# MVC New York City [and South Beach] Now Bookable



## Werner Weiss (Feb 17, 2016)

Marriott Vacation Club New York City can now be booked using "Book My Stay" / "Use My Points" at https://owners.marriottvacationclub.com 

As of now (Feb. 17, 2016 at 9:30 a.m. CST), the New York property does not yet appear using "Explore Destinations." Also, I could not find a point chart, but perhaps I'm looking at the wrong place.

I checked a few nights using "Use My Points." It appears that check-ins begin March 5, 2016. At that time, a Deluxe Room King is 650 points for Friday and Saturday nights, and 475 points for Sunday through Thursday nights.

That's better than using points for the Explorer Collection's New York options, such as the New York Marriott Marquis, but the points per night are higher than I expected.  

MVC New York City is now on Marriott.com: https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/nycvc-marriott-vacation-club-new-york-city/

The website of the Strand Hotel NYC (the hotel that's now the MVC New York City) is still up at http://www.thestrandnyc.com/default-en.html but it's no longer possible to book rooms there.


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## SueDonJ (Feb 17, 2016)

Werner Weiss said:


> Marriott Vacation Club New York City can now be booked using "Book My Stay" / "Use My Points" at https://owners.marriottvacationclub.com
> 
> As of now (Feb. 17, 2016 at 9:30 a.m. CST), the New York property does not yet appear using "Explore Destinations." Also, I could not find a point chart, but perhaps I'm looking at the wrong place.
> 
> ...



Points Chart:  Education and Owner Resources --> Helpful Tools --> Vacation Club Points Charts --> Select A Resort / Marriott Vacation Club, New York City

This link may take you to it directly on sign-in.


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## mash84121 (Feb 17, 2016)

Their Facebook page is also announcing South Beach.

We’re excited to announce that you will soon be able to enjoy not one, but two new exciting locations with Marriott Vacation Club®: Marriott Vacation Club®, New York City and Marriott Vacation Club®, South Beach.

All Owners can take advantage of these new Marriott Vacation Club destinations through the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations™ Exchange Program or through Interval International as an exchange option. Marriott Vacation Club, South Beach is now available for occupancy and Marriott Vacation Club, New York City will be available for occupancy on March 5, 2016.


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## mash84121 (Feb 17, 2016)

Here is the new property in South Beach.

https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/miamv-marriott-vacation-club-south-beach/

It looks like it used to be the Edgewater South Beach.  It is right next door to the Winter Haven in the Autograph Collection.


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## SueDonJ (Feb 17, 2016)

mash84121 said:


> Here is the new property in South Beach.
> 
> https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/miamv-marriott-vacation-club-south-beach/



And here's the DC Points Chart for South Beach.


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## mash84121 (Feb 17, 2016)

Here is the press release from today.

http://www.marriottvacationclub.com...ases-The-Edgewater-Hotel-in-South-Beach.shtml


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## SkyBlueWaters (Feb 17, 2016)

mash84121 said:


> Their Facebook page is also announcing South Beach.
> 
> We’re excited to announce that you will soon be able to enjoy not one, but two new exciting locations with Marriott Vacation Club®: Marriott Vacation Club®, New York City and Marriott Vacation Club®, South Beach.
> 
> All Owners can take advantage of these new Marriott Vacation Club destinations through the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations™ Exchange Program or through Interval International as an exchange option. Marriott Vacation Club, South Beach is now available for occupancy and Marriott Vacation Club, New York City will be available for occupancy on March 5, 2016.


I went to the website today and saw announcements for these two properties.
What codes at Interval? Didn't see them yet in the Interval directory online.


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## Fasttr (Feb 17, 2016)

Werner Weiss said:


> I checked a few nights using "Use My Points." It appears that check-ins begin March 5, 2016. At that time, a Deluxe Room King is 650 points for Friday and Saturday nights, and 475 points for Sunday through Thursday nights.
> 
> That's better than using points for the Explorer Collection's New York options, such as the New York Marriott Marquis, but the points per night are higher than I expected.



I know you were hoping for point requirements more in line with the Mayflower, but unfortunately, it appears they ended up more in line with where others of us had anticipated when discussing it toward the end of THIS thread.

Also, significantly higher than Custom House requirements, and for a much inferior room (at least in size and layout).


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## GrayFal (Feb 17, 2016)

Duplicate


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## littlejen22 (Feb 17, 2016)

Will the Strand and the South Beach locations be completely MVC or are they just making certain floors available like in DC?


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## Werner Weiss (Feb 17, 2016)

littlejen22 said:


> Will the Strand and the South Beach locations be completely MVC or are they just making certain floors available like in DC?


The New York City and South Beach properties are both branded entirely as Marriott Vacation Club.

In addition to being available with points (and through II if MVC swaps inventory with II), rooms are available through Marriott.com.

I noticed something interesting.

A footnote on both point charts indicates, "Resort is only available through the MVC Exchange Company." That doesn't mean that Trust owners can't stay there, only that, at this point, no inventory at either resort is owned by the Trust. Regardless of whether an owner is using enrolled points of Trust points, the inventory comes out the Exchange pool.


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## SueDonJ (Feb 17, 2016)

Werner Weiss said:


> The New York City and South Beach properties are both branded entirely as Marriott Vacation Club.
> 
> In addition to being available with points (and through II if MVC swaps inventory with II), rooms are available through Marriott.com.
> 
> ...



The Points Charts have always noted whether intervals are available direct from the Trust or through the Exchange Company.  Some years we've seen "E" and/or "T" in a small gray box near the resort name, others we've seen "only through the Exchange Company" as a footnote on those pages.  Custom House, The Mayflower, the Caribbean resorts and the Euro resorts have never had intervals conveyed to the Trust.

Regardless of the notation we're still seeing the majority of all DC reservations being booked through the Exchange Company, proof that MVW is mingling inventory in many different ways to fund the Destination Club.


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## Werner Weiss (Feb 17, 2016)

SueDonJ said:


> The Points Charts have always noted whether intervals are available direct from the Trust or through the Exchange Company.  Some years we've seen "E" and/or "T" in a small gray box near the resort name, others we've seen "only through the Exchange Company" as a footnote on those pages.  Custom House, The Mayflower, the Caribbean resorts and the Euro resorts have never had intervals conveyed to the Trust.
> 
> Regardless of the notation we're still seeing the majority of all DC reservations being booked through the Exchange Company, proof that MVW is mingling inventory in many different ways to fund the Destination Club.


Yep! Exactly.

With older, fully sold properties, it makes sense that no inventory was owned by the Trust — at least until inventory obtained through ROFR is conveyed to the Trust. And with international properties, it makes sense inventory is not owned by the Trust because of legal limitations in some countries. The Exchange Company makes these properties available with Points anyway, using inventory from enrolled weeks (when owners opt for Points), VAC-owned weeks, and Interval International.

