Access to Abound is up!

[ocdb8r]

You can, kind of. You can check a resort and see if a night is available at the resort in any unit size or view, but you really can’t see exactly what is available at the resort. Just that SOMETHING is available. I have 200 points in our Account and I can see anything that is available that is less than 200 points, but once I try to see if something that costs more than 200 is available, I can’t. I can just see that a night is available or not available at a resort. Easy for resorts with no views and only one unit size, but hard for resorts on the ocean with lock off units.

You can see what is available for these units as well (without sufficient points) by using the filters. You filter your search by view or unit size and it will show you what's available only for those parameters. It's more work because you can just view all availability based on your chosen date range, but it works.

Of course, just as now the bottom availability window will give you an error kessage that you dont have sufficient points.

 

[ocdb8r]

I was not referring to the skim, and I mentioned it.

I know what you said in your post but what you described is precisely what "skim" is. It's Marriott giving less points to owners than the same points that would be required to trade back into their same ownership.

Whether it's skim via "weeks" inventory or "trust points" it's he same thing and same concept. What you described is simply the trust points version of MVC giving a Kierland owners 4050 Abound points when they elect their week and then using that week to reserve a Kierland week worth 4900 points. That is skim.

Regardless of what you call it, my point is the same, MVC has wide discretion to use the value of those points as it wants. Again, not a satisfying answer but it's reality.

 

[kozykritter]

How was riverfront developed? It’s interesting because I’m sure Marriott holds a TON of acquired inventory through foreclosures. Or do those go back to the HOA?

It will be interesting to see what value they give to HRA units. The gold season units are drastically undervalued in SO’s. Summer weeks are the most desirable and hardest to book yet are super cheap in SO.

How was riverfront developed? It’s interesting because I’m sure Marriott holds a TON of acquired inventory through foreclosures. Or do those go back to the HOA?

It will be interesting to see what value they give to HRA units. The gold season units are drastically undervalued in SO’s. Summer weeks are the most desirable and hardest to book yet are super cheap in SO.

Riverfront was built and is still owned by East West Development which also built the attached Westin hotel and residences as well as several of its own East West Hospitality buildings on the vacant land next to the lone timeshare building. East West manages the timeshare property for Vistana, and all employees onsite work for East West instead of Vistana, except for the timeshare sales gallery staff. I believe EW uses its own reservation system into which it dumps Vistana reservations, and I've been caught up in some glitches with that reservation transfer method (completely gone missing!). So I'm sure they are looking at both the management agreement as well as IT infrastructure to accommodate Abound.

 

[CPNY]

Check the rules in the Benefits At A Glance chart that's linked in Post #233 above.

Thank you, based on my level it should be 13 months, so I wonder why it says it’s outside of the booking window

 

[TravelTime]

Thank you, based on my level it should be 13 months, so I wonder why it says it’s outside of the booking window

I am curious as to whether Vistana-only folks are doing their exchanges when they elect points. Do you have to create a Marriott account first or can you trade within Vistana? For me, when I elected points, it went into my existing Marriott account.

 

[sponger76]

I am curious as to whether Vistana-only folks are doing their exchanges when they elect points. Do you have to create a Marriott account first or can you trade within Vistana? For me, when I elected points, it went into my existing Marriott account.

From the Vistana dashboard, there is a link to book in MVC. It takes you to the MVC site without having to create a separate login/account. You're already logged in, I'm assuming using SSO (Single Sign-On) via Vistana. Assuming you've already elected points, from there you go ahead and book.

 

[CPNY]

I am curious as to whether Vistana-only folks are doing their exchanges when they elect points. Do you have to create a Marriott account first or can you trade within Vistana? For me, when I elected points, it went into my existing Marriott account.

We were given Marriott accounts, so I assume it operates the same as it does for you. One of my “I will like Abound IF” scenarios could play out but now I can’t search for availability. I had vistana swap out star options so I could have a full week back to put into abound IF the availability is there.

