Marriott Destination Points...They have done it!!!!!! {Merged}

[Y-ASK]

With the new points Marriott will give you a certain number of points, but not always enough to stay some weeks during the platinum system. This is not fair.

But they also give you the option to keep your week as is within the points system and you can try to get the week you want at your home resort within your season too. You can even still exchange it through II if you want. I don't understand what's not fair about that...


Y-ASK

 

[wsrobinson]

One wonders why Marriott is offering 5750 points for 2 Bedroom Platinum Oceanside for Surfwatch, but only 4200 points for 2 Bedroom Platinum (I'm assuming Oceanside) at Grande Ocean. This is a huge discrepancy!

Perhaps somehow they figured in original cost values?

 

[abdibile]

How can they be cheaper if you have to pay "big time".

Two different things:

Peak weeks: You can get them if you are willing to pay a lot, compared to not being able to get previously at all.

Off Season weeks: Cheaper

 

[wuv pooh]

If you bought a platinum week from Marriott you are entitled to use any week (subject to availablity) in the platinum system. This is the program that Marriott promoted and sold to owners. That was fair.

With the new points Marriott will give you a certain number of points, but not always enough to stay some weeks during the platinum system. This is not fair.

"Fair" is in the eyes of the beholder. I was only able to reserve the week I wanted 1 out of 4 years. I lost the lottery. Is that fair? I lost it to people who did not even want to use it, but wanted to trade it. Is that fair? I would have paid more to get that week. Is that fair? I was on business travel and could not call in until 10am, nothing was left, is that fair? I had to pay the same amount in October (much lower demand) that people paid in July (much higher demand). How is that fair to me?

You get the point

 

[hipslo]

Where does Marriott get the inventory?

According to the materials on the website, inventory at sold out resorts can come from (i) weeks owners who convert, (ii) weeks owners who trade their units in for marriott rewards points, and (iii) deposits into II, both from weeks owners (may be wrong about this, language is unclear, have read conflicting reports) and from points owners.

I was also told over the phone today that inventory is not allocated between weeks and points, it is simply a first come/ first serve massive free for all at 12 months (or 13 months).

I am now hoping that resale prices of fixed weeks at the best resorts will fall. Those would be great purchases for personal use (but not for trading).

 

[LAX Mom]

But they also give you the option to keep your week as is within the points system and you can try to get the week you want at your home resort within your season too. You can even still exchange it through II if you want. I don't understand what's not fair about that...


Y-ASK

But that's the previous system, keep your week and use it during your season or exchange it with II. Of course that's fair if you want those options, that's what your purchased from Marriott.

I don't think the new point system is fair when they give you less points for your platinum week than it takes to book some platinum week at your resort. Marriott is making extra points off your week if they give you 4,000 points and charge someone else 5,000 points to use that week.

 

[pfrank4127]

The difference was in the past we figured out how to work around the ripoff, now there is no longer a work around.

No It's a new system so you have to learn where the advantages are.

 

[Armada]

I spoke with one of the representatives and additionally to one of the 'points specialists'.

If you currently own one week(like me) and have already deposited next year's week and you want to join the points program, it may or may not be best to delay entry into the program until next year. You would not really receive any benefit for signing up now(except the 800 points), but would still have to pay the enrollment fee and the $165 Club Fee for next year(2011) in November. Club Fees will be due each November. If you join now, you might possibly avoid an increased enrollment fee later.

When you sign up for the points program, all Interval activity for your Marriott weeks will be through the Marriott desk and you will have a new Interval account. If you have other non-Marriott Interval timeshares, you will need to maintain a separate Interval account for those timeshares.

According to the points specialist, points are available in 250 point increments (not 1000 as posted elsewhere). Current cost for 250 points is $2300. The specialist also told me that if I were to buy points at time I joined the points program, they would waive the $595 enrollment fee as a limited time promotion. They confirmed a current maintenance fee $0.40/point.

If you buy points from them, there eventually be some type of buy back program, but no details are available now. I wonder if they would offer anything similar at some point for weeks. The specialist also stated that the resale program is gone.

Lastly, I was told the the owner resale program ended last month.

