Dec 4, 2018, 10:44 am
Last edit by: HHQX888
Ambassador Service general email address: [email protected]
Ambassador Service general phone line (USA): (866) 924-9885
Europe: +353-21-4861 222
USA: +1-866-924-9885
Asia : +86-20-38157156
Ambassador Service general phone line (USA): (866) 924-9885
Europe: +353-21-4861 222
USA: +1-866-924-9885
Asia : +86-20-38157156
Marriott Bonvoy ‘Ambassador Elite’ Level : experiences (2020 and earlier)
Dec 10, 2018, 9:27 pm
#1486
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 902
That sounds like a frustrating mess.
Dumb question, but did you merge accounts? I have not yet merged, so my Marriott account shows ambassador status, but my SPG account does not, only platinum. When I stay at reservations that I booked with my Starwood account, they do not know that I have ambassador service. Only the reservations that I booked through my Marriott account show that I have Ambassador status.
If you have merged, it should be uniform across both legacy properties, of course.
Dumb question, but did you merge accounts? I have not yet merged, so my Marriott account shows ambassador status, but my SPG account does not, only platinum. When I stay at reservations that I booked with my Starwood account, they do not know that I have ambassador service. Only the reservations that I booked through my Marriott account show that I have Ambassador status.
If you have merged, it should be uniform across both legacy properties, of course.
Dec 10, 2018, 9:53 pm
#1487
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SLC/HEL/Anywhere with a Beach
Programs: Marriott Ambassador; AA EXP 3MM; AS MVP, Hilton Gold, CH-47/UH-60/C-23/C-130 VET
Posts: 5,234
I believe the OP met the pre 8/18 SPG Ambassador rules and was staying a legacy SPG property so account mergers shouldn't be an issue. Additionally, since the ambassador was in Wichita, they are a legacy SPG Ambassador.
Unfortunately, the legacy property management system, Lightspeed, is still in use at many/most legacy SPG properties. Lightspeed doesn't show anything regarding ambassador status -- or even platinum premier status.
The ambassador's actions are disappointing and considering everything on this was on the SPG side, it can't be chalked up to unfamiliarity.
Unfortunately, the legacy property management system, Lightspeed, is still in use at many/most legacy SPG properties. Lightspeed doesn't show anything regarding ambassador status -- or even platinum premier status.
The ambassador's actions are disappointing and considering everything on this was on the SPG side, it can't be chalked up to unfamiliarity.
Dec 10, 2018, 9:56 pm
#1488
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: TUL
Programs: AA EXP 2MM; Marriott Titanium; Hilton Diamond; Hyatt Explorist; Vistana 5* Elite; Nat'l Exec Elite
Posts: 6,177
Dec 10, 2018, 10:16 pm
#1489
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Guangzhou
Programs: SPG
Posts: 1,021
TLDR version: An Ambassador (with whom I've had no previous contact) tells a hotel where I'm a somewhat frequent guest that I don't have Ambassador status in an email that was copied to me. Another hotel that was contacted by my Ambassador in advance of my arrival asks me to prove at check in that I have Ambassador status. Both are legacy Starwoods.
Background: I earned Ambassador status, based on 100+ nights and $20,000+ spend this year, before August 18th. I received an email from my assigned Ambassador (whom I'll call Ambassador A) about a month later. I'm also LTP with SPG and LTPP (from MR LTP) but the way status is shown on my accounts has tended to fluctuate a bit.
