Depressing time coming up...

[winger]

With the new point MRP structure occurring next week, am I the ONLY TUGGER who is feeling quite depressed about the whole situation? My wife and I were talking this week about how to book / fit a last-minute air/hotel travel package for this year and possibly re-arranging an already booked/planned year of vacations to make this happen. Then it just dawned on us how pathetic the situation was - in many ways.

One thing for sure, we likely will no longer recommend another Marriott TS for friends and family as we have been doing the past three so years (MAYBE re-sale in the most extreme cases). Two of our neighbors, one of the neighbor's friends, the receptionist at our optometrist, one of my co-workers and two of his sisters living back East - between us owning 14 Marriotts TS's (Maui, Manor, Timber Lodge, Custom House, Mrtyle Beach, Palm Springs and maybe one more location) ALL purchased DIRECT, ALL feel the same way.

maybe because this is our first major depreciation of the MRP system since purchasing our Marriott; and, maybe for those living through a few already, you are already "numb" to the whole situation?!?

 

[Latravel]

No, I don't feel depressed about this situation. I feel sad about much more important things going on right now like people who are losing their jobs, people who are facing foreclosure of their home, Palestinian children who are dying in Gaza, etc...

I don't like the point devaluations at all but everything else has gone up so much in price, why would free Marriott hotel stays be any different? It was bound to happen and it will happen again. Obviously it will change my travel habits, probably stay less in Marriott hotels, but I have 2 great timeshares that my young healthy children enjoy so I am grateful I don't face the tough situations that some others are facing.

 

[pacheco18]

Depressed about the devaluation of Marriott points?

I bet thousands of people would like to be depressed only about that.

Be depressed if you lose your job, your retirement savings are wiped out, you lose a loved one in Iraq, your home is in foreclosure, you are diagnosed with cancer - but Marriott points??

You must be kidding

No sympathy for you from my end. Sorry.

 

[Beverley]

Depressed?, no; a little ticked?:annoyed: , yes.

We have lived through the last devaluation and I have to say I miss the "425K" reward that awarded 10 days in a hotel and 4 air equivalents. But that is long gone. At least with this one, they have removed the black out dates and are saying that there will be more availability.

I liked the ability to book a room to back up a timeshare trade request so that if the timeshare trade did not come through at least we could still go to the location and plan the air and have a place to stay. Now that the "week" has been redefined as 5 days, this is not as compatible.

About the only good news with this is that we were able to get a stay at Palm Desert over the 4th of July even though the 4th was not available. The hotel quoted the new system indicating that since the black out dates will be going away they would override the black out day for us. We are planning on staying from the 1st to the 8th and the 4th was stopping our reservation.

I am not happy with Marriott reneging on their promise/ offer of points for financing a purchase made last April, were happy about the points offering, only to have Marriott cancel their option after the fact. We would cancel our loan but of course the stock market going "aflewy" evaporated a small fortune, and we are no longer in a position to pay it off. So their penny pinching low blow has left a very bad taste in my mouth and I will NEVER trust an offer from them again.

BUT ... I still love the points and we own resorts that we very much enjoy so we will live through the MRP changes and find a way to work the new system to our advantage. You can too. You know you love the resorts you bought!

Beverley

 

[WalnutBaron]

If one takes a moment to think about it, the price of Marriott hotel rooms has gone up appreciably over the past five years since the last depreciation of Marriott Rewards points. That means that the value of those points has gotten you the same room it got five years ago when the price for that room was much lower.

As others have noted, this kind of thing is to be expected. Marriott is not mistreating its customers. Getting points for free hotel stays is something that didn't exist when I first began traveling for business. Having access to hotels around the world through the Marriott system for free is a fantastic benefit of being a loyal Marriott guest.

Cheer up! There are many greater problems than this, and chances are that you and your wife will be taking one or more fabulous vacations this year, as I will with my bride of 29 years

 

[SpikeMauler]

Wow. Tough crowd. Remind me never to use the word "Depressed" unless used in properly perceived context. "Dead children in Gaza"? "Being diagnosed with cancer"? You think maybe these reply's are a little over the top?Are these the first things you thought of after reading a post about points? I don't think these responses are warranted,but what do I know.

 

[winger]

ok maybe 'depressed' is the wrong word. 'disappointed' is better....

...disappointed in several ways. Such as our kids will not be able to enjoy trading for mrp's once we pass the week to them. yes they can still trade, but why trade greenbacks for pesos?

 

[capjak]

Did you mean why trade american peso for Mexican peso?

Way things are going in 10 years that might not be a bad trade.

 

[PeterS]

If one takes a moment to think about it, the price of Marriott hotel rooms has gone up appreciably over the past five years since the last depreciation of Marriott Rewards points. That means that the value of those points has gotten you the same room it got five years ago when the price for that room was much lower.)

The part that ticks me more is that the amount of points Marriott "pays" it's owners for timeshare units that it rents, which has not gone up in over 20 years.

The cost of renting the timeshare units on the Marriott.com site has risen steadily, but they cost them the exact same number of points which now gets you less...