What's interesting with the two newest properties is that they're also not in the Trust (at least not yet). Again, the Exchange Company is the "intersection" that makes reservations possible.

Any of us who have attended sales presentations since the Points system was launched have probably heard salespeople claim that new MVC properties would ONLY be in the Trust, and would not be available to enrolled owners — unless we bought Trust Points too. I guess that sales pitch will no longer work.


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## dioxide45 (Feb 17, 2016)

Werner Weiss said:


> The New York City and South Beach properties are both branded entirely as Marriott Vacation Club.
> 
> In addition to being available with points (and through II if MVC swaps inventory with II), rooms are available through Marriott.com.
> 
> ...





Werner Weiss said:


> Yep! Exactly.
> 
> With older, fully sold properties, it makes sense that no inventory was owned by the Trust — at least until inventory obtained through ROFR is conveyed to the Trust. And with international properties, it makes sense inventory is not owned by the Trust because of legal limitations in some countries. The Exchange Company makes these properties available with Points anyway, using inventory from enrolled weeks (when owners opt for Points), VAC-owned weeks, and Interval International.
> 
> ...



I fully expect that MVCI will convey all of the inventory they have bought at Mayflower, The Strand and in South Beach to the MVC Trust. No way they would buy these properties without the intent to actually sell the points that they allocate to them. $23MM is a lot to spend if you don't plan to monetize it. I would expect them to allocate about 90 million to 100 million points to the South Beach property in order for them to keep their inventory costs in line with where they have been historically.

They probably just have to put the disclaimer there for now since no inventory has been conveyed to the trust yet.


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## dioxide45 (Feb 17, 2016)

SkyBlueWaters said:


> I went to the website today and saw announcements for these two properties.
> What codes at Interval? Didn't see them yet in the Interval directory online.



I don't expect week will know this until and if we see a bulk bank. They deposited Mayflower units before the resort was even added to the online directory.


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## dioxide45 (Feb 17, 2016)

So there are 11 room types at South Beach, but if you look at the points requirements, there are 7 price tiers. Though it only looks like Marriott is eliminating two room types.  The little 2 footnote indicates they plan to eliminate the Q guestroom and Q studio. I suspect they are making the the Q guestroom in to a K guestroom and the Q studio in to a K studio?

Some rather interesting configurations in South Beach.

I also wonder if they are going to give these places better names than just calling them Marriott Vacation Club, New York or South Beach. They need to be a little more original.


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## Bnov (Feb 17, 2016)

I don't see expected amenities listed on the marriott.com website:

1) for a beach location in a warm weather destination, there's no pool
2) no fitness facility

I'll also be interested to see how they handle parking—marriott.com lists one parking option ($40/day for valet parking).


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## Werner Weiss (Feb 17, 2016)

dioxide45 said:


> I fully expect that MVCI will convey all of the inventory they have bought at Mayflower, The Strand and in South Beach to the MVC Trust. No way they would buy these properties without the intent to actually sell the points that they allocate to them. $23MM is a lot to spend if you don't plan to monetize it. I would expect them to allocate about 90 million to 100 million points to the South Beach property in order for them to keep their inventory costs in line with where they have been historically.
> 
> They probably just have to put the disclaimer there for now since no inventory has been conveyed to the trust yet.


I agree. Inventory will be declared into the Trust, as necessary for the Trust to remain "legal," with Points backed up physical inventory before they can be sold.

Marriott Vacations Worldwide (VAC) can already monetize its investment, even before the inventory is put into the Trust. The hotel rooms are rented through Marriott.com, generating revenue. And when enrolled owners and Trust owners use their Points at the two new resorts, VAC can rent out the equivalent inventory through Marriott.com.

But, yes, the "big bucks" for VAC will begin when VAC puts the inventory into the Trust and sells the Points.


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## dioxide45 (Feb 17, 2016)

Werner Weiss said:


> I agree. Inventory will be declared into the Trust, as necessary for the Trust to remain "legal," with Points backed up physical inventory before they can be sold.
> 
> Marriott Vacations Worldwide (VAC) can already monetize its investment, even before the inventory is put into the Trust. The hotel rooms are rented through Marriott.com, generating revenue. And when enrolled owners and Trust owners use their points at the two new resorts, VAC can rent out the equivalent inventory through Marriott.com.
> 
> But, yes, the "big bucks" for VAC will begin when VAC put the inventory into the Trust and sells the Points.



I don't know how easily Marriott can rent out the inventory that owners deposit and exchange for these new properties. I am thinking that they already rent excess inventory, but it is an exchange company not an avenue to acquire free inventory to rent out for dollars. RCI got in trouble years ago for renting inventory given to them for exchange. They can certainly not deposit any of the inventory in to the MVC Exchange Company or II and rent it out on Marriott.com. If this were an Explorer Collection option, then renting out the inventory that the owner gives up for that option can be rented out to monetize.

Obviously selling the points that these properties convey to the trust is where the real money maker is for MVCI.


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## dioxide45 (Feb 17, 2016)

Werner Weiss said:


> The website of the Strand Hotel NYC (the hotel that's now the MVC New York City) is still up at http://www.thestrandnyc.com/default-en.html but it's no longer possible to book rooms there.



It looks like you can still book rooms through the 4th of March. I would still expect some hotel guest for several months after crossover. I would expect that there are a lot of post March 5th hotel reservations that were made before any announcement.


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## Werner Weiss (Feb 17, 2016)

dioxide45 said:


> If this were an Explorer Collection option, then renting out the inventory that the owner gives up for that option can be rented out to monetize.


In a way, it is just like an Explorer Collection option, even though it's not called that. In this case, VAC is in the hotel business because the rooms are not yet in the Trust. 

I read the paperwork when I enrolled. I don't remember the details, but the Exchange Company has all sorts of ways of legitimately moving inventory in and out. It just all has to balance out.

If I use Points from one of my enrolled weeks to book New York City or South Beach (owned by VAC, not by the Trust), VAC has every right to monetize my Points (or equivalent Points). There's nothing wrong with having the Exchange Company as part of the process. Everything and everybody just has to come out whole.


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## Werner Weiss (Feb 17, 2016)

dioxide45 said:


> It looks like you can still book rooms through the 4th of March. I would still expect some hotel guest for several months after crossover. I would expect that there are a lot of post March 5th hotel reservations that were made before any announcement.


When I looked yesterday (Feb. 16), it was the last night available (and for 1-night stays only) on the website for The Strand Hotel NYC; all other dates on the calendar had an X. This morning, every date had an X.

It seemed odd that the hotel would be entirely empty until March 5. I thought that it might mean a quick, 3-week update to the property.

It makes sense that the nights between now and the switch to the MVC brand are once again available for reservations.