History: I know that the hotel in question tends to preassign upgrades, so when I didn't see a preassigned suite even though multiple standard suites appeared to be available for my one night stay in connection with a special dinner, I tried to contact my own ambassador (call her Ambassador A) to request that she please tell the hotel that I'd like to get a suite for this stay. When I failed to reach her as the date rapidly approached, I hit the phone option (zero?) to be connected to another member of the ambassador team and talked to Ambassador B, who sent a very gracious and professional email to the hotel's Director of Guest Relations (whom I've never met). The hotel preassigned the suite and responded to Ambassador B confirming this and adding a bit of gossip about me. [Is it usual for a hotel manager to make vague but negative comments to the ambassador team about an ambassador guest for no real purpose? I guess they don't like me because I wanted my do not disturb sign on the door to be respected by housekeeping staff on previous stays.] Then a different person (located in a different call center from either my own Ambassador A or the Ambassador B with whom I had talked and who had helped me), name her Ambassador C, sent me an email with the good news about the suite, but also including copies of the emails with the hotel (not very professional IMO).
In the next step (still before my arrival), the hotel's Director of Guest Relations contacts Ambassador B (without sending a copy to Ambassador C) to ask whether I have Ambassador status as the hotel cannot see it on my reservation. Here, shouldn't a legacy Starwood property be accustomed to the idea that if an Ambassador contacts the property on behalf of a guest, the hotel then knows that the member has earned Ambassador status? I'm rather stunned by this need to verify my status, especially since I would have expected to have been preassigned the suite as a SPG Plat50 like usual.
Ambassador C then responds with the following email:
"I was looking at the guest account and it is true that it is showing Platinum Premier Elite. I am not showing he has an ambassador. Platinum Premier Elite should be ambassador so I think there was confusion with his status. I think he should be a Platinum and not an ambassador....."
Among other things, this shows a total lack of training regarding the new program.
Personally, I'm concerned that this makes me look like some sort of scammer to the hotel. [When I stayed just after August 18th, I asked the front desk person to check how my status appeared on the reservation and in their system.] Normally I would be returning there soon for another special event, but I'm tempted to just put the place on my "do not stay" list because I'm also offended that a hotel manager would disbelieve so pointedly that I have Ambassador status. I don't know whether the hotel knows that I saw this email exchange. I've met the property's new general manager, so I guess I could forward the email to him explaining why I don't plan to return for this event.
In the meantime, when I checked into another legacy Starwood property where I'm a repeat guest, the front desk employee (whom I've never met) asked me to prove that I have Ambassador status, even though the property had been contacted by my own Ambassador A in advance of my stay to request a nice upgrade. Here, I got their standard SPG Plat treatment, although they easily could have chosen to give me a number of available suite categories (including a one bedroom suite that I've been given in the past and a slightly higher junior suite) that were above their standard Plat/SNA junior suite category upgrade. This was a stay where my SNA request from several months earlier disappeared and mysteriously my name was incorrectly changed on the reservation to reflect how Ambassador C referred to me in the email correspondence.
Shortly after this, when making a new reservation, I noticed that it had me indicated as "just" a Plat despite my account showing PPwithAmb and LTPP status correctly at the time. This has left me wondering whether Ambassador C somehow changed the status (even if only temporarily) on my account to what she "thinks" it should be versus this being the usual IT glitch that I've been experiencing periodically since the merger.
SO, what is the collective FT wisdom here? Should I let the hotel's Guest Relations Manager know that I saw the email and ask for an explanation? [I first saw the email when I was about to arrive, so that it was too late to cancel my reservation then--although I considered it--and the stay felt very awkward to me so that I did not enjoy the experience.] Should I "report her" to the new GM, with or without an indication that I'm therefore declining to come for the event? Should I insist that my own Ambassador A or a manager from the ambassador program contact at least the first hotel and possibly the second one to to tell them emphatically that I DO have Ambassador status (and implicitly should be treated accordingly)? I need to decide soon regarding the next event at the hotel, but after taking some time to think about the situation, I don't feel I would enjoy the experience if I do nothing about what happened.
BTW, the offending ambassador, Ambassador C, seems to be based in Wichita, Kansas. I have her full name and contact information (email address and phone number, plus office hours).
Shouldn't "first do no harm" be a standard for ambassadors? Or are we taking a big risk by contacting the ambassador team when we cannot reach our own assigned ambassador?
