[2024] MARRIOTT OWNERS: Important Update to our Guest of Owner Policy from Marriott Vacation Clubs [Related thread in the TUG Vistana forum.]

[keepgoing]

Got an email from Marriott regarding "Updates to our Guest of Owner Policy", one important paragraph states -

Guests who have not completed a Guest of Owner form at least 30 days prior to arrival at a resort will not be able to check in.

Does it mean I can no longer change or book (may be allowed to put in non-owner guest during booking) last min trip to guest other than owner if I was not able to make the trip myself when the checkin date is less than 30 days?

 

[DeniseM]

It makes no sense - since when do guest's change their own name? I suspect sloppy work. Vistana owners got the email too, and that makes even less sense.

 

[davidvel]

Well as everyone always says here, MVC can do whatever they want regardless of the deeded rights in the CC&Rs and we all have to live with it because they have expensive lawyers and there is no way to do anything about it.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

This is the kind of anti-owner policy that gives timeshares a bad name. Boo MVC

 

[TravelJoy]

Well as everyone always says here, MVC can do whatever they want regardless of the deeded rights in the CC&Rs and we all have to live with it because they have expensive lawyers and there is no way to do anything about it.

That is until they have to send said lawyers to individual cases to defend the asinine rules, I tell you they bank on most people simply laying down and falling in line.

I was just about to post this also:
====

GUEST OF owner​ FORM REQUIREMENTS​

Our number-one priority is helping our Owners fully enjoy and use their vacation ownership. Because of this, we’re updating our procedures to identify arriving and/or unaccompanied guests to provide a reservation process that is consistent for all Owners. If a guest is utilizing an Owner’s reservation at one of the 90+ resorts and properties in Abound by Marriott Vacations, the Owner must provide the guest’s specific and accurate information no less than 30 days prior to the check-in date. This will help prevent misuse of the reservation process. It also streamlines the check-in process and villa assignment procedures and will help ensure Owner and guest satisfaction. Guests who have not completed a Guest of Owner form at least 30 days prior to arrival at a resort will not be able to check in. Can I Change a Guest’s Name At Marriott.com? The only way to add or modify a guest’s name on a reservation is to complete the Guest of Owner form available on your Owner website: Vistana.com. You may not change a name on a reservation on Marriott.com or the Marriott Bonvoy app. You will also not be able to call Owner Services or have it changed by the front desk. Who is required to provide identifying information? If a friend or family member is staying with you, in your villa or similar accommodation, you don’t need to add their name to your reservation or provide the Guest of Owner form unless they will be checking in before you. The Guest of Owner form is only required for guests who are staying in an Owner’s villa without the Owner present, or who are arriving before the Owner. How do I update my reservation with the guest’s name? Log in to Vistana.com, go to the “My Vacations” page, select “View Details” on the reservation you’d like to update, then select “Change Guest Name.” ​

 

[Pink_Warrior]

So I just had a problem with an Abound reservation that I made last night. It was an added night for tonight and it was for my daughter who was already checked in at the resort. No way, no how could I put her name on the reservation when I was booking it. It got stuck on the state box. So I booked the reservation in my name. I called Bonvoy and they said that I had to talk to MVC. I called them and it was a battle but they did put her name on it since she was already at the resort but I had to physically fill out that form even though she will be well checked out by the time that form is processed.

So if this is how this will play out, do I have to add all of my children's names to all of my contracts?

 

[TravelJoy]

So I just had a problem with an Abound reservation that I made last night. It was an added night for tonight and it was for my daughter who was already checked in at the resort. No way, no how could I put her name on the reservation when I was booking it. It got stuck on the state box. So I booked the reservation in my name. I called Bonvoy and they said that I had to talk to MVC. I called them and it was a battle but they did put her name on it since she was already at the resort but I had to physically fill out that form even though she will be well checked out by the time that form is processed.

So if this is how this will play out, do I have to add all of my children's names to all of my contracts?

I would just give them hell over the phone until they see the absurdity of this, they get bombarded with these calls at front desk and call center they will just learn to ignore it.

