SueDonJ
Moderator
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2006
- Messages
- 16,695
- Reaction score
- 5,939
- Location
- Massachusetts and Hilton Head Island
- Resorts Owned
- Marriott Barony Beach and SurfWatch
Moderator Note: An attempt will be made to keep all of the information in this first post current, however, it's best to verify any information through the TUG FAQ - MVC DESTINATIONS Points Program sticky thread. All posts following this one will remain unedited so as to provide historical context, and the thread will remain open for related discussion. Please PM/email the moderator if you find outdated information in this post. Thanks!
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1) First and most important! Enrollment in the DC does not equate to a permanent exchange of your Week(s) to DC Points. With respect to existing Week(s) the Destination Club is basically an overlay exchange system, with the same availability limitations as any other exchange system. Enrollment does not change any of the traditional usage options of your Week(s). You will still be able to book your home resort in season for personal use, exchange through II, rent through Marriott or privately, etc. Enrollment simply gives you the additional option of converting your Week(s) to DC Points on an annual basis for usage in the DC system.
2) Effective 6/14/12 the basic Enrollment Fee is $2,395* for all eligible Weeks. Eligible Weeks include:
- all US and Caribbean resorts Weeks sold prior to 6/20/10
- all Caribbean resort Weeks purchased direct from Marriott between 6/21/10 and 12/26/12
- all European resort Weeks sold prior to 6/18/12
- Weeks purchased direct from Marriott Resales Operations along with certain Trust Points purchases.
*Since the DC inception there have been various other incentive pricing and eligibility options for enrollment; see the TUG discussion forums for any ongoing/current offers.
3) To determine how many DC Points your Week(s) will be allotted, sign in to your owners.marriottvacationclub.com account and navigate through "Enrollment" under "Managing Your Ownership." Check the "I have read and understood the above" box and click on the "Start Enrolling Now" button. An "Exchange Program Enrollment" page will come up showing the DC Points values of your Weeks; this link should take you directly to it after you sign in. You will be able to back out of the enrollment process at this point.
The owner status levels of DC Members are determined by the total number of DC Points for which you're eligible (and not by how many you may be using in a given year.) These numbers are defined in the docs as a percentage of the aggregate total of DC Points and therefore, are subject to change. See the "DC Membership Status Tiers" section in the TUG FAQ - MVC DESTINATIONS Points Program thread and the "Benefits At A Glance" chart linked there.
4) The current annual Club Dues fee is $185 for Owners and Select Members, $225 for Executive and Presidential Members, and $250 for Chairman's Club Members. If you enroll your Week(s) you will be required to pay this annual fee regardless of whether you elect to convert your enrolled Week(s) to DC Points in a given year, and you must pay this annual fee in addition to the annual Maintenance Fees for your specific resorts. If you do not pay this fee your enrollment will end; re-enrollment will be subject to the terms and fees in effect at the time of re-enrollment.
This fee covers the per/transaction Marriott fees related to Weeks usage such as cancellations, lock-offs, MRP-exchanges, etc. There has been one fee increase since the DC introduction.
5) The Club Dues fee also covers the II dues for the new/corporate II account which will be assigned to you, as well as the Marriott-to-Marriott exchange fees through that new II account. Note if you exchange your enrolled Week(s) through that new II account to non-Marriott resorts, or, if you include a non-Marriott resort in an ongoing search through that account (regardless of whether it's ultimately matched to a Marriott resort,) you will be required to pay those II exchange fees. As well, if you own non-Marriott resorts you will have to maintain a separate II account for those.
If you have an ongoing request in your old II account, that Week deposit will remain in that account and you will have to pay the II transaction fee for its ultimate exchange match.
When all of your Weeks have been enrolled and moved into your new II account, you will be eligible for AC's from II depending on how many months/years you have remaining on your old account: one AC if you have between one year and 35 months remaining, two AC's if you have between three years and 59 months, three AC's if you have more than five years remaining. They'll be issued/processed in your old/individual account on a staggered basis, and you will have to pay the exchange fees for their use. Each will expire one year from the date of issue. Some TUGgers have been able to get a partial refund of their II dues, instead of keeping their old accounts open with these AC's, by calling in to II and requesting it.
