Tag Archives for ambassador elite.
Marriott is threatening to close a Bonvoy Ambassador member’s account, after they complained about several of the brand’s hotels. They’ve let him know that they don’t want complainers – they want customers who will accept degraded brand standards and continue handing over at least $23,000 a year.
Here’s what you get for spending $23,000 a year at Marriott hotels, in addition to benefits like occasional room upgrades and continental breakfast. The hotel chain has sent out end of year holiday gifts, and a reader shares that they received a lego puzzle set of a Marriott Design Hotels property in Iceland.
Marriott has the toughest criteria for a published, top tier status. Bonvoy Ambassador requires 100 nights in their hotels and minimum spend of $23,000. Or does it?
Marriott appears to have added a new benefit for ‘overachieving’ Ambassadors who spend at least $40,000 in a year – at least it is a benefit for 2024 spend.
Ambassadors who spend $40,000 are being invited to extend the same status to a spouse, significant other, or other member of their household.
A Marriott Ambassador member, who spends over 100 nights and $23,000 a year with the chain, reports returning to their room to find housekeeping there – and the cleaner brought her boyfriend.
Marriott has the most exclusive top elite tier with published earning criteria. The Ambassador level requires not just 100 nights in hotels but also a minimum of $23,000 in spend, nearly impossible to achieve in many parts of the world with low hotel rates.
Yet for three years the Ambassador level didn’t even come with Ambassador service. Marriott eliminated dedicated Ambassadors during the pandemic, even while Hyatt (which offers concierges at just 60 nights without minimum spend) kept theirs.
Assigned personal ambassadors will be reaching out to Ambassador members in June, as in the past assigned based on their language speaking preference and home time zone. Many former Ambassadors have returned, apparently, and Marriott will accept requests now to Ambassador Services to be matched the person previously assigned.
Marriott has the most exclusive top elite tier with published earning criteria. The Ambassador level requires not just 100 nights in hotels but also a minimum of $20,000 in spend, nearly impossible to achieve in many parts of the world with low hotel rates. Marriott is keeping the 100-night level, but increasing the spend requirement to $23,000 for 2023.
With that they are bringing back dedicated Ambassadors.
Despite adding the minimum spend requirement (which Starwood didn’t have) on top of staying 100 nights, Marriott has stopped providing an actual Ambassador to Ambassador members. They’ve said they’re going to make an investment in the program and they’re sending out emails asking for members to give stay preferences to an online form, instead of to an Ambassador agent.
Marriott’s top tier Ambassador status requires 100 elite nights and $20,000 spend to earn. And they’ve failed to deliver benefits consistently to Ambassador members, and reduced the service provided as well over the past two years. Now they’re surveying members to see what’s important to them as they consider whether to invest more in their best members.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
