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Major Changes In Marriott Rewards

Hoc

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. . . guaranteeing owners that they would continue to receive what they were sold would be the right thing to do.

You haven't been listening. Marriott has never cared about what is "the right thing to do." The only thing that Marriott cares about is the bottom line. Someone else referred to owners as Marriott "stakeholders." Marriott does not see us that way.

Marriott sees timeshare owners as trapped customers, who must pay ever increasing annual fees with no way of getting out other than getting rid of the timeshare. We are cash cows. Nothing more.
"Economy is bad? Increase maintenance fees to help our cash flow."

You just can't look at Marriott as some beneficent entity that will act in the owners' best interest. It always has, and always will, act in its own pecuniary best interest. Those are the terms we accepted when we bought our Marriott timeshares, and those are the terms with which we are stuck.
 

iamnotshopgirl

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You haven't been listening. Marriott has never cared about what is "the right thing to do." The only thing that Marriott cares about is the bottom line. Someone else referred to owners as Marriott "stakeholders." Marriott does not see us that way.

Marriott sees timeshare owners as trapped customers, who must pay ever increasing annual fees with no way of getting out other than getting rid of the timeshare. We are cash cows. Nothing more.
"Economy is bad? Increase maintenance fees to help our cash flow."

You just can't look at Marriott as some beneficent entity that will act in the owners' best interest. It always has, and always will, act in its own pecuniary best interest. Those are the terms we accepted when we bought our Marriott timeshares, and those are the terms with which we are stuck.


Well said HOC...could not agree more!
 

thinze3

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More Bad News!

Though there will be "no blackout dates" as Marriott is promoting, there will still be very limited availability at each hotel.

I just spoke to the rewards department and asked very specific questions about this. I was told that most hotels would have at least 10% of their rooms available for use with rewards points. There will be not blackout dates for special events, holidays, etc... Notice the words, "most" and "at least" - very vague.

WHAT???

I though that the whole promotion was about making it to where you could call at virtually anytime and get a room anywhere, but you would just have to pay much more than before for multinight stays. Of course I knew it wouldn't be quite that way, but only 10% with the words "most hotels" attached???

This really makes me angrier than I was even before the call! :mad:
 

pwrshift

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Even on the older system the 'Stay Anytime' rooms were more available than 'Standard' rooms, but there were a great many times that neither were available, especially for 7 night stays. I'm hopeful that the new system will be better than it used to be for Standard bookings.

Brian
 

thinze3

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Even on the older system the 'Stay Anytime' rooms were more available than 'Standard' rooms, but there were a great many times that neither were available, especially for 7 night stays. I'm hopeful that the new system will be better than it used to be for Standard bookings.

Brian


I hope so as well.

The fact remains that Marriott's continual upping the number of points required to stay at their hotel rooms is a slap in the face to timeshare owners who purchased from Marriott. Each time the hotel requirements are raised, the timeshare redemptions should be as well.

I think all of us Marriott-direct owners here on Tug should keep the pressure on Marriott by writing and asking for the same percentage of increases.
 
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Latravel

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Wasn't there a comment on FlyerTalk where the Marriott Concierge mentioned that Marriott is considering and/or looking into increasing the amount of points they give owners to trade their unit? When I read this, I was very happy and very surprised. But I really shouldn't be surprised because the points program can be changed at any moment by Marriott. It makes sense they would revisit this benefit in order to increase sluggish sales, considering it was a major part of their sales pitch.
 

Dave M

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I think all of us Marriott-direct owners here on Tug should keep the pressure on Marriott by writing and asking for the same percentage of increases.
I think you are dreaming. Marriott has had significant point devaluations at least five times since Marriott first started offering points as sales incentives and for trading the use of weeks. Every time there is a point devaluation, owners complain. So far, Marriott has not made any points adjustment for existing owners after any of the devaluations. They have heard all of the complaints many times over the years. I read the Marriott Concierge's comment that Heidi saw and I posted of it here, but I'm not holding my breath waiting for such an adjustment.
 

thinze3

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Dreaming? Maybe.

I personally believe that dreaming is expecting things to change in your favor without expressing your desires or putting forth some effort.

If Marriott Concierge stated that Marriott was considering points changes for current timeshare owners who purchased direct, then most likely it has been at least disussed within the Marriott circle. I personally emailed several people after the announcement. How many of you Tuggers at least did that?

All I am saying is that a well written letter (or email) at this time, expressing your desires/hopes for fair compensation cannot be anything but helpful - even if it is just a dream.

I challenge all of you to write Marriott about this issue - especially you Dave, as I believe your letter would carry more weight than most. :D

P.S - Marriott has had exactly ONE points devaulation since I have been an owner of a resort bought from Marriott.
 

