"Gift of Time 2006"

[floyddl]

I received my issue of Shared Times and there was a reference in there indicating that information about the "Gift of Time 2006" was to be on the MVCI web site in early February. I checked and didn't see anything. Does anyone know how it will work this year? Same as last year??

 

[Dave M]

Same here. Saw the announcement to check the website in "early February" for details. Nothing on the site yet.

 

[calgal]

Is there any reason one could not exchange a gift of time week with SFX? I remember some people were not able to deposit and exchange those weeks with II.

 

[floyddl]

You were able to exchange them. You just could not split lockoffs. You also could not rent them. Using them for exchange with II is acceptable.

 

[Dave M]

I agree, except that I believe the only rental restriction last year was that you couldn't list a rental with Marriott. However, you could rent it yourself, on Redweek, etc.

 

[sandytoes]

Sooooo . . . what's a "gift of time" ???

 

[Dave M]

Marriott sells the use of week 53 in those years when it occurs. For this year, generally, it will be weeks that start on Sunday, December 31. You can see whether your resort has a week 53 for a particular year by looking at the bottom of the calendar for that resort located on the MVCI website.

None of us own week 53. Marriott reserves such weeks for its own use and typically sells them.

Until 2005, Marriott put them on sale to all owners at the same time. That created a nightmare as many, many people were not able to get through to Marriott on the morning we could first purchase the use of such a week. In 2005, Marriott offered such weeks first to those who owned a significant number of weeks, made frequent referrals or in some other way were considered one of Marriott's best timeshare customers. As the year went on, Marriott offered unclaimed weeks to more and more timeshare owners until all owners ultimately had a chance to get a week.

In prior years, an owner could purchase a week at his/her home resort. In 2005, owners were not limited to purchasing at their own resorts. In prior years, the cost for a week was typically equal to one year's MFs at the resort. In 2005, the cost for a week was typically several hundred dollars higher.

Thus, the "gift of time" is the opportunity to use (for a fee) a week in addition to what you own.

And now, we're waiting to see what form the 2006 program will take.

 

[floyddl]

Dave,
Are you sure that week 53 this year will be Dec. 31st? I would have thought it would be the 17th like the last 2 years.

 

[Dave M]

Week 53 starts on the 31st. Whether Marriott will sell that week or some other week might depend on the particular resort, as it did in 2005 and 2004. As examples, for Custom House, it was the week that started on December 31 which Marriott sold in 2004. And for Grande Ocean, it was the same for both 2004 and 2005.

However, I wasn't speculating on which week would be sold; only trying to explain how the program works. I'll wait to see what Marriott announces. I don't have any advance info.

Thanks for the additional info. It's true that Marriott took possession of a variety of weeks in place of week 53 and sold them, depending on its rights under the CC&Rs for each resort.

 

[IngridN]

Looking at the resort calendars (for the three that I own anyway), you can tell whether week 52 or 53 or some other week for those years w/53 weeks is being held by Marriott. For example, at both the the Grand Chateau and the Aruba Surf Club, it's the owner that has access to week 53. As I own that week at GC, that was also something I confirmed prior to entering into contract. At Shadow Ridge, it's Marriott's week.

Ingrid

 

[sandytoes]

Thanks Dave M . . . . that was a very clear explaination! Karen

 

[Dave M]

Thanks for the correction, Ingrid.

Yes, it appears that where there is a Platinum Plus/Holiday or similarly designated week at the end of the year for a resort, Marriott sometimes designates week 53 as that week.

I hadn't noticed that!

 

[floyddl]

I was thinking of Mountainside. The past 2 years they sold the week of Dec. 17th thru 24th as week 53 since Christmas and New Years are sold as fixed weeks.

 

[Dave M]

Based on the Mountainside calendar, it appears that's the case again for 2006.

 

[pwrshift]

Personally I think Marriott did their homework on Week 53 for last year and hope they realize it was much better than the horror story of the previous time, which turned off a great many owners. It was probably more work for Marriott to get them distributed in 2005, but, like any progressive company, I believe Marriott is anxious to work with their best customers and satisfy them first from top to bottom - a much fairer system than a lottery.

I didn't take advantage of the week 53 this year as I already had taken about 3 months in holidays in 2005 and couldn't afford more time away from my businesses. Many people did, and I heard very few complaints this year. In fact, I saw a lot of them for sale on Ebay and on TUG classifieds so some decided it was a way to make a few extra bucks.

Brian

 

[floyddl]

Personally, I thought it had some problems. I would have taken advantage of it had I been able to plan for it. By the time the offer trickled down to me it was mid-August and there was no way to get decent airfare to anyplace I wanted to go. I also felt there were some reported inconsistencies in the order of the offering. I hope they roll it out much sooner this year to allow owners that want to use the week enough time to plan a vacation.

