Marriott or Interval Cancelled Our Grande Ocean Exchange

[dewdrops]

My situation:::::I had reservations at Marriott Ocean Pointe, Palm Beach Shores as an Exchange through Interval; 9/22 to 29...I was given a Hotline# 1-800-306-9506.....Hotline stated "reservations through 9/22 are cancelled. MOP sent an email confirming Hotline. Now I'm left high and dry cuz they don't tell when resort will be open..Very Pissed

On the other Marriott Thread regarding Hurricane Irma - looks like people are getting info from Ocean Pointe manager Julie P. She says will be open ***maybe*** 9/23, so sounds like you may have missed it by a day and maybe similar situation as OP Jim on this thread!
And not to call resort. And as pissed as you are, this was a major storm and I think the resorts are doing the best to assess and get ready. It doesn't sound as simple as it could be, partly because the people who work (staff) have their own problems and maybe can't even get to work! Everyday resort is closed they are losing $$$$$$$ so marriott corp is Pissed too.

Good luck.
The other poster suggested joining the yahoo group to get info.

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/OPnewsgroup/info

 

[Dean]

If you have a week booked at a resort that is closed, I don't see why someone (anyone!) with a confirmed reservation at an open resort should be bumped. Can you imagine if the airlines started bumping non-status people off of flights to accommodate status passengers from other flights?? Yikes! (Who knows, maybe they are already doing that?)

If this is happening because there are damaged rooms that can't be occupied, then I am more understanding.

I feel sorry for Jim. What a way to start your vacation.

II's rule as I understand it is that if your deposit is not available due to natural disaster, they are supposed to cancel your exchange. I was asking whether in reality they do this.

 

[klpca]

II's rule as I understand it is that if your deposit is not available due to natural disaster, they are supposed to cancel your exchange. I was asking whether in reality they do this.

It sure sounds like they did this to Jim and Carta. Very frustrating if you only miss by 1 day. You would think they would give you a choice in that situation - shorter stay or replacement week.

And they shouldn't blame Marriott if they are cancelling due to an II policy.

 

[Dean]

It sure sounds like they did this to Jim and Carta. Very frustrating if you only miss by 1 day. You would think they would give you a choice in that situation - shorter stay or replacement week.

And they shouldn't blame Marriott if they are cancelling due to an II policy.

Actually that wasn't my question. As I read II's rules, they say that If YOUR deposit resort is unavailable, your exchange elsewhere is supposed to be canceled since II ended up without a valid deposit.

 

[klpca]

Actually that wasn't my question. As I read II's rules, they say that If YOUR deposit resort is unavailable, your exchange elsewhere is supposed to be canceled since II ended up without a valid deposit.

Now *that* is interesting. I wonder how that would work? My mind can't wrap itself around that problem.

 

[Superchief]

One question these cancellations raise is what would be covered by the travel insurance (especially MVC's). It appears that everyone is encountering expenses regarding the resort closures, so I am curious what would be covered by the insurance. I assume if you had to cancel your trip, those expenses would be covered. However, losing an II exchange that is replaced by a 'restricted' future exchange seems to complicate things.

 

[JIMinNC]

There are clearly different views we all hold on this issue.
As an enrolled weeks owner who stays on home weeks, points and Interval exchanges, at times a combination of all three, my personal take on this is:-
If I had a confirmed Interval exchange reservation for a week and the resort I was booked into was open during that week, even if not on the check in day, I would expect to be allowed to stay there on the days it was open.

I would share this perspective and it was the perspective that I went into this fiasco with, but as others have noted, it does not appear to be the case in this situation. The complicating factor is if the resort is open, but does not have its full complement of rooms due to some being damaged, then inevitably, someone is going to be displaced. According to the official Marriott position, that was the situation at Grande Ocean. So, if that is indeed the case, even though it cost us our exchange to Grande Ocean, I do believe that Grande Ocean owners occupying their ownership week and Destination Point owners using their points should have been accommodated before us. If this was the situation that existed yesterday when our exchange was cancelled, as angry and disappointed as I was /am, it would be even harder to justify to an owner why he/she was displaced so an exchanger could occupy a unit. While I'm disappointed by not getting to stay at Grande Ocean, my anger is more directed at the inadequate replacement week from II.

