gblotter
TUG Member
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2008
- Messages
- 904
- Reaction score
- 54
- Points
- 238
- Resorts Owned
-
Mountainside x 2
Maui Ocean Club x 2
Ko Olina Beach Club x 1
We are at Ko Olina this week, and attended a sales presentation yesterday.
Several notes:
* The incentives are not-so-good as before (only 10K MRPs). We opted for the $100 dining certificate instead.
* Salesman said that Ko Olina tower 4 will start construction later this year and be complete by 2017. Interestingly, the front desk agent said that tower 4 groundbreaking has been delayed until late-2017 at the earliest.
* New properties are being planned at San Diego (Gaslight), Washington DC, and Big Island (Waikoloa). Salesman said that all three of these locations would be hotel conversions with full kitchens, and that they had already acquired the properties. The new properties would be online by 2017.
* I reminded him that new properties cannot be added to the trust unless they are owned outright. He insisted that they own these properties so that they can legally be added to the trust inventory, and they will be all-timeshare (not just a few floors co-existing in a hotel building).
* They still own the Cancun land and it would definitely happen 'sometime' - but no dates.
* NYC Essex House is still a possibility - not completely dead.
* Salesman confirmed legal obstacles prevent non-US timeshare locations (Spain, Phuket, etc) from being added to the trust, but they can still be reserved as a hotel property.
* Salesman confirmed that ROFR is aggressive to add inventory to the trust.
* Salesman confirmed that Marriott inventory dumps into II are getting smaller, and that the great II trades of the past are mostly gone. I reminded him that we came to Hawaii this year by trading Mountainside (summer week) for Ko Olina (spring break).
* Salesman promoted access to Ritz Club properties as a great deal. I reminded him that Ritz Club properties are very troubled (Maui gone, Bachelor Gulch gone, Jupiter gone, Kaui Lagoons downgraded from Ritz Club to Marriott Vacation Club, San Francisco owners successfully sued Marriott, etc). He quickly changed the topic.
* Salesman said I was lucky to still be in the new 'Executive' tier (with my 7200 enrolled points), and that I could someday lose my status if I don't buy more points.
* Salesman promoted the idea that I could supercharge my enrolled points by purchasing just a small amount of trust points. He insisted that some reservations at existing properties would be unavailable to me using just enrolled points, and that no reservations whatsoever at new properties would be available to me using enrolled points. I responded that legal distinctions make it impossible for Marriott to simply grant all my enrolled points access to pure trust inventory simply because I also own 1000 trust points. That would be illegally depriving trust point owners their preferred status. He responded that there may be a few days during my desired week that can only be reserved with trust points, and therefore my entire reservation request would be denied. By owning a small amount of trust points, I would remove that obstacle and give Marriott more flexibility to satisfy my reservations request. Fair enough (that's an interesting twist that I hadn't heard before), but I said I would still take my chances with the exchange company using enrolled points.
* Salesman asked what conditions would be required for me to purchase any trust points. I responded that if the new properties at San Diego and Big Island actually appear as promised, and if I find that I cannot reserve those properties with my enrolled points, then I would consider purchasing trust points.
* Salesman insisted that 2000 points for $24,000 was now the new minimum purchase requirement. But the end of the presentation, he was offering me 1000 points for $9500.
* Our salesman was determined but not overly-aggressive as sometimes has been our experience at Ko Olina. Previously they have even gotten angry when we don't purchase any trust points.
Several notes:
* The incentives are not-so-good as before (only 10K MRPs). We opted for the $100 dining certificate instead.
* Salesman said that Ko Olina tower 4 will start construction later this year and be complete by 2017. Interestingly, the front desk agent said that tower 4 groundbreaking has been delayed until late-2017 at the earliest.
* New properties are being planned at San Diego (Gaslight), Washington DC, and Big Island (Waikoloa). Salesman said that all three of these locations would be hotel conversions with full kitchens, and that they had already acquired the properties. The new properties would be online by 2017.
* I reminded him that new properties cannot be added to the trust unless they are owned outright. He insisted that they own these properties so that they can legally be added to the trust inventory, and they will be all-timeshare (not just a few floors co-existing in a hotel building).
* They still own the Cancun land and it would definitely happen 'sometime' - but no dates.
* NYC Essex House is still a possibility - not completely dead.
* Salesman confirmed legal obstacles prevent non-US timeshare locations (Spain, Phuket, etc) from being added to the trust, but they can still be reserved as a hotel property.
* Salesman confirmed that ROFR is aggressive to add inventory to the trust.
* Salesman confirmed that Marriott inventory dumps into II are getting smaller, and that the great II trades of the past are mostly gone. I reminded him that we came to Hawaii this year by trading Mountainside (summer week) for Ko Olina (spring break).
* Salesman promoted access to Ritz Club properties as a great deal. I reminded him that Ritz Club properties are very troubled (Maui gone, Bachelor Gulch gone, Jupiter gone, Kaui Lagoons downgraded from Ritz Club to Marriott Vacation Club, San Francisco owners successfully sued Marriott, etc). He quickly changed the topic.
* Salesman said I was lucky to still be in the new 'Executive' tier (with my 7200 enrolled points), and that I could someday lose my status if I don't buy more points.
* Salesman promoted the idea that I could supercharge my enrolled points by purchasing just a small amount of trust points. He insisted that some reservations at existing properties would be unavailable to me using just enrolled points, and that no reservations whatsoever at new properties would be available to me using enrolled points. I responded that legal distinctions make it impossible for Marriott to simply grant all my enrolled points access to pure trust inventory simply because I also own 1000 trust points. That would be illegally depriving trust point owners their preferred status. He responded that there may be a few days during my desired week that can only be reserved with trust points, and therefore my entire reservation request would be denied. By owning a small amount of trust points, I would remove that obstacle and give Marriott more flexibility to satisfy my reservations request. Fair enough (that's an interesting twist that I hadn't heard before), but I said I would still take my chances with the exchange company using enrolled points.
* Salesman asked what conditions would be required for me to purchase any trust points. I responded that if the new properties at San Diego and Big Island actually appear as promised, and if I find that I cannot reserve those properties with my enrolled points, then I would consider purchasing trust points.
* Salesman insisted that 2000 points for $24,000 was now the new minimum purchase requirement. But the end of the presentation, he was offering me 1000 points for $9500.
* Our salesman was determined but not overly-aggressive as sometimes has been our experience at Ko Olina. Previously they have even gotten angry when we don't purchase any trust points.
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