buy marriott only to exchange for points

[camachinist]

Dave, are you going to GRU soon? If not, would you like to? If so, PM me... I've got something for you...

BTW, I'm a contrarian in nearly everything, so people should take my viewpoint with a grain of salt. I bought up a bunch of Apple stock back when folks said Apple was done and Bill had won. I'm hating life right about now

If I hadn't personally seen a serious degradation in the Marriott service ethic in the last couple years, I would not have been looking at this as closely as I am. To me, that's something far more ominous than a devaluation of points; it's a devaluation of experience, and something Marriott had better fix.

Recent example: Prior to our Oz trip earlier this month, I called 3 times, at the same time during the day, to get our renter added to our reservation, as Marriott's online system would not allow it. 3 straight times the phone tree kept me on hold for 20 minutes until I hung up. Tried once again after our trip at the same time and they picked up in 20 seconds. The latter is normal but the former very un-Marriott like and very frustrating. It's things like that, along with the competence of the corporate agents, that worries me...

Pat

 

[Dave M]

Not likely, Pat. I have a rough plan for significant travel that stretches out five years and I have no planned trips that far south during that timeframe.

 

[pwrshift]

I had used Marriott hotels for years, way before buying MMC, and never really followed how my points were building up. It wasn't even called Marriott Rewards back then but whenever I looked at the program it always seemed like it would take years and years to earn enough points to take a trip somewhere. I wasn't a believer.

When I bought MMC the sales rep asked me if I was a member ... I told him my points must have expired without use by now, but he called and reinstated all my points - surprisingly many thousands of them in addition to the 'world trip' and incentive points I got for buying MMC from him. Nice bonus - good salesman. To me, being able to trade in a week costing about $500 at the time for 120,000 points seemed like a no brainer and my family has enjoyed the points program ever since.

The cost of those 120k points has gone up since with increasing MF, but so has my income as well as the cost of a hotel room! The points program is a rewards program for their best customers -- I'm proud to be one of them and they treat me right...and I'm trusting them to continue to do so.

Brian

Hmmm.

Devaluation isn't new. It's been going on regularly with almost all loyalty programs since the first major airline FF programs were founded 26 years ago. Marriott has been devaluing it's points at least since 1989 and has been offering points as timeshare purchase incentives for at least the past 14 years.

Marriott has been selling timeshares since 1984. Marriott Rewards was founded in 1983. Those of us who bought our first Marriott timeshares 14 or so years ago have seen many changes to the Marriott program. Those of us who have been earning and using megapoints in Marriott's loyalty program for 24 years have seen many changes to that program. Although not all changes to either program have been owner-friendly, none of the changes seem to have put a dent in Marriott's success.

Marriott Rewards is still recognized as one of the top hotel award programs. It took home two Freddie awards this year and was either second or third in every other Americas category for which it was eligible. Some of the recent unpopular changes were announced after the voting, but that's true for some of the other affinnity programs, too.

Thus, there isn't anything new about what has been happening recently. And Marriott is still as successful as ever at marketing its new timeshare projects - to new and existing owners.

Yes, there could be a big bang that would cause problems with Marriott timeshare sales or with the Marriott Rewards program. So far, I don't see any major bumps on the road. For individual owners? Yes, some minor ones. But not for Marriott.

Marriott timeshares are all about vacation, not about Marriott Rewards points. Those points are and always have been merely an incentive that Marriott dangles to help sales efforts.

 

[Dean]

MVCI teased us by offering to "upgrade" our existing NCV intervals to EY surrender if we bought "one more" from them. Pass...

We upgraded two resale weeks to points EY as part of a purchase. I'd never have done it for the points alone as I'm not a big believer in them but it was nice to get something extra for a purchase we were making anyway.

 

[camachinist]

Guess I shoulda mentioned the existing intervals are developer intervals... and EOY MRP option. Fool me once

Pat