I just don't understand how anyone with a "home" weeks or points reservation at another resort, even if closed, could be given preference at a different resort over a confirmed Interval reservation at that resort and I wouldn't expect that if I were the owner losing out as a result.

Barry, In order to be fair to Marriott, I want to make sure that everyone clearly understands that the information that Grande Ocean was being used to house displaced guests from other Hilton Head resorts is only rumor/heresay. The source of that information was a front desk person from Grande Ocean that I talked to on the phone. Marriott Customer Care explicitly denied that they were doing this. It is possible that the front desk person was misinformed and was passing on bad information, but I suppose that it is also possible that person was somewhat naively passing on the truth. Who knows?

In the end, I'm less concerned with the "why" than, as I said above, the lack of a reasonable replacement week.

And just a bit of additional info on II's poor response, while they told me I would be getting a replacement week with a rolling 59-day. reservation window good for the next year, what was actually deposited into my account was a rolling 30-day Accommodation Certificate. -- even worse. I tried to call II customer service this AM before leaving to come to Hilton Head to address that situation, but after being on hold for 45 minutes with no answer, I decided we needed to leave for our trip. I took dioxide45's advice and emailed the TUG II contact late last night, but have not heard back yet. The auto reply seemed to indicate replies would be handled Monday through Friday.

We did arrive this afternoon at HGVC Ocean Oak, and it is a nice small resort - I counted 66 units in the one building. Our third floor (out of 6) courtyard view unit is in the farthest part of the building from the ocean, but we still have a peek-a-boo ocean view from our balcony. It sorta has the same decor style feel as the new decor at Barony (even including barn doors to the master bath), but the overall feel is maybe just a little bit cheaper quality furnishings than Barony. But overall, it is a very nice place and we were indeed lucky to apparently have found a bargain-priced last minute cancellation on Hilton.com.

 

[dioxide45]

Barry, In order to be fair to Marriott, I want to make sure that everyone clearly understands that the information that Grande Ocean was being used to house displaced guests from other Hilton Head resorts is only rumor/heresay. The source of that information was a front desk person from Grande Ocean that I talked to on the phone. Marriott Customer Care explicitly denied that they were doing this. It is possible that the front desk person was misinformed and was passing on bad information, but I suppose that it is also possible that person was somewhat naively passing on the truth. Who knows?

I would actually put the response from Customer Care, which is in either Orlando or maybe Salt Lake City, as hearsay. Was it a phone level rep at Customer Care that gave you this information or even a supervisor? I can understand them giving you the "official line" regardless of how true it is. However I would put more faith in the front desk person at the resort that is actually checking people in to that resort that have come from other resorts on the island.

 

[JIMinNC]

I would actually put the response from Customer Care, which is in either Orlando or maybe Salt Lake City, as hearsay. Was it a phone level rep at Customer Care that gave you this information or even a supervisor? I can understand them giving you the "official line" regardless of how true it is. However I would put more faith in the front desk person at the resort that is actually checking people in to that resort that have come from other resorts on the island.

I did talk to someone who I believe may have been a senior manager, I recall her name was Mary and she was a 407 area code which is in Orlando. When I asked, she explicitly said the exchange was not cancelled to accommodate guests from other HHI resorts. I'm not one to call someone a liar unless I have proof, so I want to take her word for it until I have documentable evidence to the contrary.

I believe there are at least a couple TUGgers who were supposed to check-in to GO today, so if they read this, maybe they can do a little detective work around the pool and see what they can find out!