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## dioxide45 (Feb 17, 2016)

Werner Weiss said:


> I read the paperwork when I enrolled. I don't remember the details, but the Exchange Company has all sorts of ways of legitimately moving inventory in and out. It just all has to balance out.



This makes sense. In essence, Marriott can exchange New York and South Beach inventory for other inventory sitting in the exchange company, they can then rent out that other inventory on Marriott.com. They aren't just tossing the New York and South Beach inventory in there out of the goodness of their heart.

I still haven't seen any Mayflower inventory conveyed to the MVC Trust, so these properties could be exchange only for a while. Though I suspect it is in their best interest to convert these to sellable points as soon as possible.


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## Werner Weiss (Feb 17, 2016)

dioxide45 said:


> Though I suspect it is in their best interest to convert these to sellable points as soon as possible.


It's in VAC's best interest wait as long as possible — until the inventory is absolutely needed in the Trust to keep the Trust "legal." In other words, it's best not to convert this inventory into sellable Points until VAC needs those sellable Points.

In the meantime, VAC can monetize the hotel inventory, as discussed in this thread.

By adding additional locations now, VAC has a better product to sell now — even if the inventory is not needed for Point buyers until some time in the future.


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## littlejen22 (Feb 17, 2016)

dioxide45 said:


> I fully expect that MVCI will convey all of the inventory they have bought at Mayflower, The Strand and in South Beach to the MVC Trust. No way they would buy these properties without the intent to actually sell the points that they allocate to them. $23MM is a lot to spend if you don't plan to monetize it. I would expect them to allocate about 90 million to 100 million points to the South Beach property in order for them to keep their inventory costs in line with where they have been historically.
> 
> They probably just have to put the disclaimer there for now since no inventory has been conveyed to the trust yet.



We went to a sales pitch in Aruba last year and were not told that.  They only tried to sell us more points to get us to the next level but never with the understanding something would be available to trust and not to enrolled.  How would they even do that, they would have to keep trust and enrolled completely separate and you would be able to cross over.  I do know sales people in all industries lie and Marriott is certainly no exception, we were lied to a lot when we bought Surf Club.


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## SkyBlueWaters (Feb 18, 2016)

dioxide45 said:


> I don't expect week will know this until and if we see a bulk bank. They deposited Mayflower units before the resort was even added to the online directory.



The Mayflower is still not listed under Interval's directory. I'm guessing, it just appears whenever there's a bulk deposit (which I am assuming is the only way it gets there anyway) and that there really is no way to request for this unit unless requested through Marriott Vacation Club or the Marriott Desk (as opposed to Interval's online portal) .


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## Wally3433 (Feb 18, 2016)

I am not excited at all for either of these new properties.  The only exciting amenity that I see is their location.

I guess it's nice to have an MVC option, but if I went to NYC or South Beach I would just stay at one of the many other great hotel properties already at each location, which have superb amenities and offer the chance of a Platinum room upgrade.

My .02


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## Werner Weiss (Feb 18, 2016)

I was eager to use our MVC DC Points to book at former Strand Hotel NYC, just as soon the chart was published and reservations opened.

As a backup, I made a reservation at a Marriott hotel. It would be easy to cancel, but our trip would be able to proceed even if I could not use our Points.

Having now studied the chart for the Marriott Vacation Club New York City, I've given up on using points for New York. I'll save our points for a better use.


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## Clark (Feb 18, 2016)

It's interesting that the announcement calls them Marriott Vacation Club resorts, but they are not listed on Marriotts website as Vacation Club resorts:


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## Luvtoride (Feb 18, 2016)

Bnov said:


> I don't see expected amenities listed on the marriott.com website:
> 
> 1) for a beach location in a warm weather destination, there's no pool
> 2) no fitness facility
> ...



Bnov, I noticed the same thing...In fact under recreation, it lists "swimming" at Miami Beach- 1 mile away.   Who would sit out on that Terrace in the Miami heat with out a pool nearby?  Also, there are 17 different dates/ point rates for this location.  That's ridiculous.  Its like they are pricing it like Hotel pricing for every High Season/ Holiday period that a hotel would have.  

I must say, I'm underwhelmed with this new addition to the MVC portfolio.  I can't wait to hear from someone who will stay there soon.


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## Werner Weiss (Feb 18, 2016)

The location and features of Marriott Vacation Club, South Beach might be unappealing to some, but should be very appealing to others.

It's the former Edgewater South Beach, across the street from Lummus Park and the beach. It's next door to Winter Haven, Autograph Collection (a Marriott brand) in the Miami Beach Art Deco Historic District. It's from 1936, when Art Deco / Streamline Moderne was flourishing, but its style is Mediterranean Revival. The architect was Roy F. France, who designed many other buildings in the Art Deco District.

The Art Deco District is tightly packed with historic hotels that were built without swimming pools, on sites that don't have any space for pools. People don't go there for pools. They stay at the restored boutique hotels for the beach, dining, drinking, nightlife, shopping, and the vibe of the Art Deco District.

I hope Marriott Vacations Worldwide will restore the hotel's name to its original name, Edgewater Beach Hotel. The generic name "Marriott Vacation Club, South Beach" utterly lacks character or a sense of history.


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## dioxide45 (Feb 18, 2016)

SkyBlueWaters said:


> The Mayflower is still not listed under Interval's directory. I'm guessing, it just appears whenever there's a bulk deposit (which I am assuming is the only way it gets there anyway) and that there really is no way to request for this unit unless requested through Marriott Vacation Club or the Marriott Desk (as opposed to Interval's online portal) .



The Mayflower is in the II directory, you just can't get to it through the map any longer. It was possible to find it through the map feature a while back by going to the USA Southeast/Virginia DC Area section. It seems that it has been pulled from that section and there is no section in either USA Southeast or USA Middle Atlantic for Washington DC.

However, if you search the resort directory by resort name "Marriott", The Mayflower is there. You can also search it by resort code MFL.



Clark said:


> It's interesting that the announcement calls them Marriott Vacation Club resorts, but they are not listed on Marriotts website as Vacation Club resorts:



They haven't updated the new website yet. Not sure why. I noticed this yesterday too.


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## GrayFal (Feb 18, 2016)

NYC property is Interval code MNY


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## Carlsbadguy (Feb 19, 2016)

Just saw first New York week online at II for March 5-12.


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## youppi (Feb 19, 2016)

Southbeach is MQB


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## NYFLTRAVELER (Feb 19, 2016)

Not having a pool or other amenities at the South Beach location is a farce.  It takes away from - this again is nothing more than glorified hotel rooms.  When I bought into the Marriott Vacation Club it was based on the fact that their properties were resort-like properties with amenities and activities.  If this is the way they are going with the properties, any consideration I had to add more DC points to the account will quickly go away.  In my opinion they should focus on properties in Puerto Rico, Mexico (Cancun?) and even in the South Beach area- but complete with pools, activities and the like.


