Do the higher benefit levels get room upgrades?

[tperez]

I'm curious, for those at the Executive/Presidential/Chairman's levels, do you get room upgrades when checking into a Marriott Vacation Club?

My wife and I are currently at Maui Ocean Club in a garden (or island?) view room on the third floor. It appears, that there are many ocean view rooms unoccupied as well as many other rooms on higher floors unoccupied. When we checked in they were going to put us in a first floor room near the pool and when we asked for something higher, they said all they could do was the third floor. We're only at the Select level based on our ownership at Ko'olina so we didn't expect VIP treatment, but we were curious for those at higher levels, do you get room upgrades? We're 5* elite in Vistana and it seems more often than not, we get a room upgrade when we check in.

 

[StevenTing]

There are no upgrades for room type. If you book an Garden/Island view, that's what you will receive.
You might be able to have a higher floor but I doubt that is based on level.

 

[Big Matt]

I am executive. I have received very good villa locations at Grande Ocean, Barony, Manor Club, and Oceana Palms. I have only got a true upgrade once at GO where I got ocean front. The rest of them were just within my view category, but really good within my category. I would never know exactly what to ask for at some of the places I've been in terms of villa number, so I just call and request "the best that I can do". Most times they tell me that they will do whatever they can given my status. This even occurs with II Marriott to Marriott exchanges. I have also been told that my Titanium elite is important to them. Just be nice to the people who do the assignments and you will get a lot of goodies.

 

[TXTortoise]

FWIW, I had a discussion with MOC room control about OV and OF room prioritization. I wanted to confirm that the time stamp was the primary criteria, which she did confirm. But then she said the owners loyalty level was also used. I took that to mean that if two owners wanted a high floor and the time stamp was very close, then the highest floor would go to the highest loyalty level.

First time I’ve heard that specifically mentioned.

 

[StevenTing]

FWIW, I had a discussion with MOC room control about OV and OF room prioritization. I wanted to confirm that the time stamp was the primary criteria, which she did confirm. But then she said the owners loyalty level was also used. I took that to mean that if two owners wanted a high floor and the time stamp was very close, then the highest floor would go to the highest loyalty level.

First time I’ve heard that specifically mentioned.

Was loyalty specified as Presidential/Chairman or as Platinum/Titanium/Ambassador?

 

[TXTortoise]

She didn’t say, but got the impression it was Marriott, not MVCI, but now that you mentioned it, guess I should have asked.

I’m at the bottom on both, so I would get trumped in either case.

At least until they let me enroll my weeks for free.

 

[Swice]

...wonder if I should change our record to my wife's Bonvoy number? She's lifetime Titanium. I'm lowly lifetime Platinum. Since Marriott changed the criteria for lifetime, there is no longer a way for me to become lifetime titanium, so why collect the night numbers under my account? If her titanium status gets us more upgrades and a tad more spending bonus?????? Am I thinking right? There is no reason for me to keep collecting nights, right?

 

[frank808]

Never seen MVC take into account what level of status in Marriott Rewards. Now in the marriott hotels there have been upgrades based on your reward level. Even then it does not get you upgraded rooms all the time.

The biggest benefit of being platinum premiere for a couple years, before it was a published level, was getting United Gold status. At the hotels it was mostly a miss when checking in. I would ask for my plat benefits and a couple times the FD says you have to be platinum to receive those benefits.


Now with titanium the only benefit for wife and I are the ten Suite Night Awards and the two free night certificates for hotel stays (up to 40k mrp a night). Have used these for a night here and there before or after our timeshare stays.


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[SueDonJ]

If you book owned Weeks or DC Point stays at the MVW properties you'll be placed into the unit size/view type that you own/book with no upgrades available, but the rooms controllers may take into account your ownership status - and possibly Bonvoy status - when they determine placement among all the same-type booked inventory. (Upgrades may happen if units unexpectedly come out of service for maintenance issues, depending on availability, but that's a very rare occurrence.)

Upgrades are theoretically available if you book using cash, MRP, promo stays, etc, but the rooms controllers at the MVW properties are so indoctrinated to think, "no upgrades ever" that it's still rare to be upgraded. *And notably, the rules for Bonvoy "Suite Night Awards" upgrades specifically exclude the MVW properties.

With exchange inventory the rooms controllers have much more leeway with respect to view types (but not unit size.) For a simple example, say ExchangerA is holding a confirmed II cert for a 2BR oceanfront unit and ExchangerB for a 2BR gardenview unit, but B has a higher ownership level - then the rooms controller may put B into the oceanfront and A into the gardenview. Some resorts routinely prioritize all exchange inventory based on status, others never deviate from the cert designations. There are no hard and fast rules system-wide so even here there's no way to make any demands based on ownership/Bonvoy status.