Background: I earned Ambassador status, based on 100+ nights and $20,000+ spend this year, before August 18th. I received an email from my assigned Ambassador (whom I'll call Ambassador A) about a month later. I'm also LTP with SPG and LTPP (from MR LTP) but the way status is shown on my accounts has tended to fluctuate a bit.
History: I know that the hotel in question tends to preassign upgrades, so when I didn't see a preassigned suite even though multiple standard suites appeared to be available for my one night stay in connection with a special dinner, I tried to contact my own ambassador (call her Ambassador A) to request that she please tell the hotel that I'd like to get a suite for this stay. When I failed to reach her as the date rapidly approached, I hit the phone option (zero?) to be connected to another member of the ambassador team and talked to Ambassador B, who sent a very gracious and professional email to the hotel's Director of Guest Relations (whom I've never met). The hotel preassigned the suite and responded to Ambassador B confirming this and adding a bit of gossip about me. [Is it usual for a hotel manager to make vague but negative comments to the ambassador team about an ambassador guest for no real purpose? I guess they don't like me because I wanted my do not disturb sign on the door to be respected by housekeeping staff on previous stays.] Then a different person (located in a different call center from either my own Ambassador A or the Ambassador B with whom I had talked and who had helped me), name her Ambassador C, sent me an email with the good news about the suite, but also including copies of the emails with the hotel (not very professional IMO).
In the next step (still before my arrival), the hotel's Director of Guest Relations contacts Ambassador B (without sending a copy to Ambassador C) to ask whether I have Ambassador status as the hotel cannot see it on my reservation. Here, shouldn't a legacy Starwood property be accustomed to the idea that if an Ambassador contacts the property on behalf of a guest, the hotel then knows that the member has earned Ambassador status? I'm rather stunned by this need to verify my status, especially since I would have expected to have been preassigned the suite as a SPG Plat50 like usual.
Ambassador C then responds with the following email:
"I was looking at the guest account and it is true that it is showing Platinum Premier Elite. I am not showing he has an ambassador. Platinum Premier Elite should be ambassador so I think there was confusion with his status. I think he should be a Platinum and not an ambassador....."
Among other things, this shows a total lack of training regarding the new program.
Personally, I'm concerned that this makes me look like some sort of scammer to the hotel. [When I stayed just after August 18th, I asked the front desk person to check how my status appeared on the reservation and in their system.] Normally I would be returning there soon for another special event, but I'm tempted to just put the place on my "do not stay" list because I'm also offended that a hotel manager would disbelieve so pointedly that I have Ambassador status. I don't know whether the hotel knows that I saw this email exchange. I've met the property's new general manager, so I guess I could forward the email to him explaining why I don't plan to return for this event.
In the meantime, when I checked into another legacy Starwood property where I'm a repeat guest, the front desk employee (whom I've never met) asked me to prove that I have Ambassador status, even though the property had been contacted by my own Ambassador A in advance of my stay to request a nice upgrade. Here, I got their standard SPG Plat treatment, although they easily could have chosen to give me a number of available suite categories (including a one bedroom suite that I've been given in the past and a slightly higher junior suite) that were above their standard Plat/SNA junior suite category upgrade. This was a stay where my SNA request from several months earlier disappeared and mysteriously my name was incorrectly changed on the reservation to reflect how Ambassador C referred to me in the email correspondence.
Shortly after this, when making a new reservation, I noticed that it had me indicated as "just" a Plat despite my account showing PPwithAmb and LTPP status correctly at the time. This has left me wondering whether Ambassador C somehow changed the status (even if only temporarily) on my account to what she "thinks" it should be versus this being the usual IT glitch that I've been experiencing periodically since the merger.
SO, what is the collective FT wisdom here? Should I let the hotel's Guest Relations Manager know that I saw the email and ask for an explanation? [I first saw the email when I was about to arrive, so that it was too late to cancel my reservation then--although I considered it--and the stay felt very awkward to me so that I did not enjoy the experience.] Should I "report her" to the new GM, with or without an indication that I'm therefore declining to come for the event? Should I insist that my own Ambassador A or a manager from the ambassador program contact at least the first hotel and possibly the second one to to tell them emphatically that I DO have Ambassador status (and implicitly should be treated accordingly)? I need to decide soon regarding the next event at the hotel, but after taking some time to think about the situation, I don't feel I would enjoy the experience if I do nothing about what happened.
