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CLOSED: Thread Dedicated to the Upcoming/Anticipated Integration of Vistana & Marriott Ownerships (Marriott Link + Vistana Discussion)

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TravelTime

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Inventory is 'officially' released at 9AM Eastern but in practice it's actually released shortly after midnight on the release day, and, all Points reservations can be processed online.

I was booking with the 13 month window on Tuesday. I kept checking before 9 am Eastern and nothing was released early. Even the drop down menu did not give an option to select June 2023 for any resort. Then right at 9 am Eastern the June 2023 drop down menu appeared and all resorts were released to book starting in June. I know Tuggers have reported releases before 9 am EST, but I have never experienced that.
 

dioxide45

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It really isn't all that difficult to understand the release dates for booking Marriott Weeks or Points. The owners' website has a 'Helpful Tools' section where you follow the prompts to select whether you're using Weeks or Points, your desired resort and check-in date (and if using Points, the number of nights of your desired stay,) after which the inventory release date field is populated. I get why it was confusing having to know the seasonal calendar of the resort(s), the release day of the week and whether a holiday might push the date a day ahead or behind because that's what we needed to know back before these tools were made available, but with these website tools it's not necessary to know any of the machinations now. It's really been made very simple.

As for the reservation rules using owned Weeks:

- when booking single Weeks; the Release Date is 12 months prior to the first check-in day of the desired interval, the inventory is released immediately at 9AM Eastern on that date, and you can either book online or through a call to Owner Services.

- when booking multiple Weeks that fall consecutively/concurrently on the calendar (at either the same resort or different resorts); you must be using units or lock-off components from two or more owned Weeks, the Release Date is 13 months prior to the first check-in day of the first desired interval, the inventory is released immediately at 9:00AM Eastern on that date, and you must call Owner Services because the online system does not support immediate confirmations of multiple intervals. (There is an online request form for 13-mos Weeks inventory but those requests aren't handled until the phone queue is empty, so don't rely on it for anything but the least-demand inventory.)

*Worth noting is that Marriott is allowed to release for 13-mos bookings only "up to 50%" of the Weeks intervals, then at 12-mos all intervals become available. (Also worth noting is that there is language in the governing docs that prevents Marriott from using the 13-mos window to book its own intervals, although I'm not sure if that language is in every resorts' gov docs. It's definitely in those for one of my resorts.)

And for DC Points:

- the Reservation Windows are dependent on ownership status levels and the number of nights of the desired intervals. (Special rules may come into play if you're using restricted Holding Account points and/or booking something in the Luxury/Ritz-Carlton categories.) Again, figuring it out is not as difficult as it might appear, and it's made clear in this 'Benefits At A Glance' chart. Inventory is 'officially' released at 9AM Eastern but in practice it's actually released shortly after midnight on the release day, and, all Points reservations can be processed online.

*Worth noting is that a similar "up to 50%" restriction for 13-mos Points inventory is stated in the docs.

********************
More and more reading this thread I'm convinced that the only real integration that's going to happen is that certain Vistana Weeks/Points will be eligible to be elected on an annual basis for Marriott Destination Club Points. If the same rules as what are in place with Marriott enrolled Weeks apply, then enrolling a Vistana product should have no bearing on the Reservation Rules and Windows currently being used by Vistana owners. That means that if you enroll and don't elect DC Points in a given year, the same rules/windows that you use now will be what you use then. If you enroll and elect DC Points in a given year, then you will use the rules/windows that apply to DC Points. That's what I expect will happen but of course, it's anybody's guess right now.
Before that tool was introduced, there were a bazillion questions in the Marriott forum about release dates. After, it seemed to mostly solve the problem. Marriott does have a much more convoluted inventory release system.
 
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TravelTime

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It would be easier if they did not have weekly release dates and just did exactly 13 or 12 months out like Vistana.
 

dioxide45

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It would be easier if they did not have weekly release dates and just did exactly 13 or 12 months out like Vistana.
Another problem with weekly release dates is it puts unneeded stress on the reservation and customer service systems. Everyone checking in over multiple days is all trying to call in or go online on a single day.
 

SueDonJ

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Before that tool was introduced, there were a bazillion questions in the Marriott forum about release dates. After, it seemed to mostly solve the problem. Marriott does have a much more convoluted inventory release system.
Another problem with weekly release dates is it puts unneeded stress on the reservation and customer service systems. Everyone checking in over multiple days is all trying to call in or go online on a single day.
I don't disagree with either of these comments but it seems to me that the system is a holdover from the days when all reservations had to be made by calling in to Owner Services which wasn't open on the weekends. Marriott resorts have various check-in days, some have Th-F-Sat-Sun-Mon, others F-Sat-Sun ...

