csalter2
TUG Member
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2008
- Messages
- 1,970
- Reaction score
- 555
- Location
- Orange County, California
- Resorts Owned
- Marriott Ko Olina
Marriott Aruba Surf Club
Marriott Ocean Pointe
Diamond Resorts Gold
There is only a "skim" to weeks owners
I have been a points owner since early 2000 and when Sunterra now Diamond Resorts International (DRI) took over in 2004, I became quite proficient with their use. Marriott has a little twist here and there with the DC program, but it is very similar to DRI.
It's only when you have been in a weeks system that you are concerned with a skim. If you have only bought points from the beginning, the skim means absolutely nothing to you because all you know is that you need a certain amount of points to stay in a particular unit. It is really insignificant in the big scheme of things because as a weeks owner you don't need to use points to stay in your unit anyway for that year's use. So since I own Ko Olina if I reserve it for next year and stay there it's no problem. I reserve it as usual without points. However, if I don't stay there and want to go some place else or I want to use it next year, I would have to go through II. II charges you fees for this. You have to have you II membership and your fee for the exchange. So why is it that everyone makes such a big deal about this "skim" you would have to pay for it one way or another.
One of the beauties of Marriott's program that I don't have with DRI is the renting of points. What is great is that if you do have some extra points left over, is that you can save them and carry them into the new year or rent some additional points to make use of them so you are not leaving anything there. I used the 800 additional points the I was given when I joined the DC program to extend a stay. However, I could have rented just enough points to take advantage of some of the other Marriott DC benefits so as not to use them.
I just think it's very important that people need to understand that the key is the planning of your vacations and to be one step ahead in your plans. Yes, you can waste a lot of points by not knowing what you can and cannot do, but more importantly you can waste points by not having a plan to utilize the points.
I have been a points owner since early 2000 and when Sunterra now Diamond Resorts International (DRI) took over in 2004, I became quite proficient with their use. Marriott has a little twist here and there with the DC program, but it is very similar to DRI.
It's only when you have been in a weeks system that you are concerned with a skim. If you have only bought points from the beginning, the skim means absolutely nothing to you because all you know is that you need a certain amount of points to stay in a particular unit. It is really insignificant in the big scheme of things because as a weeks owner you don't need to use points to stay in your unit anyway for that year's use. So since I own Ko Olina if I reserve it for next year and stay there it's no problem. I reserve it as usual without points. However, if I don't stay there and want to go some place else or I want to use it next year, I would have to go through II. II charges you fees for this. You have to have you II membership and your fee for the exchange. So why is it that everyone makes such a big deal about this "skim" you would have to pay for it one way or another.
One of the beauties of Marriott's program that I don't have with DRI is the renting of points. What is great is that if you do have some extra points left over, is that you can save them and carry them into the new year or rent some additional points to make use of them so you are not leaving anything there. I used the 800 additional points the I was given when I joined the DC program to extend a stay. However, I could have rented just enough points to take advantage of some of the other Marriott DC benefits so as not to use them.
I just think it's very important that people need to understand that the key is the planning of your vacations and to be one step ahead in your plans. Yes, you can waste a lot of points by not knowing what you can and cannot do, but more importantly you can waste points by not having a plan to utilize the points.