[2013] Unit Placement Discussion [orig "Homeless In Paradise ..."]

[FractionalTraveler]

Works for me, but along with the rotational system.

What about Ritz Carlton DC owners who now have access to the MVCI portfolio. How should they be integrated into the mix?

 

[dioxide45]

What about Ritz Carlton DC owners who now have access to the MVCI portfolio. How should they be integrated into the mix?

They are Premier Plus owners, right? So they would be at the top of the heap along with multi week owners staying on their owned weeks.

 

[FractionalTraveler]

They are Premier Plus owners, right? So they would be at the top of the heap along with multi week owners staying on their owned weeks.

Guess you are correct outstanding some higher tier we are not aware of.

 

[dioxide45]

[OP in post #21 of this thread]
Oh thank goodness, one less reason to storm the castle. I mean, it's good that specific rooms aren't pre-assigned for PP status prior to check-in - not so good that DC status doesn't appear to be integrated into the resort's placement system at all favorably. There just has to be a middle ground, I'm convinced.

With the way you gush over the resort I'm sure your friend will manage to make the best of things and have a grand time. Were you able to warn him in advance that maybe the rep was speaking out of turn, prepare him for the worst? I hope so.

It definitely seems that we have heard enough reports of poor unit placements with DC point based (or hybrid) type stays to have some concern here. I agree that there needs to be a middle ground. Especially with a pure trust points owner.

 

[suzannesimon]

Has anyone considered that check-in date might impact room placement? I am a Premier DC member and own 2 fixed weeks. We always check in on Sat or Sun during holiday weeks and have had lousy room placement at my home resort as well as when using DC points at other resorts since the beginning of the Destination Club. I'm wondering if I check in for a Thurs to Thurs week, a day before the weeks owners can check in (assuming a resort with Fri, Sat or Sun check-in's), if the unit placement would be better. Of course, that would require converting my weeks to points at my home resort. With the skim, I wouldn't have enough points to reserve my own 2 weeks.

I can only imagine the nightmare managing daily check-in's, short stays and weeks owners is. Every owner staying 2 days is removing a unit that a 7-day reservation could have. Not too much of a problem during low season, but during Platinum has got to be a mess.

 

[kjd]

This discussion is a little confusing. Weeks owners bought with the understanding that they also purchased a view, (Garden, Ocean, Ocean side, etc.). Additionally, Marriott has stated that the unit preferences go first to home resort owners followed by a listing of other situations, (Traders, non-Marriott owners, cash payers, renters, etc.) In other words, Marriott has always had the right to assign units according to a protocol of their choosing. It was widely known among all weeks owners.

Under the old weeks system when you traded into another resort you could expect to be placed anywhere. Now that we have two buckets of points there seems to be a feeling that there are two classes of Marriott owners. It could be just sales hype as the sales staff tries to "shear the sheep" one more time to purchase points. If not, it's unfortunate that the rules have changed. As an enrolled weeks owner I expect to get first consideration at my home resort within my view purchase. When I trade, I expect the luck of the draw. Nothing more.

If there is a change in the protocol of assigning units Marriott ought to announce it rather than have a whispering campaign conducted by the sales staff.

 

[FractionalTraveler]

This discussion is a little confusing. Weeks owners bought with the understanding that they also purchased a view, (Garden, Ocean, Ocean side, etc.). Additionally, Marriott has stated that the unit preferences go first to home resort owners followed by a listing of other situations, (Traders, non-Marriott owners, cash payers, renters, etc.) In other words, Marriott has always had the right to assign units according to a protocol of their choosing. It was widely known among all weeks owners.

Under the old weeks system when you traded into another resort you could expect to be placed anywhere. Now that we have two buckets of points there seems to be a feeling that there are two classes of Marriott owners. It could be just sales hype as the sales staff tries to "shear the sheep" one more time to purchase points. If not, it's unfortunate that the rules have changed. As an enrolled weeks owner I expect to get first consideration at my home resort within my view purchase. When I trade, I expect the luck of the draw. Nothing more.

If there is a change in the protocol of assigning units Marriott ought to announce it rather than have a whispering campaign conducted by the sales staff.

