[2023] ABOUND POINTS NO LONGER WILL BE OFFERED AS PRESENTATION GIFT

[gln60]

I received a call from Oceana Palms sales department yesterday about attending a presentation..the offer was a $300 gift card or 50,000 Bonvoy Points…I inquired about Abound Points and she told me Marriot will not be offering Abound Points as a choice after September…but she would add 450 Abound Points to my choices…is anyone aware of the discontinuation of Points as a gift?

 

[BigDawgTUG]

We’re at Westin Kierland Resort & Spa (hotel and not the Villas). We were offered $200 or 75,000 Bonvoy Points for an upcoming presentation. Quickly opted for the 75,000 as I’ve never seen such a high offer. But, yeah, Abound points were not offered.

 

[bnoble]

"They are not offered" is not the same as "you can't get them."

I would take anything that the sales agent told me with a big grain of salt, particularly if she was doing me "a favor just this one time."

 

[15kc]

Here is what we were offered for a next week trip to Waikoloa Ocean Club. Of course, we said no.

• 5 Breakfast Buffett Vouchers at our on-site restaurant Hawaii Calls value at $220 (one voucher per person, recommended to pick up vouchers on the day of arrival for more time to enjoy the gift) OR
• 2 Sunset Luau general seating @ $50.00 each (value at $195.00- Mon & Wed only) OR
• 25,000 Marriott Bonvoy pts OR
• $150.00 Marriott Experience Dollars towards – Mandara Spa, Golf, participating restaurants, and shops; for example, Merrimans, Roy’s, & Tommy Bahamas and more see attached or apply Marriott dollars at check out towards incidentals. OR
• 2 Free Sunset Sail with Hawaii Nautical value at $278 per couple (2-hour sail and pick up at the resort Abay’s) OR
• 2 Hapuna Golf 18 holes @ $50.00 each Tee-times must be between 10am-12noon and after 1pm value at $185-$195.OR
• 2 Mauna Kea Golf 18 holes @ 75.00 each Tee-Times must be between 10am -12noon and after 1pm value at $265-$295.OR
• 400 Destination/Vacation club pts.

 

[BigDawgTUG]

We’re at Westin Kierland Resort & Spa (hotel and not the Villas). We were offered $200 or 75,000 Bonvoy Points for an upcoming presentation. Quickly opted for the 75,000 as I’ve never seen such a high offer. But, yeah, Abound points were not offered.

It’s possible in our case absence of Abound offer is because hotel reservation is under wife’s Bonvoy number and our Abound account is tied to my number. So, they may not have known we are existing Abound members.

 

[kozykritter]

I received a call from Oceana Palms sales department yesterday about attending a presentation..the offer was a $300 gift card or 50,000 Bonvoy Points…I inquired about Abound Points and she told me Marriot will not be offering Abound Points as a choice after September…but she would add 450 Abound Points to my choices…is anyone aware of the discontinuation of Points as a gift?

I'm at Marriott MountainSide in Park City and they did not offer Plus Points in their presentation gift. When I inquired about this, they told me that they were discontinued as a gift offering recently (July) as a corporate decision because "they were losing too much money on them". Now that we have three reports of this at different properties, I suspect they are rolling out this change gradually across the system. It's also possible they might only continue to offer them in certain markets in the future based upon history/demographics/effectiveness.

 

[Fasttr]

Perhaps they have figured out that if you go to a couple of these a year, and take the Club Points, you no longer need to buy that 1000 points package they are trying to sell you.

 

[claraj]

Perhaps they have figured out that if you go to a couple of these a year, and take the Club Points, you no longer need to buy that 1000 points package they are trying to sell you.

This was essentially my plan all along...

 

[rthib]

The offer for the Dallas Owners event next weekend is either "45,000 Bonvoy points, 550 Vacation Club Plus points, or a $250 Mastercard gift card."

 

[dioxide45]

Perhaps they see some contraction in availability in 2024 due to the west Maui fires, cancellations and points being banked and wanting limit the number of unredeemed points out there. I understand it is different inventory, but MVC has in the past released some of their owned inventory to the owner pool to reserve.