BTW, the offending ambassador, Ambassador C, seems to be based in Wichita, Kansas. I have her full name and contact information (email address and phone number, plus office hours).
Shouldn't "first do no harm" be a standard for ambassadors? Or are we taking a big risk by contacting the ambassador team when we cannot reach our own assigned ambassador?
If you could forward a copy of the email communications to us, we will pass on to the Ambassador management team to look into this.
Best Regards,
Christina Zhou
Social Media Specialist
Marriott International
[email protected]
Dec 11, 2018, 12:20 am
#1490
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,450
I hope this gets straightened out. I hope you'll also share the property names with us.
My two most recent SPG stays (Canyon Suites Phoenix and Vana Belle Samui) I was properly recognized as PPE. I offer this just as a data point.
My two most recent SPG stays (Canyon Suites Phoenix and Vana Belle Samui) I was properly recognized as PPE. I offer this just as a data point.
Dec 11, 2018, 12:28 am
#1491
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,052
The Ambassadors really need to learn discretion. Whatever property's senior management as well. Hope it all gets sorted out for you MSP!
Dec 11, 2018, 1:28 am
#1492
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
Programs: Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Trident Plat, DL Diamond, AI Maharajah
Posts: 29,673
Dec 11, 2018, 4:22 am
#1493
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Sunshine State
Programs: Avis Trump. Costco Exec. SPG PLAT PREM-90. WN A+/CP. AA SLV. Nat EE..
Posts: 456
And we wonder why Marriott seems to hide hotel email addresses. I’ve been confused premerger as gold (I’m lifetime) when I’m plat (non LT). I’ve yet to be verbally recognized as Plat Premier which I’m fine with except I haven’t gotten any perk or upgrade so I’m tending to think maybe they don’t know.
I’m sure many worse things have been said about guests via email or verbally. I’m not mad at a hotel questioning status internally if they can’t see it (why would they question it if it was clear?) but the bigger question here is if it was some employee responding to an email that misread/understood the question OR if there is an overriding IT issue and it wasn’t visible to them either which seems more likely at the moment.
Dec 11, 2018, 5:20 am
#1494
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: CLT
Programs: Marriott Plat, AA Gold
Posts: 1,076
Seems like the Lurkers are on it, but if you know the GM, I’d probably talk to them.
I’m not familiar with Ambassador service, but why in the world would they be making requests for non-Ambassador guests in the first place, so I’m curious why the Guest Relations director would even ask the question to begin with, and that seems to be what set off everything.
I’m not familiar with Ambassador service, but why in the world would they be making requests for non-Ambassador guests in the first place, so I’m curious why the Guest Relations director would even ask the question to begin with, and that seems to be what set off everything.
Dec 11, 2018, 6:52 am
#1495
Join Date: Nov 2018
Programs: yes
Posts: 53
Ambassador for the first couple days, cleared up correctly to Platinum Premier right before Imerged, and has gone back to ... that were deeper into the programs and are now experiencinglifetime status or certificate issues.
Dec 11, 2018, 11:01 am
#1496
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Southern California, USA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador and LTT, UA Plat/LT Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 8,764
The latest curious incident seems to include two separate issues of significance to this thread: (1) veracity of Ambassador status and (2) negative comments about a guest between Ambassadors and hotels. We also have a different issue in that (3) we don’t know the identity of the hotel involved.
ISSUE 1: veracity of Ambassador status
Clearly, there was a mix up. Obviously, the OP in this scenario has Ambassador status. I’m most sorry that this mix up might happen to anyone, let alone an Ambassador guest.