What about when you stay at your own resort using your enrolled DC Points and not your original owner week? What do you expect then?

What if your owner week is at a property where there are a large amount of Trust units and you were up against a trust reservation owner? What do you expect then?

What if you own only own 1 week in the system and are a standard owner? Would you still think you would get priority over a new Premier Plus Trust owner?

What if your reservation is for 1 week and the Trust owner is staying for 3 weeks? Who should get the better unit?

Not a simple task that the properties have to deal with.....

 

[kjd]

I'd like to know the answers to those questions too. However, since there is little or no transparency in the process we won't find out. Only speculation unless Marriott is more forthcoming.

 

[FractionalTraveler]

I'd like to know the answers to those questions too. However, since there is little or no transparency in the process we won't find out. Only speculation unless Marriott is more forthcoming.

I agree with the transparency but I think we will find out if we continue to highlight these question and have owners post their experiences on this site.

FT

 

[wvacations]

This whole discussion reminds me if my stay at Aruba Surf Club using DC points for a Ocean Side Studio. When they assigned the room at check in and I saw the room number I questioned the agent to make sure the room was Ocean Side as reserved. The agent said "yes, technically it is." That wording made me suspicious, and sure enough when I got to the room there was no view of the ocean. Not even a slight glimpse of a sliver of ocean. It was on the other side of the building and could not see the ocean. I had already stayed 10 days in a ocean view 2br unit and was just staying 5 nights
In the studio. Not a big deal but the OS is more points and that is what I had reserved. I went to the front desk and told them that someone could come to my room and show me any glimpse of the ocean or they could refund the difference in points. I got the typical story about high occupancy by owners, and my exchange was low on the list for views. I told them I was fine with the room, but I wanted the points refunded and the expiration date of those points extended for a year. Manager came out and said he could not refund the points. His explanation was that the studio I was assigned was the lock-off of a 3BR unit and the other part of that unit had beautiful ocean views and therefore my studio was classified as OS. I told him I would take the matter up with MVC but to note that I was disputing the points deducted from my accoutered. Left the desk back to the pool. Got a call on my cell phone about 10 minutes later form the manager letting me know I wads assigned to a different room and asked if I need help with my luggage. I found the whole matter kind of funny to have a Ocean room that they admit has no Ocean view!

 

[FractionalTraveler]

This whole discussion reminds me if my stay at Aruba Surf Club using DC points for a Ocean Side Studio. When they assigned the room at check in and I saw the room number I questioned the agent to make sure the room was Ocean Side as reserved. The agent said "yes, technically it is." That wording made me suspicious, and sure enough when I got to the room there was no view of the ocean. Not even a slight glimpse of a sliver of ocean. It was on the other side of the building and could not see the ocean. I had already stayed 10 days in a ocean view 2br unit and was just staying 5 nights
In the studio. Not a big deal but the OS is more points and that is what I had reserved. I went to the front desk and told them that someone could come to my room and show me any glimpse of the ocean or they could refund the difference in points. I got the typical story about high occupancy by owners, and my exchange was low on the list for views. I told them I was fine with the room, but I wanted the points refunded and the expiration date of those points extended for a year. Manager came out and said he could not refund the points. His explanation was that the studio I was assigned was the lock-off of a 3BR unit and the other part of that unit had beautiful ocean views and therefore my studio was classified as OS. I told him I would take the matter up with MVC but to note that I was disputing the points deducted from my accoutered. Left the desk back to the pool. Got a call on my cell phone about 10 minutes later form the manager letting me know I wads assigned to a different room and asked if I need help with my luggage. I found the whole matter kind of funny to have a Ocean room that they admit has no Ocean view!

Thanks for sharing!

 

[csalter2]

An Owner is an Owner is an Owner

We really will have to agree to disagree - I think it's completely unfair that DC Trust Members are not considered on par with Weeks Owners. If there isn't a way for the resort personnel to differentiate between DC Trust and Exchange Members, which it appears there isn't, then all DC Members should be considered equal to Weeks Owners.