 

[tperez]

Many thanks for all the replies. My wife and I are Titanium in Bonvoy and I don't think it mattered at all when we checked in. We got the usual "Thanks for being platinum." when we checked in and then she noticed we were Titanium with an "Oh, you're titanium...." and that was it. Then she proceeded to try to give us the first floor room near the doors and pool.

Interesting no upgrades in MVC. We do get upgrades in the Marriott and SPG hotels. Also, in the Vistana resorts, when we book a studio/small 1bd side of a lockoff we typically get upgraded to the large 1bd side. Prior to this week we were at KOR and that stay, as well as our two prior stays there, we were upgraded from Ocean View to Ocean Front. It'll be interesting to see how things shake out after the dust settles after the Marriott/ILG/Vistana/Hyatt combination.

 

[SueDonJ]

Never seen MVC take into account what level of status in Marriott Rewards. Now in the marriott hotels there have been upgrades based on your reward level. Even then it does not get you upgraded rooms all the time.

The biggest benefit of being platinum premiere for a couple years, before it was a published level, was getting United Gold status. At the hotels it was mostly a miss when checking in. I would ask for my plat benefits and a couple times the FD says you have to be platinum to receive those benefits.


Now with titanium the only benefit for wife and I are the ten Suite Night Awards and the two free night certificates for hotel stays (up to 40k mrp a night). Have used these for a night here and there before or after our timeshare stays.


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I've had two timeshare property stays where the front desk told us that Marriott Rewards/Bonvoy status had been taken into account for excellent unit placement upgrades; one was a cash stay, one using reward points. Considering all of the cash/reward points stays we've had at timeshare properties those two are not enough of an indicator to say it happens regularly, but it's not unheard of with these types of stays the way it is with owner stays.

 

[Big Matt]

My experiences are exactly as Susan describes. The question I always wonder about is if they take into account how many times you have been to the resort.


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[frank808]

Our stays at MVC properties have been all owner weeks or II exchanges. Have never paid cash or used points at MVC property.

I don't know if taking account how often you have been to a property affects unit placement. I can say at MKO we tend to get the lower floors as exchangers. Maybe room control just doesn't like me?

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[SueDonJ]

My experiences are exactly as Susan describes. The question I always wonder about is if they take into account how many times you have been to the resort.


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Both of my home resorts do for Weeks Owners stays, and it's actually detrimental to owners with high status. They use a rotational system where if you were placed into one of the most-desirable units (high floor, building closest to ocean, etc) within your owned inventory for one stay, for the next they'll place you into one of the least-desirable (low floor, building further from ocean, etc.) Even as a multi-week owner with Chairman's Club DC status and Titanium Bonvoy status, though, I like this system because it gives every Week Owner at the resort fairly equal time in both the best and the worst - and everything in between - of owned inventory. Needless to say, many owners don't agree with my viewpoint.

I believe every Hilton Head Island resort (except, of course, the older ones with fixed-unit ownerships) uses some variation of this rotational system. It's possible others do as well, but I know from TUG that there are some resorts where it's not at all a consideration. I feel badly for single-week owners at those resorts.

 

[Dean]

Both of my home resorts do for Weeks Owners stays, and it's actually detrimental to owners with high status. They use a rotational system where if you were placed into one of the most-desirable units (high floor, building closest to ocean, etc) within your owned inventory for one stay, for the next they'll place you into one of the least-desirable (low floor, building further from ocean, etc.) Even as a multi-week owner with Chairman's Club DC status and Titanium Bonvoy status, though, I like this system because it gives every Week Owner at the resort fairly equal time in both the best and the worst - and everything in between - of owned inventory. Needless to say, many owners don't agree with my viewpoint.

I believe every Hilton Head Island resort (except, of course, the older ones with fixed-unit ownerships) uses some variation of this rotational system. It's possible others do as well, but I know from TUG that there are some resorts where it's not at all a consideration. I feel badly for single-week owners at those resorts.

I know for sure Grande Ocean does but for owned weeks it's like 3rd vs 4/5th floor EOY. I haven't seen any indication they actually use either the MVC status or the Rewards status but if they did, I'd expect it to be a tiebreaker at best. I'd think the owned week vs exchange (including DC points reservations), reservation type, multiple vs single week and the like are going to be the main criteria by far. So even if they say they do, I doubt it makes any real difference. The possible exceptions are going to be larger resorts without much segration such as multiple view types like GV, CH or resorts where fewer people tend to make requests like Harbour Lakes, Willow Ridge.

