Difficulty of booking Week 6 at Marriott Mountainside

[hkg1975]

We are looking at buying a floating Platinum week at at Mountainside. This will be our first timeshare purchase. We intend to use the unit primarily for our personal use. Our schools have an unusual calendar and are off during week 6 (the week prior to Presidents day week). My question is how would you handicap the probability of getting week 6 year in and year out. We would obviously be very organized and be online or on the phone right at the moment the reservations open up. My understanding is this would be 12 months prior.

Any specific feedback on week 6 popularity would be appreciated!

 

[Dean]

I can't speak from experience but suspect it'll be tough since there are those with week 7 who will be reserving at 13 months out in addition to other owners reserving 13 months out. You may want to consider buying a trading week that would work for this timeframe and give you the option of also reserving at 13 months out plus a week or 2 extra. Hopefully there are those with direct experience to answer that portion more specifically. Also realize that week 6 can vary quite a bit so make sure you look at a 5-6 year window to see if you'll have a conflict some years.

 

[davidvel]

I can't speak from experience but suspect it'll be tough since there are those with week 7 who will be reserving at 13 months out in addition to other owners reserving 13 months out. You may want to consider buying a trading week that would work for this timeframe and give you the option of also reserving at 13 months out plus a week or 2 extra. Hopefully there are those with direct experience to answer that portion more specifically. Also realize that week 6 can vary quite a bit so make sure you look at a 5-6 year window to see if you'll have a conflict some years.

What do you mean by conflict? Week 7 is fixed, and they said their school holiday is always the week before that. They would be buying floating platinum season that covers week 6.

 

[Dean]

What do you mean by conflict? Week 7 is fixed, and they said their school holiday is always the week before that. They would be buying floating platinum season that covers week 6.

Simply that there are those who buy platinum to use for week six in conjunction with week seven at 13 months out.

 

[TXTortoise]

You may find a Week 6 fixed. Likely depends on building, but our first TS week was a Week 15 1BR in Birch...mud week, so not limited to the usual Week 7, Week 51/52 scenarios.
(Never used it and traded two weeks to Maui every two years from 2002 to 2015..so wasn't too bad for awhile., ;-)

 

[davidvel]

You may find a Week 6 fixed. Likely depends on building, but our first TS week was a Week 15 1BR in Birch...mud week, so not limited to the usual Week 7, Week 51/52 scenarios.
(Never used it and traded two weeks to Maui every two years from 2002 to 2015..so wasn't too bad for awhile., ;-)

This is about Mountainside, Park City, not Streamside.

 

[DRH90277]

Another option - You could have a less attractive back-up plan which would be to reserve the best "in season week" you can get, rent it out, and rent back in. Some owners grab the best weeks for rental.

You might look on Redweek to see what rentals are available for the upcoming season right now. Redweek costs less than $20 per year.

 

[hkg1975]

Thanks everyone. In terms of the economics, is this more or less the right way to think about it:
- Buy floating platinum week for about $24k (asking prices on redweek)
- Pay $1800 annual maintenance (likely to rise x% per year). What is x?
- Either use the week I reserve or rent it out for $6k - $7k (generally seems to be rate on Redweek)

If I can't use the unit then renting it seems like a pretty good deal? Clearing $4-5k per year on a $24k investment. Am I missing something or are there other expenses?

 

[hangloose]

Thanks everyone. In terms of the economics, is this more or less the right way to think about it:
- Buy floating platinum week for about $24k (asking prices on redweek)
- Pay $1800 annual maintenance (likely to rise x% per year). What is x?
- Either use the week I reserve or rent it out for $6k - $7k (generally seems to be rate on Redweek)

If I can't use the unit then renting it seems like a pretty good deal? Clearing $4-5k per year on a $24k investment. Am I missing something or are there other expenses?

While not a Mountainside owner, we've stayed there during ski season a couple times (Christmas included). We've done so via II exchanges (using our Grande Vista weeks). Mountainside is a great resort for in/out skiing, and Park City is a fantastic small town also! You likely already know both..given you are looking into a resale purchase.

Your logic makes sense, with a few points to think about.