I really hope that as the program develops more of the resorts will adopt a fairer Priority Placement system, the one that also uses a rotational system so that the same "special" owners aren't practically guaranteed to be placed into the best units for every stay. I've always said it's unfair that at certain resorts single Weeks owners don't ever get a chance to be placed into the "best" units because multi-Week owners are always placed ahead of them. Well, now I think that unfairness is being extended to DC Members, especially Trust Members. There has to be a better way so that certain owners/members aren't made to feel like they're not as important at the resorts. Quite honestly, I'm not in favor of the resort personnel encouraging the "entitlement behavior" that it seems too many owners/members have already adopted.

Sue, I posted on GregT's other thread on this topic so I am not sure if you want to place it over here or not.

Folks, if your reservation says MVC, you are obviously an owner. It doesn't make a difference if you are a trust owner, legacy owner, etc. You can only be an MVC exchange if you own in some way. When maintenance fees need to be paid by points/trust owners, their money goes to all of the resorts. They are just like legacy owners, but their maintenance fees are being spread across all of the properties that are a part of the trust. Everyone is paying into the same big poit so there is no need to separate.

 

[csalter2]

It is not making a difference now

I am at DSVI now. I am using DC points to stay here for 5 nights. When I checked in, no one asked me if I was a legacy or points owner. They knew that I was an enrolled owner because they called me before arrival to give me an "update". My units here face the beautiful golf course and they are both newly refurbished. I don't believe there is any distinction that is being made nor should there be for owners at any level. Now if you were coming from II, that may be different, but those of us who are Marriott owners, well we should be special.

 

[puckmanfl]

good evening....

The whole point of this is...

an owner isn't an owner.... Greg's buddy or Fractional will never see above the trees at MOC or Grande Ocean during prime time. AT DSV1 you are now off season.. You are member of the club exchanging not a MF paying owner to this resort.. You have a great view because it is off season, and I am sure there aren't a ton of direct ownership weeks used...

When I bought my GV week... I was told that I could only exchange into MOC and if I did would be at bottom of gene pool for placement. I had the option of forking out the extra coin (like GregT did) and purchase 6206. I chose to enter the system for less $$$ and take my chances.

Greg's buddy was told that he owns everywhere!!! he was not offered a MOC week... or any other week...

 

[FractionalTraveler]

I am at DSVI now. I am using DC points to stay here for 5 nights. When I checked in, no one asked me if I was a legacy or points owner. They knew that I was an enrolled owner because they called me before arrival to give me an "update". My units here face the beautiful golf course and they are both newly refurbished. I don't believe there is any distinction that is being made nor should there be for owners at any level. Now if you were coming from II, that may be different, but those of us who are Marriott owners, well we should be special.

DSV is low season in the heat (its 100F today) of summer. II TDI is 100 this week which is average.

They call everyone except their mother to get them to a meeting. They get paid to haul you into the sales gallery.

A lot of the units face the golf course in one shape or form at DSV. Heck its either a golf course or the dessert in that part of the west.

I bet the 25 year old person checking you in doesn't know if you are an owner or not. They probably can only see the sales channel that was used as the source of the reservation.

FT

 

[Aviator621]

So answer me this:
Scenario 1: An exchanger deposits his week via II and trades into another resort
Scenario 2: the exchanger takes the same week, converts to points, and trades for the same week.
In the first scenario the exchanger is treated as an exchanger. In the second scenario, many here are suggesting that he now be given the same priority as an owner. Why should his priority change just because he decided to use points instead of II?

 

[dioxide45]

So answer me this:
Scenario 1: An exchanger deposits his week via II and trades into another resort
Scenario 2: the exchanger takes the same week, converts to points, and trades for the same week.
In the first scenario the exchanger is treated as an exchanger. In the second scenario, many here are suggesting that he now be given the same priority as an owner. Why should his priority change just because he decided to use points instead of II?

I would agree, though owners exchanging back in to their home resort are given some priority over people exchanging in from outside. At least at some resorts.

The problem is that from a customers points of view, when they are calling Marriott and using their points, they don't think of it as an exchange, even though it is. They look at it as a straight up reservation.