Those of us who have enrolled our Week(s) do not see any differences between our old/individual and new/corporate II accounts. The website interface is the same, inventory is the same for exchanges and Getaways, the occasional II promotions for extra intervals are the same, access to the Choose2 program is the same, up-grading to Gold and Plat status in II is the same, etc. Through experience TUGgers have found that the Club Dues fee covers some of these II extras but not all. Discussion about current coverage may be found later in the thread or elsewhere in the discussion forum.
6) Enrolled Week(s) that were purchased direct from Marriott will retain the Marriott Rewards Points exchange option as it was originally offered. Any pre-6/20/10 external resale Week(s) which are enrolled will gain an MRP exchange option as defined in the MR-related governing document:
Basically, an enrolled external-resale Week will be eligible for the same amount of MRP that a similar direct-purchase Week is allotted, but on a reduced-frequency basis. For example, a SurfWatch Plat 3BR direct-purchase Week can be exchanged annually for 135K MRP. A same-interval Week purchased prior to 6/20/10 on the external market will gain upon enrollment the option to exchange it every-other-year for 135K MRP.
7) Occasionally there may be various enrollment incentives including reduced enrollment fees, one-time bonus DC Points, Encore Packages, etc. Any bonus DC Points given as an incentive will expire one year from the date of issue and may be used to book reservations within 60 days of check-in. The current Points Charts are linked in the TUG Points FAQ; they stipulate the number of DC Points required to reserve intervals. Play around to get an idea of how much usage value you can get out of those bonus Points - consider using them to tack on extra days to a Week(s) reservation, a weekend at a drive-to resort, etc.
Note these Points Charts are also the one you'll use to figure out usage of enrolled Week(s) that you've converted to DC Points.
8) If you do enroll your Week(s) remember that the status and usage rules of each program do not extend to the other. You follow the rules for whichever system you're using at the time. For example, if you're booking Weeks then you go by the same Reservation Windows you always have, and if you're booking DC Points then you follow the Reservation Windows for those. There are many new links on the owners.marriottvacationclub.com website to help figure out the mechanics of all the different usage options.
9) Enrollment of a Week does not transfer upon resale of the Week to the new owner, and, the new owner will not be able to enroll the Week because external resales purchased after 6/20/10 or 6/18/12 are not eligible for enrollment. Upon family transfer of an enrolled Week, the enrollment can transfer although the new owner of record may have to pay the then-current enrollment fee. (The family transfer info is based on statements from Marriott execs since the DC inception; I don't think any actual transactions have been reported to TUG.)
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Generally, enrollment in the DC makes the least amount of sense for owners of a single Week who do not routinely pay more than $175 annually in per/transaction Marriott and II fees, i.e. owners who use their Weeks at home resorts in season. It makes the most sense for owners of multi-Weeks who routinely pay annual fees in excess of $215, i.e. those who lock-off and/or exchange on a regular basis. For some, the flexible usage options - less-than-7-days DC Points stays, non-weekend check-in dates, the ability to bank/borrow Points to different Use Years, etc. - are major factors in favor of DC enrollment. Certainly, some Weeks have been valued much higher than others by Marriott and the high Points allotments of those Weeks is another major factor.
Perhaps the single most hotly-debated topic related to enrollment is "skim." Briefly, in most instances the allotment of Points for a Week will not be enough to book that Week or a similar Week. Some TUGgers think this is reason enough to not participate in the DC; others accept it as "the cost of doing business." It should definitely be understood but remember that enrollment does not mean that a Week must be converted to DC Points - many enrolled members continue to use their Weeks and II exchanges as they always have.
