Agree that it's frustrating when any rewards program devalues points. But MVC timeshare and Marriott hotel programs are no different than airlines or any other business or even govt that raise costs or decrease benefits in this regard. ( it's gonna take me years to say Bonvoy, so i'm unapologetic when I say 'Marriott' or "mail man" or "mankind"
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We MVC folks gain a leg up as our TS stays count as nights in the hotel reward program ( it wasn't always so ). TS ownership is a long-term slog/commitment over years. I don't know the present demographic of what % of we MVC folks go back to late 90s and up to 2007 before the recession brings paradigm change to the character & function of MVC versus % of owners who come in shortly before or after 2007 as well all transition to MVC life with DC points & enrolled weeks. In any case, THAT's the real Marriott TS Rubicon. Multiple week owners who have been at it for 15 years or more get hit by devaluation like everyone else, but those who enrolled their weeks gain additional ways to strategize. Indeed a contrast exists for more recent members who come in through the DC points door, but time and strategy still exist & function.
Marriott continues to digest this Starwood merger & this means changes. Some of the changes will not be positive, but they do indeed reflect the process of expansion and consolidation. All we can do as MVC owners & hotel reward members is to read the fine print and figure out how to strategize into the future. Every year you put behind you means more nights/stays that count towards different lifetime elite status levels that do accrue some value or at the very lest convenient perks. Like anything, additional size creates more complexity as folks bring different expectations as we're all pushed into the Bonvoy future. The Advance Points rewards program was an in-house perk/favor that grows more impossible for Marriott to reconcile as business size scales up. Can any brand continue to allow award reservations without enough award points to cover the stay? Answer is yes if you're short of points, but no if you've got the points but no award nights for the dates you want because some of the inventory is held as a courtesy. I'm not knocking those who take advantage of the Advance program, but I do suggest that size and complexity play a big part in some of these changes.
All I can say is to travel safe and enjoy the MVC product & above all, to read the fine print and learn to strategize.
We ourselves have changed our strategy since our early years of MVC ownership. We continue to link Marriott hotel stays sometimes doing a paid night before/after an MVC stay to gain a day or make the journey easier. This SOP the brought us gold and then platinum hotel status combined with our MVC stays. Today we're lifetime platinum/ titanium & this with senior discounts for us makes Marriott life rewarding even when they devalue points etc. It requires time and patience. Understandably frustrating at times if you're in your 40s/50s as life is indeed hectic & MVC travel a temporary escape valve from work pressures. But time flies with destination travel and the long game is about patience and strategy until one day you realize you've moved up the elites ladder as retirement is on your horizon. We too have had our Marriot moments, but overall we remember years of travels & hotel nights that cost money, but we do accrue status that remains functional and above all memories of those travels.
Just so you all don't think we're now old farts
, we're 65 & 4 years retired and still figuring things MVC & travel out. Honestly speaking, we're more frustrated with how airlines have changed the flying paradigm. Marriott gave us a few bumps these past years. but we're on auto pilot with Marriott despite the changes.
Once again, travel safe.