Should they educate the customers that they are exchanging when making the reservation, or should they accommodate them as people making reservations in priority placement. There is no right or wrong answer. Marriott doesn't want people to think they are exchanging in when using points, but they seem to still want to treat them as exchangers in priority placement.

 

[WINSLOW]

Maybe they could do like Starwood and just put a date & time stamp on DC point reservations ( or all resvs). The earlier resv gets their requested placement choices first, within category.

Week Owners get to reserve 1st anyway( I think), so if they book when 1st available they'll have an earlier time stamp than a points resv.

Also, within Starwood, if you make any changes to a resv you lose your time stamp. So if using Puck tricks (nothing wrong with them, I love em), but you'd have to weigh your priorities before making any reservation. Again all within category booked.

 

[Superchief]

Superchief, my impression is that the properties know who is an owner and who is not.

Trust owners and legacy owners staying on DC point reservations are not currently viewed as owners IMHO based upon my experience in the program to date. Others may be having better luck than me but this is just my experience.

I have NOT received the same level of priority for villa assignments using my Trust points or DC point reservations (about 20 so far).

As an example, I just wrapped up my Father’s day weekend stay at Ocean Point using DC points. I was assigned Pompano building 4th floor. Not what I was expecting. When I asked at check-in, they simply stated that better units in upper floors were available but reserved for owners and that I was exchanging so that was the best they could do for me. I had reserved at 3-BR Oceanfront. I also think that my length of stay 2 nights had something to do with it as well. I would not expect them to give a worse unit preference to an owner for a 7-night stay just to accomodate my 2-night request.

FT

FT,
My villa assignment experiences at Ocean Pointe (where I own 1 wk) have been very inconsistent, more so than any other MVC resort. I haven't tried to stay there yet with DC points, but I've received poor villa assignment for my owned week (shoulder season), and excellent villa assignment on an II exchange during spring break. During one visit, I watched a non-Marriott exchanger complain loudly and then being given the first Oceanside unit on the fifth floor. I think they were given mine because I ended up in a back villa on the third floor. At Oceana Palms, I was told that DC points users have the same priority as owners, but management is trying to hold rooms in the Sunrise tower for owners at least for the next few years.

I agree with Dioxide's proposed hierarchy. Premiere Plus owners are similar to multiple weeks owners. They have invested a lot in MVC and deserve to be given villa assignment priority whether they are enrolled owners or trust owners.

I believe the biggest issue causing villa location problems is the increase in shorter stays. There are significantly fewer rooms becoming available on the most common check-in days and this is compounded by the variation in length of stays. This problem becomes even more challenging in lockoff resorts.

 

[m61376]

This whole discussion reminds me if my stay at Aruba Surf Club using DC points for a Ocean Side Studio. When they assigned the room at check in and I saw the room number I questioned the agent to make sure the room was Ocean Side as reserved. The agent said "yes, technically it is." That wording made me suspicious, and sure enough when I got to the room there was no view of the ocean. Not even a slight glimpse of a sliver of ocean. It was on the other side of the building and could not see the ocean. I had already stayed 10 days in a ocean view 2br unit and was just staying 5 nights
In the studio. Not a big deal but the OS is more points and that is what I had reserved. I went to the front desk and told them that someone could come to my room and show me any glimpse of the ocean or they could refund the difference in points. I got the typical story about high occupancy by owners, and my exchange was low on the list for views. I told them I was fine with the room, but I wanted the points refunded and the expiration date of those points extended for a year. Manager came out and said he could not refund the points. His explanation was that the studio I was assigned was the lock-off of a 3BR unit and the other part of that unit had beautiful ocean views and therefore my studio was classified as OS. I told him I would take the matter up with MVC but to note that I was disputing the points deducted from my accoutered. Left the desk back to the pool. Got a call on my cell phone about 10 minutes later form the manager letting me know I wads assigned to a different room and asked if I need help with my luggage. I found the whole matter kind of funny to have a Ocean room that they admit has no Ocean view!

This just seems like a total mistake, since the 3BR master unit is OV and not OS, being located in the Compass building, while OS units are in the Lighthouse tower. It is true that the studio side of the 3BR, while at least one and a half times the size of a regular lock-off, really has an island view. In fact, Marriott itself rents the 3BR u it's as "partial ocean view" since the studio part is not an OV, although the master part has great ocean views, since it juts out from the side of the building.

