Marriott Bonvoy Adjusts Ambassador Status Requirements for 2023

Marriott Bonvoy has adjusted the published requirements to earn its highest status tier, Ambassador Elite. The changes will, unfortunately, require additional spending from members, though Marriott Bonvoy is adding back the ability to utilize a personal concierge as a benefit. While not many people ever reach the Ambassador Elite level, it’s worth noting the changes in case you ever want to strive for this top-tier status.

New Ambassador Elite Requirements Starting in 2023

Ambassador Elite status is meant to be the best for service and recognition in the Marriott Bonvoy program. Unlike Titanium Elite and below, the Ambassador Elite level is the only status to have both a stay and spend component, and the amount required for the spend is truly staggering and really only meant for the heaviest of road warriors.

As you can see, the spend requirement has jumped up 15%. This means that if you were to spend exactly 100 nights a year, your room rate would need to be $230 each night to qualify. Further, taxes and fees don’t count towards this requirement, so you’d need to earn Ambassador Elite status on a straight room rate only.

New Benefits

Ambassador Elite members really only has afew benefits that are different than the lower Platinum Elite level, which is relatively easy to earn. Members get personalized service through a concierge program and also can partake in Your24.

Your24 is the unique ability for you to spend 24 hours in the hotel room without having to worry about a 4 p.m. checkout. For example, let’s say you check in at 10 p.m. … you could request a Your24 late checkout to 10 p.m. the following day, allowing you a full 24 hours in the room.

Hot Tip: The Your24 program is especially helpful when flying to Europe so that you can land and immediately check in to a hotel room without having to wait until the afternoon.

The Ambassador Service program was suspended at the start of COVID-19, but it will be making a return in mid-2023. Upon earning Ambassador Elite, you’ll be assigned a dedicated concierge in your time zone that can assist with hotel reservations, dining, special requests, etc. throughout your Marriott stays. While beneficial on paper, some members have previously reported poor service from their concierges, so this benefit likely only is valuable if the concierge is good.

That said, a personal concierge can be great for managing your reservations, putting in special desires such as bedding time or room location, or finding someone to “bend the rules” in case of a last-minute cancellation, for example. Many times concierges will provide unique welcome amenities in your room, as well.

Final Thoughts

While the requirements to earn Ambassador Elite are going up 15%, the program is adding back the personal concierge, which will hopefully make your stays more personalized and special. That said, spending over $23,000 a year on hotel rooms is challenging for even the most dedicated of travelers, so this coveted Ambassador Elite status will be even harder to earn in the future.