Marriott Bonvoy, the hotel chain’s frequent guest program, is the largest in the world, with an estimated 271 million members. And it has won frequent awards for best loyalty program, including in 2026 by The Points Guy. So anytime there is movement in how the program works, many travelers notice quickly.
Recent reporting that Marriott Bonvoy is beta testing a new feature in the Bonvoy app has Reddit users talking—and worrying that they’ll see how far, far down the upgrade list they really are in most instances. Credit card users with branded cards have increased the numbers of the various tiers over the years, and the complimentary room upgrades have become harder to come by.
A leaked photo of the beta test shows that a guest can see the number of estimated upgrades available, along with the guest’s place in line. This is similar to how many airlines treat domestic upgrades for their highest elite status members. The concept seems to indicate that upgrades one day before a guest’s arrival at a property.
“My concern is an upgrade list without full transparency, like the airlines, will use AI to give an upgrade a low-level elite who is spending a lot of money and working her or his way toward titanium or ambassador status over the elite with lifetime titanium status who only stays at Marriott a couple times per year on points,” said Reddit user CliffordMaddick. “The AI will think the upgrade to the low-level elite who pays cash will drive more revenue as opposed to the infrequent but loyal customer who pays with points.”
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