 

[TravelTime]

We were given Marriott accounts, so I assume it operates the same as it does for you. One of my “I will like Abound IF” scenarios could play out but now I can’t search for availability. I had vistana swap out star options so I could have a full week back to put into abound IF the availability is there.

If you are trying to book Ritz St Thomas, I had luck last year booking 15N right at 13 month mark. However, the Ritz can be odd with how it releases. The inventory also gets booked within minutes of being released. A few years back, prior to Covid, I booked 8N at the Ritz at about 8 months but I was always checking.

 

[byeloe]

From the Vistana dashboard, there is a link to book in MVC. It takes you to the MVC site without having to create a separate login/account. You're already logged in, I'm assuming using SSO (Single Sign-On) via Vistana. Assuming you've already elected points, from there you go ahead and book.

Where is the link? I can't seem to find it

 

[TravelTime]

Thank you, based on my level it should be 13 months, so I wonder why it says it’s outside of the booking window

I see a bunch of inventory for May 26 - June 2 in various unit types for 7N but no check in dates after that. It appears they have not released inventory past June. That is why I said the way Ritz St Thomas releases inventory is odd. FYI, the resort is closed in Sept and Oct.

 

[CPNY]

If you are trying to book Ritz St Thomas, I had luck last year booking 15N right at 13 month mark. However, the Ritz can be odd with how it releases. The inventory also gets booked within minutes of being released. A few years back, prior to Covid, I booked 8N at the Ritz at about 8 months but I was always checking.

There were 3 nights available in the month I needed but I couldn’t see what the dates were. If I can add it onto my WSJ reservation at the back end that would be amazing

 

[TravelTime]

There were 3 nights available in the month I needed but I couldn’t see what the dates were. If I can add it onto my WSJ reservation at the back end that would be amazing

What month are you looking for for 3N? I can look for you if you tell me your preferred dates.

 

[sponger76]

Where is the link? I can't seem to find it

I'm using a laptop rather than phone, but here's what it looks like on my Dashboard:

 

[byeloe]

I'm using a laptop rather than phone, but here's what it looks like on my Dashboard:
View attachment 69520

Do you have to "elect" club points first? My computer shows this

 

[sponger76]

Do you have to "elect" club points first? My computer shows this
View attachment 69521

I swear I saw that menu prior to electing and did some searches, but maybe I'm misremembering. I have no way of going back and confirming now that I have definitely elected.

 

[alwysonvac]

Where is the link? I can't seem to find it

Select View Balance from the dropdown at the top and it will take you there.

 

[timsi]

I know what you said in your post but what you described is precisely what "skim" is. It's Marriott giving less points to owners than the same points that would be required to trade back into their same ownership.

Whether it's skim via "weeks" inventory or "trust points" it's he same thing and same concept. What you described is simply the trust points version of MVC giving a Kierland owners 4050 Abound points when they elect their week and then using that week to reserve a Kierland week worth 4900 points. That is skim.

Regardless of what you call it, my point is the same, MVC has wide discretion to use the value of those points as it wants. Again, not a satisfying answer but it's reality.

You completely misunderstood what I wrote, I did not describe the skim. Maybe I was not clear, think of a real example where they would assign to Abound more WKV weeks that are worth 5400 points (and leave in VSN weeks the weeks that are worth 2950 points during the same Vistana platinum season). The WKV owners depositing into Abound would only receive 4050 points.

 

[alwysonvac]

@byeloe
Once you’re at the MVC site, select “USE POINTS” from the top then “Book Vacation Club Points“ from the dropdown

Then complete the search form to see availability

You can select your desired checkin date from the unshaded dates.

• If you elected Club points, it will display the all available room types for your desired checkin date in the section below (see blue box).
• If you haven’t elected or don’t have enough Club point, the system will only display a message. However you can figure out the availability for a specific room size/view by playing around with the filters on the right to determine which sizes and views are available (see red box).

