kennycrudup

No problems in months (got charged for parking when it should have been free, an E-mail cleared it right up).

(It's been a year already?)

arlflyer

Posts like this are a testament to the fact that not all elites at a level are created equal. Needless to say, this isn't standard Ambassador treatment (as I'm pretty sure OP is aware). Those who are on the next tier of spend/stays get the stops pulled out.

bhrubin

Actually, from what we've seen now in our verified Ambassador group on Facebook, it is quite a bit more common than is so often supposed here on FlyerTalk. I think FlyerTalk sees a more likely sample of people who don't feel like they get better treatment, but it turns out that sample isn't quite as representative of the entire Ambassador population as most prefer to believe.

As I often say, it's a lot easier and more likely for better hotels to treat Ambassador elites better than it is for select service and mediocre full service hotels. It turns out that it's a lot more common than many believe, too.

arlflyer

What tests have you run on the verification of the representative nature of that Facebook group? Sample size versus population of Ambassadors? Segmentation by demographics and stay patterns? Is this Marriott-moderated?

I would think that such a group would have a tendency towards people opting in for bragging rights, especially if it's visible on Facebook profiles.

I'd just expect any statement that begins with "actually..." and to have some data behind it, especially when it follows with a statement that another source is not data-driven, so do please share! I'm sure many would be very interested.

bhrubin

Everyone verifies status by providing screenshot of name/Ambassador status or a photo of their Ambassador membership card. Names on both accounts have to agree, too.

I think you'd be very surprised. People share more than brag--with photos and videos to showcase what they're experiencing. Some people do have issues with Ambassador status, not unlike you or other opinions shared here on FT, but the overwhelming majority are quite pleased. But there also are people who prefer Hyatt Globalist and share those perspectives.

It turns out that my supposedly amazing Ambassador experience isn't nearly so unique as everyone on FT believes. Even I was pleasantly surprised to find that there are many, many others like me who also get frequent pre-upgrades to suites, tons of regular/arrival upgrades to suites, great treatment even when hotels are sold out, and especially so at luxury hotels with more suites and better likelihood to treat guests well anyway. And there also are tons who stay more often at premium and select service brands who also have great Ambassador experiences, though I'd say those experiences at those less premium brands tend to be more mixed.

The overwhelming majority are USA based, but there are members from all over the world. Currently, there are just shy of 400 members. It isn't Marriott moderated, though Marriott is aware of the group. The group asked Marriott if they'd be interested in having a "lurker" presence like FT, but they declined because it is a closed group.

arlflyer

That's cool, but a self-selected group of 400 doesn't speak in any manner to it's level of representation and composition relative to the scale of the Bonvoy program. If we're sharing non-statistically-significant anecdotal "data", I can name several dozen Ambassadors just from people that I know in my office, and I don't hear many stories about Presidential suite upgrades.

I'd say that your facebook group is mostly high rollers like yourself who have a vested interest in maximizing their experience. I'd also mention that anyone based just about anywhere other than the U.S. is likely to have a systemically better experience, both due to service standards and due to the distribution of properties by brand, age, etc.

Please note, I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with that - properties treating the very highest spenders especially well. That's how it should be; we're talking for-profit entities here. I'm just positing that it's not necessarily a representative experience.

margarita girl

Do you think it's possible that those of us who have had less than amazing Ambassador experiences, declined to join the Elitist FB group because we are not interested in hearing more bragging about how amazing other people's Ambassadors are? It does get rather old you know.

bhrubin

I think you would be quite surprised. It isn't a group of high rollers that you and @arlflyer imagine it to be. It isn't a place of bragging as you might imagine it to be.

It is a place where Bonvoy property and overall Bonvoy qualities and experiences are discussed quite often from the Ambassador perspective--both good and bad. it is a place where members share perspectives on a huge range of issues involving Ambassador status and Marriott IT. it is a place where people get recommendations and suggestions for properties that might be good places to go in general (from just very experienced travelers) or to enjoy better Ambassador experiences and benefits.

It also is a place where some displeased Ambassador guests share their perspectives on Hyatt Globalist experiences and Hyatt stays, Hilton Diamond status and Hilton stays, Accor elite status and Accor stays, etc, to offer alternatives for those who don't think they will or don't think they should bother to re-qualify for Ambassador status. Obviously, that's not bragging for Marriott or Ambassador status!

I can't speak for those who are Ambassador status who aren't members; I only can speak on behalf those who are members.

I seem to recall you sharing your amazing recent experience at the St Regis Florence here with us on FlyerTalk. I was just as pleased as anyone that you had such a great stay. No one thought you were bragging here. Why is it so difficult to believe the same of others when they describe their positive and negative experiences here or elsewhere?

bhrubin

All members verify status by submitting screenshots showing their name and Ambassador status--but no account numbers LOL. Usually it's a screenshot from the app or website or a photo of their Ambassador membership card. The names must match that of the FB account, too, obviously.

Marriott is aware of the group but has decided to not "lurk" there since it is a closed group--at least for the time being.

LillianJ

margarita girl

bhrubin

Congrats on the upgrades!

You did it on your own...but you also were aided by having Ambassador status. Nowadays, the status is even more important than anything our Ambassadors do on our behalf. Because now all Bonvoy hotels know our Ambassador status on booking without needing any contact from our Ambassadors!

I never said it was all roses. I never even implied that. I shared quite openly that even in our Ambassador group there are many who are disappointed with Ambassador status and wondering whether it's worth re-qualifying.

But it's a false equivalency to assume that those are equaled by those who are quite pleased.

I think some here are convinced from anecdotes here on FT that it is mostly "not roses" as you say. I also think there are many who won't qualify with the new $20K spending who would rather call it "not roses" than concede they can't re-qualify: it's just easier subconsciously to stomach.

That's called confirmation bias. We see it all the time in college counseling when people can't get admitted to their dream school: it's much easier to slam the dream school than it is to admit one can't get accepted.

I think when we see a larger sample size of verified Ambassadors, we begin to realize that there are a lot more people smelling the roses than those who aren't.

Adelphos

I will say I haven't seen the blanket improvement in points posting time many have been observing. Points from my stay ended last Friday have not posted yet - I will call tomorrow if they have not

kennycrudup

I think that holds about Bonvoy/MR in general; I see the problems listed here and I wonder how the same program can have such dissimilar experiences for some members than others- but casual (and of course, non-scientific) conversations with other (non-FT) Bonvoy elites empirically show my problem-free experience be more the norm than the exception.

arlflyer

I hate to break it to you, but this isn't exactly how survey design and sample selection work...