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Originally Posted by bhrubin
(Post 30206957)
No. AFAIK now, there are Ambassadors in N America, Europe, and Asia. |
Originally Posted by kaizen7
(Post 30208590)
Good to hear, as communicating with US based ambassador sure cause plenty of delays for Asian based members due the time difference
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Originally Posted by bhrubin
(Post 30207330)
If you have your communication preference set to not receive Marriott emails, you wouldn’t have received this. So tough to know what the reason might be. Indeed, I didn't receive an email and when I checked my email after reading your message I found that my profile was set to not allow Marriott to contact me about anything (bizarrely). Let's hope they didn't apply this default to everyone who combined from an SPG account. |
Can someone explain how spend is calculated? I can't find it clearly stated anywhere.
My total seems wrong/low no matter how I add it up, e.g., hotel charges--even with room only, MR chase charges, SPG Amex charges. Perhaps the issue is just a massive delay in updating. How is spend supposed to be calculated? Note: I tend to charge SPG to that AMEX and Marriott to that Visa. Should I canc one of these cards and put all charge on the other going forward? |
Originally Posted by ScatterX
(Post 30209489)
Can someone explain how spend is calculated? I can't find it clearly stated anywhere.
My total seems wrong/low no matter how I add it up, e.g., hotel charges--even with room only, MR chase charges, SPG Amex charges. Perhaps the issue is just a massive delay in updating. How is spend supposed to be calculated? Note: I tend to charge SPG to that AMEX and Marriott to that Visa. Should I canc one of these cards and put all charge on the other going forward? Most people seem to initially think their spend totals are inaccurate only to discover that the totals actually were pretty accurate. |
Originally Posted by ScatterX
(Post 30209489)
Can someone explain how spend is calculated? I can't find it clearly stated anywhere.
My total seems wrong/low no matter how I add it up, e.g., hotel charges--even with room only, MR chase charges, SPG Amex charges. Perhaps the issue is just a massive delay in updating. How is spend supposed to be calculated? Note: I tend to charge SPG to that AMEX and Marriott to that Visa. Should I canc one of these cards and put all charge on the other going forward? Main benefit to keep both cards is the annual night benefit for each, so you may want to keep both if you can use two of them a year. Also - not everyone takes AmEx, that's something to think about There are some non-equal benefits like the 4x for gas on the SPG Biz, if you have that one |
My profile page says (re)qualified through January 2020, but no emails.
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Originally Posted by bhrubin
(Post 30209571)
Room rate, food and beverage, and other related services charged to room folios count toward spend. Taxes, fees, spa services, and other services do not count. In many locations, alcohol purchases do not count, either. Most people seem to initially think their spend totals are inaccurate only to discover that the totals actually were pretty accurate. Not sure where alcohol doesn't count but I could see why that could be the case in a few places.
Originally Posted by ScatterX
(Post 30209489)
Can someone explain how spend is calculated? I can't find it clearly stated anywhere.
My total seems wrong/low no matter how I add it up, e.g., hotel charges--even with room only, MR chase charges, SPG Amex charges. Perhaps the issue is just a massive delay in updating. How is spend supposed to be calculated? I tend to travel responsibly when traveling on other peoples money as well as use very good corporate rates. I spend more freely on personal travel. I am averaging around $220 a night in spend. So ... if you have 100 nights, most people will be close to the $20k unless they are mainly staying in Fairfield Inns in Asia. |
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5eda307cd.jpeg Double checked and all my communication preferences are set to receive all. I have been getting all of the Marriott emails so I have to believe that current Ambassador elites with assignments already received that email in error. |
Originally Posted by C17PSGR
(Post 30209867)
Spa services that are with the hotel and charged to the folio do count although I concede the T&C could be clearer.
Not sure where alcohol doesn't count but I could see why that could be the case in a few places. 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 that offer this benefit if: A. the restaurant permits guests to charge food and beverages on their folios and` off-folio earn is ‘where available’; 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). I don’t use spa services, so I have no vested interest, but I’ve been told repeatedly that spa services are not eligible for earning points—which also means they likely are not eligible to be counted toward the $20K spending threshold for Ambassador service. Certainly, spa services are not a listed category above. When in-room movies and food/beverage are specifically listed and spa services are not, I believe it’s evident that spa services do not count as qualifying charges. When food/beverage spending even at hotels at which one is not staying are specifically listed and still spa services are not, I believe it’s evident that spa services do not count as qualifying charges. Bolding mine. Alcohol purchases do not count as qualifying charged as provided for by law. Of course, it’s impossible to know where that may be for most of us. Certainly, my alcohol purchases at the StR San Francisco did not count toward my awarded points for my most recent stay over Labor Day weekend. |
IIRC at some point our Starwood Lurker checked which jurisdictions prohibited the award of points for alcohol. The list included about three states in the USA and IIRC a couple foreign countries. Maybe someone can find the thread in the SPG forum. |
Originally Posted by bhrubin
(Post 30209943)
I don’t use spa services, so I have no vested interest, but I’ve been told repeatedly that spa services are not eligible for earning points—which also means they likely are not eligible to be counted toward the $20K spending threshold for Ambassador service. Certainly, spa services are not a listed category above. When in-room movies and food/beverage are specifically listed and spa services are not, I believe it’s evident that spa services do not count as qualifying charges. When food/beverage spending even at hotels at which one is not staying are specifically listed and still spa services are not, I believe it’s evident that spa services do not count as qualifying charges. Bolding mine. Alcohol purchases do not count as qualifying charged as provided for by law. Of course, it’s impossible to know where that may be for most of us. Certainly, my alcohol purchases at the StR San Francisco did not count toward my awarded points for my most recent stay over Labor Day weekend. On the spa issue, points accrue for charges on a folio "including, without limitation ..." In the past, spa charges at Marriott spas have certainly counted for points. It's not something I use but when traveling with a GF ... I normally don't pay a ton of attention to points calculation but because of comments about what counts in spend in various threads,. I did so the last couple of stays with spa charges and I certainly received points (but they were at legacy MR properties). On the other hand, I haven't checked the spend calculation so I can't say for certain it worked into the totals. I suspect the reason that MR doesn't specifically include it in the list is that sometimes spas are operated by an entity other than the hotel. |
Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
(Post 30209962)
IIRC at some point our Starwood Lurker checked which jurisdictions prohibited the award of points for alcohol. The list included about three states in the USA and IIRC a couple foreign countries. Maybe someone can find the thread in the SPG forum. https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/star...pg-points.html As for alcohol, looks like that was an SPG interpretation: "This is from an internal document concerning earning Starpoints for alcoholic beverages: "NOTE: No points may be earned for alcohol charges where prohibited by law. Currently, earning points for alcohol charges is prohibited in Hawaii, California, Oregon, and Massachusetts." https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/star...alifornia.html Odd list of states ... would have thought it was Utah. Need to go back and look at my most recent Marriott stay in Hawaii to see how points were earned. |
My impression is that Starwoods with spas tend to have the spa operated by a third party. However, an exception that I can recall in the news was the LM near Dubai where the British woman who was hired to manage the spa was gang raped at the property, IIRC by other employees. News at the time indicated that she came to the country as a hotel employee and the hotel provided her with an apartment. |
I looked at a three bills from legacy Marriott properties in California, I definitely received points for drinks at the bar and a bottle of wine from room service.
And I received points for the spa at the JW Cabo and JW Cancun. Both those spas are operated by the hotel. |
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