DC inventory shell game

[gblotter]

It is hard for me to put any trust in Marriott with their management of DC inventory. I have anecdotal evidence only, but Marriott seems to gobble up inventory to enrich themselves (via rentals, promo visits) instead of making it available for owner reservations.

First example: We desired June 2016 DC reservations for Frenchmen's Cove. I called repeatedly over many months to check inventory with always the same response - nothing available. Finally, the reservation agent volunteered that I could easily stay at Frenchmen's Cove by purchasing a promo package instead - lots of inventory available for that. In fact, they had so much inventory (I learned that June is their low season) so they upgraded us to a 2-BR unit and extended our stay to 6 nights. Meanwhile, owner reservations are being shutout at the same resort for the same period.

Second Example: We desired June 2016 DC reservations at Lakeshore Reserve. I called repeatedly over many months to check inventory with always the same response - nothing available. All they could offer was to put me on a waitlist with no guarantee of a reservation. Sorry, but I'm not going to redeem my prime Maui Ocean Club week just to be put on a waitlist. While continuing to check for DC availability, I also submitted an Interval International trade request. After a couple of months I got a very nice exchange, trading Mountainside summer season for Lakeshore Reserve peak season - and I got a huge 3BR unit as a bonus!

Interval International exchanges still work, folks. What does not work are DC point reservations. Marriott's inventory shell game was the single biggest factor why we did not enroll our post-6/20/10 weeks during the recent promotion. If I can't get desired DC reservations with my existing points, why do I want to invest in even more points? I told this bluntly to our Florida-based sales rep who kept hounding me by phone right up until the final enrollment deadline. She had no response for me. As far as I'm concerned, DC points only make sense for low-season/last-minute reservations when Marriott has exhausted all their other opportunities to use the inventory for other revenue-generating purposes. Only then does Marriott seem to make an inventory dump and reservations finally become available to owners.

I've definitely had bad luck obtaining DC reservations. Marriott holds all the cards and says owners should just trust them to play fair. They have not earned my trust. I'm curious to know if my scenario matches the experience of other folks, or am I being too pessimistic about Marriott's motives?

 

[GregT]

It is hard for me to put any trust in Marriott with their management of DC inventory.

I agree -- and it is a real frustration with the system. Generally, it has been successful for me, but only for those properties that are deep in the Trust. I've had good luck making reservations in Hawaii (MOC/Ko Olina/Kauai Lagoons) but where the Trust is thin (Frenchman's Cove and Ritz STT), it's been a problem. My experience at MFC was different than yours, where you were able to find examples of inventory available via alternate channel, just not through DClub. For me, I just never matched and gave up after 3 months.

My current example of unusual inventory treatment is Ritz STT. I've studied the property quite a bit, and I know there are 8-15 weeks in the Trust (depending on the Interval), and I expected them to get released 13 months and 6 months from check-in, as per the published rules.

In my example, there are 10 2BR Suites that are in the Trust -- I expected 50% to be released 13 months out (January 7, 2017 check-in) and 50% to be released 6 months out (June 11, 2016 check-in). Today is release day, and there is zero availability. Nothing online and nothing when I call in. Nothing?

To test the waitlist, I started a waitlist request last week for June 4, and today added June 11. I'm not sure I can use the reservation but I'm trying to develop experience on inventory availability at this property. Unless inventory availability becomes more predictable, I am very pessimistic about my ability to book a week -- and I'd be really bummed if I was one of the new points purchasers that bought points and then had the experience that I am currently experiencing. I did ask the VOA if there was anything that required Trust Points and was told No, she doesn't see anything.

Marriott is definitely being subjective in its inventory availability at Ritz STT, and I would suspect that also applies to other properties with limited Trust inventory. Marriott would probably respond that I need to wait a few days so they can make something available via MVC Exchange -- but that is a bad system that will only frustrate people who think that 13 months before check-in, something should be there. And if they are going to favor Trust Point holders for these rare reservations, they should say that. I did find a NYE 2016 reservation at Ritz STT, but it required 4,400 Trust Points for a 7,850 point reservation. I think that will become the norm.....

Best,

Greg

 

[BocaBoy]

It is hard for me to put any trust in Marriott with their management of DC inventory. I have anecdotal evidence only, but Marriott seems to gobble up inventory to enrich themselves (via rentals, promo visits) instead of making it available for owner reservations.

First example: We desired June 2016 DC reservations for Frenchmen's Cove. I called repeatedly over many months to check inventory with always the same response - nothing available. Finally, the reservation agent volunteered that I could easily stay at Frenchmen's Cove by purchasing a promo package instead - lots of inventory available for that. In fact, they had so much inventory (I learned that June is their low season) so they upgraded us to a 2-BR unit and extended our stay to 6 nights. Meanwhile, owner reservations are being shutout at the same resort for the same period.