 

[Dean]

I did talk to someone who I believe may have been a senior manager, I recall her name was Mary and she was a 407 area code which is in Orlando. When I asked, she explicitly said the exchange was not cancelled to accommodate guests from other HHI resorts.

I believe there are at least a couple TUGgers who were supposed to check-in to GO today, so if they read this, maybe they can do a little detective work around the pool and see what they can find out!

Jim you're next door, in this situation I think I'd walk over and talk to someone directly at a middle management level minimum. Eric Robbins is still the front desk manager I believe, he should be able to give you a straight answer as to what happened and why.

 

[bazzap]

I have looked at Interval Ts & Cs, the only potentially relevant clauses I can find (but not readily translate into simple English) are

II Exchange Cancellation Policy

(a) The only circumstances under which a Club Program Member using the Exchange Program may lose the use of his or her Points, or in the case of a Club Program Exchange Member retaining his or her Vacation Interest as a Week, and in the case of all Individual Members, the use and occupancy of his or her Week, without being provided Host Accommodations, are if such Club Program Member or Individual Member: (i) cancels a Confirmation seven days or more prior to the first date of occupancy of the Host Accommodations being canceled and fails to request substitute exchange accommodations in accordance with II’s Exchange Cancellation Policy; (ii) cancels a Confirmation less than seven days prior to the first date of occupancy of the Host Accommodations being canceled; (iii) cancels or loses the use of a Confirmation, at any time, due to the threatened or actual damage or destruction of the Host Accommodations; (iv) cancels a Confirmation for substitute Host Accommodations which was previously issued to the Club Program Member or Individual Member under II’s Exchange Cancellation Policy; or (v) where the use of the MVCI Resort accommodations by II is lost or impaired due to circumstances beyond II’s control.

and

Individual Member has canceled or has lost the use of a Confirmation as a result of the Host Resort accommodations being damaged or destroyed. II reserves the right to deny a Club Program Member or Individual Member substitute exchange accommodations under II’s Exchange Cancellation Policy where such Club Program Member or Individual Member has received compensation for his or her canceled exchange accommodations pursuant to travel insurance or otherwise.

 

[Superchief]

If this is their policy, would you be able to reject their replacement week so you can file an insurance claim to cover the MF's of the deposited week? IMO, II replacement weeks with 60 day window are virtually worthless. I would prefer to get my money back for my MF's.

I have looked at Interval Ts & Cs, the only potentially relevant clauses I can find (but not readily translate into simple English) are

II Exchange Cancellation Policy

Individual Member has canceled or has lost the use of a Confirmation as a result of the Host Resort accommodations being damaged or destroyed. II reserves the right to deny a Club Program Member or Individual Member substitute exchange accommodations under II’s Exchange Cancellation Policy where such Club Program Member or Individual Member has received compensation for his or her canceled exchange accommodations pursuant to travel insurance or otherwise.

 

[dioxide45]

If this is their policy, would you be able to reject their replacement week so you can file an insurance claim to cover the MF's of the deposited week? IMO, II replacement weeks with 60 day window are virtually worthless. I would prefer to get my money back for my MF's.

That would be if you had insurance to cover the MFs. A 60 day replacement week is of course better than nothing. Though I hope Mark can help out here with an unrestricted deposit for Jim.

 

[Mr. Vker]

Not Exchange related, but back when hurricane Odile hit Cabo, we booked a getaway to Cabo. The getaway was 6 months after the hurricane. The resort had published a date to be open 60 days prior. II said we'd have no problem. However, the resort did not open. They pushed their date 90 days and our getaway was lost. II simply said it was our problem. They were just the "broker". It was a cheap getaway. Ultimately, they got us another one for the same week without charge. But I was stunned by II's position. It was my first experience at the true difference with a hotel reservation vs an II/MVCI reservation. Now, we get insurance!

 

[NboroGirl]

If you have a week booked at a resort that is closed, I don't see why someone (anyone!) with a confirmed reservation at an open resort should be bumped. Can you imagine if the airlines started bumping non-status people off of flights to accommodate status passengers from other flights?? Yikes! (Who knows, maybe they are already doing that?)