If they want us to appreciate the cost of of rising value and cost for their hotel rooms, they need to prove it by paying more points for the weeks they "buy" from owners.

If our weeks have increased in rental value, then I understand the points adjustment.
If our weeks have not increased in rental value, then neither has their rooms...

Pete

 

[Latravel]

Pete, as stated in other posts, that may change in the future. Marriott can change the program at any time and if they see people are not trading in their unit because they don't feel it's worth it, Marriott may make some adjustments.


"Dead children in Gaza"? "Being diagnosed with cancer"? You think maybe these reply's are a little over the top?Are these the first things you thought of after reading a post about points?"

Oh, these comments are very much warranted and more. When you see what is happening to everyday people in this world, you start to get some perspective on how good you have it in life and what is really important. Marriott points: fun but not important.

 

[winger]

The part that ticks me more is that the amount of points Marriott "pays" it's owners for timeshare units that it rents, which has not gone up in over 20 years.
..
Pete

Like I said, when my kids get my Marriott, and if they ever trade in a week for points, it will be like in today's world trading taking out a $1 bill and getting one pesos in return. NOT A FAIR TRADE by any measure.

Wow. Tough crowd. Remind me never to use the word "Depressed" unless used in properly perceived context. "Dead children in Gaza"? "Being diagnosed with cancer"? You think maybe these reply's are a little over the top?Are these the first things you thought of after reading a post about points? I don't think these responses are warranted,but what do I know.

I guess you haven't hung around these parts for long : )

Yeh I know we (US) have it good, but in the isolated picture of vacations and money, it is a little downer to think about the depreciating value of MRPs - and for those trading their 2 bdroom Marriott condos for MRP's especially.

 

[Steve]

Like I said, when my kids get my Marriott, and if they ever trade in a week for points, it will be like in today's world trading your american dollar for one pesos. NOT A FAIR TRADE by any measure.

If you had purchased resale, you could have given your kids thousands of dollars in cash in addition to the Marriott timeshare. And you would have saved them from all of the depression and stress associated with trading in the week for Marriott Rewards Points.

Steve

 

[Latravel]

True, if it's so stressfull, it may be time to step away!

The kids may have a few thousand dollars more in the bank but they'll also be without some wonderful vacation memories and worldly experiences, too.

 

[LAX Mom]

Marriott is not contractually obligated to increase the number of points they give timeshare owners in exchange for their weeks. When you purchase from Marriott they tell you how many points you'll receive in the years you turn the week back to them. No mention of points increasing to compensate for inflation or rising points required for a hotel stay.

Marriott is a business and has stockholders to satisfy. They aren't likely to increase the amount of points offered to timeshare owners because it's a nice or ethical thing to do.

If you think the points should increase periodically for inflation, the time to discuss that with Marriott is before you purchase a timeshare. Once you've signed that contract it's not going to happen. If I was a Marriott stockholder I wouldn't want it to happen.

 

[Jbart74]

WOW! You Marriott owners are scaring me a little! Not scaring me away from Marriott or anything because Marriott is quite capable of doing that themselves. But the whole response to the OP about how 'people are dying' and he/she should feel grateful IS a little over the top.

This is a Timeshare Forum, after all. Not a political, religious, or societal type forum. Give the guy a break. If I owned Marriott and they devalued my points I'd be pissed first, post second, then perhaps, count my lucky stars.

Sheesh! Let's remember where we are folks!

 

[Latravel]

...And i'd tell you the same thing again. It's important to keep things in perspective and to remember really what we are discussing here, otherwise vacation ownership would no longer be enjoyable. Plus, the OP did ask our opinions.

"They aren't likely to increase the amount of points offered to timeshare owners because it's a nice or ethical thing to do."

There was a post on FlyerTalk where the Marriott Concierge mentioned that Marriott was reviewing the number of points it gives to owners who trade their unit for points. It's very unlikely but it's a nice thought!

 

[PeterS]

Marriott is not contractually obligated to increase the number of points they give timeshare owners in exchange for their weeks. When you purchase from Marriott they tell you how many points you'll receive in the years you turn the week back to them. No mention of points increasing to compensate for inflation or rising points required for a hotel stay.

Agree, but if enough Marriott owners don't trade for points and they need the supply to meet demands, they may have to raise the points to meet the demand.

Morally though (but seems no place in business) they told you the amount of points they would give you and what you could expect to get in return. Minor tweaks are fine and have been accepted with a little grumbling but this rework is major and is not being accepted well.

Marriott is a business and has stockholders to satisfy. They aren't likely to increase the amount of points offered to timeshare owners because it's a nice or ethical thing to do.

If you think the points should increase periodically for inflation, the time to discuss that with Marriott is before you purchase a timeshare. Once you've signed that contract it's not going to happen. If I was a Marriott stockholder I wouldn't want it to happen.

If you were a Marriott stockholder, you would want the company to succeed and prosper.