 

[alexadeparis]

Anytime I go to the Book with Points section I get an error. I chatted with them they are aware it’s an issue and are “working on it” but that doesn’t help me any. I can’t search $#!+

 

[travelhacker]

Anytime I go to the Book with Points section I get an error. I chatted with them they are aware it’s an issue and are “working on it” but that doesn’t help me any. I can’t search $#!+

Sorry you are affected by this as well.

I'm in the same boat. It's frustrating.

 

[jeffm211]

Nothing available in Abound, not even a single night.

How are you able to check availability? Do you already have Club Points? I don’t have Club Points and cannot see any availability at any Marriott property; so an election would be a crap shoot. Is this the way it’s supposed to work?

 

[jeffm211]

The “conspiracy” was actually just reading the Abound Exchange Procedures and it was pretty clear to me what they intended to do: “Exchange Company shall have the right to forecast anticipated reservations and use of the Accommodations and is authorized to demand balance, reserve, deposit, or rent the Accommodations for the purpose of facilitating the use or future use of the Accommodations or other benefits made available to Program Members through the Program in its sole discretion.”

It does not matter if the Vistana weeks available in Abound come from owner deposits that didn't even occur yet (based on “future anticipated demand”) or from inventory owned by Vistana. Bottom line is there is no paragraph I could find in the VSN or Lagunamar governing documents that allows Abound to book its own inventory in ways not available to the other owners even at the same time with the other owners let alone prior to the actual opening of the Home Resort Reservation Period. This is worse than I anticipated. Also, as it was to be expected, once they see inventory in Abound, people started to book there Vistana weeks and deposit their (again Vistana) weeks. It is as clear as it can be that people will book wherever they can find inventory (especially prime weeks that are hard to book), and this attracts deposits. It is not the other way around, as much as the Marriott apologists have tried to convince us.

I still have a hard time comprehending what is unclear about: “Required Reservation Periods. There must be at least one “Home Resort Reservation Period.” The Home Resort Reservation Period must permit a Member to request a reservation, without competition from anyone who is not assigned a Vacation Ownership Interest in a Vacation Unit that is the same Unit Type as the Member’s Unit Type and for any Vacation Period in the same Season as the Member’s Vacation Week, provided that nobody else has reserved the Vacation Period and that no other Persons have the exclusive right to reserve the Vacation Period. The Home Resort Reservation Period must last at least sixty (60) days. The Home Resort Reservation Period cannot begin more than eighteen months before the Check-in Day for any Use Period.” Marriott is making a joke out of the resort rules if the resort owners are now in competition for every week with the owners of 92 other resorts.

Do we still believe in a rule-based system? Not so sure.

Class action lawsuit time?

 

[ocdb8r]

You completely misunderstood what I wrote, I did not describe the skim. Maybe I was not clear, think of a real example where they would assign to Abound more WKV weeks that are worth 5400 points (and leave in VSN weeks the weeks that are worth 2950 points during the same Vistana platinum season). The WKV owners depositing into Abound would only receive 4050 points.

Maybe you don't understand what the skim is...because that's exactly what youve described. All you've done is highlight the most egregious part of skim (or how MVC could "maximize" it). It's still skim.

 

[DonnaJ123]

You should not be able to reserve Vistana inventory until 12 months out. If people are seeing this, then it could be a bug. Marriott does not use time stamps. So if you want a time stamp, you should book with Vistana unless Vistana changes this too. Marriott usually calls or emails me the week before and asks me what I want and then they try to match it to the best of their ability.

Wouldn’t every single person ask for top floor when securing OF at WKORVN? How do they decide who to call first to give first dibs?

 

[sponger76]

How are you able to check availability? Do you already have Club Points? I don’t have Club Points and cannot see any availability at any Marriott property; so an election would be a crap shoot. Is this the way it’s supposed to work?

I elected my VSN VOI for Abound points.