Without knowing the particulars, we can only assume that one Ambassador inadvertently undid the actions of another Ambassador. But it begs the question as to why a second Ambassador got involved in the first place. I’ve never had 3 Ambassadors involved in any scenario, myself. I always have contacted my Ambasssor...and either she acts on it or an after-hours Ambassador acts on it.
I caution everyone: ask your Ambassador as much as possible to avoid this potential problem. If your Ambassador isn’t available and another Ambassador handles it, your own Ambassdor still should be copied by every communication to avoid this potential problem. If your Ambassador isn’t responding in a reasonable time, then you should be requesting another Ambassador.
When problems like this arise, I would recommend contacting the hotel directly to sort it with a senior level manager.
ISSUE 2: identifying the hotel
I always wonder why people are reluctant to identify the hotel. Not naming the hotel always makes me a bit suspicious and gives me no choice but to consider the identity and veracity of the poster and that poster’s perspective for all the shared details.
In this case, we have to assume what the OP says is true without any ability to judge for ourselves or ascertain whether or not this is a hotel that has behaved well or badly with other members of the FT community. That matters.
ISSUE 3: negative comments about a guest between a hotel and the Ambassador team
This issue makes the aforementioned issue of hotel identity even more important, I think.
I think it stands to reason that hotels and the Ambassador team are both human. That means they all can be guilty of human emotion and the potential for liking and/or disliking any guest. That also means they all can be guilty of occasionally not behaving professionally and/or making mistakes.
I find it somewhat ironic and unfortunate that a guest who frequently attacks and criticizes the Ambassdor service and Ambassadors is surprised that negative commentary and perspective may be a result. Of course, none of that should have ever been shared with the guest; that clearly is unprofessional and not productive for the guest to learn. But it may be a good moment to appreciate the possible consequences of one’s actions, one’s tone, one’s manners when dealing with hotels and the Ambassador team. We shouldn’t ever learn that information, perhaps, but it might be very instructive if and when we ever do. It doesn’t mean that we’ve behaved badly, of course, but it can be just as useful to know if and when we are perceived to have behaved badly.
This may be a good time to recognize that, whether we like it or not, there are some interesting and perhaps significant consequences that could be a direct result of our actions and the way we handle various issues with the hotels and the Ambassador program.
UPDATE ON SITUATION
I do hope that we learn the actual identity of the hotel involved and the results of any follow up by the guest on this matter. Did the guest get the reassigned suite as originally assigned? Did the guest get the Ambassador status confirmed eventually by the hotel? Did the guest have a good stay at the hotel? Did the guest change Ambassadors or stick with the original Ambassador that never seemed to act on his or her behalf?
ISSUE 1: veracity of Ambassador status
Clearly, there was a mix up. Obviously, the OP in this scenario has Ambassador status. I’m most sorry that this mix up might happen to anyone, let alone an Ambassador guest.
Without knowing the particulars, we can only assume that one Ambassador inadvertently undid the actions of another Ambassador. But it begs the question as to why a second Ambassador got involved in the first place. I’ve never had 3 Ambassadors involved in any scenario, myself. I always have contacted my Ambasssor...and either she acts on it or an after-hours Ambassador acts on it.
I caution everyone: ask your Ambassador as much as possible to avoid this potential problem. If your Ambassador isn’t available and another Ambassador handles it, your own Ambassdor still should be copied by every communication to avoid this potential problem. If your Ambassador isn’t responding in a reasonable time, then you should be requesting another Ambassador.
When problems like this arise, I would recommend contacting the hotel directly to sort it with a senior level manager.
ISSUE 2: identifying the hotel
I always wonder why people are reluctant to identify the hotel. Not naming the hotel always makes me a bit suspicious and gives me no choice but to consider the identity and veracity of the poster and that poster’s perspective for all the shared details.
In this case, we have to assume what the OP says is true without any ability to judge for ourselves or ascertain whether or not this is a hotel that has behaved well or badly with other members of the FT community. That matters.