Marriott is only a business as long as it has customers...
I am a stockholder and have watched the stock drop as Marriott slowly dismantled the best award program. I belong to many of the award programs (hotels,airlines,etc..) and always leaned toward Marriott as the best and invested in the company and remained loyal for those reasons.

I can no longer say it is the best program for owners or non owners... (Hilton or Starwood are both better)
They have dropped from #1 to at the best #3. (Best Western may actually be better also)

Why in this economy, would you want to alienate your best customers?
Why would you make changes that drive customers away?

That is a question they will have to answer to stockholders.

Pete

 

[m61376]

WOW! You Marriott owners are scaring me a little! Not scaring me away from Marriott or anything because Marriott is quite capable of doing that themselves. But the whole response to the OP about how 'people are dying' and he/she should feel grateful IS a little over the top.

This is a Timeshare Forum, after all. Not a political, religious, or societal type forum. Give the guy a break. If I owned Marriott and they devalued my points I'd be pissed first, post second, then perhaps, count my lucky stars.

Sheesh! Let's remember where we are folks!

I think there are many on us here who have bristled a bit at some of the comments; I know I have. I have used great restraint not to politicize this forum, but I have found some of the references offensive. That said, I can't agree with you more- this is not about world events, but it is about owner frustration at no longer getting the same or similar value for something that they thought they were given an implied promise of when they took what their salesperson told them at face value.

And, yes, I agree with Dave that Marriott has no choice but to devalue points over time; after all, the points system is not just for timeshare owners. However, what I see as inequitable is that the point value of the timeshares stay stable, regardless of other costs; if they keyed the points to rising MF's, for example, it would be a way of making things a bit fairer to owners. I know Marriott has stockholders to answer to, but I would think that appreciating the point value in this way would have such a small overall impact that the only ones it would really matter to were the owners trading for points, and the customer satisfaction it would generate would more than offset the small cost.

 

[thinze3]

I do believe that it will ultimately come down to supply and demand. If less of us owners trade our weeks back to Marriott for points ONLY THEN will Marriott listen to this argument of offering owners more points. Simply because it will be a business decision not because they 'care'.

Think about it, rental rates have risen so much that Marriott makes a killing when someone trades his/her timeshare for points. Even places like BeachPlace have rental rates as high as $549/night. Imagine Marriott giving you 100K points and getting $4,000 rent.

When the rooms STOP coming to Marriott, they will offer more points. I say, in the mean time, send your comments to Marriott and DO NOT trade your week for points until something changes.

To the OP - I am sorry you feel the way you do, but let's hope that these changes actually help us owners gain availability to resorts and hotels that we did not have before. That is Marriott's selling point.



P.S. - I don't think anything (new timeshare point structures) will happen anytime soon as occupancy rates are way down.

P.S.S. - IMHO Marriott Concierge probably was told to make those comments in order to temporarily calm the masses.

 

[m61376]

P.S.S. - IMHO Marriott Concierge probably was told to make those comments in order to temporarily calm the masses.

Or he came up with that line himself in order to calm people venting to him. I'd hope, at least, that Marriott upper echelon wouldn't begin to spread false rumors on purpose.

 

[FlyerBobcat]

I do believe that it will ultimately come down to supply and demand. If less of us.....

Nice explanation Terry. I was just gonna' ask about the logic related to that. Much clearer now....

 

[FlyerBobcat]

If you were a Marriott stockholder, you would want the company to succeed and prosper.

Marriott is only a business as long as it has customers...
I am a stockholder and have watched the stock drop as Marriott slowly dismantled the best award program. I belong to many of the award programs (hotels,airlines,etc..) and always leaned toward Marriott as the best and invested in the company and remained loyal for those reasons.

I can no longer say it is the best program for owners or non owners.....

Pete,
Just what I wanted to point out. There certainly is a lot more to a company being successful that just watching the "bottom line". Sure you absolutely need to be driven by the "bottom line", as long as you manage what affects that bottom line....

 

[Steve]

Hilton sets a good example

It's interesting to note that, about a year ago, Hilton did increase the number of points it gives timeshare owners who trade their weeks for HHonors points. Hilton also allows resale buyers who buy from private parties to trade their weeks for points. So there is a precedent in the timeshare industry for treating timeshare owners a bit better than what Marriott has been doing lately.

Steve

 

[Latravel]

Wouldn't it be really nice if Marriott did increase the points? It would go a long way to satisfy owner disappointment over the point devaluation. Given this post, it looks like many owners really want this to be reviewed.

One question: was the points given to Hilton timeshare owners fixed also in a contract and Hilton just voluntarily increased it?

 

[jlr10]

Not depressing but disappointing: We booked a week on Maui with points, under the expiring points schedule, for this spring. Then I lost my job. I just got a new job but lack the vacation to use the points trip this year. So we will cancel the trip and reclaim the points. We won't have enough points to go to the same resort next year.

We decided to just be happy that I was able to get a new job in this market, and will keep saving those points until we have enough points and vacation time to go in the future. It is not the worst thing that can happen, just a blip in the radar of life.