 

[Hindsite]

I see the wording mentions Abound, so does that mean that they are skirting round the problem that @davidvel points out and just hoping that weeks reservations owners assume they have to do it as well or get fed up with battling?

 

[daviator]

I think they are going to be on shaky legal grounds trying to implement this for owners of deeded weeks. That’s literal real estate, you should be able to designate someone else to check in five minutes in advance if you want to. It will be interesting to see if they try to enforce it on weeks owners or if anyone challenges them if they do.

 

[Hindsite]

So I just had a problem with an Abound reservation that I made last night.

What would yo have done if you didn't have the ability to make the extended booking via Abound, because the inventory wasn't there or you didn't have the points available?

Could be they are driving revenue to $$ payment platforms for this type of scenario.

Hopefully this is going to further dampen the broker activity of using other people's accounts with chairman status to make reduced points bookings and then renting them out.

 

[Pink_Warrior]

What would yo have done if you didn't have the ability to make the extended booking via Abound, because the inventory wasn't there or you didn't have the points available?

Could be they are driving revenue to $$ payment platforms for this type of scenario.

Hopefully this is going to further dampen the broker activity of using other people's accounts with chairman status to make reduced points bookings and then renting them out.

My daughter and family had a horrible Airbnb and had to move. Bonvoy only had a Courtyard on the entire island. Daddy was very close to flying in when the problems arose at the AirBnb. But Mommy would have flown in since they had no place to stay.

We just spent a couple of nights near DCA. It was so much cheaper for us to use the Bonvoy discount code than to use the points, even with the executive point discount.

We've decided to move to Presidential so I just really need to figure out if I have to realign the entire ownership because this scenario is unacceptable. If anything will make them rethink the policy, it will be an outpouring of owners who need to make these changes.

 

[Hindsite]

We've decided to move to Presidential so I just really need to figure out if I have to realign the entire ownership because this scenario is unacceptable. If anything will make them rethink the policy, it will be an outpouring of owners who need to make these changes.

My guess is that it hasn't had an adverse impact on MVC owners usage over the last few months so they have rolled it out to Vistana owners now.

We will see if they stick to a faster turn-around of forms like they have with MVC. I suspect your scenario will still be able to be battled through as you have done, but they will want to deter it to avoid forming a loophole for renters.

 

[NJVacation61]

Seems like this new policy will totally destroy Redweek and other rental site weeks coming up within the next 30 days deeming them unrentable.
I am guessing the new policy is being put in place to specifically hurt those sites and the rental market in general.

 

[Pink_Warrior]

Seems like this new policy will totally destroy Redweek and other rental site weeks coming up within the next 30 days deeming them unrentable.
I am guessing the new policy is being put in place to specifically hurt those sites and the rental market in general.

I think that Redweek is destroying Redweek. That being said, there are several listings available for my own personal stay in a week. My hunch is that they are already booked and just not removed. However, if someone is just adding a guest and keeping the owner's name on it, that is a workaround. However, if I had a reservation that DIDN'T show up in my Bonvoy, I would be screaming.

But please, if they would cancel those within 30 day reservations, that would be great. I would totally pick up a larger unit and send my points to holding.

 

[NJVacation61]

However, if someone is just adding a guest and keeping the owner's name on it, that is a workaround.

But isn't that what Marriott is eliminating? That guest would not be able to check in so how is that a workaround?

 

[Pink_Warrior]

But isn't that what Marriott is eliminating? That guest would not be able to check in so how is that a workaround?

The rule looks to impact reservations where the owner is not traveling also. So it appears that you can add the guest if they are arriving first. But the telltale sign that this is a workaround is if it doesn't show up in the Bonvoy account.

 

[RoverJohn]

This new policy places an exceptional weight on ALL owners. Life is always subject to change - the ability of an owner or their certified guest to travel at an expected time will change at the last moment, and certainly within the shortened 30 day window of opportunity. The value of ownership has been DEGRADED by such an exclusionary and mindless set of rules. How does Marriott explain this rule to any potential buyer.