My DH used to be Global Services (the top tier) at United, and I know for a fact they will bump lesser-status flyers to accommodate a Global Services passenger. Something a little like that happened to us when we were lowly Gold status. We got 1st class upgrades the day before our flights. They were "Confirmed". After we were seated in our 1st class seats, we were told we had to give them up and were escorted to coach, I assume so someone with a higher status (or someone with a big check) got our seats. A bit off-topic...

 

[Fasttr]

Jim.... we checked into GO yesterday. I asked the front desk staff today about GO villa damage and was told they did have some water intrusion into 15 villas that were pulled out of service. I also asked if they were servicing owners from other resorts like Monarch that are still closed this week and they indicated that indeed MVC corporate made the tough decision to cancel all Friday check in II exchanges to make room to accommodate owners staying on their owned week at other resorts. So that seems to be consistent with what you were previously told by GO front desk staff.

 

[windje2000]

If that is true . . . (and I believe it is) well, as George Orwell once said, some pigs are more equal than others.

As an executive level owner with a 3 week stay on owned weeks at Monarch starting September 9, I wonder how they determined which owners were the lucky pigs.

Wasn't me. I was told there was no possibility of getting a unit at another resort. End of discussion.

Interestingly, our account (as of 9/17) shows our reservation from 9/16-9/23 is "cancelled" on the Rewards account, and as "completed" on the MVCI owners website. Never got a cancellation email as is customary.

I wonder why they feel it is an important priority to devote manpower to gaming in some way the reservations system under these circumstances.

Anyone have any thoughts?

 

[JIMinNC]

Jim.... we checked into GO yesterday. I asked the front desk staff today about GO villa damage and was told they did have some water intrusion into 15 villas that were pulled out of service. I also asked if they were servicing owners from other resorts like Monarch that are still closed this week and they indicated that indeed MVC corporate made the tough decision to cancel all Friday check in II exchanges to make room to accommodate owners staying on their owned week at other resorts. So that seems to be consistent with what you were previously told by GO front desk staff.

Fasttr,

Thanks very much for your information.

As I've reflected on this situation over the last couple days, it's definitely a mixed bag of thoughts for me. While I'm hacked off that our trip to GO was cancelled and we had to go out of pocket to preserve our trip, at the same time, as a MVC owner, I do not have ill feelings toward Marriott for putting owners first. That actually might make me feel better about our ownership than worse. Bumping me to accommodate displaced owners from other resorts is a less clear cut issue than bumping me to accommodate GO owners or DC points owners, but I do still think it represents an "Owners First" philosophy, so I still feel positive about our decision to hitch our wagon to the Marriott horse.

Where I have the greatest issue with how this was handled is, while I was traveling on an II exchange this time, I am still a Marriott owner too - a week and points. But the response from II seems the same as if I would have been a non-Marriott owner trading in to GO. My ownership seems to have been ignored by both Marriott and II in deciding how to deal with the concept of a "replacement" week, only offering a crappy Accommodation Certificate. That will be the focus of my comments to Marriott and II after our vacation is over.

We're right next door at Hilton Ocean Oak, maybe we'll see you on the beach. PM me, maybe we can meet sometime while we're here.

 

[Dean]

If that is true . . . (and I believe it is) well, as George Orwell once said, some pigs are more equal than others.

As an executive level owner with a 3 week stay on owned weeks at Monarch starting September 9, I wonder how they determined which owners were the lucky pigs.

Wasn't me. I was told there was no possibility of getting a unit at another resort. End of discussion.

Interestingly, our account (as of 9/17) shows our reservation from 9/16-9/23 is "cancelled" on the Rewards account, and as "completed" on the MVCI owners website. Never got a cancellation email as is customary.

I wonder why they feel it is an important priority to devote manpower to gaming in some way the reservations system under these circumstances.

