Originally Posted by
DEN ConsultMonkey
My original commentary was regarding almost getting walked on a stay when I was checking in on my Birthday.
I do apologize that I didn't go back far enough to see that. Being walked is unacceptable as an Ambassador. But again, that being said, being walked as an Ambassador elite (or any elite really) is a testament more to either a terribly run hotel or a larger IT fiasco. I don't think it bears much on the quality of the Ambassador experience.
A guest in the Luxury Forum recently mentioned being walked from the Four Seasons Mexico City--to an obviously less impressive/quality hotel. It was handled TERRIBLY by the hotel manager, and I think corporate is now involved. But just goes to show that even excellent reputation hotels can be terribly managed and sometimes handle things very poorly. An Ambassador is largely irrelevant to that possible equation.
Leisure stays are not at high occupancy hotels. This is where I have "worked with my ambassador", and told her they were most important. Issue here was hotels denying being contacted by ambassador, not providing connecting connecting rooms as confirmed by ambassador, and having broken glass and a rusty nail on the floor where a child was staying.
Again, not fulfilling simple requests is not acceptable--no disagreement there at all. But I think you're attacking the wrong entity as the culprit. Bad hotels that don't execute Ambassador requests are far more common than Ambassadors that don't make the requests in the first place. Similarly, having that unacceptable rom with the glass and nail is about the terrible housekeeping of that hotel and has nothing to do with your Ambassador.
Is this Marriott's official stance? It sure seems like you may work for them.
I work for myself. You're most welcome to check it out at tcacollegetours.com to assuage yourself that I am being honest and not a troll.
Strangely enough, my former SPG Ambassador fit my bill just great, I was treated extremely well during every stay, and rarely had to communicate with my Ambassador. In fact, he proactively contacted me when he saw a stay that did not fit my regular pattern to see if it was a special occasion. I would routinely have something waiting for me in my room at check in. I never got walked from a hotel or was even close. I was given vacation advice on properties that I could likely get upgraded at, I was even told who had the best breakfast. My ambassador was always able to confirm my suite in advance with a SNA, and would tell me when I should use one vs when I should just let things happen.
So then perhaps you should ask for a new Ambassador if you don't think the current Ambassador is measuring up?
Your response has been, bolding mine "I happen to think your Ambassador expectation is pretty unrealistic--but to each, their own. I think if you adjusted your expectations for what (1) an Ambassador can and cannot do for you and (2) what Ambassador status can and cannot do for you that you might be more pleased. "
For the benefit of this forum, to you I ask... What would be a realistic expectation of ambassador status, seeing as you assert that all of the examples above are not realistic? And what can my ambassador status do for me? All of your post contain general rhetoric, but no clear explanation of what the status has done for you.
I think you can peruse my profile and see very easily all of the innumerable Expert Reviews I've posted with too many examples to count of my positive Ambassador experiences. There's nothing generic or general about them.
I think it's great that your old Ambassador was able to serve that role for you; I think it's unrealistic to expect that from most Ambassadors.
I think you didn't deserve to be walked; I think it's unrealistic that you blame your Ambassador for that happening. That most likely is about the hotel dropping the ball and being badly managed. No Ambassador can turn a badly run hotel into a good one, I'm afraid.
I think you should have gotten your connecting rooms at the RC; I think it's unrealistic to assume that the fault lay with your Ambassador. That most likely is about the hotel dropping the ball than your Ambassador not having informed them. Either way, it's impossible to be sure. Blaming that particular RC seems more appropriate. I've had numerous stays (like at the Westin Sydney most recently) where the hotel indicated falsely that I requested connecting rooms as a (presumed) excuse to not upgrade me to a suite; that wasn't about my Ambassador but about the hotels bungling it.
You tell us how hotels tell you they were never contacted by your Ambassador. You take it on faith that the hotel is being forthright and that your Ambassador is the culprit. In my experience, it's far more likely the other way around. I think your expectation that the hotels are being forthright and honest is unrealistic.
I was looking for the opinion of folks in this forum that had good experience and could accurately describe why.
I'll give you a few so you don't have to peruse my profile more:
(1) I have been upgraded very often to some of the most amazing suites at even some of the best properties. Including the Deluxe Suite at the StR Punta Mita (Nov 2015), Royal Overwater Villa at the StR Bora Bora (April 2016), Imperial Suite at the Hotel Imperial Vienna (Oct 2017), Makassar Suite at the Prince de Galles Paris (Oct 2017), Wow Suite at the W Seattle (June 2017), Astor Suite at the StR New York (Mar 2018), Kioicho Suite at the Prince Gallery Tokyo (May 2018), Presidential Suite (with some paid upgrade) at Suiran Kyoto (May 2018), Kamogawa Suite at the RC Kyoto (May 2018), Royal Suite at the StR Bal Harbour (Nov 2018), Wow Suite at the W Hollywood (Nov 2018), Garden Suite at the StR Bahia Beach (Feb 2017 and Feb 2019), Bay View Suite at RC Coconut Grove (Feb 2019)...and the Metropolitan Suite at the StR San Francisco just about every time I've been there for too many stays to count. All of those were either paid or award entry level room bookings.
(2) I have been treated like gold at almost every place I've been, especially when things have gone awry. Service is most often demonstrated when something goes amiss and the hotel has to take care of it/fix it.
(3) I have had most rooms and suites always pre-cooled to 67 F or so as my Ambassador always requests. I sometimes do remind the hotels to be sure when I think about it or get prodded. Not every hotel gets this done, though--even though I know all are reminded by my Ambassador. The RC San Francisco in Nov 20198 confirmed and copied me and my Ambassador that their engineers had checked my room earlier that morning...and yet I arrived and the air con was off and ultimately didn't work well. I had to switch rooms...and the hotel comp'd me a night as recovery for the obvious miss on their part.
(4) I am often recognized by staff, even at hotels at which I've never before stayed, demonstrating that I am discussed as a VIP at the morning staff and management meetings. That the parking valet at the RC Coconut Grove knew my first name on being told my last is just one example of this. That's happened at several (but not most!) hotels. It's always impressive when it happens IMO.
(5) I often get treated to things that other guests don't seem to get. Nice welcome amenities--not always indicating that my Ambassador had anything to do with those, but it's obvious that the hotel doesn't usually do this for everyone. So whether it's my status or an action by my Ambassador doesn't much matter to me.
(6) Points issues--I just ask my Ambassador and she always corrects it/takes care of it.
(7) Concierge requests--I can email my Ambassador all my requests and she has the concierges email me back to follow up. As a result, it is less important that I don't have the concierge emails in the first place. My Ambassador also has helped follow up from me when I haven't heard back in a timely manner.
(8) Trouble applying SNAs--this happened a lot in the old SPG days. Ironically, it hasn't happened to me with Marriott but once!