Originally Posted by
C17PSGR
I'm not saying it means little or nothing. But, as far as I can tell, you are the only poster who reports these types of results which suggests to me that it little to do with an ambassador and more to do with your event planning -- or something else. Personally, I remain interested in experiences and ideas that I can expect from an ambassador.
I’m hardly the only SPG Ambassador guest reporting positive stays and experiences. Even on this specific thread, there are positive reports by UA-NYC, EuropeanPete, callmedtop, SHLTP, itsaboutthejourney, etc. On SPG threads, there are many more, as well. They just get belittled and bogged down by so many people questioning why they don’t get similar treatment when they stay at Sheraton and Elements with only 5-10 suites during the middle of the Christmas-New Year’s Eve season.
If people want to assume that the Ambassador experience is best quantified in the positive by the number of posts on FlyerTalk, then those people are making a big mistake. Boards like these are exemplified most often by those posting negative and questioning examples rather than the positive. Most people who are happy don’t post.
I believe most who are posting about the negatives of Ambassador service are bitter that they cannot qualify for it or stay in the better hotels that make it most worthwhile.
Also, I was at the W Scottsdale, which routinely offers a poor experience that fails to provide program basics but a convenient location. It certainly caters to the sneak in a cooler/squeeze many people in to a room crowd. I've had better experiences at other W's, although of my 14 nights at SPG properties this year, I've only had two suite upgrades-- all were one or two night stays so it wouldn't have been complicated. That's less than I've had at Marriotts this month. Of course, I understand that the SPG properties don't see X4/M0. However, the SPG regulars participating in various threads don't seem to know whether the property can distinguish between a regular plat, a P75, or a P100. And certainly, there doesn't seem to be any other reports that Ambassadors for either Marriotts or SPG are regularly contacting properties proactively to alert them that we are coming. On the other hand, I suspect that if I called my ambassador and told her please make sure my room is at a certain temperature on my stays this week or to alert the property that I was having an anniversary celebration, she would probably do it. Then again, after spending a lot of time in the Middle East, Asia, and Central America -- 135 degrees without AC can be a real drag and a couple of weeks in a poorly heated tent when its 15 below , makes one more flexible on temperature (although my thermostat at the W definitely wasn't working
Then again, I do expect hotels to follow program rules and provide program benefits.
You aren’t a proper Ambassador elite yet for any current SPG hotels—including W. You are enjoying Marriott’s attempt to mimic the SPG Ambassador program—and that applies now only to Marriott hotels (and not even Ritz Carlton hotels). Your Marriott “Ambassador” trial status does not translate yet at all to Starwood hotels. You are the equivalent now of only a Starwood Platinum at any SPG hotels. Your experiences therefore are those of a mere SPG Platinum. Until August 1 when the new loyalty program kicks in, there are no real Marriott Ambassador guests at any SPG hotels.