My experience had been that if you are Gold/Plat, then you get your elite benefits as the hotel guest. Or if the cert owner is Gold/Plat, then the hotel will provide elite benefits based on the cert owner status
So, in your situation, the cert owner is yourself. So, you might need that elite status friend to contact the hotel for you in advance and ask put note in their system, thinking he/she will show up.
Good Luck
OK. He actually would be going so it sounds like it should be ok. We usually book under his name since he has the higher status but I have the Marriott points. I wasn't sure if they'd recognize his status (SPG match) even though the reservation is in my name. Thanks.