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## Werner Weiss (Feb 19, 2016)

NYFLTRAVELER said:


> Not having a pool or other amenities at the South Beach location is a farce.  It takes away from - this again is nothing more than glorified hotel rooms.  When I bought into the Marriott Vacation Club it was based on the fact that their properties were resort-like properties with amenities and activities.  If this is the way they are going with the properties, any consideration I had to add more DC points to the account will quickly go away.  In my opinion they should focus on properties in Puerto Rico, Mexico (Cancun?) and even in the South Beach area- but complete with pools, activities and the like.


Whether MVC South Beach is a "farce" depends on your perspective.

It's a well-located hotel for those vacationers who consider historic South Beach to be a great destination. There's no need for a car. The park and beach are across the street. There's a seemingly endless list of dining, drinking, and nightlife options. 

The hotel will become somewhat more MVC-like when it's renovated in 2017, but it will always be a small historic hotel without a pool on a small parcel, surrounded by other small historic hotels on small parcels. There are only 49 rooms. Some are a studios or suites.

When we bought into Marriott Vacation Club in 2000, we were attracted by the large 2-bedroom/2-bathroom villas — so much better than traditional hotel rooms. Our daughters had their own bedroom, with a different lights-out time. I could go on and on about how great such villas have been for family vacations.

Now, we're empty-nesters. We still enjoy a villa with a living room, kitchen, and separate bedroom more than a traditional hotel room. But there are many worthwhile destinations where MVC villas (or II exchanges to comparable properties) are not an option. So we stay in a good hotel. 

Marriott Vacation Club wants to sell more Points to people like us — as well as to couples without children, and to anyone who is likes hotels in popular destinations such as DC, New York City, and South Beach. It remains to be seen is if this is a good business strategy.

I jumped at the chance to book with Points at the Mayflower in DC (we'll be in a suite). The Point chart for NYC did not convince me to drop our backup reservation and book with Points. I'd like to spend more time in South Beach, having only been there on a day trip from Villas at Doral, but I haven't studied the Point chart for South Beach enough to know if I'll go the Points route.


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## SkyBlueWaters (Feb 19, 2016)

interesting that these properties are designated as Silver Select despite the locations. Looks like they are nothing to write home about. I agree that I will be booking at another property, maybe at HGVC.


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## Werner Weiss (Feb 19, 2016)

SkyBlueWaters said:


> interesting that these properties are designated as Silver Select despite the locations. Looks like they are nothing to write home about. I agree that I will be booking at another property, maybe at HGVC.


Were any other Marriott Vacation Clubs categorized as Interval International Silver Select (silver pineapple) before the recent hotel conversions? I assume the lack of a Premier Resort (gold laurel) status is due to missing amenities, such as no swimming pool or member lounge.

Hilton Grand Vacations at Mcalpin-Ocean Plaza is on the same block as Marriott Vacation Club, South Beach. It's also a historic hotel — or actually two adjacent historic hotels (very cool Art Deco ones). I thought it also had no pool. What's the advantage of HGVC at South Beach?


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## mash84121 (Feb 19, 2016)

SkyBlueWaters said:


> interesting that these properties are designated as Silver Select despite the locations. Looks like they are nothing to write home about. I agree that I will be booking at another property, maybe at HGVC.



I suspect that neither of these properties will stay Silver Select for long.  Once MVC gets the amenities updated and does some refurbishing they will both move up.  Neither of these properties have pools but neither does Custom House and it has Elite status.


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## SkyBlueWaters (Feb 19, 2016)

I am referring to the suites offered by Hilton GVC in New York. 

South Beach, I'm aiming for either a night or two at the Trump property in Sunny Isle or RC, both nice properties. I don't think I can spend a week there. I'd probably move on to other properties with the typical MVC amenities around the area, south, west, north or inland at Doral The Wyndham also looks nice.


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## SkyBlueWaters (Feb 19, 2016)

mash84121 said:


> I suspect that neither of these properties will stay Silver Select for long.  Once MVC gets the amenities updated and does some refurbishing they will both move up.  Neither of these properties have pools but neither does Custom House and it has Elite status.



Hope so. I have never seen properties move up from that designation once the gold premiere has been removed. Interval seems to be meticulous about those quality designations and tiers.


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## dioxide45 (Feb 19, 2016)

SkyBlueWaters said:


> interesting that these properties are designated as Silver Select despite the locations. Looks like they are nothing to write home about. I agree that I will be booking at another property, maybe at HGVC.



My guess is that the check from Marriott is still in the mail...


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## Big Matt (Feb 20, 2016)

I agree with you completely.  You are never going to get all of the amenities that you get at other resorts in urban locations.  Sure a pool would be nice, but people who will be attracted to the urban locations aren't going there to just lay around the pool.  

These new types of set ups are pretty much opposite of Ocean Pointe where you have to drive to restaurants, shops, night life.  

People are going to gravitate to lactations and resort styles that they like.  That's the reason VAC is diversifying and adding more things to the program.




Werner Weiss said:


> Whether MVC South Beach is a "farce" depends on your perspective.
> 
> It's a well-located hotel for those vacationers who consider historic South Beach to be a great destination. There's no need for a car. The park and beach are across the street. There's a seemingly endless list of dining, drinking, and nightlife options.
> 
> ...


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## dioxide45 (Feb 20, 2016)

*San Diego?*

So what is up with San Diego. It is my understanding that they have now closed and own the hotel there? Are they not going to open it for occupancy until they renovate the units? If so, why a different model there than in New York, South Beach and Washington DC?


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## Werner Weiss (Feb 20, 2016)

dioxide45 said:


> So what is up with San Diego. It is my understanding that they have now closed and own the hotel there? Are they not going to open it for occupancy until they renovate the units? If so, why a different model there than in New York, South Beach and Washington DC?


I'm surprised by the lack of news about San Diego.

Marriott Vacations Worldwide (VAC) has moved so quickly with the hotels (DC, NYC, and South Beach), but is taking its time with San Diego, Waikoloa, and Surfer's Paradise.

The San Diego property continues to operate as The Declan Suites San Diego (http://www.declansuitessandiego.com), but under VAC ownership.  

In the first quarter of 2015, VAC purchased the hotel — which was originally Marriott Suites and then Sheraton Suites, before becoming Declan Suites — for approximately $55 million. You can make reservations using a system that does not use the Marriott.com reservation engine. There's no Marriott branding of any kind, and no participation in Marriott Rewards. 

All rooms are 425-sq.ft. 2-room suites. If you look at the Declan Suites website, you'll see rooms with the bedroom spilt off from the living room. They're boring and generic. They could be anywhere in the United States. There's no sense of place, no vacation vibe, and no joy.

