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Advice Please where to purchase Marriott for East Coast

natashateach

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This summer we rented a last minute 2 bedroom Fairway Villa Marriott in New Jersey for $525. We reside in Connecticut so the drive was more than reasonable. We don't fly so the closer the better. It was the free activities and the spa that turned me on to Marriott. I am a SAHM with three little girls and my husband is a second year teacher. So we only travel during peak times summer, Christmas break, President's week, and April vacation. We can leave at the drop of a hat during those times. Peak purchase time wouldn't be affordable at this time. We have also purchased eoy Massanutten but haven't used it yet. That's a long drive so I wouldn't mind a place near there to make it into two weeks but it isn't needed. I would like a lock off for possibly two deposits? We would probably want to own east coast and travel mostly east coast or within 15 hours. I read about some people on the other coast using Flex change with bronze and silver traders. Any suggestions on what I should buy and how to use it for the best bang for my buck.:shrug:
 

MOXJO7282

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This summer we rented a last minute 2 bedroom Fairway Villa Marriott in New Jersey for $525. We reside in Connecticut so the drive was more than reasonable. We don't fly so the closer the better. It was the free activities and the spa that turned me on to Marriott. I am a SAHM with three little girls and my husband is a second year teacher. So we only travel during peak times summer, Christmas break, President's week, and April vacation. We can leave at the drop of a hat during those times. Peak purchase time wouldn't be affordable at this time. We have also purchased eoy Massanutten but haven't used it yet. That's a long drive so I wouldn't mind a place near there to make it into two weeks but it isn't needed. I would like a lock off for possibly two deposits? We would probably want to own east coast and travel mostly east coast or within 15 hours. I read about some people on the other coast using Flex change with bronze and silver traders. Any suggestions on what I should buy and how to use it for the best bang for my buck.:shrug:
Traveling at the drop of a hat doesn't work during prime time. For high demand weeks you need to plan well in advance, many times 12 months out. The closest Marriott that I think fits that bill is the Manor Club in Williamsburg, VA. A platinum week can be had resale for $7500-$8500, if I'm not mistaken. Now that is a location you would only travel to during the summer, because it isn't as enjoyable for young families when most of the attractions are shut down. I would think a platinum week would have pretty good trading power, but since you limit yourself to 15 hours there is not all that much to consider as far as Marriott goes.

Regards.
Joe
 

bogeygolf

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This summer we rented a last minute 2 bedroom Fairway Villa Marriott in New Jersey for $525. We reside in Connecticut so the drive was more than reasonable. We don't fly so the closer the better. It was the free activities and the spa that turned me on to Marriott. I am a SAHM with three little girls and my husband is a second year teacher. So we only travel during peak times summer, Christmas break, President's week, and April vacation. We can leave at the drop of a hat during those times. Peak purchase time wouldn't be affordable at this time. We have also purchased eoy Massanutten but haven't used it yet. That's a long drive so I wouldn't mind a place near there to make it into two weeks but it isn't needed. I would like a lock off for possibly two deposits? We would probably want to own east coast and travel mostly east coast or within 15 hours. I read about some people on the other coast using Flex change with bronze and silver traders. Any suggestions on what I should buy and how to use it for the best bang for my buck.:shrug:

My advice would be to purchase an affordable platinum week with lockoff either Manor club sequel or Horizon at Branson. If your patient and look around you can find resale a MMC sequel for maybe 10K for 2bd and branson for around 5-6K. Another option would be Grande vista plat. for about 9-10K. All are lockoffs and you would be buying in platinum season. This would allow you to pretty good chance to trade into summer weeks in East coast resorts (SC, NJ, VA, FL etc). Depending on II availability sometimes you will get an AC for a deposit of these plat. weeks for an extra week from II. The problem with the bronze and silver traders are that you're be only limited to flexchange for trading into summer time or holiday. But what if nothing is available for you for the east coast during flexchange? Then you will be stuck with a week you can't use and paying same MF as platinum weeks.

Hope this helps, Just MHO.
 

