Yes, you're right about that. But upgrades even from base-level rooms are hit-or-miss, so I wouldn't recommend shooting for Ambassador status if room upgrades are one's sole desire. I'm also not as obsessed with free breakfast as many FT'ers seem to be--I'm perfectly happy paying for a high-quality breakfast and won't adjust my stay (giving up other things) just to get a free muffin and coffee someplace.

The best benefits to Ambassador status to me are the "surprise and delight" things like a bottle of high-quality wine, charcuterie board, and chocolate-covered strawberries with a hand-written note waiting for me when I check in. That, combined with my Ambassador herself who provides the kind of guest service that Marriott used to provide ALL their guests before Starwood diluted the culture of excellence Marriott used to have. If my points don't credit properly, she fixes it immediately. If I need something on an upcoming stay, she acts as my one-stop shop (a recent example was staying at the Times Square EDITION and wanting to order a limo service to and from the hotel, where it was difficult to find an email address for the hotel but she put me in touch with the concierge who took care of it right away). Those are the kinds of things (plus the aforementioned ego rub) that make me want to hold onto my Ambassador status.