Exchanges to Non-Marriott Caribbean Resorts

[Docklander]

What luck have you guys had with exchanging your Marriott unit(s) into non-Marriott Caribbean resorts? We're visiting St Thomas this year and, hopefully, St Kitts next year but after that we're out of Marriott options in the Caribbean (we own in Aruba). We'd like to explore somewhere else if possible but don't know how likely exchanges are...any insights would be very helpful.

 

[classiclincoln]

Tons of success; actually, we've never exchanged any of our Marriott units for other Marriotts with the exception of our first exchange (Grande Vista for Grande Chateau).

Our Marriott to non Marriott Caribbean exchanges are:

Week 18 Grande Vista for week 51 Renaissance Aruba.
Week 21 Grande Vista for week 52 Bel Air Spa in Nuevo Vallarta Mexico.
Week 18 Grande Vista for week 52 Perennial Vacation at Fun Tropicale DR.
Week 17 Grande Chateau for week 51 Grand Caymanian Cayman Islands.
Week 18 Grande Vista for week 14 Villas @ Simpson Bay St. Maartin.
Week 35 Grande Vista for week 51 Sands of Kahana, Maui (not Caribbean, but great trade).
Week 15 Grande Chateau for week 51 Captain Morgan's Belize.
Week 15 Grande Chateau for week 31 Grande Rimondi Crete.

We're happy campers!

 

[suzannesimon]

How long did it take for Capt Morgan's to come through? I tried for a Jan week with my Hyatt last year but gave up because the airfares were getting too high.

 

[GregT]

We'd like to explore somewhere else if possible but don't know how likely exchanges are...any insights would be very helpful.

Well, I've studied this a little bit, and have found the following:

Generally speaking, it is extremely difficult to get Caribbean trades in the prime time of Q1. The Marriott preference provides hope to get the Jan/Feb/Mar trade into other Marriotts for your equally good deposit, but the Caribbean/No Preference in Q1 is tough. I think RCI/II will be difficult to arrange a Q1 trade, but you can visit some of these via Direct Exchange.

That disclaimer aside, I've found the following the following properties to be of interest.

Village at St. James Club in Antigua looks appealing, and is there occasionally on GetAways. I've seen this for exchange in off-season, and occasionally in Q1 because it is All-Inclusive (or has an AI section).

Windjammer Landing in St. Lucia is available in off-season, but goes quickly, especially as this is dual listed with RCI.

Morritt's Tortuga Club in Cayman has good accessibility, and sometimes there in Q1. The Reef Resort next door to Morritt's is very tough to trade into, especially larger than a Studio.

Harborside Resort at Atlantis is possible to trade into in Sept-January, but near impossible in Feb-August. You can arrange a Direct Exchange with a Starwood owner who wants to go to Marriott Aruba.

Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa in St. Maarten is widely available on GetAway, but it is Hotel room only.

Royal Islander Club la Plage in St. Maarten is a good property, but I've not seen it much on Instant Exchange, so I suspect that it needs search requests. I don't know if its II tradeable in Q1.

Residences at the Crane in Barbados is tremendous, but RCI-traded so not accessible to Marriott owners, and a rare trade to RCI traders. This property is on my timeshare bucket-list.

Alexandra Resort & Spa in Turks & Caicos is fabulous property, but rarely seen in II, but possible via GetAway. Grace Bay is supposed to be one of the best beaches in the Caribbean.

Elysian Beach (I have to list my sentimental favorite) is a great property -- tradeable via RCI, and Q1 trades can be arranged with Wyndham or Worldmark owners. Wyndham made my day about a year ago when they added Elysian to the Worldmark collection of properties.

Divi Little Bay in St. Maarten is a very well regarded property that is close to Phillipsburg and sits on a beautiful beach. I've seen in via Instant Exchange off-season but never in Q1.

Westin St. John is tremendous -- but needs a Direct Exchange with a Starwood owner. St. John beaches are world famous.

These are most of the Caribbean properties I track. I also track Bluebeard's Beach Club and now that it has been renovated, I think will be a well regarded place to visit on STT.

Note that this is different from Bluebeard's Castle, which has issues and I've avoided.

Good luck and let us know where you end up! (and please send me more pics).

Best,

Greg

 

[Docklander]

Tons of success; actually, we've never exchanged any of our Marriott units for other Marriotts with the exception of our first exchange (Grande Vista for Grande Chateau).

Our Marriott to non Marriott Caribbean exchanges are:

Week 18 Grande Vista for week 51 Renaissance Aruba.
Week 21 Grande Vista for week 52 Bel Air Spa in Nuevo Vallarta Mexico.
Week 18 Grande Vista for week 52 Perennial Vacation at Fun Tropicale DR.
Week 17 Grande Chateau for week 51 Grand Caymanian Cayman Islands.
Week 18 Grande Vista for week 14 Villas @ Simpson Bay St. Maartin.
Week 35 Grande Vista for week 51 Sands of Kahana, Maui (not Caribbean, but great trade).
Week 15 Grande Chateau for week 51 Captain Morgan's Belize.
Week 15 Grande Chateau for week 31 Grande Rimondi Crete.

We're happy campers!

Nice trades! Thanks for the info.

Well, I've studied this a little bit, and have found the following......

Best,

Greg

Greg, what a fantastic post, thank you so much for that insight.

