Expedited check in - that’s about worthless

[dioxide45]

Since check in doesn’t start until 16:00, it’s no wonder a lot of people don’t recall going to the concierge for a parking pass or why some say they had to while other say they didn’t.

When we checked in to Barony last weekend the concierge desk was still open yet they still gave me the parking pass at the main checkin.

 

[davidvel]

I don't understand the issue. If I have a confirmed reservation at MVC that includes parking and I need a parking pass to utilize it, I am not leaving the front desk to go see a "concierge" aka body snatcher to get it. There is no requirement to talk to a timeshare pre-salesperson to use your reservation. I will stay there until they give me everything I need to utilize my confirmed reservation, including keys and pass. I will tell them this and they will promptly hand over a parking pass. If they don't they will not be happy at my response and soon will.

 

[dougp26364]

When we checked in, the only thing that seemed different was guest registration telling me we opted into paperless check in. I don’t recall ever being offered paperless check in. Just the expedited check in. We received the parking pass and resort map. No activities list but we never need one of those anyway.
No concierge on duty so parking pass handed to us along with the resort map.

 

[frank808]

Lakeshore didn't when we stayed there last month...we got it at the front desk as part of the check in process.

We had to go see concierge when last there in july. Prior years we went sometimes and other times not. But last visit we had to.

Sent from my SM-S928U using Tapatalk

 

[ljmiii]

I thought I would try the expedited check-in for our upcoming stay at KBC. Playing around with the app I discovered that if you want additional keys for swimsuit and/or car you can just say you will have X guests (subject to the max occupancy of your villa) and it does not care that you enter fewer guest names. Later in the process you can ask for as many keys as you said you have guests.

We'll see how it goes in a few days.

 

[Hindsite]

it does not care that you enter fewer guest names. L

That's a nice loophole for the rotating door renters and human traffickers.

 

[ljmiii]

That's a nice loophole for the rotating door renters and human traffickers.

Why would it matter? In the US no one checks ID vs faces when guests are checking in so there's no difference between my listing Joe Smith and Keyser Soze as my 3rd and 4th guests or not.

 

[Hindsite]

Why would it matter? In the US no one checks ID vs faces when guests are checking in so there's no difference between my listing Joe Smith and Keyser Soze as my 3rd and 4th guests or not.

Organised crime, in any of its forms, isn't a good thing and loopholes enable them. Just because there are ways round doesn't mean leaving loopholes open is OK.

 

[ljmiii]

I thought I would try the expedited check-in for our upcoming stay at KBC...

Well...that was a failed experiment. The person at the check in desk wasn't happy that I left my 'phone number' as the one MVC knows...my home phone. And kept getting confused about who was in which room. And about how many keys I wanted for each room. Somewhat humorously, they doled out the pool wrist bands as if they were made of gold (as if I couldn't get as many more as I wanted by showing my ID and saying we lost them).

Lastly, they of course still wanted to see my ID and run my physical credit card. Which I actually prefer...it's just that check-in was delayed rather than expedited by my bothering to use the app.

 

[davidvel]

Well...that was a failed experiment. The person at the check in desk wasn't happy that I left my 'phone number' as the one MVC knows...my home phone. And kept getting confused about who was in which room. And about how many keys I wanted for each room. Somewhat humorously, they doled out the pool wrist bands as if they were made of gold (as if I couldn't get as many more as I wanted by showing my ID and saying we lost them).

Lastly, they of course still wanted to see my ID and run my physical credit card. Which I actually prefer...it's just that check-in was delayed rather than expedited by my bothering to use the app.

Probably just cracking down on all the organized crime going on at the resort.

 

[billymach4]

Anyone use this feature for a timeshare arrival where it's available. Getting email notifications for an upcoming stay.

 

[Hindsite]

Genera consensus is its useless

Mobile Check-In at MVCs

Appears it’s done via the MVC app. Available at most US resorts.

tugbbs.com

 

[klpenny]

I don't use it. I like to talk to check-in desk. I have sometimes gotten better views by doing this.

 

[dioxide45]

I don't use it. I like to talk to check-in desk. I have sometimes gotten better views by doing this.

You still have to talk to a person to checkin at the resort. Mobil check in doesn't change that.