Latravel

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Terry, I agree with you. If the Marriott Concierge mentioned the review in such a public forum with experienced travelers, it was obviously talked about within Marriott circles. Writing letters could only help this review of the points allocations. It can't hurt.
 

Jeffrey

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Feeling helpless

Who would be the appropriate person to "politically correct" complain to? What is the email/address ?

As opposed to the majority of you who have owned for many years and experienced multiple changes/devaluations of the MR points system over the years, I have just purchased about 6 months ago.

I purchased two developer weeks from Marriott ... and after discovering TUG BBS, a third week per resale. Wish I had found you sooner:confused:

All of the arguements delivered by the sales rep are not worth beans today...

e.g.
1. My two developer weeks package came with the 110K MR points trade value each. Although I currently plan to use the weeks, the trade value was an arguement... With the current changes my trade value is not worth what I had calculated a few months ago...

2. The 25K MR points per 6 months intended to offset my 13% financing (I know, I know....) has been discontinued as of December. This was also a major arguement....

I really feel as though I have bought at the wrong time and all of the factors which led to my decision have been liquidated more or less overnight from Marriott. I know that they have the right to change the system at any time, but I certainly did not expect it to happen within just a few months of the closing.

Does anyone see any chance that our trade value (points) will be hiked to compensate for all of our (fictive) losses ?

Would it help to complain? Essentially everyone who has bought the last months has been mislead by the sales reps.:( :( :(
 
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lovearuba

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Marriott aruba ocean club thread

Hi
Read the thread for the Marriott Aruba Ocean Club thread, folks are trying to contact Marriott.
 

davidvel

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. . . Since then, we've attended some other Marriott presentations and there is no question that the opportunity to exchange your week for points is a big part of the sales pitch; at one presentation we attended at Summit Watch, the entire pitch was built on buying a discounted deal they were offering at one of the Orlando properties in order to use it as points trader. We never really considered it (by then, I knew about TUG and resale). I will say, though, that the salespeople never suggested that the points cost of the hotel and other awards were set in stone, and I think that anyone who believes that they are entitled to have the point cost of hotel stays frozen at the going rate when they purchased their unit expects entirely too much.

In my experience with Marriott presentations this is true. However, it is misleading to only tout one side of the coin, and omit the facts which are inopposite.

As anyone who has been in a sales presentation knows, the focal point often becomes a whiteboard presentation showing an example of what you would spend on your world trip and vacations over the next ten years. On the other side they show you cost of your TS purchase over that span, and the benefits of your points, etc.

Of course, they alway include an inflation factor on "your" side for increases in room rates (and spend more than few minutes on this topic.) However, I have never seen the saleperson put on the Marriott side:

* Your maintenance fees will go up 5% a year; Special assessments may arise over this 10 year span; you can't freely sell your property due to ROFR; Marriott reserves the right to discontinue 90% of the perks and programs described here...

And send me a PM the next time you hear this out of a salesperson's mouth, and I'll buy drinks:
...Marriott has had significant point devaluations at least five times since Marriott first started offering points as sales incentives and for trading the use of weeks. Every time there is a point devaluation, owners complain. So far, Marriott has not made any points adjustment for existing owners after any of the devaluations. . .

In other words, while they may not affirmatively claim "these points will always have the same value," the salesperson conveniently omits material facts which would shed light on the facts that are touted. Simply put this is fraud, and despite buyer beware, there are many less sophistaicated people who don't know what they are getting into as a result.
 
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thinze3

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It is not my intention to turn into an Aruba thread.

You can email your salesperson and ask him to forward it.
You can also email:
owners.clubhouse@vacationclub.com
marriottownerservices@vacationclub.com

You can also email or pm me. I have names of a couple of folks in the Executive Offices in Florida.

Dave explained very clearly recently why Marriott needs to make adjustments to the points system. I agree with this. I simply think that we should continue to pressure Marriott on raising the amount of points we receive as compensation when we trade our weeks for points just the same. When trading our weeks for points, we should be given enough points from Marriott to be able to get the same Marriott hotel room for the same number of nights each year, as we are giving them the same high quality timeshare each year.

The rental rates at our timeshares go up.
Our maintenence fees go up.
Our points reimbursemet should go up as well.


It really pretty simple. :D

.
 
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vincenzi

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When we bought two weeks in Aruba, our sales rep told us that we would earn enough points to travel anywhere in the world. And, we would be flying first class. Due to my husband's work schedule, we haven't planned anything. However, he is now more flexible. I always thought we would do a lot of research in order to plan our "big trip" I really wasn't going to plan our trip for this year. Right now, I feel like I have to make a quick decision and book before January 15th or be heavily penalized. Is this the case? Today, I called Marriott and was told that if I book after January 15th, I could only get only 5 days in a package. And, if I wanted to stay extra days, it would take more points.