 

[CashEddie]

We just left Crystal Shores on a DC points stay. I booked at the 10 month mark for a 5 night, Sun - Thursday stay. I booked Gulf Side and was placed in unit 607. Beautiful unobstructed view of the Gulf. For what I learned, the 07 and 09 units on the north side of the build facing the Hilton are considered Gulf Side, with the 07 units being the closest to the water (corner unit). I called during the preference request period and asked to be placed in the best unit in the view category. They advised my of the 07 units (they didn't reference it by unit number but said they would try to get me in one of the corner units. They delivered.

In 3 weeks we will be at OceanWatch on another DC points stay. We booked ocean front (was the only thing available. This resssie was made at 10 months out as well) and I have already called to requested to be placed in either of the two buildings that are closest to the ocean. I will report back once we arrive and get checked to see how we are placed.

I know for Crystal Shores, its now "off season" and maybe thats why we were placed in a very nice unit. But boy the resort was filled with many families. Maybe most of the owners that purchased there didn''t buy the summer weeks and purchased the winter weeks.

OceanWatch will be the test because this is prime season and I know its a heavily owner occupied resort during this time of year.

In terms of my points, I just have a lowly enrolled Grand Vista Gold week in the DC program. I only get 2175 points. I rented the difference in points to make both reservations. The points were legacy points for 2013 from a owner off GregT's site.

My belief is that what we get is purely based on availability when we are using DC/Trust points AFTER owners of the home resorts are placed based on their owner preferences. When we enrolled our week and were educated about the points system, we were always told that the reservations would be based on availability, just like a hotel room. I never got the notion or was it communicated in any way by the sales person that we would trump legacy owners or be on par with them at their home resorts. It was always stressed it would be based on availability. Yes, they said we would "own everywhere that the trust owns" if we were to purchase trust points (we didn't, we just enrolled our only legacy week that was eligible) but I would never take that statement to mean I own an oceanfront, high floor, center unit at OceanWatch during 4th of July week.

 

[rpgriego]

So much for Premier Plus. At this point the only benefit I can see is the 13 month reservation window and the 20% points discount availability 14 days before check-in. The RC benefit is for a limited time and Premier also has access anyways so no big deal.

Not to mention the ability to easily book one or more nights at 13 months out with no point premium. And that time difference and flexibility makes it all worth while to me!

 

[jeepie]

RC benefit for a limited time?

...The RC benefit is for a limited time...

I understand nothing is permanent in life; however, I thought (perhaps incorrectly) the MVC trust is acquiring more of the RC properties. Therefore, wouldn't trust points owners (P & PP) expect increased access to RC properties? Thanks for any insights you may be able to provide.

 

[FractionalTraveler]

I understand nothing is permanent in life; however, I thought (perhaps incorrectly) the MVC trust is acquiring more of the RC properties. Therefore, wouldn't trust points owners (P & PP) expect increased access to RC properties? Thanks for any insights you may be able to provide.

You are correct. According to MVCI they are trying to place the remaining RC DC properties in the Trust. At that point we would have access to reserve.

Trust Point owners have nothing to do with your status. The status is based upon how many combined points a member has. As an example, a legacy owner can have a Premier Plus status based upon the point values assigned by Marriott at enrollment in the DC.

If you look at all the RC Destination club properties, it clearly states that access is for a limited time.

 

[puckmanfl]

good afternoon...


This whole thing is getting kind of twisted....

There are only 2 types of owners...

#1 Legacy owners using their own week in season.

#2 Trust owners using trust points only to book Trust inventory..

Everyone else...

Legacy owners trading back into their home resort via II or DC
Trust owners using Exchange (Legacy inventory)
Legacy owners using DC points
Legacy using II...

all of these are exchangers

the point of this thread is that Greg's buddy and Fractional are owner category 2 and always fall behind owner category one, however were told "they don't need a home resort" They are owners everywhere . If I was a Trust only owner I owuld be hot under the collar about this!!!