 

[gln60]

I'm at Marriott MountainSide in Park City and they did not offer Plus Points in their presentation gift. When I inquired about this, they told me that they were discontinued as a gift offering recently (July) as a corporate decision because "they were losing too much money on them". Now that we have three reports of this at different properties, I suspect they are rolling out this change gradually across the system. It's also possible they might only continue to offer them in certain markets in the future based upon history/demographics/effectiveness.

We will be at BeachPlace Towers in mid January on an Encore Package…The choice of gifts are 50,000 Bonvoy Points…$300 Amex,Visa or Marriot gift card or 650 Vacation Club Plus Points…so you may be correct that the Vacation Club Points gift will be available in certain situation and/ or Resorts.

 

[dioxide45]

We will be at BeachPlace Towers in mid January on an Encore Package…The choice of gifts are 50,000 Bonvoy Points…$300 Amex,Visa or Marriot gift card or 650 Vacation Club Plus Points.

When did you purchase the Encore Package?

 

[gln60]

When did you purchase the Encore Package?

When we were at the Aruba Ocean Club this past April.

 

[dioxide45]

When we were at the Aruba Ocean Club this past April.

That may not be a good indicator then as I suspect they would honor existing packages that are sold. Question is, are new Encore Packages being sold with the Club Point option. I will find out this afternoon as we have a presentation at Canyon Villas in a little over an hour. I don't know if they were offering them as a gift for the presentation as we always take the Bonvoy points.

 

[claraj]

I bought a similar encore package at CS this past June for 50,000 bonvoy points, $200 gift card or 650 club points.

Also, was offered 35,000 bonvoy points, $200 resort credit or 400 club points at Los Suenos last month.

 

[BigDawgTUG]

Just got an offer to attend a preview in September at Aruba Surf Club that includes 350 Club Points.

 

[dioxide45]

That may not be a good indicator then as I suspect they would honor existing packages that are sold. Question is, are new Encore Packages being sold with the Club Point option. I will find out this afternoon as we have a presentation at Canyon Villas in a little over an hour. I don't know if they were offering them as a gift for the presentation as we always take the Bonvoy points.

From an Encore perspective, this is what I found out (aka was told) by the Encore pusher at our Canyon Villas presentation yesterday. We were offered three packages, one was Canyon Villas specific, the offer was a gift card or Bonvoy. Then there was a more "Universal" Encore, again just Bonvoy or gift card. Then there was one for Canyon Villas, Streamside or Summit Watch in a 2BR only. That one included an option of only 1,000 Club Points (for $995+99). She said that one would be going away at the end of the month and they would no longer be offering Club Points as an offering with the Encore Packages. The pusher was really talking this one up as it also included 4 nights and how it was a great deal. So take all that for what it may or may not be worth....

 

[winger]

From an Encore perspective,... The pusher was really talking this one up as it also included 4 nights and how it was a great deal. ..

And this package also includes another 90 mins of 'entertainment' with a sales rep of the day?

 

[dioxide45]

And this package also includes another 90 mins of 'entertainment' with a sales rep of the day?

Of course. That is always a requirement of an Encore Package.

 

[timsi]

The increased maintenance fee cost for trust points in 2024 is perhaps another factor. Didn't they also announce that they would decrease the inventory in their books? They may just have fewer points to dole out in the future.

 

[MDteX]

The offer for the Dallas Owners event next weekend is either "45,000 Bonvoy points, 550 Vacation Club Plus points, or a $250 Mastercard gift card."

What is this Dallas Owners event you speak of?

 

[rthib]

What is this Dallas Owners event you speak of?

Got a letter and then a follow up email.
“At this event, you’ll discover more direct access to Sheraton® Vacation Club and Westin® Vacation Club resorts including additional destinations and properties with additional time to choose how to use your Club Points. We are so excited about the launch of ABOUND by Marriott Vacations and to share with you how to use your ownership across all our brands. ”

 

[dioxide45]

What is this Dallas Owners event you speak of?

A traveling roadshow of MVC sales people doing owner updates.

 

[gln60]

We plan on taking the 650 Abound Points gift at our BeachPlace Towers Encore presentation in January.

 

[dioxide45]

We plan on taking the 650 Abound Points gift at our BeachPlace Towers Encore presentation in January.

I don't see how there would be any question about this. This thread isn't about previously sold Encore Packages, rather new and future ones. It looks like MVC may be shifting how they market them going forward.