 

[dioxide45]

Here's another thread discussing it;

Expedited check in - that’s about worthless

Aside from confirming my address and adding my wife’s name as a guest, there’s no advantage to expedited check in. I usually request 3 keys, one for each of us and one to leave in the car for the garage security gate. It allowed a maximum of 2 keys. I guess I should have added a third, fake...

tugbbs.com

 

[TUGBrian]

will say my check in last week at harbor lake could not have been quicker or easier....was in and out (with parking pass) in under 5minutes.

id gotten a note about mobile check in, but until you posted this I completely forgot about it lol

 

[dioxide45]

I've been noticing the physical checkin seems to be faster after using mobile check in at three Marriott resorts recently. My only gripes are that you can't edit any personal contact information during mobile check in. I haven't updated our phone number and at check in I always need to give them a mobile to get resort notices via text. I indicate in the mobile checkin that the information isn't right, but there is no way to change it. The resort also goesn't necessarily ask at check in to fix it. Thus when at OceanWatch, they didn't have our mobile number and I had to lookup their text number in the resort packet to text them to add it. Then at Barony back in January, they took our mobile number but opted us out of receiving texts. I had to ask them, via text, as to why we weren't getting texts. That is when they said we were opted out.

Mobile check in also asks how many room keys you want but you can only select up to two. Then they ask at check in anyway. I don't know if any of the information from mobile check in actually makes it into the system.

Overall check in at resorts seems to be more efficient now. I don't need them to go into big long spiels about resort activities and the map. I suspect the checkin process is just faster recently just because, and not really due to mobile check in.

 

[ljmiii]

Yup. I tried it at KBC and check in took a lot longer than usual because they messed things up (that we were spread across two rooms confused them).

 

[VacationForever]

I got the email and tried and it said reservation not found. Maybe because it was an II exchange? Worthless.

 

[dioxide45]

I got the email and tried and it said reservation not found. Maybe because it was an II exchange? Worthless.

I was recently able to use it just fine for three II exchanges.

 

[daviator]

I don't think it's worthless. It makes the checkin process on site go a lot faster as they already have most of the needed information. But it doesn't substitute for the in-person check-in, you still have to check-in with a human at the front desk.

If it saves me five minutes standing at the desk – and in my experience, it does – then it's not worthless to me, although I probably spend five minutes filling out the information in advance of my arrival, so it just shifts the burden to a more convenient time and place.

The "service" that's worthless is the "VIP check in" some of the properties try to use for elite owners. That's just a process where they have you check in with a concierge – employees of the sales department – who will try to strong-arm you into agreeing to a sales presentation when all you are trying to do is check in. I ignore the invitations to use the "VIP check in" and just go to the front desk, where they aren't trained or equipped to pressure you into anything. At least not yet.

 

[dioxide45]

The "service" that's worthless is the "VIP check in" some of the properties try to use for elite owners. That's just a process where they have you check in with a concierge – employees of the sales department – who will try to strong-arm you into agreeing to a sales presentation when all you are trying to do is check in. I ignore the invitations to use the "VIP check in" and just go to the front desk, where they aren't trained or equipped to pressure you into anything. At least not yet.

Sometimes avoiding them is not an option or all that easy. Resorts with preferred/VIP check in usually have a gatekeeper at the entrance to the lobby. They check for your name on a list and if you are listed as preferred check in. I've even been redirected from the main checkin desk over to the preferred check in. The most surefire way to avoid them is to checkin early before the marketing staff at preferred checkin arrives or checkin late after they've gone home.

One benefit of preferred checkin is snacks and beverages. This often means being able to come back throughout the week and get more. I've done this at several resorts. There is a little less guilt about going back for more snacks or beverages if you signed up for the owner update.

 

[daviator]

Sometimes avoiding them is not an option or all that easy. Resorts with preferred/VIP check in usually have a gatekeeper at the entrance to the lobby. They check for your name on a list and if you are listed as preferred check in. I've even been redirected from the main checkin desk over to the preferred check in. The most surefire way to avoid them is to checkin early before the marketing staff at preferred checkin arrives or checkin late after they've gone home.

One benefit of preferred checkin is snacks and beverages. This often means being able to come back throughout the week and get more. I've done this at several resorts. There is a little less guilt about going back for more snacks or beverages if you signed up for the owner update.

I've only experienced the VIP checkin at the two Vistana properties where I own weeks (WDW and WKORV.) In both cases, I've just cheerfully said, "Thanks, I prefer to check in at the front desk, have a great day!" and just moved on past them Maybe I surprised them and they didn't know what to do, but they didn't try to stop me, and the front desk was happy to check us in.

On many occasions we do, in fact, arrive after business hours and so the "VIP" people aren't around any more.

On the occasions that I've endured the VIP checkin, I've found zero benefit to it, although the snacks and beverages might be one I didn't think of. You certainly don't get a different or better room assignment.