Second Example: We desired June 2016 DC reservations at Lakeshore Reserve. I called repeatedly over many months to check inventory with always the same response - nothing available. All they could offer was to put me on a waitlist with no guarantee of a reservation. Sorry, but I'm not going to redeem my prime Maui Ocean Club week just to be put on a waitlist. While continuing to check for DC availability, I also submitted an Interval International trade request. After a couple of months I got a very nice exchange, trading Mountainside summer season for Lakeshore Reserve peak season - and I got a huge 3BR unit as a bonus!

Interval International exchanges still work, folks. What does not work are DC point reservations. Marriott's inventory shell game was the single biggest factor why we did not enroll our post-6/20/10 weeks during the recent promotion. If I can't get desired DC reservations with my existing points, why do I want to invest in even more points? I told this bluntly to our Florida-based sales rep who kept hounding me by phone right up until the final enrollment deadline. She had no response for me. As far as I'm concerned, DC points only make sense for low-season/last-minute reservations when Marriott has exhausted all their other opportunities to use the inventory for other revenue-generating purposes. Only then does Marriott seem to make an inventory dump and reservations finally become available to owners.

I've definitely had bad luck obtaining DC reservations. Marriott holds all the cards and says owners should just trust them to play fair. They have not earned my trust. I'm curious to know if my scenario matches the experience of other folks, or am I being too pessimistic about Marriott's motives?

It sounds like a big part of your problem is the existence of various buckets of weeks. If the developer owns the week they have every right to hold it for promos, etc.

 

[jimf41]

First example: We desired June 2016 DC reservations for Frenchmen's Cove. I called repeatedly over many months to check inventory with always the same response - nothing available.

I think there is more to the story than you are telling us. There are several days currently available at MFC in June 2016. This is seven months after the 13 month mark. While I cannot be certain that June weeks were available last May it seems highly improbable that they weren't. If not in May then surely by the end of June. Since 2011 I have been successful in getting a February week at MFC, not just one week but four weeks together with no overlap on checkin day. Three of the four using DC points.

If I can get multiple prime weeks six years in a row without problem you should be able to get a Gold week with out any problem at all. Perhaps you should try the waitlist next time.

My experience reserving Gold weeks at a resort is much the same. I get four weeks together at Ocean Pointe in July EOY. All the same checkin day. Never a problem, never takes longer than the 12 month mark.

 

[answeeney]

Everyone has their own experience and preferences and I can only relate my own.

My wife and I bought some DC points in 2010 when the system first started. We also enrolled the three weeks we owned back then at the first opportunity (two were European weeks so we had to wait a while to enrol those). We have converted to DC points exclusively since and have pretty much always got what we wanted (for example, we have regularly got Colorado ski weeks in Feb/March, Hilton Head summer weeks and next year we will be going back to Lakeshore Reserve next June for our third stay).

We have never tried to book Frenchman's Cove so can't comment on that but admittedly there was a Colorado ski week over New Year that we failed to snag.

It does though seem that there is something amiss with your experience. Your comment seems to imply that you are not prepared to exchange your Hawaii week for points until you see something available. Have you only ever tried to search without any points available? If you have no points then you will never see anything. A flaw in the system maybe but also a feature.

Interval International, however, is near useless for us. So much so that we won't even consider using them now. But we are probably not typical as views are important to us and also being European we have to book transatlantic flights early and so need to tie down dates early.

 

[Fairwinds]

My use of DC while very successful is made some what irrelevant by the fact that I've only used it once since enrolling but I do know a little about gold season weeks at FC. I am allotted 2700 DC points for my gold week which we all know what those points will get. In the II system my gold FC week is an excellent trader. It is such a good trader that I'm more inclined to use my Sabal Palms for DC points even though I only get ~2150 points for a Red season (Plat) week and they are more expensive than FC points if using MF calculation.

In fact it's such a good trader I would likely use my Manor Club in the DC before FC even though I have a lock off.

Last year I received a solicitation offering me a bonus to trade FC for DC points. I can't remember the exact compensation but whatever it was I still wasn't interested. I naturally assumed that they were in dire need of summer weeks for the DC and I think it's because like so many non-plat weeks owners we just can't do much with our DC allotment.

 

[puckmanfl]

good evening....

My experience has been completely outstanding...

I get everything I want

Multiple February ski weeks at Park City
Fall Boston for conference
December Lakeshore for get away

2016 March/October 3 bedroom Grand Chateau

May 2016 Frenchmans Cove which I cancelled...