I hope this delay means that the San Diego property will get a thorough "reimagining" of these suites. Although they're smaller than purpose-built Marriott Vacation Club villas, there's an opportunity for VAC to borrow ideas from Disney Vacation Club and from other MVC conversions (Maui and Kauai) to add mini-kitchens, space-efficient "home away from home" features, and a sense of vacation fun (such as decor based on Mid-Century San Diego). I also hope the property gets a complete makeover of its public spaces and adds a rooftop deck on the roof between the hotel tower and the office tower.

The San Diego property is downtown, so it can never be made into a sprawling resort like Ko Olina or Newport Coast. But it doesn't have to be a boring, business-traveler hotel either.


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## NYFLTRAVELER (Feb 21, 2016)

You cannot call these properties "Resorts" -- If anything these new "properties" (e.g. NYC, S. Beach, Wash DC) would fall into "Explorer Collection" destinations ---- if Marriott attempts to tout these properties as anything other than hotel rooms or suites in urban destinations (they should not use the term "villa") they are misleading the consumer.

A _resort_ is defined as a self-contained commercial establishment which attempts to provide for most of a vacationer's wants _while remaining on the premises_, such as food, drink, lodging, pools, sports, entertainment, and recreational activities.


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## Werner Weiss (Feb 21, 2016)

NYFLTRAVELER said:


> You cannot call these properties "Resorts" -- If anything these new "properties" (e.g. NYC, S. Beach, Wash DC) would fall into "Explorer Collection" destinations ---- if Marriott attempts to tout these properties as anything other than hotel rooms or suites in urban destinations (they should not use the term "villa") they are misleading the consumer.


Marriott Vacation Club is not promoting its hotels (Boston, DC, NYC, South Beach) as resorts. On Marriott.com pages for these properties, the link under the logo near the top left says, "Our Hotel," not "Our Resort." (That's how you can tell how Marriott.com officially categorizes a property.)

Boston: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/bosch-marriotts-custom-house/
Washington, DC: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/wasmv-marriott-vacation-club-at-the-mayflower/
New York: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/nycvc-marriott-vacation-club-new-york-city/
South Beach: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/miamv-marriott-vacation-club-south-beach/

(San Diego will probably also be called a hotel, unless the renovation adds so many features that the it edges into of the realm of resorts.)

These are actual, branded Marriott Vacation Club hotels, *not* Explorer Collection options. Explorer Collection means you're using MVC (DC) Points to pay for something else, such a Renaissance Hotel, Marriott Hotel, cruise, or tour.

I'm sure that people will slip up and call them resorts, and that II might apply quality designations that use _resort_ in their definitions, and that they'll appear in II's _resort_ directory. The term _resort_ is applied loosely to many properties (especially non-Marriott timeshares) that don't begin to approach the dictionary definition of that word.

The timeshare industry uses the term _villa_ in a meaningless way, and Marriott Vacation Club is no exception. It's a marketing term. The traditional definition of a _villa_ is for a large, usually freestanding country house. By a more strict definition, _villa_ is a specific type of ancient Roman residence.

If you look at the links for the MVC hotels, you'll see that the text descriptions generally use terms such as _suites_, _guestrooms_, and _studios_. (But the MVC template for Marriott.com consistently uses "Villas" for the link to the right of "Our Hotel" or "Our Resort."  There are some suites at the MVC hotels that are bigger and nicer than efficiencies at traditional MVC resorts.


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## Werner Weiss (Feb 21, 2016)

More about San Diego...

The official website of The Declan Suites has this on it opening page: 
RENOVATION NOTICE: OUR HOTEL IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING RENOVATIONS THROUGH JUNE 30, 2016.
THE FITNESS CENTER, RESTAURANT, LOUNGE/BAR AND SWIMMING POOL ARE CLOSED DURING THE RENOVATION.​
The website accepts reservations for check-ins up to June 30, 2016, with check-out on or before July 1, 2016. But entering check-in dates on or after July 1, 2016, results in this: "Unfortunately, there are no available rooms. Please try your search again for other dates."

Over on TripAdvisor, guests are complaining about the construction and not having a restaurant or other expected hotel features.

I've received email that suggests Marriott Vacation Club, San Diego is expected to open in July 2016.

This doesn't guarantee that Marriott Vacation Club, San Diego will open July 1, 2016 — but it seems likely that VAC will want to monetize the popular 4th of July weekend, which begins Friday, July 1.

I guess we're not staying there this spring, but maybe next year!


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## mpizza (Feb 21, 2016)

I like that DC members receive their discount (Executive 30%) booking on Marriott.com.  I booked a weekend at South Beach.

Also thru March 31st, NYC has an opening special using M11 - 20% off and 5,000 bonus points.

Maria


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## MULTIZ321 (Feb 22, 2016)

*Marriott Buys Edgewater Hotel in South Beach for $23.5M*

Marriott Buys Edgewater Hotel in South Beach for $23.5M - by Chabeli Herrera/ Press Reader:Sun Sentinel Broward Edition/ USA/ pressreader.com

"New Owner Plans to Work with Historical Preservation Board..."


Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Feb 22, 2016)

MULTIZ321 said:


> Marriott Buys Edgewater Hotel in South Beach for $23.5M - by Chabeli Herrera/ Press Reader:Sun Sentinel Broward Edition/ USA/ pressreader.com
> 
> "New Owner Plans to Work with Historical Preservation Board..."
> 
> ...




Thanks for merging my post Sue - wasn't sure where to post - so I decided on separate. Makes more sense to join it with the ongoing thread.

Richard


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## NYFLTRAVELER (Feb 23, 2016)

MVCI needs to get back to its roots -- resort type properties with amenities and activities.  

Focus should be on places such as Cancun, Puerto Rico, Bahamas and the like....


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## JIMinNC (Feb 23, 2016)

NYFLTRAVELER said:


> MVCI needs to get back to its roots -- resort type properties with amenities and activities.
> 
> Focus should be on places such as Cancun, Puerto Rico, Bahamas and the like....



I disagree.

They already have lots of beach resorts - Aruba, St Kitts, St Thomas, Hawaii, Spain, HHI, Florida, etc.

They are trying to broaden the appeal of their product. In New York, Miami, and DC you don't need resort amenities and activities - the city is there at your doorstep with much, much more to offer. Plus, demographic trends are reducing the appeal of the traditional timeshare resorts, and the advent of the Destination Club and shorter stays has opened up a whole new business model - long weekends in urban destinations.

For example, Millennials/Generation Y are much more urban-oriented than were the baby boomers (or even Gen X). Many are focusing on their careers, starting families later (or foregoing that entirely), and living a different lifestyle. Marriott needs to respond to those trends to stay relevant. If you're a 25 - 30 year old couple with no kids and good jobs, jetting off to New York or South Beach for a four-day weekend would be a great use of DC points. They don't need or want 2BR condos in Hilton Head.