Anyone have any thoughts?

I'm not sure I'd call it gaming. They had to cancel a certain number of reservations in part or in total, there really wasn't any choice in that. And to try to do partial weeks would have been an administrative nightmare so no way to argue they should have tried. They had to decide who to canceled and who they could still handle. We can all argue as to what the pecking order should have been but to accommodate owners using their weeks first at any HH Marriott and putting exchanges at the bottom is clearly a reasonable approach with DC reservations next in line canceling from bottom to top tier. It's not likely how I would have approached it, I likely would have gone resort by resort but with a similar pecking order. Regardless it stinks for those affected.

 

[windje2000]

I'm not sure I'd call it gaming. They had to cancel a certain number of reservations in part or in total, there really wasn't any choice in that. And to try to do partial weeks would have been an administrative nightmare so no way to argue they should have tried. They had to decide who to canceled and who they could still handle. We can all argue as to what the pecking order should have been but to accommodate owners using their weeks first at any HH Marriott and putting exchanges at the bottom is clearly a reasonable approach with DC reservations next in line canceling from bottom to top tier. It's not likely how I would have approached it, I likely would have gone resort by resort but with a similar pecking order. Regardless it stinks for those affected.

Wasn't talking about JiminNC. Was talking about my own experience regarding the reservation system and why my two accounts showed different attributes. They cancelled a week that ain't over. There is a reason. I can't figure out why.

That said, I guess my view is that a reservation is a reservation.

Suppose I owned the week that Jim traded for and had simply traded with him directly (or rented him that week for cash.) That reservation would have been honored.

Why does the fact that interval was the intermediary change the fact that exactly the same bundle of ownership rights were traded between parties?

Interval sourced reservations are considered in Marriott World to be second-class reservations.

I guess I just don't agree with that.

My opinion. YMMV.

I also continue to wonder which pigs were more equal. Perhaps trust people?

Things that make you go hmmm.

 

[bazzap]

I'm not sure I'd call it gaming. They had to cancel a certain number of reservations in part or in total, there really wasn't any choice in that. And to try to do partial weeks would have been an administrative nightmare so no way to argue they should have tried. They had to decide who to canceled and who they could still handle. We can all argue as to what the pecking order should have been but to accommodate owners using their weeks first at any HH Marriott and putting exchanges at the bottom is clearly a reasonable approach with DC reservations next in line canceling from bottom to top tier. It's not likely how I would have approached it, I likely would have gone resort by resort but with a similar pecking order. Regardless it stinks for those affected.

Maybe I missed something in this whole thread, but I don't recall reading anything here that explained why "They had to cancel a certain number of reservations" at Grande Ocean that week?
(they were just unable to accept reservations there on the original check in day)
I did read that they had to cancel reservations at other resorts, but that seems to me to be a different matter entirely and such matters should be addressed on a resort by resort basis.
What next - as an HHI "home week" owner of a resort which is closed should I be given priority over an Interval exchange reservation confirmed elsewhere in the US/Caribbean, in Europe, in Asia....?

 

[Superchief]

Fasttr,


Where I have the greatest issue with how this was handled is, while I was traveling on an II exchange this time, I am still a Marriott owner too - a week and points. But the response from II seems the same as if I would have been a non-Marriott owner trading in to GO. My ownership seems to have been ignored by both Marriott and II in deciding how to deal with the concept of a "replacement" week, only offering a crappy Accommodation Certificate. That will be the focus of my comments to Marriott and II after our vacation is over.

Jim,
Your experience has further reinforced my decision to no longer exchange through II. I have an upcoming exchange stay at Ocean Pointe on 10/28 combined with a 1 night DC point stay. I had to use an expiring deposit (my last). I am an owner at OP and Chairman level, but I know I will be lower in the pecking order due to this being a II exchange. I'm glad that at least part of my stay is on points. I now know that Ocean Pointe experience some damage and the Cobia pool refurbishment completion will likely not be complete when I stay there. Had I used DC points, I could cancel and stay at another resort rather than try to deal with II.

