by Howie
Last week I wrote about a so-so experience at the Westin Alexandria where I had to ask for an upgrade that Platinum members should be provided automatically. The property is nice, as is the location; however service did not meet my expectation.
At the end of 2011 I received the following email:
After my not so exciting stay Monday night I had tweeted @SPGInsider my frustration, who in turn passed the comments along to my Ambassador, from who I heard from later that morning. I indicated my frustration, to which she apologized and indicated that she'd do what she could to make it right.
Conveniently I had another stay scheduled for Wednesday night at the Westin. This time, www.starwoodhotels.com did not show any suite availability ... but to be honest I was expecting a suite upgrade. I figured this would be a good way for them to go "above and beyond". I didn't receive a suite upgrade, but rather a king room on the top floor.
What I did receive was a welcome gift and note from my Ambassador. Nuts, dried fruit, chocolate covered raisins, and an Izzy sparkling drink ... definitely appreciated.
I engaged further with my Ambassador and we've have had some back and forth; asking a bunch of personal details to better understand me and my likes. This program definitely seems like something completely different than other concierge programs. Anyone have other experiences with a Starwood Ambassador and something extraordinary?
30,000 Delta Miles No First Year Fee
Last week I wrote about a so-so experience at the Westin Alexandria where I had to ask for an upgrade that Platinum members should be provided automatically. The property is nice, as is the location; however service did not meet my expectation.
At the end of 2011 I received the following email:
Subject: WELCOME by INVITATION ONLY to AMBASSADOR SERVICES!I had heard of the Ambassador program ... and now it was my chance to make use of it. Prior to my stay at the Westin Alexandria I had emailed my ambassador to let her know of my arrival and to ask for a recommendation for a local breakfast joint that I could walk to. She suggested The Gallery Cafe, which worked out perfectly for me. It was within 200 feet of the front door of the hotel; its a perfect corner deli / grocery store.
Message: Dear Howard,
I hope this e-mail finds you in good health and great spirits.
My name is XXXX and I am an Ambassador for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
I want to thank you for your loyalty to Starwood and extend to you a personal invitation into the elite complimentary Ambassador Service.
I will ensure that you have amazing personal experiences when staying at any of our properties worldwide. My goal is to ensure that all of your interactions with us exceed your expectations and are hassle free. I can be your single point of contact for all of your travel related experiences.
You may contact me for much more than hotel reservations. I can arrange transportation, dinner reservations, theatre tickets, meeting rooms, and special events.
Please accept my invitation by replying to this e-mail or calling me directly at (XXX) XXX-XXXX. It is my pleasure to be your personal Ambassador.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
XXXX
After my not so exciting stay Monday night I had tweeted @SPGInsider my frustration, who in turn passed the comments along to my Ambassador, from who I heard from later that morning. I indicated my frustration, to which she apologized and indicated that she'd do what she could to make it right.
Conveniently I had another stay scheduled for Wednesday night at the Westin. This time, www.starwoodhotels.com did not show any suite availability ... but to be honest I was expecting a suite upgrade. I figured this would be a good way for them to go "above and beyond". I didn't receive a suite upgrade, but rather a king room on the top floor.
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| Ambassador Welcome Gift |
I engaged further with my Ambassador and we've have had some back and forth; asking a bunch of personal details to better understand me and my likes. This program definitely seems like something completely different than other concierge programs. Anyone have other experiences with a Starwood Ambassador and something extraordinary?
30,000 Delta Miles No First Year Fee
11 comments:
The ambassador program will not get you suite upgrades in advance, but does let the hotel know that you are a VIP guest. I think of it as a super charged Platinum Concierge.
And my ambassador often books directly with the hotel and can get unpublished local rates that are not on spg.com. I advise you to have your ambassador do your bookings.
P.S. The laundry shop in Gallery Cafe is excellent as well.
Not an ambassador yet but here's something you don't hear everyday.
Last year in December, I took my PS3 for my 3 week stay at the Sheraton (I would like to stay away from naming the hotel) in Europe (by now I have stayed at this place for 8 weeks). Even though I was upgraded to a suite and it had 2 TVs, none of the TV worked with the PS3. Apparently the TV were blocked for any other input.
After getting the runaround form the tech guys, I emailed the manager and the next day, I get a call from the same tech guy telling me that they installed another TV (the 3rd) which works with the PS3.
It was definitely a wish list that they took care of so I have something to kill time. Guess what I am at my 100+ nights now at this place since Aug 2011.
"asking a bunch of personal details to better understand me and my likes"
That must have been a very, very long conversation? :)
I had a problem with a best rate guarantee this past August. I contacted SPGInsider through Twitter and they could not match the price for whatever reason, but they did give me 5,000 SPG points which definitely helped me feel better!
I used to get those "Hi, I am your ambassador" emails everytime I booked at spg, but lately, I haven't got one. I did an email search, and the last one I got was in 2009. I replied to that email, thinking I could re-engage the guy to help me with my upcoming trip to europe, but it came back an undeliverable! Not sure how to get an ambassador this time around, any suggestions?
Wow, how can I get Ambassador status so I can also get a couple of dollars worth of free snacks with my several hundred dollars a night stay. Not to mention a personal internet pen pal.
Sheeesh......
It's really difficult to get upgrades at the Westin Alexandria. I 'lived' there Mon-Thurs for almost two years and rarely got upgrades. The problem is that there are A LOT of traveling consultants that also 'live' there and have been 'living' there for a really long time. I started to switch it up a bit (Sheraton Suites, and Westin National Harbor) and noticed a huge jump in how the staff treated me.
I also have an ambassador and it's a great program. It's not a guarantee suite upgrade but it does come with some nice perks. I also really like that I can email about questions I have (what's the easiest way to get to the hotel from the airport if I'm not renting a car, etc..) and I always hear back very quickly. Mine also found out I LOVE hot tamales and there are almost always some in my room waiting for me :)
I had a problem with SPG regarding a best price guarantee. I contacted SPGInsider on Twitter. They weren't able to help me with the price guarantee but they did answer all of my question and also give me 5,000 SPG Points which made me feel a lot better!
That is so true. As an author and business man, I can relate to how you said "She suggested The Gallery Cafe, which worked out perfectly for me. It was within 200 feet of the front door of the hotel; its a perfect corner deli / grocery store". I hope more people discover your blog because you really know what you're talking about. Can't wait to read more from you!
My husband and I stayed at quite a few international SPG locations in 2010 and in many of them we got an upgrade and a bottle of champagne and fruit in the rooms. We were quite spoiled. I don't know if it was the Ambassador program--nothing was mentioned except a letter welcoming us. HOWEVER, the one time we had a program with an SPG room recently, nobody did anything special or tried to make it right. I finally got a 1000 point credit.
I also have access to the Ambassador service and have received fantastic service for the first 8 months. Aside from assisting me with hotel reservations and local recommendations, which I appreciated in itself, I received a birthday and christmas card from my ambassador!
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