There is no one right or wrong answer. Take a look at your usage pattern and figure out if enrollment in the DC would, a) be cost-effective on a regular basis, or b) expand your options in ways that you will most likely take advantage of in the future. Then consider your gut feelings and make your decision. Finally, whatever you decide, go on and enjoy your vacations no matter how you're able to book them!
Good luck - it's not always an easy decision.
*******
1) First and most important! Enrollment in the DC does not equate to a permanent exchange of your Week(s) to DC Points. With respect to existing Week(s) the Destination Club is basically an overlay exchange system, with the same availability limitations as any other exchange system. Enrollment does not change any of the traditional usage options of your Week(s). You will still be able to book your home resort in season for personal use, exchange through II, rent through Marriott or privately, etc. Enrollment simply gives you the additional option of converting your Week(s) to DC Points on an annual basis for usage in the DC system.
2) Effective 6/14/12 the basic Enrollment Fee is $2,395* for all eligible Weeks. Eligible Weeks include:
- all US and Caribbean resorts Weeks sold prior to 6/20/10
- all Caribbean resort Weeks purchased direct from Marriott between 6/21/10 and 12/26/12
- all European resort Weeks sold prior to 6/18/12
- Weeks purchased direct from Marriott Resales Operations along with certain Trust Points purchases.
*Since the DC inception there have been various other incentive pricing and eligibility options for enrollment; see the TUG discussion forums for any ongoing/current offers.
3) To determine how many DC Points your Week(s) will be allotted, sign in to your owners.marriottvacationclub.com account and navigate through "Enrollment" under "Managing Your Ownership." Check the "I have read and understood the above" box and click on the "Start Enrolling Now" button. An "Exchange Program Enrollment" page will come up showing the DC Points values of your Weeks; this link should take you directly to it after you sign in. You will be able to back out of the enrollment process at this point.
The owner status levels of DC Members are determined by the total number of DC Points for which you're eligible (and not by how many you may be using in a given year.) These numbers are defined in the docs as a percentage of the aggregate total of DC Points and therefore, are subject to change. See the "DC Membership Status Tiers" section in the TUG FAQ - MVC DESTINATIONS Points Program thread and the "Benefits At A Glance" chart linked there.
4) The current annual Club Dues fee is $185 for Owners and Select Members, $225 for Executive and Presidential Members, and $250 for Chairman's Club Members. If you enroll your Week(s) you will be required to pay this annual fee regardless of whether you elect to convert your enrolled Week(s) to DC Points in a given year, and you must pay this annual fee in addition to the annual Maintenance Fees for your specific resorts. If you do not pay this fee your enrollment will end; re-enrollment will be subject to the terms and fees in effect at the time of re-enrollment.
This fee covers the per/transaction Marriott fees related to Weeks usage such as cancellations, lock-offs, MRP-exchanges, etc. There has been one fee increase since the DC introduction.
5) The Club Dues fee also covers the II dues for the new/corporate II account which will be assigned to you, as well as the Marriott-to-Marriott exchange fees through that new II account. Note if you exchange your enrolled Week(s) through that new II account to non-Marriott resorts, or, if you include a non-Marriott resort in an ongoing search through that account (regardless of whether it's ultimately matched to a Marriott resort,) you will be required to pay those II exchange fees. As well, if you own non-Marriott resorts you will have to maintain a separate II account for those.
If you have an ongoing request in your old II account, that Week deposit will remain in that account and you will have to pay the II transaction fee for its ultimate exchange match.
When all of your Weeks have been enrolled and moved into your new II account, you will be eligible for AC's from II depending on how many months/years you have remaining on your old account: one AC if you have between one year and 35 months remaining, two AC's if you have between three years and 59 months, three AC's if you have more than five years remaining. They'll be issued/processed in your old/individual account on a staggered basis, and you will have to pay the exchange fees for their use. Each will expire one year from the date of issue. Some TUGgers have been able to get a partial refund of their II dues, instead of keeping their old accounts open with these AC's, by calling in to II and requesting it.