Secondly, the baby boomers are aging. We fit that mold. When we were in our 20s, 30s, even 40s, we enjoyed baking in the sun on the beach or by the pool. Now in our late 50s/early 60s - not so much. We still enjoy traditional resorts and the beach, we just do different things (golf, sit on beach at sunset, dining out, etc). Plus our kids are getting older (17 and 21) and no longer want to go on family vacations, so we don't really need a spacious 2BR condo. In less than two years, we'll essentially be empty nesters when our daughter heads to college, so I'm sure we'll use the New York and DC locations for 3 to 5 day stays. Marriott's plans for diversification beyond beach resorts was one of the key things that attracted us to DC ownership rather than pure weeks ownership.

Marriott Vacation Club still has lots of great beach resorts for those who want the traditional timeshare vacation (and we still like them as well - and look forward to being able to visit many more of them), but for those of us who want more variety, I love the other options the new locations present. Would love to see them develop similar locations in London, Paris, Rome and other European cities before we retire. My wife wants to visit Europe and I would love to be able to use our points for MVC locations there. 

More of these kinds of locations would be one thing that would cause us to consider adding to our points - more tropical beach resorts? Not so much.


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## Werner Weiss (Feb 23, 2016)

The post above by JIMinNC is very well put.

The new urban locations are *options* for those owners who find such destinations appealing. They're not for everyone. The traditional Marriott Vacation Club portfolio also had destinations that some owners found more appealing than others.

There are owners who love Hilton Head and return year after year. We went there once, had a very nice week, but we're not in any hurry to return. Meanwhile, I'm thoroughly looking forward to our upcoming stay at the MVC at Mayflower, Washington, DC. We've already been to DC a number of times, but had to pay for hotels (or use Marriott Rewards).

Marriott Vacations Worldwide (VAC) has not given up on new beach resorts.

VAC purchased the entire Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa in Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia, for conversion into a Marriott Vacation Club.

VAC purchased a significant chunk of Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa on the Big Island, Hawaii. The conversion should result in a hybrid resort along the lines of Marriott's Kauai Beach Club.

Undeveloped "greenfield" resort sites on excellent beaches where development is allowed are rarities these days. Developing a resort in a great location now usually means paying top dollar and tearing down or repurposing existing structures. It's probably very hard for VAC to make such a business case work.


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## tschwa2 (Feb 23, 2016)

I like the urban location adds but as I stated on the survey (TOPS) a while ago, I would really want a unit with at least a small full kitchen a la residence inn studios and  convenient washer/dryer if not in the unit some place close by.  I like the savings of not having to eat out for every meal and not having to send my laundry out to be cleaned.  Negotiated parking of $15 or less per day would also be appreciated.


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## JIMinNC (Feb 23, 2016)

tschwa2 said:


> I like the urban location adds but as I stated on the survey (TOPS) a while ago, I would really want a unit with at least a small full kitchen a la residence inn studios and  convenient washer/dryer if not in the unit some place close by.  I like the savings of not having to eat out for every meal and not having to send my laundry out to be cleaned.  Negotiated parking of $15 or less per day would also be appreciated.



I suspect the profile at most of these urban locations will tend towards shorter 3-5 night stays as opposed to week or longer stays, so I suspect the need for doing laundry will be less, making adding washer/dryers less economically justified. The kitchen/kitchenette demand might also be less if the tendency is for shorter stays and given the abundance of dining options in most urban areas, making it more difficult to justify the cost of adding that feature. I do like the idea of cheaper, negotiated parking as an benefit, but given real estate/parking costs in large cities, Marriott would have to eat the market-based price of that parking and blend that into the DC maintenance fee.


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## SueDonJ (Feb 23, 2016)

Kitchen facilities are probably the most important item for us regardless of how long/short a stay is.  I love the urban locations, prefer 1BR units and will consider studios for shorter stays, but not having at least a decent kitchenette is a non-starter.  In that situation I'd just do a cash stay in a hotel room, taking advantage of MR benefits and status.


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## JIMinNC (Feb 23, 2016)

SueDonJ said:


> Kitchen facilities are probably the most important item for us regardless of how long/short a stay is.  I love the urban locations, prefer 1BR units and will consider studios for shorter stays, but not having at least a decent kitchenette is a non-starter.  In that situation I'd just do a cash stay in a hotel room, taking advantage of MR benefits and status.



My wife tries to avoid cooking whenever possible, especially on vacation, and my culinary skills are extraordinarily limited, so when its just the two of us, cooking our own is a hard sell. Traveling as a family of four was different as dining out for four gets expensive, so we would try to cook our breakfast/lunch and a least a couple of dinners during a week. So going forward in the years ahead, the lack of kitchens in an urban setting is no big deal for us.

My wife is taking our daughter to DC in July for a week long summer program at Georgetown University and they are going a couple of days early to visit the George Washington University campus. They are going to stay at Mayflower for 425 DC points/night for two nights. DC points are still a better deal there than the cash rate of $299/night plus taxes. Plus the points are already paid for!


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## NYFLTRAVELER (Feb 23, 2016)

JIMinNC said:


> They are trying to broaden the appeal of their product. In New York, Miami, and DC you don't need resort amenities and activities - the city is there at your doorstep with much, much more to offer. Plus, demographic trends are reducing the appeal of the traditional timeshare resorts, and the advent of the Destination Club and shorter stays has opened up a whole new business model - long weekends in urban destinations.



For that experience, you can stay at any run of the mill hotel.  The vacation club/timeshare selling point for us was the resort type settings with pools and activities for kids and adults.  In other words, a place where you can go and need not leave the grounds.

To each his/her own.... I would not spend tens of thousands of dollars to buy into a program where I am essentially staying in hotel rooms with nothing more.


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## JIMinNC (Feb 23, 2016)

NYFLTRAVELER said:


> For that experience, you can stay at any run of the mill hotel.  The vacation club/timeshare selling point for us was the resort type settings with pools and activities for kids and adults.  In other words, a place where you can go and need not leave the grounds.
> 
> To each his/her own.... I would not spend tens of thousands of dollars to buy into a program where I am essentially staying in hotel rooms with nothing more.



If the only thing they offered were the hotel properties, I would agree with you - not worth buying into. But what we own is the complete breadth of the offerings - from traditional resorts to alternative lodgings in locations less suited for resort-type accommodations. It's the variety that makes this new approach appealing in my opinion. The resorts may work best for the phases of life when you have small kids, but the other lodging styles may provide other options for the years before or after the kid years.