I assume you didn't have insurance since you are driving, but I have to fly to most of my destinations so I always buy the insurance. II's action for your situation may have prohibited you from being reimbursed for your MF's since you received a replacement week (even though it had little to no value). I hope Marriott is able to provide you better compensation for your disappointing experience.

 

[klpca]

Wasn't talking about JiminNC. Was talking about my own experience regarding the reservation system and why my two accounts showed different attributes. They cancelled a week that ain't over. There is a reason. I can't figure out why.

That said, I guess my view is that a reservation is a reservation.

Suppose I owned the week that Jim traded for and had simply traded with him directly (or rented him that week for cash.) That reservation would have been honored.

Why does the fact that interval was the intermediary change the fact that exactly the same bundle of ownership rights were traded between parties?

Interval sourced reservations are considered in Marriott World to be second-class reservations.

I guess I just don't agree with that.

My opinion. YMMV.

I also continue to wonder which pigs were more equal. Perhaps trust people?

Things that make you go hmmm.

I absolutely agree. I suppose that somewhere there are terms that spell it out, but i still don't see why Marriott can pick and choose those weeks that they wish to give to others. Each resort should be stand alone, imho. Marriott is the manager, we are the owners. We bear the costs of repairs, not Marriott. I guess I just don't see it.

 

[Dean]

Wasn't talking about JiminNC. Was talking about my own experience regarding the reservation system and why my two accounts showed different attributes. They cancelled a week that ain't over. There is a reason. I can't figure out why.

That said, I guess my view is that a reservation is a reservation.

Suppose I owned the week that Jim traded for and had simply traded with him directly (or rented him that week for cash.) That reservation would have been honored.

Why does the fact that interval was the intermediary change the fact that exactly the same bundle of ownership rights were traded between parties?

Interval sourced reservations are considered in Marriott World to be second-class reservations.

I guess I just don't agree with that.

My opinion. YMMV.

I also continue to wonder which pigs were more equal. Perhaps trust people?

Things that make you go hmmm.

I was addressing the general issue but to your post because it appeared you were using DC points at Executive level. Clearly there were/are weeks at HHI Marriott's that had to be canceled, there isn't any disagreement on that that I can see or at last not any reasonable one. And I don't think anyone can argue that partial weeks were reasonable if not mandatory to cancel. Thus the only issue is the pecking order. While I personally would have gone resort by resort but using the same hierarchy, I think looking at HHI as a unit is a reasonable approach. And I think an order of members using their weeks, cash reservations, DC points from top to bottom in the VIP system then exchanges is a reasonable hierarchy. I don't think anyone can argue with those points even if they would have done it a little differently. The reality it that exchangers are consistently considered a lower class than owners at a large % of resorts, many far more egregious than this issue in terms of the blatancy.

 

[Dean]

Maybe I missed something in this whole thread, but I don't recall reading anything here that explained why "They had to cancel a certain number of reservations" at Grande Ocean that week?
(they were just unable to accept reservations there on the original check in day)
I did read that they had to cancel reservations at other resorts, but that seems to me to be a different matter entirely and such matters should be addressed on a resort by resort basis.
What next - as an HHI "home week" owner of a resort which is closed should I be given priority over an Interval exchange reservation confirmed elsewhere in the US/Caribbean, in Europe, in Asia....?

See above, it really isn't an entirely different matter or at last Marriott upper management didn't think so. That you or I disagree really isn't especially important philosophically. IMO anything that can't be honored for the entire time either has to be canceled or they have to go through each one individually and contact the owners. In this situation and given all the other things going on, I don't see that as a reasonable expectation in this situation. This isn't a slippery slope issue, it's really just confirmation of what we know already and is c/w the principles of villa assignment in general where I do disagree somewhat between DC and owned weeks but there we're talking location/view and here we're talking being displaced or not.