 

[ral]

This isn't true in all cases. My SurfWatch week is valued at 5750 points which is more than enough (4500) to stay for 7 days at SurfWatch in platinum season.

I'm a little confused here. SueDonJ in Post #279 relates that her 3 Bedroom SurfWatch Platinum Oceanside was valued by Marriott at 5000 points. It doesn't seem reasonable that a 3 bedroom unit has less points associated with it than a 2 bedroom unit, both being Platinum and Oceanside. When the Marriott website gets easier to get into, would SueDonJ and wsrobinson mind rechecking their units' respective values? I'm hoping someone with the savvy to design it would volunteer to set up a grid showing the values offered by Marriott for the various properties, seasons, and locations. I certainly would contribute to such an endeavor.

 

[caterina25]

I'm thinking in the future we may all be able to purchase resale points to add to our current totals.That would give us a good chance to get the trades we want at a better price.The current $9.20 a point is too much money to get to the level of staying in a resort we now can use without buying into their new point system.To purchase the number of points to use my timeshare in Aruba would cost me(4650X9.20) $42,780(for a new purchase).To get back up to the level of using my home resort (they give me 4,075 for the unit and it cost 4650 to rent the unit) 4,650-4,075=575.I would need to purchase 575 extra points X9.20=$5,290 plus maintenance fees to be where I am now W/O doing anything.

 

[hipslo]

But they also give you the option to keep your week as is within the points system and you can try to get the week you want at your home resort within your season too. You can even still exchange it through II if you want. I don't understand what's not fair about that...


Y-ASK

Weeks owners who do not convert are now in competition with ALL points owners for reservations at the home resort, to reserve a week at the home resort. That is analagous to competing with those requesting to trade in through II to make a reservation, under the current system.

 

[NJDave]

But they also give you the option to keep your week as is within the points system and you can try to get the week you want at your home resort within your season too. You can even still exchange it through II if you want. I don't understand what's not fair about that...


Y-ASK

There is a chart for trades in Interval. You may not be able to trade back for what you own with your points. We would not be able to get an exchange since we get 2,650 points and would need either 3,000 or 4,000 to get most weeks in our season.


https://www.my-vacationclub.com/common/vc/en-us/pdfs/enrollment_legal_docs/buyers_guide2010.pdf

See page 6

 

[wsrobinson]

I'm a little confused here. SueDonJ in Post #279 relates that her 3 Bedroom SurfWatch Platinum Oceanside was valued by Marriott at 5000 points. It doesn't seem reasonable that a 3 bedroom unit has less points associated with it than a 2 bedroom unit, both being Platinum and Oceanside. When the Marriott website gets easier to get into, would SueDonJ and wsrobinson mind rechecking their units' respective values? I'm hoping someone with the savvy to design it would volunteer to set up a grid showing the values offered by Marriott for the various properties, seasons, and locations. I certainly would contribute to such an endeavor.

My value was from the website while SueDonJ wasn't able to get into the site yet. My number is accurate, I just re-checked it.

 

[LAX Mom]

"Fair" is in the eyes of the beholder. I was only able to reserve the week I wanted 1 out of 4 years. I lost the lottery. Is that fair? I lost it to people who did not even want to use it, but wanted to trade it. Is that fair? I would have paid more to get that week. Is that fair? I was on business travel and could not call in until 10am, nothing was left, is that fair? I had to pay the same amount in October (much lower demand) that people paid in July (much higher demand). How is that fair to me?

You get the point

And you think with this new point system Marriott will always have the inventory available you want to book? As long as you have enough points you can get Newport or Hilton Head in the summer? Park City in ski season? Hawaii during spring break?

Salesmen didn't tell people it would be tough to get that Newport week in July every year. Do you expect them to now tell you the inventory will be limited? No they'll just show Mr & Mrs Tourist those point charts and say look at all the options!! They won't mention that Newport in the summer is almost impossible to book.

Some resorts/weeks are almost impossible to get during your season. This will be even more difficult when Marriott sells a bunch of points to new owners.

 

[tombo]

This is 100% false and you should not continue to propogate it. It is now measured by demand instead of an arbitrary season. Owners have always been ripped off, but now it is at least obvious/fair. Most resorts have too long of a platinum season so we have reserved the "red" weeks instead of the "pink" weeks. The pink owners got screwed with lower demanded weeks and lower trading power.