Don't Vistana Weeks also have various check-in days? Has Vistana always had online reservation capability? If not, what would happen in the Vistana system if the exactly-12mos-ahead release date was a day when their Owner Services was closed?
 

dioxide45

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I don't disagree with either of these comments but it seems to me that the system is a holdover from the days when all reservations had to be made by calling in to Owner Services which wasn't open on the weekends. Marriott resorts have various check-in days, some have Th-F-Sat-Sun-Mon, others F-Sat-Sun ...

Don't Vistana Weeks also have various check-in days? Has Vistana always had online reservation capability? If not, what would happen in the Vistana system if the exactly-12mos-ahead release date was a day when their Owner Services was closed?
I don't know how long Vistana has had online reservations, but is has been for as long as I have owned. They do have various checkin days (Fri, Sat Sun) for weeks ownership, but if you want to checkin on Saturday you would have called on a different day than someone who wanted to check in on Sunday of the same week. Marriott's system of releasing inventory would have those same two people trying to make their reservations at the same time.'

Different companies tend to do things a little different. Each has their own pros and cons. It would have been good if MVC could have just gone to a simpler reservation window, at least for DC point bookings. Right now everyone wanting to reserve for a checkin day for an entire week is trying to do so at the same time.
 

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I don't know how long Vistana has had online reservations, but is has been for as long as I have owned.

I want to say somewhere around 2015
 

rickandcindy23

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Vistana had much better hours before The acquisition also. Evenings and weekends.
Yes! We needed to add a name last-minute for a person who rented a week that was sitting online. We couldn't add a guest online and had to call the resort because it was a Saturday and the office was closed. That surprised me that they cut down their hours that drastically.
 

DanCali

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Vistana had much better hours before The acquisition also. Evenings and weekends.

Yes! We needed to add a name last-minute for a person who rented a week that was sitting online. We couldn't add a guest online and had to call the resort because it was a Saturday and the office was closed. That surprised me that they cut down their hours that drastically.


The phone hours are part of the general covid "skimpflation" in the economy (no price increase, but less services/quantity for the same price).

Both Vistana and MVC shut down the phone lines when covid started and went to 5pm weekday hours. 2 years later with occupancy rates back to pre-covid they seem to have no intention of restoring the customer service hours (I think MVC or both now went to 6pm weekdays). I'm waiting to see the resulting impact on my MFs!
 

VacationForever

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I've owned Vistana since 1996 and had RCI set up. I have never stayed at where I own. I called each year to deposit into the RCI system for exchange. Subsequently I moved to RCI Points and 76,000 points just showed up each year without calling. I left RCI in 2008 and moved to II. Because I own a fixed/float week, the week was automatcally booked for me 18 months out and I always have to call to cancel. But after cancelling, I could use the Vistana online system to reserve or deposit into II.
 

rickandcindy23

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The phone hours are part of the general covid "skimpflation" in the economy (no price increase, but less services/quantity for the same price).

Both Vistana and MVC shut down the phone lines when covid started and went to 5pm weekday hours. 2 years later with occupancy rates back to pre-covid they seem to have no intention of restoring the customer service hours (I think MVC or both now went to 6pm weekdays). I'm waiting to see the resulting impact on my MFs!
Don't hold your breath on a reduction in fees for less service. We have seen less housekeeping mid-week as a result of "Covid" and Marriott's takeover. I was surprised at the lack of mid-week service at Westin in March.
 

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Don't hold your breath on a reduction in fees for less service. We have seen less housekeeping mid-week as a result of "Covid" and Marriott's takeover. I was surprised at the lack of mid-week service at Westin in March.


Yeah - I wasn't holding my breath.

But I do expect any impact from lower service to us will show up on MVC's bottom line financials, not ours.
 

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Thanks! I just got mine and can’t wait to use it for all of my timeshare adventures! I got 3 batteries and a slew of accessories. I hope the extreme plus SD card is good enough at 256gb.
256 gb should last you for practically a whole day of video and the extreme plus is fast enough to take it. If you are on a multi-day excursion having a way to download the chip to a laptop/hard drive or upload to a cloud server would be a good thing. I don't take time to edit while I am on vacation but I can certainly set up the chip to download while I sleep and have it ready for the next day. ENJOY!
 

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IIRC, at the beginning of the soft launch, Denise's source said the DC points election would apply at the earliest to the 2023 use years. Does it seem reasonable with final/hard launch at the end of June (my guess), for an eligible Vistana owner to get enrolled and elect points by the Sept 30 (Owner,Select, Executive) or Oct 31 (Presidential, Chairman) election deadlines? That's only 3 months for most. My biggest assumption is a sales meeting is required for enrollment. And if it is, that means a trek to a resort, if you don't have already have a summer reservation. I'm interested in enrolling for a specific Marriott location in 2023.

Of course, not all those who are eligible are going to enroll, and Marriott probably expects the first wave to enroll during say, 6 months - 1 year. There are also Vistana owners who've already used their 2023 use years for home resort reservations.
 

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There are also Vistana owners who've already used their 2023 use years for home resort reservations.