I am so thankful for TUG and fellow Tuggers. Otherwise, I would be totally clueless.
 

Latravel

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Come on everyone! We should not be feeling like victims right now. The Marriott Rewards program is a free perk, a benefit, not a right, for using their product. It can and will be changed many times over the course of our ownerships. I am grateful for every perk/benefit I get from the program and I purchased all of my units from Marriott (I have the most to lose).

Heck, I would rather get 5 nights free instead of 7 if it means I don't have to pay for very expensive hotel costs. It was expected that as hotel rates reached the $3-4-5-600 a night rates, the amount of points needed would increase as well. Did you really expect otherwise? Since I love to travel and I will not stop traveling, I am grateful and relieved I don't have to pay those prices. My husband and I consider the program a game to be played. The rules have changed somewhat but i'm sure we'll all figure out how to maximize the benefits we receive.
 

Dave M

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Today, I called Marriott and was told that if I book after January 15th, I could only get only 5 days in a package.
Not so. That's what was originally announced, but there will be 7-night air/hotel Travel Packages - with a much higher points cost than under the current program. See this post for an example of the difference in point requirements. Here is the full chart for 7-night Travel Package point requirements after January 14.
 

vincenzi

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Dave, thanks. Apparently, the rep I spoke with was just as confused as me. So, it would be very cost effective to book our trip before January 15th. Right?
 

pwrshift

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...The rental rates at our timeshares go up.
Our maintenence fees go up.
Our points reimbursemet should go up as well.


It really pretty simple. :D

.

I just booked 4 nights into the Marriott Marquis (paying cash) for $280 a night in May. Last year the daily rate was just under $600 at that time, so I used points a year ago.

I've just booked my driving trip to Ft Laud for my 4 weeks starting mid Feb ... and every hotel I booked was less than last year's rates for 3 nights going and 3 nights coming back.

I've seen more Cat7 and Cat 6 availabilities this year (before Jan15) than I've ever seen, even now in spite of everybody booking points stays. Checking some cash rates for these hotels, it's borderline savings on many if you value the points as $0.0125 each.

TS owners got stuck on their purchase agreements for the bonus idea of trading your week for a set amount of points, and I guess none of us thought about the future. In fact, I was more excited about 'owning' my first Marriott TS than travels on points -- I didn't even realize what a benefit it was going to turn out to be for me, but it certainly wasn't my initial reason for buying. I think I realized way back then that my MF might go up each year, but didn't relate it to points at the time.

Again .. don't hold your breath that Marriott will revise the points you get for turning in your week, but if all the weeks they get for points dry up and they don't have any rentals, you might just see some action. Let's hope so.

Brian
 

davidvel

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Again .. don't hold your breath that Marriott will revise the points you get for turning in your week, but if all the weeks they get for points dry up and they don't have any rentals, you might just see some action. Let's hope so.
Brian

Absolutley. Marriott will offer more points for your units when it is in their actual financial interest (not goodwill toward owners, loyalty, integrity, etc.) to do so.
 

thinze3

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Let's hope many people do as Brian mentioned and do not trade their units for Marriott points. It IS the biggest protest possible.
 

Cruiser Too

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Let's hope many people do as Brian mentioned and do not trade their units for Marriott points. It IS the biggest protest possible.

I haven't done that foolish thing except for the year when I purchase my TS.
It was late in the year and I knew I wouldn't be able to use it.

BTW:
That also where Marriott gets you !

Even if you purchase a week in the last week of December,
you're still liable for the ENTIRE year's maintenance fee :wall:

It'll be a cold day in hell, if I ever exchange my week for "points" :crash:
 

Hoc

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Come on everyone! We should not be feeling like victims right now. The Marriott Rewards program is a free perk, a benefit, not a right, for using their product.

When you pay $60,000 for a room that normally sells on the resale market for $10,000, and the only difference in price is that you get the right to trade for points for the additional $50,000, I would hardly call that "free."
 

jhm40cu

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It seems like SPG program became the industry standard.
 

Latravel

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"When you pay $60,000 for a room that normally sells on the resale market for $10,000, and the only difference in price is that you get the right to trade for points for the additional $50,000, I would hardly call that "free.""

Uh, I think that's a slight exaggeration but even if you are right, it doesn't cost anything to join the rewards program. And, don't most pro-resale owners state that you don't have to buy from Marriott to get points? If so, the program is free perk/benefit for you. Using your numbers, it doesn't have to cost $50,000 to get the benefits.
 
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