Now, everyone sees the relative values of the week they reserve. More demanded weeks are allocated to those who will PAY for it, vs. the current lottery of calling in at 9am or using II.

It is different, but it is not a new rip off. Just a different rip off than you are accustomed to.

It is not false. Now Marriott will give you less points for your deposited week than it will cost the exchanger to exchange for the week you deposited. If my week floats platinum and platinum season weeks range from 5000 points to 6000 points, then I can reserve a 6000 point week to use at my home resort. If Marriott gives me 5250 points when I deposit my week, then I will never be able to reserve a 6000 point week at any resort other than my own. In addition if the person exchanging for my home resort week that I would have used pays 6000 points for the priviledge while Marriott only gives me 5250 points, they are pocketing 750 points per owner. It is a rip off where marriott pays less points for deposited weeks than they charge to redeem them.

 

[LAX Mom]

To purchase the number of points to use my timeshare in Aruba would cost me(4650X9.20) $42,780.Crazy

In the current economy what is Marriott thinking? They honestly think they can sell these points? No wonder Fletch and others left Marriott sales?

 

[floyddl]

You are not very creative I can now get 13 nights in a 1bd or 9 nights in a 2bd at Manor Club in exchange for my week during Platinum season. I can do better if I move down or worse if I want to go during July 4th or on weekends. The value is there, but the pattern will change

I am pretty creative, but I bought into the Marriott system knowing I could get value. I don't have a need for 1 BR or for any nights in a Manor Club platinum season. The fact that Marriott now can take the II deposits that were previously available for exchanges to use for their points program changes the rules that I knew when I purchased. Having owned since 1995, I have found great value in the system. Now, I find the value is in keeping the week I own and occupying or renting each year. Not what I signed up for but I will maximize the value, and it will not involve paying Marriott to have the right to reserve another property because I don't have enough points to use the resort I own at.

I own Hilton too and their system is more fair because I can reserve the property I own at for the points I purchased and get 3 months to do so before any non-owner can reserve it. Hilton had the best system, although not the best selection of properties, before and still does.

 

[Dean]

Your SurfWatch must be 3BR ???

I'm sure this is answered later but it looks like they've inadvertently listed 3 BR points for 2 BR weeks. My SW GV unit (ALL 2 BR Platinum listed) is listed 4650, O Vista 6050. For GO it's 4200 & 5025. It seems Odd that SW would be so much more given the relative desirability even though it is newer. And when I look at the costs to reserve at SW is less than BB & GO for the Ocean Vista but the same for GV and OS, must be an error in the points they're listing for SW, should be the same as BB for GV & OS and less than either GO or BB for O Vista vs OF.

I know some are having issues with the idea that you get less points than it takes to reserve that unit using points. I'm not surprised and I suspect this is due to the fact that there will be the occasional day here and there that is wasted and the overage will even that out. Could also be a way to pay for the system which will clearly cost more than the $199 fee for larger point owners. To me that's not a big deal as I see the flexibility adds enough value to compensate for my situation. OTOH, glad I don't own something like off season HP with fees equal to $2 per point. I do think this system at present clearly benefits those with the higher demand resorts that have reasonable fees and those with multiple weeks of ownership. Even better for them if they are lucky enough to have the right combo of lower dues and higher points per week. Seems to hurt those of us who have bought "trading weeks" like Branson & Manor Club.

Looking at the info, I'll go back to my thoughts on the BEFORE thread. I postulated that Gold would likely be the best value to convert and I think that's true but only for those that rank higher on the list anyway like HH, HI, etc. I also postulated that it was possible that those with lower seasons (Bronze/Silver) Might also get a better value but that does not appear to be the case. I know you get more points for platinum or higher but you also have more inherent value for a week not converted for higher demand resorts that are not used for points. I do realize it will vary more on a case by case basis that I was anticipating.

I do think there is more variability between resorts of different areas, ages and demand that I expected. Is anyone compiling a complete list of what points you get for each resort, view, unit type and season. Wish I had time to do so at the present time but I don't. Hopefully someone as compulsive as I but having more, or just better and quicker at these type of things time will do so.