That would likely include any Vistana owner with a fixed week ownership as those reservations are made at the 18-month point and just need a confirmation. My guess would be that anyone in that position with an enrolled fixed week could elect to deposit it prior to the deadline, though the devil will be in the details of how it actually works in practice.
 

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That would likely include any Vistana owner with a fixed week ownership as those reservations are made at the 18-month point and just need a confirmation. My guess would be that anyone in that position with an enrolled fixed week could elect to deposit it prior to the deadline, though the devil will be in the details of how it actually works in practice.
I actually have a fixed week, and I think it is released at 12 months if not confirmed. But I just use it for options trading.
and it releases just in time (May) for reservations in the next calendar year. Otherwise I guess I'd have to call CS to release it earlier than 12 months. I have looked for an online release option, but can only confirm.
 

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I actually have a fixed week, and I think it is released at 12 months if not confirmed. But I just use it for options trading.
and it releases just in time (May) for reservations in the next calendar year. Otherwise I guess I'd have to call CS to release it earlier than 12 months. I have looked for an online release option, but can only confirm.

Not sure which VSE fixed week you are referencing, but ours was released at 10 months if not released. This is pretty standard for VSE fixed weeks from my understanding.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

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I actually have a fixed week, and I think it is released at 12 months if not confirmed. But I just use it for options trading.
and it releases just in time (May) for reservations in the next calendar year. Otherwise I guess I'd have to call CS to release it earlier than 12 months. I have looked for an online release option, but can only confirm.
To release the StarOptions, just confirm your auto-reservation and then you can cancel it and the SO are returned and the auto-reservation is gone.
 

dioxide45

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IIRC, at the beginning of the soft launch, Denise's source said the DC points election would apply at the earliest to the 2023 use years. Does it seem reasonable with final/hard launch at the end of June (my guess), for an eligible Vistana owner to get enrolled and elect points by the Sept 30 (Owner,Select, Executive) or Oct 31 (Presidential, Chairman) election deadlines? That's only 3 months for most. My biggest assumption is a sales meeting is required for enrollment. And if it is, that means a trek to a resort, if you don't have already have a summer reservation. I'm interested in enrolling for a specific Marriott location in 2023.

Of course, not all those who are eligible are going to enroll, and Marriott probably expects the first wave to enroll during say, 6 months - 1 year. There are also Vistana owners who've already used their 2023 use years for home resort reservations.
Denise's contact also indicated there would be no fee to enroll. So there should be no reason for a visit to a sales office.
 

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Denise's contact also indicated there would be no fee to enroll. So there should be no reason for a visit to a sales office.
I suspect enrollment will be automatic. Why create a cluster of people enrolling and associated support, if it is going to be free.
 

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IIRC, at the beginning of the soft launch, Denise's source said the DC points election would apply at the earliest to the 2023 use years. Does it seem reasonable with final/hard launch at the end of June (my guess), for an eligible Vistana owner to get enrolled and elect points by the Sept 30 (Owner,Select, Executive) or Oct 31 (Presidential, Chairman) election deadlines? That's only 3 months for most. My biggest assumption is a sales meeting is required for enrollment. And if it is, that means a trek to a resort, if you don't have already have a summer reservation. I'm interested in enrolling for a specific Marriott location in 2023.

Of course, not all those who are eligible are going to enroll, and Marriott probably expects the first wave to enroll during say, 6 months - 1 year. There are also Vistana owners who've already used their 2023 use years for home resort reservations.
Of course there's no way of knowing what will be required but if it's similar to the Marriott process, enrolling can be done online by clicking on the "Start Enrolling Now" button that's prominently featured. I don't know, can't remember, if it's an instant approval or if you have to wait for confirmation but it doesn't take anywhere near close to even a week. Once enrolled it's an instant transaction to elect DC Points for Weeks, easy as selecting any other usage option. During the early days at inception there were a lot of phone calls to/from Owner Services, mostly because they gave us so little information or direction, but enrollment (of eligible Weeks) didn't ever require a sales presentation.
 

dioxide45

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I suspect enrollment will be automatic. Why create a cluster of people enrolling and associated support, if it is going to be free.
I think the only reason it might not be is that enrollment will also cause a potential increase in the annual club fee. What if I don't care about the "new benefits", should I have to pay the higher fee?
 

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I suspect enrollment will be automatic. Why create a cluster of people enrolling and associated support, if it is going to be free.
But even without an enrollment fee there's still an ongoing annual Club Dues financial commitment, and Denise's contact said that the already-existing fees would be raised to equalize Vistana fees and Marriott fees. Wouldn't automatic enrollment mean automatic raised fees for the people who don't want to be enrolled in the Destination Club?

{ETA} Typical, @dioxide45 is quicker on the draw. :)
 

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I suspect enrollment will be automatic. Why create a cluster of people enrolling and associated support, if it is going to be free.
I was told at a presentation a few days ago that enrollment is free. It will be done in the new system that they are working on. The soft launch is to work out the kinks and training for the staff.
 
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