside the hotel knows what is available, or who else is asking.
A list fixes some of that. If you can see you are near the top, you can relax. If you are far down, you can plan. Maybe you book the bigger room yourself for an important trip, or you pick a different property. For a business owner who needs a real desk and a quiet room for calls, knowing early matters more than a nice surprise.
Why might it be bad for elite members?
The worry is that a list is the perfect setup to sell upgrades. That is the question One Mile at a Time raised, and it is a fair one.
Think about how this plays out. You open the app and see you are not likely to get the suite. Right under that, there could be an offer to pay for it. Many hotels already offer paid upgrades at check in. A list that shows you are losing makes that offer much easier to accept.
This is our opinion, not something Marriott has said. But if the list becomes a nudge to pay, then the free suite upgrade that elites earn with dozens of nights a year gets harder to land. That would be a devaluation of status, just without a press release saying so.
Where do we land on Marriott's upgrade list?
We lean toward yes. Showing people the rules is better than hiding them, and airlines have proven elites like seeing where they stand.
But the test is only a win if two things stay true. First, the ranking should follow status, so the people who earned the most nights get the first shot. Second, paid upgrades should not quietly jump ahead of elites who earned theirs. If Marriott gets those right, this is one of the better changes to Bonvoy in a while. If it does not, it is a sales tool dressed up as transparency.
If you see the feature in your app, pay attention to what sits next to your odds. That will tell you which version Marriott is building.
See what your spending already buys
Hotel status is nice, but the bigger win for most business owners is the flight. If you run real spending through your business, you can see what your spending buys in business class trips, often more than you would guess.