Originally Posted by
DEN ConsultMonkey
I agree 100%. The problem is that this was at a flagship property. I think it should be noted that in some cases I am not sure if the value of the Ambassador is in question, but more the value of the status itself. I think in my original post I posed the question, what is the differentiation between the Ambassador status and platinum. I strongly believe that it shouldn't matter who the ambassador is, good or bad, and all of these situations never should have happened. Which again, leads me to question the value. Simply put, would these things have happened to a top tier elite at another chain?
I don't believe that my Ambassador and/or having Ambassador status somehow changes the nature of how a badly managed or full occupancy hotel will treat me. You seem to believe that. Again, our expectations are very different.
It doesn't matter if it's a "flagship" hotel--even as I'm not sure what you mean by that. There can be issues and things that go wrong at even the best of hotels, but especially when they are full. Service almost always isn't as good when a hotel is full or near full occupancy. This is just as true with Marriott or Sheraton or Four Points or Courtyard as it is for St Regis or Ritz-Carlton...or even Aman, Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental., etc. Service also isn't as good when a hotel opens or re-opens, as I discovered the hard way at the recently reopened StR Bahia Beach in Feb.
One of the reasons I tend to get such above average treatment is because I tend to stay at hotels avoiding full occupancy and holiday periods whenever possible. Lower occupancy stays tend to promote better service--regardless of status or how good the hotel may be otherwise. And I usually avoid recently opened or reopened hotels, too.
But again it goes back to the point of the value of the status. This should have been considered for any guest at a RC. The fact that I have the status and it still happened is the issue.
Again, having status doesn't necessarily preclude problems or things going wrong! Just like paying for a top suite at a luxury hotel doesn't mean that things won't go wrong there, either. Trust me--I know! The difference is that the chances are better for better service recovery when you have more status or spend more on the suite when something does go awry. On average--not always.
I might experience problems--but I know those are most likely due to the hotel and not my Ambassador. So I try to avoid those hotels in the future. Problems largely solved. Again, very different expectations.
I don't disagree. There is no shortage of reports of hotels being well... hotels. Which only further diminishes the value of an elite status that may not have that much value in the first place.
Status won't get you better treatment all of the time, but it often will get you better treatment some of the time. Only you can decide if it's worth it for you or not based on the stays you have. But I doubt any other large hotel chain (besides Hyatt, if that small footprint will work for you) will have status that does more for you at more hotels than Marriott.
This is why I brought up the service failure at the RC. I did not go into details of the other service failures, but there were many. All I can say is that the response was not as though I was being treated as gold. I even think it was to the contrary, and I could not envision getting that treatment as a regular paying guest.
I had many service failures at the RC Coconut Grove and at the StR Bahia Beach this past Feb. But those didn't have anything to do with my Ambassador. Nor, as I stated above, does my status preclude that I can still have those bad service issues. You can read all about them and the service recovery in my reviews for both hotels, in fact. And being a paying guest or using points isn't a factor, either.
Again, very different expectations.
You seem lucky, because I have read many reports of not being able to even get the correct bedding. My RC example follows these lines.
I'm not lucky--I just have more realistic expectations IMO! I don't worry about bedding or pillows. I've learned that only luxury hotels every remotely get those details right--and even then, they often get missed. So I stopped worrying about what often gets overlooked anyway. Accept what I can't control and deal with what I can.
I have gotten a welcome amenity two times with the "new" ambassador status. 1x when I asked my ambassador if she could arrange something (amenity came day 3 of a 3 day stay).
Just today, after getting a typical "tell us your preferences" welcome email from the RC Washington, I actually emailed back (with a standard copy and paste I use). It includes my preferences on welcome note/amenities. The front office manager actually emailed me back to indicate they don't do those and asking about a surcharge for a suite upgrade. I responded with very polite but firm disappointment and a bit of chiding. I pointed out I was eligible for complimentary suite upgrade on arrival, subject to availability--there should be no surcharge. I pointed out that every luxury hotel should provide a welcome amenity, regardless of anything related to status. The response back was quite apologetic, I assure you. Sometimes, despite Ambassador status even at a RC luxury hotel, I still have to provide constructive feedback. But now I know it will be handled.
I didn't bother my Ambassador for this--but even had I done so, I likely wouldn't have gotten what I expected and it would've been the hotel's fault and not my Ambassador's!
Unfortunately that shouldn't have to be a benefit of status, it should just work. So for this, I cant really consider this to be anything of value (even though it is)
We unfortunately don't agree on this.
Based on the examples above, I think yes, maybe I need a new ambassador. It also appears that you may be getting enhanced service/benefits/VIP treatment due to the additional revenue you drive to Marriott through your company.
Everyone wants to believe that, but my additional group tours revenue doesn't even count towards my Ambassador spending. Nor do my nights as part of those groups count towards my Ambassador status any more. So I doubt the group revenue has anything to do with the fact that I get such good treatment in general. But maybe I'm wrong.
I know I get good treatment because I am honest, because I do spend a lot, because I let hotels know when I am disappointed, because I give hotels a chance to make it up to me when they miss, and because I give them feedback on that recovery. I don't blame my Ambassador, so my Ambassador knows I have her back; that has to be nice and make her much more of an advocate for me, too. I do some things on my own, not always bothering my Ambassador, also something my Ambassador likely appreciates. I wouldn't be surprised that the big reviews I contribute and even the commentary I share here are also factors in my better than average treatment.
Sometimes hotels offer me more service recovery than I believe is necessary--and I always turn down what I consider to be too generous recovery. I want to be fair, not take advantage of anyone or any hotel. I think the hotels appreciate that a lot.
I share all that with everyone in the hopes that people can pick the elements they can incorporate so they can hopefully improve their own Ambassador experiences--or change Ambassadors if necessary.