No complaints!!!

 

[Fasttr]

good evening....

My experience has been completely outstanding...

I get everything I want

Multiple February ski weeks at Park City
Fall Boston for conference
December Lakeshore for get away

2016 March/October 3 bedroom Grand Chateau

May 2016 Frenchmans Cove which I cancelled...

No complaints!!!

Same here, over the last few years, all with DC points

Frenchman's Cove 3BR late May
Lakeshore Reserve early March 2x
Crystal Shores later summer
Newport Coast early summer
Custom House early September 2x
Aruba Ocean Club June
Ocean Pointe August
Oceana Palms August
And more......

So far, so good!!!

 

[gblotter]

Have you only ever tried to search without any points available? If you have no points then you will never see anything.

I always call on the phone to check availability. That avoids the problem of seeing no inventory because I have no points available. The customer service agent can see all inventory and tell me whether anything is available regardless of my points balance. I always do this before I commit to converting my weeks to DC points.

 

[gblotter]

I think there is more to the story than you are telling us. There are several days currently available at MFC in June 2016. This is seven months after the 13 month mark. While I cannot be certain that June weeks were available last May it seems highly improbable that they weren't. If not in May then surely by the end of June.

I started calling in June 2015 and continued calling on a regular basis for the next four months to check inventory. You may see several days now, but I was requesting an entire week. I can't build a vacation with a few days here and there. Nevertheless, the customer service agents repeatedly said that NOTHING, nada, zip was available.

 

[gblotter]

Same here, over the last few years, all with DC points

Frenchman's Cove 3BR late May
Lakeshore Reserve early March 2x
Crystal Shores later summer
Newport Coast early summer
Custom House early September 2x
Aruba Ocean Club June
Ocean Pointe August
Oceana Palms August
And more......

So far, so good!!!

I'm happy that others have had a better experience with DC points reservations. I guess I am just not Mister Lucky.

I have successfully reserved Newport Coast in shoulder seasons as a last-minute getaway and also Timberlodge during the summer (only weekdays were available - no weekends). I do know that those two resorts are both heavily-represented in the trust.

In the end, I got my week at Frenchmen's Cove by purchasing a promo visit package for less money than the corresponding maintenance fees. I also got a sweet Interval International exchange into Lakeshore Reserve. So my vacation plans are not ruined - far from it. I just don't see DClub providing value to me based on my own experience.

Sure - I understand there are different buckets of inventory and different kinds of points. That just creates a smoke screen for Marriott to play their shell game. Frankly, such tactics repel me rather than motivate me to invest more-heavily in DC points. I'm soooo glad I did not spend more money to enroll my post-06/20/10 weeks during the recent promotion. My in-laws are already feeling buyers remorse for doing that.

 

[BocaBoy]

Sure - I understand there are different buckets of inventory and different kinds of points. That just creates a smoke screen for Marriott to play their shell game. Frankly, such tactics repel me rather than motivate me to invest more-heavily in DC points. I'm soooo glad I did not spend more money to enroll my post-06/20/10 weeks during the recent promotion.

Frankly, I would never draw the conclusions you do without ever having converted to points and searching yourself. You just cannot get a real feel for how it works (or doesn't work) by simply calling and having a rep search something for you. My experience, like Puck's, has been outstanding. Although I have booked mostly off season weeks with DC points, I have done enough exploring online to determine that most of what I would want is normally obtainable if searched for early enough.

 

[mjm1]

Our experience with points has been very good. We were able to get a 3 night stay at FC, but that was in early May two years ago. Other stays have been at MOC, MKO, MKV, GC.

I hope things work out for you.

Mike

 

[taffy19]

Same for us but we only own one week and prefer to use our week but I would use points rather than exchanging with II if we would like to stay on a beach in the Caribbean or on the East Coast.

It certainly helps if you do not need to travel when schools are out or during the holidays as you can stay longer or if you want to stay in a smaller unit. Points make a lot of sense in that case and we also booked on a short notice each time and got confirmed immediately. I really liked that rather than waiting over two years to be confirmed with II without success.

 

[Chase]

I absolutely agree with the frustration with the DC points program. I enrolled in 2010 and have had annual frustration which was enough to make me consider dumping my timeshare (platinum mountainside). I would occasionally try to use DC points to book shorter vacations (long ski weekends) but absolutely no success. Getting into other desirable resorts has been nearly impossible.

Then it occurred to me to just try booking a week at my resort the old fashioned way. Much easier. So now....its book the week at Mountainside and throw away the extra days if it's just a long weekend. At least I get in. Silly and sad. But far preferable than points!