 

[tsl]

Week 53 fair system of distribution??

Personally I think Marriott did their homework on Week 53 for last year and hope they realize it was much better than the horror story of the previous time, which turned off a great many owners. It was probably more work for Marriott to get them distributed in 2005, but, like any progressive company, I believe Marriott is anxious to work with their best customers and satisfy them first from top to bottom - a much fairer system than a lottery.


Brian

I contacted Marriott b/c I never received any notification of last years' offering. I figured since we own 2 weeks (both of which we purchased from Marriott rather than resale), surely we would get some notification. When I asked how the weeks were distributed, here is the response:

"At the beginning of 2005, week 53 weeks were only offered to a select
group of owners based on the number of weeks they owned, the number of
referrals they gave and the number of their referrals who purchased."


So basically, you really have to market Marriott to your friends and family, encourage them to buy from Marriott rather than resale, be successful and then you become a "select" owner. I am not sure I agree that this is more fair. How about a system that allows owners who really want to use the week personally and didn't get one the last two years have a chance?

 

[floyddl]

Careful, you are trying to introduce logic and fairness into a system that is driven only by profitability.

 

[Dave M]

I never received any notification of last years' offering.

When the weeks were eventually offered to all owners (August or September?), it was announced in Shared Times. If you don't receive that occasional publication (there was one mailed about two weeks ago), you should call Owner Services and get on the list.

The availability to all was also announced to all on the MVCI website. It's worth checking that site occasionally for all sorts of announcements. For example, there is currently a clarification of the reservation policy on the site that would answer many questions often posed here.

Lastly, the Gift of Time program was discussed on this forum in great detail. When the weeks became available to all, there were a couple of threads on this forum discussing various aspects of the program, including the cost of weeks, which weeks were or weren't available, etc. So visit this forum often.

 

[ArBravesFan]

Marriott sells the use of week 53 in those years when it occurs. For this year, generally, it will be weeks that start on Sunday, December 31. You can see whether your resort has a week 53 for a particular year by looking at the bottom of the calendar for that resort located on the MVCI website.

All three of my Marriott resorts list a week 53 in 2006 for Sunday check-in. Question: Wouldn't ALL Marriotts do the same?

 

[Dave M]

No. Custom House, which has only Friday check-ins, won't have a week 53 this year.

Also, as mentioned earlier, some resorts have fixed Platinum weeks starting on Sunday, December 31. At those resorts, the week Marriott will sell will be a different week.

 

[jancurious]

Message from Vacation Advisor

In regards to my question about the 2006 Gift of Time here is the response:

"Invitations have not been sent out for the 2006 Gift of Time yet. I do not have an expected release date. There will be a similar procedure to last year, sending invitations in phases based on the number of weeks owned. Invitations will be sent via email and will contain a link to make the reservation online."


Jan

 

[lovearuba]

I purchased the gift of time

I was one of those people who got an early email on the gift of time in 2005 but I did not take advantage of it until late October when it was on their website. I had referred someone who purchased two weeks in 2005 so I assume that is why I got the early offer. I only own one timeshare, its a 2 bedroom at the Marriott aruba ocean club.

I bought the gift of time for $850 (I think) and it was for a Florida Ocean Point 2 bedroom, Marriott deposited it into my interval account and last week I traded it to the marriott newport coast 2 bedroom in August. For me, I think it was worthwhile.

I thought I would share my experience in the event someone else is edgy about taking advantage of the offer like I was. I have to say it pulled a lot of good resorts when I attempted different searches on interval

 

[floyddl]

Lovearuba's story is what lead me to say it was very inequitable. I own 4 week with 2 Plat Plus and 2 Plat with purchase prices totaling over 125K. However, I have rarely referred people. I referred one person in the past 5 years and he purchased an OF Plat at Barony.

I got my letter in August a couple of weeks before it hit the web site. It is clear to me that Marriott is only interested in rewarding people who are sending new customers.

 

[tsl]

Lovearuba's story is what lead me to say it was very inequitable. I own 4 week with 2 Plat Plus and 2 Plat with purchase prices totaling over 125K. However, I have rarely referred people. I referred one person in the past 5 years and he purchased an OF Plat at Barony.

I got my letter in August a couple of weeks before it hit the web site. It is clear to me that Marriott is only interested in rewarding people who are sending new customers.

I totally agree. It burns me up that I am paying a special assessment right now on Kauai, yet others who "sell" Marriott property are given preference in front of me at Kauai?? There are a lot of resorts in the system that a week 53 would not be a good trader---like my Spain week. So if you are a timeshare salesman, you get access to the better weeks that you don't own?