Big Matt

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You can also get a non-ocenan front Hilton Head property for about the same as Manor Club or Branson. Cons would be: no lock off and maybe a bit outside of your 15 hour radius.

Look for ocean front at the Outer Banks. It won't be Marriott, nor very fancy, but it's a great place to visit during the summer.
 

pwrshift

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Marriott Manor Club - 3 weeks platinum, 2 weeks at Marriott Beachplace Towers, and 1 week at Marriott Canyon Villas
I would suggest Manor Club too as there's so much to do in the area and the resort is in a quiet upscale residential/golf environment. With Busch Gardens, WaterWorld, Historic sites, Virginia Beach, outlet shopping, fine dining nearby you'll fill 7 nights very easily...or if you prefer, just settle in and enjoy the resort. If you like or might like golf, you get 6 free rounds of golf at Ford's Colony too - included in your annual maintenance which is one of the lowest in the Marriott family.

It doesn't have a Red Door spa like NJ unfortunately, but I don't find that resort has much to do in the adjacent area other than Atlantic City gambling which I find is too far away to properly play the tables.

Boston Custom House is more of a 'business' site than an annual family vacation place, but might be worth considering too depending on your holiday wants - resale prices will be higher than discussed here. It's right downtown, but only 1 bdrm suites and $45 a day parking. Myrtle Beach is relatively new for Marriott so the entry cost is much higher than the others mentioned.

Brian
 

natashateach

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Thanks for the advice- anymore suggestions?

So Bronze, silver, or gold wouldn't be good options for the prime time even with flex change it sounds? We don't golf. Would Manor Club and Branson get a/c certificates? Would either of these weeks be able to trade for Boston and Hilton Head during the times we need? If you don't trade with II and split the unit or rent the unit using the lock off are there any fees? Thanks for all the advice.:)
 

Zac495

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So Bronze, silver, or gold wouldn't be good options for the prime time even with flex change it sounds? We don't golf. Would Manor Club and Branson get a/c certificates? Would either of these weeks be able to trade for Boston and Hilton Head during the times we need? If you don't trade with II and split the unit or rent the unit using the lock off are there any fees? Thanks for all the advice.:)

Manor Club has lock offs AND non-lock offs - so be sure to get what you want if you buy. I think you got an amazing rental deal last summer - wow - but I don't think you could ever bank on getting that again. Manor Club will trade very nicely. You have to use II to trade (I think II is 82 per year plus 99 for a Marriott trade - then there's a lock off fee, but I don't recall what it is) unless you do a direct exchange with another owner - something I've done twice. This is the first year I've paid Interval in awhile.:clap:
 

Big Matt

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Manor Club Sequel has traded into the following for me with either the studio or 1BR:

Grande Ocean - July
Barony - Easter week
Grande Vista 3BR twice - June and July
Cypress Harbour twice - August and Easter week
Manor Club Original three times - July twice, August once
Newport Coast Villas - July 4th week
Custom House - July 4th week
Timber Lodge Tahoe - July
Disney Old Key West - MLK Week
Disney Saratoga Springs - August

None of these were in flexchange.


Alas, this is the first time in years when we still don't have an AC, but Branson does.
 

natashateach

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compared to Massanutten?

Recently purchased summit at Massanutten eoy unit but haven't been there. If you have been there can you compare it to Marriott's quality.... Is it a big step down....
 

icydog

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I don't know. I own three Platinum Manor Club weeks and I would gladly trade them in for three Fairways weeks. We don't golf but the resort is so upscale with the spa, restaurants and pools we love it there. In fact anytime we can exchange into Fairways we do. I traded all three weeks for summer weeks in the Marriott Fairways in 2008. I know the Manor Club MFs are less than Fairways but I would rather not pay the exchange fees to get there and then the difference would be a wash. I know that Fairways platinum trades extremely well since there are so many summer weeks available there. All the owners are someplace else.

If I lived in Connecticut and I wanted to buy a nice Marriott I would opt for the Fairways or maybe an Orlando week if you changed your mind about driving that far.

BTW, how did you get a summer week for $525??
 
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