It appears that the newly leaked Marriott Loyalty Program terms and conditions include the following minimal terms for the Ambassador service qualified spending threshold of $20K (bolding mine):
- 4.3.e. Platinum Premier Elite with Ambassador Membership Benefits. In addition to all of the benefits Platinum Premier Elite Members receive, Elite Members who reach 100 nights and $20,000 U.S. dollars in qualifying spend annually are eligible to receive the following benefits:
- i. Ambassador Service. A Member is eligible to participate in the ambassador service during an Eligible Status Year and continue through the subsequent calendar year. The ambassador service is a benefit that permits an eligible Member to receive certain additional benefits as further described [id=8]here[id].
- ii. Your24TM. Platinum Premier Elite with ambassador Members are eligible to participate in Your24 during the Eligible Status Year and to continue through the subsequent calendar year. Your24 is a benefit that permits an eligible Member to request a specific check-in time for any upcoming stay at any Participating Property. If the requested check-in time is confirmed, the check-out time will be set for the same time on the day of departure.
- A. Your24 benefits may be requested when an eligible Platinum Premier Elite Member with ambassador Member requests a specific check-in time and check-out time for a stay through their ambassador. Your24 benefits may also be requested by an eligible Platinum Premier Elite Member with ambassador service for an upcoming stay at any time prior to 3 p.m. (local time of the Participating Property) two (2) days prior to arrival for such stay by contacting his/her ambassador. If a request for Your24 benefits is approved, your ambassador will connect with you confirming the check-in and check-out times.
- B. Your24 benefits are subject to availability and may only be requested in connection with a stay.
- C. Your24 benefits are limited to one (1) room per eligible Member per stay regardless of how many rooms have been reserved.
- D. If the check-in time approved for a Platinum Premier Elite Member with ambassador service is between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. (local time of the Participating Property) he/she may request the Platinum Premier Elite benefit of late checkout.
- E. If the specific room type reserved by an eligible Member is not available upon check-in, the Participating Property will honor the confirmed Your24 request by temporarily providing another room and then moving the applicable guest(s) to the reserved room type once available.
- F. Marriott Vacation Club, Marriott Grand Residence Club, Design HotelsTM and participating Vistana properties do not provide Your24 benefits.
Note that nowhere does it specify what is meant by qualified spend. Note that no other benefits other than Your24 are specifically outlined in these terms. Marriott isn't outlining any other specific benefits presumably so that it can avoid any complaint that ambassador service isn't doing what it's supposed to do.
However, there is information earlier in the terms and conditions which refer to "qualifying charges" and "non-qualifying charges"; I expect that the qualifying charges count as eligible spent towards the $20K threshold.
- 2.1.b. Qualifying Charges. “Qualifying Charges” are:
- i. Charges incurred during a stay in a guest room at a Participating Property by a Member on his/her folio and up to two (2) additional guest rooms, including, without limitation, charges for:
- A. Qualifying Rates for Stays;
- B. Food and beverages (excluding alcoholic beverages where prohibited by law) and excluding charges incurred at restaurants that are not located within or adjacent to Participating Properties;
- C. Direct-dialed in-room telephone and direct-dialed in-room fax;
- D. In-room movies and video games;
- provided the Member provides his/her Membership Number at the time of reservation or at check-in, stays in one of the reserved guest rooms, and pays for the charges; or
- ii. Charges incurred by the Member, without a stay in a guest room, for food and beverage (excluding alcoholic beverage where prohibited by law) at restaurants located within or adjacent to Participating Properties if:
- A. The restaurant permits guests to charge food and beverages on their folios;
- B. The charges are greater than $10 U.S. dollars (excluding taxes, service charges, and gratuities);
- C. The food and beverages are not in connection with a banquet, meeting or other function that is excluded from Qualifying Charges as provided in Section 2.1.b. and provided the Member provides his/her Membership Number at the time of payment. Elite bonus Points will not be awarded on charges incurred by the Member without a stay in a guest room under Section 2.1.b(ii).
- 2.1.c. Non-Qualifying Charges. Charges which do not qualify for Points include any complimentary services, Points redemption Awards, promotional Awards or any other fees or charges including, without limitation: (A) charges for banquets, meetings or other functions, with the exception of Points earned in connection with a Qualifying Event Agreement; (B) other fees paid including, without limitation, parking, business center, retail stores, and other third-party services; and (C) taxes, service charges, gratuities, fees (e.g. late cancellation fee or no-show fees for not checking in for guaranteed reservations even if the reservations were paid in full) , mandatory or automatic charges (e.g., resort charges) and other applicable charges.
I'd say that qualifying charges seem to include exactly what most or us expected them to include. Interesting, spa service aren't listed as qualifying or non-qualifying, so that distinction may yet be of importance to many people!
Finally, and most interestingly, it seems that Marriott has allowed invitations to Ambassador service to continue even for those who don't qualify based on both 100 elite nights and the $20K qualifying spend (bolding mine):
- 4.1.a. Elite membership is an exclusive privilege of Loyalty Program Membership. All Program Rules apply to Elite membership. The Loyalty Program has the right to terminate the Elite recognition program (the “Elite Program” or the “Elite Membership Program”) at any time by providing advance notice to Members in accordance with section 1.7.d. The Loyalty Program has the right to change, limit, modify or cancel the Program Rules for the Elite Program at any time, with or without notice, pursuant to section 1.7.c. Participating Properties outside the United States may provide alternative services and benefits to the Elite membership benefits set forth in these Program Rules, depending on local law and policy. The ambassador service is a benefit of the Loyalty Program available to select Loyalty Program Platinum Premier Elite Members exclusively by invitation or by meeting the requirements outlined in section 4.2.b. Participation in the ambassador service will be evaluated on an annual basis.
This seems a very sneaky and yet prudent move by Marriott. This permits Marriott to still invite members who may stay many more nights than 100 but do not hit the $20K threshold. This also permits Marriott to still invite members who may spend a lot but don't hit the 100 elite nights.