Many loyalty programs have invitation-only elite tiers, like American Concierge Key, Delta 360, United Global Services, and Hyatt Courtesy Card.
Continue reading: Marriott Cobalt Elite: What Is This Super Secret, Exclusive Status?
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
If double secret elite status tickles your pickle I reckon this will do the trick. As for actual benefits, I'm not sure I'd enjoy that much facetime w/ the GMs. Some of the GMs at these high end places are very, very needy. I just turned 30 and the thrill of being greeted personally by a GM has worn off a bit
Someday they'll be a triple secret status, which you will get after you stay 400 nights a year.
For Marriott, that would mean they will only show your a middle finger less than three times a year.
A longtime buddy of mine is Cobalt.
Per his words: "Cobalt was presented to me as i own across the whole of the Americas the real estate (buildings + land) that's occupied by Marriott's hotels.
Cobalt not something i actively seeked out or used as benefit as prefer staying in my own homes. The status was just offered.
He did meet the Marriotts.
Just business transactional.
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So this could explain why it's a rare status.
Happy belated birthday. I hope you still get your pickle tickled, whatever it takes. Just beware of tight connections in Charlotte. Don’t rub CLT the wrong way!
Most miss the point. It's about knowing you're going to be taken care of and nothing more. But, in reality, that is *the* only thing that matters.
This checks out. First reaction to the benefits was that this would only be valuable to someone in or with very close ties to the hotel business.
Exactly. Last thing I want to do after a work day or a travel day is talk to someone else besides what’s necessary to check in.
You and the hotel management and Bonvoy are missing the point. Every guest when making a booking, is doing so with the expectation of being taken care of. No one should have to have some "exalted" status to have properties deliver on their value prop or go above and beyond to recover when things go awry.
4 Seasons may be expensive, but I cannot fault them for delivering on every stay I have had with them - and I have no status.
Honestly, this feels like a solution in search of a problem. I don’t need a personal intro or a handshake from the GM to feel valued. I just want things to work as promised and issues handled smoothly when they don’t. If a hotel can do that consistently, status becomes kind of irrelevant. The rest just feels like window dressing.
In nearly 1,000 nights staying in a Marriott Property since 2019, I’ve only met ONE Cobalt (happened to be sitting at the table next to him at the Hotel Paso del Norte and he overheard I was Ambassador status).
The guy spent ~$130k/yr with Marriott and owned a company. He mentioned he had to review a certain number of properties where he stayed to maintain the status and he was recommended by the management of a property he loved in Florida (you have to be nominated). I believe he stated it was around a 6 month process from the time the property started to advocate for him.
My boss is the only Lifetime Ambassador status I’ve ever met (or heard of) and his wife jokes that he “could take a dump in the lobby” and they would thank him for it.
With the increased spend threshold of $23k/yr it will be a challenge for me as a lone traveler to maintain it (even though I blow past the 100 night qualifier easily 50-75% through the year).
It is probably given for people that are strategic with Marriott as in some of the examples given in the comments. In addition, the GM access is probably good for solving any issues. However the actual value is probably low aside from how few people have it.