While you are certainly correct that you could get the NYC, DC, or South Beach MVC experience with cash stays in an urban hotel, that would require forking over more out-of-pocket cash. With these new properties, we can pay for them with the points we have already paid for - no new cash outflow required. And at least in the case of the Mayflower example I noted a couple of posts up, the cost of the Mayflower in points compares very favorably to the out-of-pocket cash that would have been required to book the same accommodations. 

So while the new urban locations may not be a compelling reason by themselves for purchasing into MVC, as an enhancement of an existing ownership, I think they are just what the doctor ordered - different strokes for different folks.


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## answeeney (Feb 24, 2016)

I am 100% of the opinion that MVC should stick to their knitting/get back to their roots. Choice is good in principle but the latest four options (Washington, San Diego, New York and a house in Hilton Head) are stretching the definition as there are plenty of competitive cash options that mean that I for one am unlikely to view them as anything other than window dressing for a club that has run out of ideas.

What's next?

A berth in the forthcoming Virgin Galactic space rocket (1 billion points - Chairman's Club only)? A crystal decanter and 3 momths Amazon Prime membership (2000 points - all comers)?


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## Pompey Family (Feb 24, 2016)

JIMinNC said:


> If the only thing they offered were the hotel properties, I would agree with you - not worth buying into. But what we own is the complete breadth of the offerings - from traditional resorts to alternative lodgings in locations less suited for resort-type accommodations. It's the variety that makes this new approach appealing in my opinion. The resorts may work best for the phases of life when you have small kids, but the other lodging styles may provide other options for the years before or after the kid years.



It's not just about when the kids are with you. For us, travelling long haul to the US means a weekend break is no good for us, we need a week as a minimum so having a resort with all the amenities is the whole attraction of the MVCI system.


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## Fasttr (Feb 24, 2016)

I don't mind having options, but for these new urban properties that will eventually end up in the trust so MVC can sell points against them... down the road, will there be enough demand for those new locations individually to keep the status quo from a usage perspective, or will the extra points floating out there as a result of them increase the demand and over burden availability at the existing traditional resorts in the system.  

Said another way, is this just a less expensive way for MVC to feed points into the system whereby the normal annual usage of those sold points will actually just create more demand on the existing resorts in the system.  

Something to keep an eye on.


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## Wally3433 (Feb 24, 2016)

Great points have been made here.  I now agree that it's good to have the urban options.  I have nephews and nieces in their 20's and 30's that cannot grasp the idea of going to a beach for 7-10 days, let alone 4.

We all want the program to stay healthy and be successful, so let's hope MVC knows what it is doing.


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## dioxide45 (Feb 24, 2016)

Fasttr said:


> I don't mind having options, but for these new urban properties that will eventually end up in the trust so MVC can sell points against them... down the road, will there be enough demand for those new locations individually to keep the status quo from a usage perspective, or will the extra points floating out there as a result of them increase the demand and over burden availability at the existing traditional resorts in the system.
> 
> Said another way, is this just a less expensive way for MVC to feed points into the system whereby the normal annual usage of those sold points will actually just create more demand on the existing resorts in the system.
> 
> Something to keep an eye on.



This is where MVCI has to be careful in how they price these nights out for the urban properties. Price them too high and they will sit empty and they will have an uneven burden on their other properties. Price them too cheap and they lose money that they could be making and the places will be packed. I guess we will have to wait and see. When these properties get dumped in to the trust, they will make up a pretty high percentage of the overall trust.


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## NYFLTRAVELER (Feb 24, 2016)

Pompey Family said:


> .... having a resort with all the amenities is the whole attraction of the MVCI system.



100% agreed and that was the selling point of our family getting into the program - resorts with amenities - a place, if we so chose, we could stay at for the entire visit essentially without needing to leave the property, which is exactly what we've done during our visits to Newport Coast, Surf Watch, Harbour Lake, and Frenchman's Cove......  

I was seriously considering adding more DC points but am having second thoughts if the new offerings are going to consist of run of the mill hotel rooms in cities for which I can stay either via cash or MR points.  Furthermore, I did not get into the program to trade to non Marriott properties, many of which (through II) are far inferior.


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## Werner Weiss (Feb 25, 2016)

dioxide45 said:


> This is where MVCI has to be careful in how they price these nights out for the urban properties. Price them too high and they will sit empty and they will have an uneven burden on their other properties. Price them too cheap and they lose money that they could be making and the places will be packed. I guess we will have to wait and see.


I agree. But it's not just the urban properties. The same can be said for any properties in the Trust.

Marriott Vacation Club largely modeled its Points system after Disney Vacation Club — but with one significant difference. DVC does not have a Trust. DVC members own their points at a specific home resort. From 11 months to 7 months out, they have the exclusive ability to reserve at their home resort. At 7 months out, they can book any DVC resort. So even if Disney Vacation Development were to add overpriced DVC resorts in low-demand locations, current members would still be protected by their home resort priority.

With MVC, we can only hope the that all Point charts are very well thought out, with values carefully balanced by season and in relation to other MVC properties.  



dioxide45 said:


> When these properties get dumped in to the trust, they will make up a pretty high percentage of the overall trust.


I'm not sure it's a "high percentage" of the Trust, but will be significant.

The new properties are small. DC has just 71 rooms  and suites on one floor of The Mayflower Hotel. South Beach has just 49 studios and suites. NYC has 176 hotel rooms. These rooms represent a small percentage of the overall Marriott Vacation Club portfolio, but will be a growing percentage of the Trust, as they are absorbed into it over time.

There should be plenty of demand for the urban properties (although not from some of the people who have posted on this thread). There will even be new buyers who buy specifically because of the urban properties. (However, it still seems to me that NYC requires too many points per night.)

The vast majority of inventory in the overall MVC system still consists of weeks. To the extent that owners of weeks have enrolled and are opting for Points instead of using their weeks in the traditional way, there's inventory to fulfill Points reservations at the older resorts.

The Trust began with unsold inventory at resorts that were originally built to be sold as weeks. The Trust has grown through ROFR. It will continue to grow with inventory from new acquisitions transferred into the Trust as Points are need for sales to new buyers and add-on sales to current owners.

It seems to me that Marriott Vacations Worldwide knows what it's doing and how its property portfolio need to evolve to deal wth vacation preferences of current and potential MVC buyers. I hope I'm right.


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## puckmanfl (Feb 26, 2016)

good evening

Jim...

My DD is a sophomore at GWU and loves it.. I recommend the Residence Inn at Foggy Bottom for a nice location for both Georgetown and GWU.  PM me with any questions about GWU...


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## puckmanfl (Feb 26, 2016)

good afternoon

Fastr...

not really worried about demand on the system... The new owners purchasing 1000-2000 entry level blocks will not be able to grab the good stuff...  Just picked up 4 units at Mountainside 1/22-1/27 right in the middle of Sundance...

availability for lowly Legacy points still rocks...

snagged 3 bedroom in Vegas twice as well..