 

[Pink_Warrior]

Why were you unable to change it online? Was the link to the new form not available?

The link was there and it said the five business days verbiage which I didn't have. While I was booking the reservation, it simply did not like my state. The box kept going red. So I couldn't put her name even though they really don't give a hoot about the address at all. So I booked it in my name and called to switch it. They had to get permission and I still had to submit the form online.

There seemed to have been a disconnect on the stay that she was checked in for. I booked it in her name. It didn't show that way in Bonvoy but I could see her name on MVC. But the resort couldn't see her name. They seemed to have worked it out since she has the first initial and same last name as me.

 

[NJVacation61]

The rule looks to impact reservations where the owner is not traveling also. So it appears that you can add the guest if they are arriving first. But the telltale sign that this is a workaround is if it doesn't show up in the Bonvoy account.

I am confused as what you are saying totally contradicts Marriott's new policy. Can you add the guest within 30 days or not?

 

[SueDonJ]

Even if I'm the first to say it in this thread, I know I'm not the only TUG outlier who is happy that Marriott is at least making an attempt to fix the problem of owner reservations being used by people without the owners' knowledge or consent. We all know it happens, right, with the easiest method (and the one that TUGgers swear by) being via the marriott.com portal? So if MVW is FINALLY doing something about it, good on them. As an owner who sometimes gifts usage to family AND rents usage to strangers, I want my intended usage of my owner reservations to be protected.

That said, I fully expect that Marriott will be behind TUGgers in finding all the possible legitimate Guest name changes that won't be served by this new policy. We'll be inconvenienced for a while, which admittedly is and generally has been par for our Marriott course, but picking up the phone or emailing Customer Advocacy with these concerns will go a lot further in ironing out the wrinkles than any posts here. (from owners.marriottvacationclub.com Contact Us: Call 407-206-6000 or 800-860-9384 / Text 407-358-3745 / Email customer.advocacy@mvwc.com)

Again, I'm not saying this because it doesn't affect me. Today I'll be on the phone because our daughter and her family will be joining us on Hilton Head for two weeks a few weeks from now, and as a gift to our grandkids we used points to book Barony for a night for them. Our grandkids LOVE that gardenside pool and the last time we were there 6YO Caden was shocked to learn that the buildings are like hotels with people sleeping/eating above the pool. We usually use Day Passes to spend time there and at SurfWatch but two full days at the property plus a night on their own is well worth the points. So, I'll be on the phone today to figure out if it's enough that I'll be with them checking them in, and if not what's the procedure with the check-in inside of 30 days.

 

[Pink_Warrior]

I am confused as what you are saying totally contradicts Marriott's new policy. Can you add the guest within 30 days or not?

Well it seems to imply that you don't need to use the form IF the owner was going to be there. So maybe calling in they will add the guest for you but technically NOT remove the owner from the reservation. So can a seller slide under the radar with this? Probably. But then it wouldn't be showing in the buyer's Bonvoy since it would still be attached to the owner.

 

[jp10558]

This would seem to kill the last minute rental forum for MVC properties right?

 

[NJVacation61]

Well it seems to imply that you don't need to use the form IF the owner was going to be there. So maybe calling in they will add the guest for you but technically NOT remove the owner from the reservation. So can a seller slide under the radar with this? Probably. But then it wouldn't be showing in the buyer's Bonvoy since it would still be attached to the owner.

But as far as rentals on RW or TUG or any site, the owner will NOT be there and the renter can not check in or be added within 30 days so you'd be crazy to rent from anyone knowing if you show up there's a good chance they aren't letting you check into the room.

 

[igopogo]

I didn’t get this email. Did it only go to Vistana owners?

Is this seen as a strengthening of the current form policy, or simply a roll out to Vistana?

 

[Hindsite]

I didn’t get this email. Did it only go to Vistana owners?

Is this seen as a strengthening of the current form policy, or simply a roll out to Vistana?

Yes to Vistana owners. [It went out to Vistana AND Marriott owners Denisem]
Yes appears to be, not certain, just a roll out to Vistana