All in all (big picture) it's looking much like I thought it would from the info we had all been able to put together. Some significant plusses for me, some minor negatives as well compared to expectations.

Maybe it was mentioned and I missed it, what are Priority I vs Priority II reservations. Is this simply a way to reserve your own week vs a points reservation?

So it will cost $36,800 to buy 4,000 points, and $1,600 annual maintenance fee? And most high season weeks at good resorts will cost 4,000-6,000 points? Ouch.

Some doubted when I said the fees would likely be significantly higher. I think I said 20-30% and averages, it's like a little more than that.

 

[Dean]

My value was from the website while SueDonJ wasn't able to get into the site yet. My number is accurate, I just re-checked it.

See my post above, I believe this to be an error and you're actually seeing the 3 BR points and not the 2 BR points.

 

[molemay]

Renting weeks

If you move to the points system, can you rent the weeks you get with points?

 

[tombo]

"Fair" is in the eyes of the beholder. I was only able to reserve the week I wanted 1 out of 4 years. I lost the lottery. Is that fair? I lost it to people who did not even want to use it, but wanted to trade it. Is that fair? I would have paid more to get that week. Is that fair? I was on business travel and could not call in until 10am, nothing was left, is that fair? I had to pay the same amount in October (much lower demand) that people paid in July (much higher demand). How is that fair to me?

You get the point

And points won't change anything other than how many points you need to get a prime week. There will now be points owners with enough points to reserve the hottest weeks on the phone at 8 am reserving the prime weeks, and at 10 am for the most sought after weeks all inventory will still be gone to the most agressive points owners. Marriott has not increased the total inventory by one week or one resort, they have only changed how the inventory will be allocated.

 

[wsrobinson]

See my post above, I believe this to be an error and you're actually seeing the 3 BR points and not the 2 BR points.

I'm going into MY PAGE after logging in. These are MY VALUES and I OWN a 2 BEDROOM Oceanside Platinum. Below is from the site...

Eligible Inventories



Internal Inventory Point Value Enrollment Fee
There are no eligible inventories for enrollment.
SurfWatch
Floor Plan: 2BR + 2BA
View Type: Oceanside/Gardenview
Deeded Id: SF*5443*22*B 5,750 $0.00

SubTotal: 5,750 ✓Calculate

External Inventory Point Value Enrollment Fee
There are no eligible inventories for enrollment.
Barony Beach Club
Floor Plan: 2BR + 2BA
View Type: Ocean Side View
Deeded Id: BB*9313*46*B 1,925 $0.00

SubTotal: 1,925 ✓Calculate


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total (Internal + External): 7,675 - $0.00 $0.00



Your potential points from all Owner Id's is: 7,675

 

[floyddl]

No It's a new system so you have to learn where the advantages are.

That's what I am here for, so ingenious people like you can tell me where the advantages are. So far, for my particular situation, I don't see the advantages. Granted it is very early after the announcement. Having purchased to use my resort 3 out of 4 years, I am fine for those 3, but with II weeks now being snatched by Marriott for points weeks I am not seeing how I will find value in the new system. For me, the best option will be to stay in th existing system and rent my week when I choose not to use it and then rent another week where I want to go. The exchange system seems to be out of bounds.

 

[Y-ASK]

In the current economy what is Marriott thinking? They honestly think they can sell these points? No wonder Fletch and others left Marriott sales?

This I totally agree with this. So Marriott, you're going to treat resale owners differently than developer owners and thus make everyone's resale values signficantly lower as a result? Talk about shooting themselves in the foot! Why would I ever buy developer knowing that if I ever need to sell, forgetaboutit...

Y-ASK

 

[Frisbeeace]

My conclusions

1. The old trade-for-points option is dead after devaluations (and the loss of AA)

3. The new points exchange system is good for owners of hot weeks who most likely will join it and have the alternative to convert them for points or occupy.

2. The new points exchange system does not work for owners of weak trading weeks like mine (Sabal Palms) who must forget about trading for more desirable Marriott weeks and should rely on II for external trades.

4. With both points systems useless, most Marriott weeks have become a typical timeshare to either occupy, trade with II or rent.

5. New resales should go down in price while developer sales should start to move and I hope to get rid of my 3 weeks asap.