 

[bazzap]

Just from experience, at our home resorts I suspect that their unit allocations take account of all the various factors - frequency of visits, length of stays, how early you book, MVC Owner status, Bonvoy Elite status....etc although they never declare this.

 

[TravelTime]

I am at Marriott Marbella. When I checked in, they said they gave me a seafront villa because I am Presidential and Titanium.

 

[bazzap]

I am at Marriott Marbella. When I checked in, they said they gave me a seafront villa because I am Presidential and Titanium.

Interesting, I have never heard them actually mention it before.
Are you an owner at Marbella too?
There are not too many seafront villas in Marbella.
I would expect “home” resort owners to get the better unit allocations (probably)

 

[TravelTime]

Interesting, I have never heard them actually mention it before.
Are you an owner at Marbella too?
There are not too many seafront villas in Marbella.
I would expect “home” resort owners to get the better unit allocations (probably)

Yes I am a Marbella home resort owner too. I am on the third floor in building 20. The view is beautiful. It is also a corner unit so I get lots of light.

 

[MikeM132]

...wonder if I should change our record to my wife's Bonvoy number? She's lifetime Titanium. I'm lowly lifetime Platinum. Since Marriott changed the criteria for lifetime, there is no longer a way for me to become lifetime titanium, so why collect the night numbers under my account? If her titanium status gets us more upgrades and a tad more spending bonus?????? Am I thinking right? There is no reason for me to keep collecting nights, right?

Somewhat off-topic, but do you think Marriott has any understanding of the value of metals? I suspect not.

 

[MikeM132]

Wow, I've been reading about the mysteries of villa assignment for over 15 years now. I know they make all kinds of claims about being an owner, and exchanger, a very important person with some kind of uber-status. However, my lifetime of general experience tells me much of the villa assignment comes down to little more than the diligence of the data-entry person assigning the room. My data-entry person must have been having a bad day or my name invoked a bad memory at Waiohai several years ago, because we traded a prime Maui week for a view of two rows of parked cars in a gravel lot. Probably the worst villa in the whole place.

 

[Dean]

Somewhat off-topic, but do you think Marriott has any understanding of the value of metals? I suspect not.

This is not just a Marriott thing as there are other examples of Titanium being above Platinum. I'm sure they know that and did from the start.

 

[4Sunsets]

I'm curious, for those at the Executive/Presidential/Chairman's levels, do you get room upgrades when checking into a Marriott Vacation Club?

My wife and I are currently at Maui Ocean Club in a garden (or island?) view room on the third floor. It appears, that there are many ocean view rooms unoccupied as well as many other rooms on higher floors unoccupied. When we checked in they were going to put us in a first floor room near the pool and when we asked for something higher, they said all they could do was the third floor. We're only at the Select level based on our ownership at Ko'olina so we didn't expect VIP treatment, but we were curious for those at higher levels, do you get room upgrades? We're 5* elite in Vistana and it seems more often than not, we get a room upgrade when we check in.

We've been with MVC 25 years. MOC is part of MVC. In the US, your Marriott Rewards status is not considered in the MVC system, nor do I believe it should be. MVC elite levels are: Select, Executive, Presidential, Chairmans. The MVC elite levels are considered when assigning rooms, as is the reservation timestamp, as is the number of stays. However, you will never get an upgrade of view type or an upgrade from a smaller room type to a larger room type. MVC does NOT do this anywhere in the system, regardless of occupancy. So if you book an island view 1-bedroom you will get an island view 1-bedroom.

All that said, MOC is notorious for assigning the worse rooms in lower classes to higher level MVC Elites. In a garden view, even though we are Chairmans club and book a year in advance, we end up with an obstructed view, mostly of the concrete in the parking structure. It seems they really want us to book the highest points: Ocean Front.

 

[4Sunsets]

This is not just a Marriott thing as there are other examples of Titanium being above Platinum. I'm sure they know that and did from the start.

Funny.... I had the same question when Titanium was first announced. Did a lot of research actually to learn that in the world of credit cards and such Titanium is actually considered to be higher than platinum.

 

[Dean]

Funny.... I had the same question when Titanium was first announced. Did a lot of research actually to learn that in the world of credit cards and such Titanium is actually considered to be higher than platinum.

Cars too in at least one instance.