I'm out of hibernation now...


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## puckmanfl (Feb 26, 2016)

good afternoon...

Sitting on 3000 penalty box points (had ski trip cancellation).  Don't worry I got the $$$..

April is wide open at MVC NY...may have to go for a week..it's really cool because you also get the 30% point discount within 60 days!!!

woo hoo


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## mpizza (Feb 27, 2016)

IMHO, MVC did not acquire these locations to provide options for the existing membership.  

MVC is targeting a global customer who aspires to own in the U.S.  NYC and South Beach are high on the target list for international investors, and I suspect they will sell quickly.

Maria


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## Werner Weiss (Feb 27, 2016)

mpizza said:


> IMHO, MVC did not acquire these locations to provide options for the existing membership.
> 
> MVC is targeting a global customer who aspires to own in the U.S.  NYC and South Beach are high on the target list for international investors, and I suspect they will sell quickly.
> 
> Maria


I agree that NYC and South Beach are about making MVC attractive to global customers (including those who can't imagine why anyone would want to spend a week at an MVC "villa" on a golf course somewhere).

As to whether "they will sell quickly," NYC and South Beach won't sell at all in the traditional sense. In a few years, inventory at NYC and South Beach will be phased into the Trust, as needed to keep the Trust legal. 

With its Points product, MVC is now selling a portfolio of destinations, not specific properties. NYC and South Beach strengthen the portfolio.


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## dioxide45 (Feb 27, 2016)

Werner Weiss said:


> I agree that NYC and South Beach are about making MVC attractive to global customers (including those who can't imagine why anyone would want to spend a week at an MVC "villa" on a golf course somewhere).
> 
> As to whether "they will sell quickly," NYC and South Beach won't sell at all in the traditional sense. In a few years, inventory at NYC and South Beach will be phased into the Trust, as needed to keep the Trust legal.
> 
> With its Points product, MVC is now selling a portfolio of destinations, not specific properties. NYC and South Beach strengthen the portfolio.



I suppose it is possible that they could create a new trust for these types of properties. That would give owners of that separate trust some type of priority access. What that would be wouldn't be known since Marriott controls when and what they deposit to the exchange company. I certainly don't expect them to do that, but it is possible.


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## uwfrog (Feb 27, 2016)

SueDonJ said:


> Kitchen facilities are probably the most important item for us regardless of how long/short a stay is.  I love the urban locations, prefer 1BR units and will consider studios for shorter stays, but not having at least a decent kitchenette is a non-starter.  In that situation I'd just do a cash stay in a hotel room, taking advantage of MR benefits and status.



I agree. I like the idea of these new locations even if I'm not inclined to use the in the near future. But I need a kitchenette at a minimum. We eat in not only to save money but due to dietary preferences.  I'm currently in a Renaissance Hotel suite that has an apartment sized refer, two burner cook top, microwave, and dish washer. While not the ideal kitchen it's plenty for us considering the ability to visit a special location. 



Werner Weiss said:


> As to whether "they will sell quickly," NYC and South Beach won't sell at all in the traditional sense.
> 
> With its Points product, MVC is now selling a portfolio of destinations, not specific properties. NYC and South Beach strengthen the portfolio.



Technically yes, but you can bet that the sales pitch will promote the type of vacation the prospective buyer is looking for. So in essence they will be selling these locations. Those who buy into the program thinking that they will always find availability at the urban or resort location that is touted and desired will suffer some level of disappointment. But buyers who are at least a little flexible and enjoy different types of vacations in varying locations will find real value inherant in timeshare programs. I recall reading threads where owners wished for more urban locations and now the concern in this thread is that there could be too many. I choose to believe (pray) that a hospitality company as good as Marriott is if not ahead of the trends/demand at least will keep up with them. 

Sorry for rambling. Are there any rules against posting while drinking bushwhakers?


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## jellen613 (Feb 28, 2016)

*Love the new property options*

I am a weeks owner (enrolled) and points owner, select level, doubt I will purchase more.

We live in Philadelphia, 1 grown child. Love going HH head, but usually bedroom 2 sits empty.

Being able to travel by train easily to DC and NYC, and have options to use points and stay at premier locations is great.

We stayed at the Mayflower, fantastic property. I am gold elite through Marriott, so concierge lounge access for breakfast, midday, dinner, dessert, was fantastic and really cut down on our going out budget.

We walked everywhere in D/C, did a 3 night trip, so much fun.

I have a conference in NYC in May, already taking a week at the Custom house in April, so looking for just a couple of nights at the NYC property. Some of the rooms seemed a little steep points wise, but we were so pleased with the Mayflower, I am hoping that it will be worth. Will let you all know.

Joy


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## Here There (Mar 5, 2016)

*Comparing MNY with Hilton West 57th Street*

I'm staying at West 57th Street this week on an exchange (via SFX), also attended a Hilton Club sales presentation, and yesterday stopped by the Strand/MNY to compare room features & "resort" amenities.  Per the front desk clerk the new signage "Marriott Vacation Club" was installed just the day before and as of March 1 they are checking in guests under the Marriott banner.

-Room:  Per my eye-test, rooms at W57 -- a purpose-built TS -- are slightly larger.  However all W57 rooms are furnished with King beds only, while MNY offers a King or 2 Queens and rollaways are available with max occupancy of up to 4 (per the FD).  Like W57, MNY rooms will be equipped with a small bar-sized refrigerator large enough for cold drinks and snacks. 

-Lounge Access:  MNY has an on-site restaurant and rooftop terrace available for guests use, while the W57 concierge lounge which serves a daily breakfast & evening snacks and has an attached terrace is accessible only to owners.

-Location:  Both midtown locations are very convenient, though MNY being 2 blocks away from Times Square feels more congested/noisy while W57 being on the same block as Carnegie Hall feels more "upscale."

-Getting/Buying In:  Booking W57 earlier than 45 days before checkin is available only to those who own at HGVC-W57 exclusively.  Resales are available from $15k-$20k depending on season.  Trading in is difficult.  MNY is accessible via MVC or MRP points or exchange without the need to buy in.

-Comparing NY with other urban locations:  It's not fair to compare these newer MVC locals with Boston Custom House as the latter is a true urban "resort" with spacious 1 br units, LKs equipped with microwaves & bar-sinks, community W/Ds and rec rooms.  Since I have easy access to staying in dt San Diego through my other ownerships and I most likely wouldn't book there using MVC points or exchanges.  

Bottom line:  I enjoy visiting cities and am happy/relieved that New York is now much more accessible as part of Marriott's MVC repetoire.  I will do what I can to get in via exchange or points (as an enrolled member) before using Rewards points or renting hotel stays with cash.  I plan to exploit all avenues before seriously considering buying into HGVC-W57, or points at the Hilton Club-NY.


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