@vacationemery You messed up the quote there.....research how to use the +Quote buttons.....
I'll be glad to answer your question:
- II is Interval International (II). It is the exchange system used by Marriotts (some Marriotts have dual affiliation with RCI (another exchange system), but not many).
- Marriott Legacy weeks are (normally) assigned a 'season' for use. Basically, year-round, holiday, summer, spring/fall, winter etc.... Marriott designates these seasons by color (red, white, blue or platinum, silver, gold). Platinum or Red weeks are the most desirable based on demand. The holiday weeks units (52--Christmas/New Years or 'Ski-weeks' etc...) are super-high demand and may or may not have access to the other 51/52 weeks of the year. So, a 'Platinum' season Marriott unit can reserve all 52 weeks (or 51 if there is a special '52' week designation).
- Marriotts are typically 'float' units, meaning that they can reserve within the assigned 'season.' There are some fixed I think, but not common.
- There are some units in Florida that are part of the 'Florida Club' or FC. They have the ability to trade internally (at 6 mos out) to other FC Marriott units. Good if you want to see multiple locations in Florida.
- The rest of the Marriott legacy weeks do not trade internally. In order to go to a different resort (Marriott or other), you must use an exchange system. Interval (II) is the system I'm discussing.
- Marriotts in II have special preference (sometimes referred to as "MP" or "with/without Preference") when seeking to exchange to other Marriotts. Not all units available for exchange in II have this preference, but many/most do. The preference lasts from 1 to 24 days from the time the unit is deposited into II.
- So......you can place an exchange request with II by either requesting (request first) an exchange before you 'give' them your week, or by depositing your week (deposit first) and then placing an 'ongoing request' for an exchange. Example, I deposit my Marriott Grande Vista 2br lock-off into II and request an exchange for Jan 2019 at any Marriott Hawaii resort, 2br. When the exchange is matched, II will assign me the exchange for a fee ($149 for Marriott to Marriott? can't remember, but less than $200). This happened this year. I deposited a 2br lock-off portion of my 3br Marriott Grande Vista, requested a Jan 2019 week at Marriott KoOlina and was assigned an exchange 2br unit.
So, what I'm saying is this: When you buy a legacy week, you can not directly book at other Marriotts, but you can easily exchange to another resort due to the strong exchange power of MP and the trading strength of Marriotts in general. Flexibility is the key. Multiple resorts and multiple weeks must be considered when making your exchange request. It has worked very, very well for me. It is also possible to re-exchange your resort week (if something better shows up) via eplus. But, this is too advanced for a short discussion. I didn't mention it, but you can also complete an "Instant Exchange" in II, but this requires much more time and patience. A story for another day.
I hope this helps. Read the stickies on Interval exchanges, and search for some "great exchanges with II" in the threads. You'll see.
Also, remember: If you buy a 'lock-off' capable unit, you can reserve, lock-off (master and studio) and then make TWO deposits into II for exchange. This is the 'two for one' that is commonly discussed with lock-off units and II and exchanges.
cheers.
