Bolding mine—from my first post to begin this thread.

For those who think Ambassador status means little or nothing, there seems to be an incessant need to keep posting here, regardless. It’s a lot like trolling. If one is so certain that Ambassador status is worthless, then one logically would expect posting about it to be just as useless. Me’thinks some doth protest too much.

While we are not yet finished our 2 week Japan holiday, I’d say my Ambassador status has delivered in spades yet again:

I had my 3 SNAs returned to me for the Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho...and yet arrived at 7:15 am on arrival into Japan Haneda to be upgraded to a Kioi Suite. Pretty good...and saved me 3 SNAs. The BRG of $234 was pretty darn amazing, too. The fact that there were no suites available for purchase almost a full week before our arrival shows the hotel pulled the suite inventory for us because of my status.

I was upgraded 6 months ago at Suiran Kyoto from an entry level award room to a Shirosumire Premier Room as a complimentary gesture after I asked my Ambassador about what upgrade options were possible. That’s the best room before the 4 suites in a hotel with just 39 rooms. Pretty impressive considering the room goes for almost $1500-2000.

I was able to negotiate a small but very fair cash upgrade at Suiran Kyoto for their Presidential Suite for our 5 nights. Pretty impressive considering that the Presidential Suite regularly goes for $3000-3500.

Suiran Kyoto allowed us use of their private dining room every morning for breakfast at no charge—despite it regularly costing $350 or so—in order to allow me a comfortable air conditioned space at 18 C! I didn’t even ask...they just arranged it. They did the same for one of our dinners. Pretty impressive service that they clearly don’t do for just anyone. Suiran Kyoto had purchased 2 separate portable air con fan units for the Presidential Suite in order to be sure that I could be comfortable. Again, we never asked—the hotel just did it. That is amazing service that we otherwise have come to expect from only an Aman hotel! FWIW, the hotel was completed sold out during our stay.

We now are at the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto on an award stay for 2 nights—and we were upgraded to the Kamogawa Suite, the 3rd best category suite in the hotel. They clearly know I’m an Ambassador guest—even though that status doesn’t yet exist in the Marriott or Ritz-Carlton universe and the new loyalty program hasn’t even begun yet! FWIW, the hotel is almost sold out.

We leave today for the St Regis Osaka, where my 3 SNAs also already have been returned to me with “no chance” of suite upgrade for our award stay. There are no suites available for purchase there either—and that’s been true since before we left for Japan on May 7.