At the least, poor response by fd clerk.

Various Marriott pr statements repeatedly have stated that plats/golds are entitled to finest available accomodations excluding suites. This clearly implies that a gold will get priority consideration for rooms that may be more favorable for various reasons and situations. For example, if a gold is assigned to a room with a view of a garbage dump or next door to the elevators or the vending room, I would expect that a complaint to the front desk based on status would produce a room without the drawbacks, assuming one was available. What I would not expect would be a response that gold status has nothing to do with room assignments.

Gold status, in certain situations and particularly when the property is full or heavy with other elites, may not be sufficient to attain an upgrade or desireable room, but to be told it is not relevant to room assignment is absurd.

I would write the general manager of the property, quote what you were told by the front desk clerk, and ask if it is really the policy of the property not to take status (gold/plat/plat+) into consideration when assigning rooms.