Marriott announced two changes to their Marriott Homes and Villas platform (similar to Airbnb or VRBO) today.
- Spend now counts towards your Ambassador Qualification. Many earn Ambassador level (the highest published Bonvoy tier) by nights (100) but fail to actually qualify due to not meeting spend. Now, if you book a vacation rental via Marriott Homes and Villas, that spend will count towards Ambassador qualification. I suspect this will be very much welcomed by Titaniums that now have a shot at Ambassador. This will take effect from Jan 1, 2022.
- You can use Cash + Points to pay for your stay on a sliding scale. Each 1,000 points will shave $6 off your rental price for a 0.6cpp value.
Bottom Line
Nothing mind blowing here, though I do think there are many that qualify for Titanium and would hit Ambassador if not for the spending threshold. That said, Ambassador status is not all it seems. You get Your24 benefits (where your stay at a hotel is any 24 hours) however it’s not guaranteed and, from what I hear, rarely confirmed. You also get access to a supposedly higher level of agent, but, unlike SPG’s Ambassador, you do not get one assigned to you and it can take days to hear back. To me, the main benefit would be a higher upgrade priority over Titanium guests.
Thoughts?
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