Robots Now Decide If You Deserve a Suite

Robots Now Decide If You Deserve a Suite

The hospitality industry is trading charm for code. Starting today, Marriott’s artificial intelligence takes over room upgrade decisions—and elite status might not be enough.

The Big Shift

Marriott officially launched its Automated Complimentary Upgrade (ACU) system, turning over the once-human job of assigning room upgrades to an AI algorithm. Previously, a hotel’s room controller would manually review a list of elite members and hand out upgrades based on loyalty, availability, and sometimes—let’s be honest—a good attitude at check-in.

Now? The algorithm runs the list, and the room controller simply signs off.

Here’s How It Works

According to Marriott’s internal training platform, the AI:

• Checks elite reservations against the Elite Upgrades Inventory (not full room inventory).

• Assigns upgrades automatically based on rank and availability.

• Only considers rooms hotels mark as “available for upgrade”—which is usually not the best suite in the house.

Hotels can still:

• Decide which rooms count as upgradeable.

• Keep premium rooms for cash-paying guests only.

• Avoid preparing suites unless someone pays for them.

What This Means for You

Let’s be blunt: AI won’t be doing you any favors.

• If you rely on charm, loyalty, or asking nicely at check-in—too bad.

• The system runs quietly, with no option to plead your case.

• You may receive a pre-check-in email telling you about an upgrade… or not.

Also troubling: Marriott quietly removed its long-standing promise to offer “the best available room including suites” for elite members. That suite you thought you earned? It might be kept off-limits to boost revenue.

Why It Matters

• For hotels: It saves time and cuts staffing costs.

• For guests: It removes flexibility, nuance, and human generosity from the process.

• For elite members: It could mean fewer upgrades, not more.

Final Thought

If this change really benefited loyal guests, Marriott would be shouting it from the rooftops. Instead, they rolled it out quietly and buried it in training portals.

In the age of AI, even your upgrade depends on data—not delight.