I think luck may be on our side as we'd probably trade for an October week which should have less competition than the Q1 weeks. We love Maui and never more so than when the whales are there so that's our Q1 destination of choice...I think we may be spoiled!

P.S I'll have pictures from St Thomas in October so I'll be sure to send those over if you'd like them.

 

[GregT]

P.S I'll have pictures from St Thomas in October so I'll be sure to send those over if you'd like them.

I sent you an email -- would love to have any pics you find interesting! Keep me in mind in October...

Best,

Greg

 

[classiclincoln]

Suzanne,

We typically put in our request with II in June or July for the following December (18 months out). I don't remember the exact dates, but the II history says June 2, 2012 and the II confirm says June 3, 2013.

I do know that most of the time it takes awhile to get the trades; once we got one (Hawaii, I think) in about a month.

 

[suzannesimon]

Good to know. I started a year in advance but gave up after 6 months. Patience and planning are key. What size unit did you get? I was trying to get a 1 BR.

 

[PamMo]

Just want to add to Greg's post, that Dawn Beach Club (II code: DBS - www.intervalworld.com/web/cs?a=1503&resortCode=DBS#.Uvvhik2YaM8 ) is adjacent to the Westin Dawn Beach Resort and Spa, and shares facilities with the hotel. ALL units are 3BR's (sleep 6/8), although the third bedroom is really a den with sofabed. I've spotted late spring, summer and fall weeks outside of Flexchange, searching with studio and 1BR Starwood and Marriott deposits.

 

[normab]

We have exchanged into the Oyster Bay Beach Resort at least 6 tines in the past 14 years and have gotten 1br or 2br units exchanging a 1BR silver Branson week. We put in requests for several resorts and OBBR is large so it always comes through. It is a nice resort, but you pay a fee for the AC (which is not noted in II, surprise!) and you can't check in early, and you may not check in until 5 pm as they run late... We like the location as it is closer to Grand Case where we like to dine.

Re Q1 exchanges, we have not requested Jan-March. We typically go April, May or November, which is off season, so that's when our exchanges have been. Our favorite month there is April.

Prior to staying at OBBR, we exchanged into the Simpson Bay resort when it was the Pelican. Back then it was not well managed and in bad need of refurbishment. It appears the new management is doing a good job of refurbishing, based on reviews here on TUG. This resort is also large and won't be hard to exchange into.

Good thread, we like to hear what resorts are worth requesting...

 

[Mr. Vker]

Renaissance Aruba often.

Cabo: Grand Solmar and Hacienda Encantada several times now. We are really liking Cabo. (Yikes, just realized you wanted Caribbean. Sorry.)

 

[classiclincoln]

Suzanne,

Gave up a 2 BR week 15 Grande Chateau for a 2 BR week 51 @ Captain Morgans.

 

[dioxide45]

Here are the II resort codes for Caribbean resorts. I only included Premier (Gold Pineapple) and Select (Silver Pineapple) resorts. I also excluded any mandatory AIs.

I broke these apart on how we would search for them since we probably won't target St Maarten any time soon and with Aruba we would probably stick to the Marriott properties.

In St Martin/St Maarten, I don't believe that there are any timeshares on the French side of St Martin.

Caribbean (excluding Aruba and St Maarten) - AXR, BGD, CXP, GCY, GBR, HRA, HYP, MFC, MSK, MTU, MT2, MCI, JAM, OBH, OYS, OY2, RYG, CTY, RCU, SGC, MS1, VGS, WE2, WSJ, WNJ, WJ1

St Maarten - BPE, DBS, OYS, OY2, ROP, ROQ, RNB, ROP, ROQ, PMM, DB2

Aruba - CSD, CDA, GLA, LCB, LCX, MAO, MSU, PLB, HTB, RIC

All - AXR, BGD, CXP, GCY, GBR, HRA, HYP, MFC, MSK, MTU, MT2, MCI, JAM, OBH, OYS, OY2, RYG, CTY, RCU, SGC, MS1, VGS, WE2, WSJ, WNJ, WJ1, BPE, DBS, OYS, OY2, ROP, ROQ, RNB, ROP, ROQ, PMM, DB2, CSD, CDA, GLA, LCB, LCX, MAO, MSU, PLB, HTB, RIC

 

[JMSH]

We have been able to exchange our Grande Vista for Surf or Ocean Club in Aruba in Q1 without any trouble.....we have been able to also trade it in Q1 for Oyster Bay and Simpson Bay Resort and Marina in St.Martin without any trouble....now granted we plan 1 year in advance and are willing to take any time period between Jan. 15th to April 1......after the "Hell Week" in Aruba I certainly will not be requesting that week anymore however.

 

[pedro47]

The St Mamarrten is the island with the most non Marriott time shares, I feel.

 

[dioxide45]

The St Mamarrten is the island with the most non Marriott time shares, I feel.

Looking at availability, it seems Aruba and St Maarten are the places with the most inventory.

 

[Conan]

Week 15 Grande Chateau for week 31 Grande Rimondi Crete.

We're happy campers!

Have you been to Grand Rimondi yet? If yes, how was it? We'll be there this summer.

 

[classiclincoln]

Conan,

Our week is Saturday 8/2 for a week, but we check in on Friday because we're doing a 5 day Greek island cruise and it arrives back in Athens on Friday. Didn't want to unpack for a night, so we arranged to check into the resort a day early. We're spending 2 days in Athens before our island hopper cruise.