In 2024, Marriott Bonvoy quietly added a new perk for its top tier Ambassador members who over qualify for status. While this was initially offered as a trial, it has now seemingly become a permanent part of the program, as the Bonvoy terms & conditions have been updated to reflect this, with no expiration. Let’s go over the details…
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$40K+ Marriott Ambassadors can gift status
Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador status requires earning 100 elite nights plus completing $23,000 of qualifying spending in a calendar year. It’s Marriott’s highest elite tier, and the only one with a revenue requirement. At least on paper, the incremental perks over Titanium status are fairly limited (like the Your24 benefit), though soft treatment is often better, and you might find you receive higher priority for upgrades.
While the status is hard enough to earn in the first place, Marriott now provides an extra perk for those who reach nearly double the spending requirement, in the form of the Ambassador Plus One benefit.
Those Ambassador members who exceed $40,000 in eligible spending in a calendar year are able to invite their significant other or someone living at their address to also receive Ambassador status throughout the remainder of the current membership year, and the entire following membership year. I like the way the email to eligible members phrases this:
We know that for those who travel extensively, it often means there is an unsung hero supporting you, whether they are back at home or traveling alongside you. We would like to help you honor that special someone in your life by allowing you to pick a “plus one” to upgrade to Ambassador Elite.
This benefit can only be used for a companion, spouse, significant other, or a person who resides at your same home address (including having the same address on your Bonvoy profiles), and the company notes that “any suspected fraud will be thoroughly investigated, and if confirmed, both accounts will be revoked.”
It’s possible to nominate the same companion year after year, assuming you reach the spending requirement. Meanwhile the companion is also eligible for the Bonvoy status soft landing policy, meaning that without requalifying, the companion would be downgraded to Titanium the following year, Platinum the year after that, etc. In other words, the Ambassador Plus One benefit offers at least three years of Platinum status or above, which is pretty useful.
The concept behind this loyalty reward is great
I can be tough on Marriott Bonvoy at times, as I feel like in many ways the program doesn’t try, because of how big the hotel group is.
In an ideal world, Marriott would meaningfully improve the perks that Ambassador members receive, to make them a bit more differentiated from other elite tiers. So while nothing is being done for “base” Ambassador members here, I very much appreciate the concept behind this.
For anyone who spends a lot of time on the road, there’s nothing quite as nice as being able to share perks with loved ones. Now, this is something that World of Hyatt does really well with its Guest of Honor program, which offers a lot of flexibility. But this is pretty awesome as well.
Yes, the requirements here are very high, but at least being able to gift Ambassador status to a loved one is a nice perk that can add a lot of value, at least in theory. I also feel like this perk is a no-brainer from Marriott’s perspective:
- It’s likely to generate incremental business for the hotel group
- It’s also presumably low cost to offer, and shouldn’t swell elite ranks too much, since I imagine the spouse of an Ambassador likely often travels with the Ambassador, and there aren’t any benefits to two people both having the status for a single room booking
Bottom line
Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador members who spend at least $40,000 are able to gift their same status to someone special in their life, thanks to the Ambassador Plus One benefit. While this was initially offered as a trial, but it has now become a permanent part of the program.
It’s nice for Marriott to recognize those who go above and beyond with spending, and similarly, this is a nice reward for that loyalty. While I wish we’d see some other overall improvements to the program, this is positive, and Marriott deserves credit for that.
What do you make of Marriott’s Ambassador Plus One perk for high revenue Ambassador members?
"It’s also presumably low cost to offer, and shouldn’t swell elite ranks too much"
This.
Plus, granting status to a spouse mollifies the spouse who is left at home whilst the road warrior is on business.
I've had ambassador status since before Bonvoy was the loyalty program. This is a useless benefit for those who aren't married or don't have a traveling partner/companion. I'd rather Marriott actually fix what's wrong with their program. There is virtually no difference in tangible benefits between the platinum and ambassador levels.