Those of us who have enrolled our Week(s) do not see any differences between our old/individual and new/corporate II accounts. The website interface is the same, inventory is the same for exchanges and Getaways, the occasional II promotions for extra intervals are the same, access to the Choose2 program is the same, up-grading to Gold and Plat status in II is the same, etc. Through experience TUGgers have found that the Club Dues fee covers some of these II extras but not all. Discussion about current coverage may be found later in the thread or elsewhere in the discussion forum.
6) Enrolled Week(s) that were purchased direct from Marriott will retain the Marriott Rewards Points exchange option as it was originally offered. Any pre-6/20/10 external resale Week(s) which are enrolled will gain an MRP exchange option as defined in the MR-related governing document:
Basically, an enrolled external-resale Week will be eligible for the same amount of MRP that a similar direct-purchase Week is allotted, but on a reduced-frequency basis. For example, a SurfWatch Plat 3BR direct-purchase Week can be exchanged annually for 135K MRP. A same-interval Week purchased prior to 6/20/10 on the external market will gain upon enrollment the option to exchange it every-other-year for 135K MRP.
7) Occasionally there may be various enrollment incentives including reduced enrollment fees, one-time bonus DC Points, Encore Packages, etc. Any bonus DC Points given as an incentive will expire one year from the date of issue and may be used to book reservations within 60 days of check-in. The current Points Charts are linked in the TUG Points FAQ; they stipulate the number of DC Points required to reserve intervals. Play around to get an idea of how much usage value you can get out of those bonus Points - consider using them to tack on extra days to a Week(s) reservation, a weekend at a drive-to resort, etc.
Note these Points Charts are also the one you'll use to figure out usage of enrolled Week(s) that you've converted to DC Points.
8) If you do enroll your Week(s) remember that the status and usage rules of each program do not extend to the other. You follow the rules for whichever system you're using at the time. For example, if you're booking Weeks then you go by the same Reservation Windows you always have, and if you're booking DC Points then you follow the Reservation Windows for those. There are many new links on the owners.marriottvacationclub.com website to help figure out the mechanics of all the different usage options.
9) Enrollment of a Week does not transfer upon resale of the Week to the new owner, and, the new owner will not be able to enroll the Week because external resales purchased after 6/20/10 or 6/18/12 are not eligible for enrollment. Upon family transfer of an enrolled Week, the enrollment can transfer although the new owner of record may have to pay the then-current enrollment fee. (The family transfer info is based on statements from Marriott execs since the DC inception; I don't think any actual transactions have been reported to TUG.)
********
Generally, enrollment in the DC makes the least amount of sense for owners of a single Week who do not routinely pay more than $175 annually in per/transaction Marriott and II fees, i.e. owners who use their Weeks at home resorts in season. It makes the most sense for owners of multi-Weeks who routinely pay annual fees in excess of $215, i.e. those who lock-off and/or exchange on a regular basis. For some, the flexible usage options - less-than-7-days DC Points stays, non-weekend check-in dates, the ability to bank/borrow Points to different Use Years, etc. - are major factors in favor of DC enrollment. Certainly, some Weeks have been valued much higher than others by Marriott and the high Points allotments of those Weeks is another major factor.
Perhaps the single most hotly-debated topic related to enrollment is "skim." Briefly, in most instances the allotment of Points for a Week will not be enough to book that Week or a similar Week. Some TUGgers think this is reason enough to not participate in the DC; others accept it as "the cost of doing business." It should definitely be understood but remember that enrollment does not mean that a Week must be converted to DC Points - many enrolled members continue to use their Weeks and II exchanges as they always have.
There is no one right or wrong answer. Take a look at your usage pattern and figure out if enrollment in the DC would, a) be cost-effective on a regular basis, or b) expand your options in ways that you will most likely take advantage of in the future. Then consider your gut feelings and make your decision. Finally, whatever you decide, go on and enjoy your vacations no matter how you're able to book them!
Good luck - it's not always an easy decision.
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