As others have stated

• Wk 6 is floating Platinum season.
  • You will be competing with others who own floating Platinum for the exact week/day you want.
    • Historically, MVCI has released 50% of weeks inventory at 13 months+, and the remaining (50%+) at 12 months.
      • @12 Months (~50% of weeks inventory)
        • If you are a single MVCI week owner, you can reserve at 12 months in advance, exactly at 9am ET.
        • Pay attention to the MVCI calendar for the exact date when you can reserve...and be ready at the exact second.
        • I find the website fastest (if the website is working) for 12 month inventory. Call via your cell phone as a backup, exactly at 9am ET...just in case.
      • @13 Months (~50% of weeks inventory)
        • Your risk in the approach above is for MVCI weeks owners of multiple weeks who want to book consecutively or in parallel.
        • They can start booking at 13 months+ out against the weeks inventory released (roughly 50%), which will deplete overall inventory available in future .
• Wk 7 is fixed, via Platinum Holiday season.
  • Not sure how many Wk7 fixed owners also own a second Plat floating week and go after reserving Wk 6 also to complete a multi-week stay. Perhaps some.
    • This could add risk to your plan, but hard to quantify.
• Maintenance Fees
  • I would expect MFees (in general across MCI resorts) to rise 4-8% +/- annually. I expect around 5-6% on average for my MVCI weeks. Sometimes higher, rarely lower. In recent years, most of mine have been significantly higher. ..double digits! :/
    • You can look at the TUG Maintenance Fee pages to see historical for Mountainside specifically to get a better feel.
      • At quick glance, it looks like 2022 had a 3% increase and 2023 saw 11% for a Mountainside annual Platinum season.
• Renting
  • You can likely make above MFees for Mountainside Platinum season, regardless of week reserved.
    • On Redweek, it appears 2BR Mountainside rental asking prices during Platinum season range from $3.5k to $7.5k, depending upon the week within the season.
      • Keep in mind, these are asking prices (vs actual rental price). Watch the trends by week and across years.
      • While you may be able to get $6-7k with the right week reserved, I'd lower expectations a little.
        • Does your point of view change...if you can only rent for $5k? what about $4k?
  • If you rent, you may also have some effort and fees associated depending up how much you do yourself.
    • Marketing of your week, social posting, paid/free posting on various websites, rental contract, money escrow/payments, etc.
    • You can always have a broker handle the entire rental....but at a cost which eats into your profit. (Redweek Full Service, etc)

Hope this helps.

 

[hkg1975]

Thanks so much. I agree on the rent, could be more like $5-6k. Still a pretty good return. Some of the timeshares for sale say the first year of use in 2024 but I am going to assume that at this point week 6 would already be booked out. Does anyone have access to the system to check?

 

[Dean]

Thanks so much. I agree on the rent, could be more like $5-6k. Still a pretty good return. Some of the timeshares for sale say the first year of use in 2024 but I am going to assume that at this point week 6 would already be booked out. Does anyone have access to the system to check?

It's unlikely you'd get a decent week at all for 2024 and any week you get is likely to be fairly short notice. You're likely to be limited to weeks 48, 49 or 50 and possibly just 48/49. By the time you find a week, reach an agreement, get closed and get the week transferred, you might be too late for week 6 for 2025. You could make any agreement contingent on the seller making the reservations for you.

 

[grupp]

Just my opinion, but you should significantly adjust your rental expectation. You might get $6-$7K for a week 51 or 52, but that will cost you around $50,000.

 

[funtime]

You are looking at a significant investment with limited promise of success. I own at Marriott Summit Watch and have difficulty every year getting my preferred week. It is sometimes a 20 min. wait on the phone with no success and the website is often not working. I suggest it would be equally fun to stay at another timeshare in Park City as either an owner or a renter. I own at Park Plaza and their 2 BR3BA Presidential suite is very comfortable unit with 1100 sq.ft.. It is located in Prospector Square section of town and there are free shuttle busses to take your family back and forth to the ski areas. Annual MF are 1178. Week 6 would be very easy to book. Or you can RENT other premium ski timeshares from Redweek in Lake Tahoe, Breckenridge or Avon and have the variety and fun in discovering new places in your ski vacations.

 

[dlowe2492]

our personal use. Our schools have an unusual calendar and are off during week 6 (the week prior to Presidents day week). My question is how would you handicap the probability of getting week 6 year in and year out. We would obviously be very organized and be online or on the phone right at the moment the reservations open up. My understanding is this would be 12 months prior.

You are looking at a significant investment with limited promise of success. I own at Marriott Summit Watch and have difficulty every year getting my preferred week. It is sometimes a 20 min. wait on the phone with no success and the website is often not working. I suggest it would be equally fun to stay at another timeshare in Park City as either an owner or a renter. I own at Park Plaza and their 2 BR3BA Presidential suite is very comfortable unit with 1100 sq.ft.. It is located in Prospector Square section of town and there are free shuttle busses to take your family back and forth to the ski areas. Annual MF are 1178. Week 6 would be very easy to book. Or you can RENT other premium ski timeshares from Redweek in Lake Tahoe, Breckenridge or Avon and have the variety and fun in discovering new places in your ski vacations.

Do you own a fixed or floating week at Park Plaza? I've stayed there in the past, and liked it. How hard is it to get a reservation for Weeks 48-50 typically?

 

[funtime]

Answering the question about Park Plaza in Park City. I own floating prime season which is weeks 1-17 and 45-52. It is not hard to get reservations except for Sundance. Sundance reservations are restricted to every other year. You call when they open exactly one year ahead and can reserve MLK, Presidents Week, Xmas, New Years, Spring Break. Resales are listed on Redweek.