ISSUE 3: negative comments about a guest between a hotel and the Ambassador team
This issue makes the aforementioned issue of hotel identity even more important, I think.
I think it stands to reason that hotels and the Ambassador team are both human. That means they all can be guilty of human emotion and the potential for liking and/or disliking any guest. That also means they all can be guilty of occasionally not behaving professionally and/or making mistakes.
I find it somewhat ironic and unfortunate that a guest who frequently attacks and criticizes the Ambassdor service and Ambassadors is surprised that negative commentary and perspective may be a result. Of course, none of that should have ever been shared with the guest; that clearly is unprofessional and not productive for the guest to learn. But it may be a good moment to appreciate the possible consequences of one’s actions, one’s tone, one’s manners when dealing with hotels and the Ambassador team. We shouldn’t ever learn that information, perhaps, but it might be very instructive if and when we ever do. It doesn’t mean that we’ve behaved badly, of course, but it can be just as useful to know if and when we are perceived to have behaved badly.
This may be a good time to recognize that, whether we like it or not, there are some interesting and perhaps significant consequences that could be a direct result of our actions and the way we handle various issues with the hotels and the Ambassador program.
UPDATE ON SITUATION
I do hope that we learn the actual identity of the hotel involved and the results of any follow up by the guest on this matter. Did the guest get the reassigned suite as originally assigned? Did the guest get the Ambassador status confirmed eventually by the hotel? Did the guest have a good stay at the hotel? Did the guest change Ambassadors or stick with the original Ambassador that never seemed to act on his or her behalf?
Last edited by bhrubin; Dec 11, 2018 at 11:13 am
Dec 11, 2018, 12:31 pm
#1497
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: Bonvoy :Ambassador , ALL :Diamond, Skywards :Silver, Krisflyer :Silver
Posts: 2,808
I wonder what an ambassador can see from guest profile?
Definitely preferences and details like birthday date.
Previous stays ? .... nights history (and probably spends to confirm service eligibility)?
Special notes on the account ?
And also other ambassador could access those details.
Definitely preferences and details like birthday date.
Previous stays ? .... nights history (and probably spends to confirm service eligibility)?
Special notes on the account ?
And also other ambassador could access those details.
Dec 11, 2018, 3:52 pm
#1498
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 573
I think I will be more focused on 2020 in Hyatt network after reading this.
Last edited by HHQX888; Dec 11, 2018 at 5:25 pm
Dec 11, 2018, 5:34 pm
#1499
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,521
ISSUE 2: identifying the hotel
I always wonder why people are reluctant to identify the hotel. Not naming the hotel always makes me a bit suspicious and gives me no choice but to consider the identity and veracity of the poster and that poster’s perspective for all the shared details.
In this case, we have to assume what the OP says is true without any ability to judge for ourselves or ascertain whether or not this is a hotel that has behaved well or badly with other members of the FT community. That matters.
I always wonder why people are reluctant to identify the hotel. Not naming the hotel always makes me a bit suspicious and gives me no choice but to consider the identity and veracity of the poster and that poster’s perspective for all the shared details.
In this case, we have to assume what the OP says is true without any ability to judge for ourselves or ascertain whether or not this is a hotel that has behaved well or badly with other members of the FT community. That matters.
Dec 13, 2018, 3:21 am
#1500
Join Date: Dec 2018
Programs: aa exec plat, as mvp75, dl & ua million miler, marriott lpp w ambassador
Posts: 1
i have been spending most of the past 20 years or so at spg and marriott properties. was lifetime spg plat and lifetime marriott plat elite, and now plat premier elite with ambassador with significant nights and spend for the year. i have yet to receive any notice from/about my ambassador, and it's been more than 3 months since the combined program went live. i used to have an spg ambassador until i started to focus more on staying with marriott (this is obviously well before the merger). my experiences were hit and miss (it really depended on who your ambassador was) but by and large a positive experience.
i am currently majorly underwhelmed.
i am currently majorly underwhelmed.