Marriott Tour

[jpenderg]

I am staying at the Marriott Newport Coast Villas this week and I am attending the owner's tour Wednesday.

Is there anything I should be asking or looking for?

I am not in the market for a place, but I can't pass up a good deal if one is presented.

-James

 

[BJRSanDiego]

I guess that it depends on what you consider to be a "good deal".

Marriott is selling points. I don't remember the exact numbers (its available in other threads) but the list price per point is around $13 and the discounted price per point is around $10.50. You would probably need around 3000 points minimum (but that depends where you would want to travel and when). For instance, staying a week now (lower demand period) at Newport Coast, costs 2900 points. If you wanted to stay 7 days over the 4th of July costs 5675 points. Some people have bought a "bundled" deal where you buy a deeded week, and you buy points equal to the value of the week and you are allowed to enroll the week into the points program. I think that the blended cost per point may be around $7.50 if you do the bundled deal.

So, does $25,000 to 35,000 or more sounds like a good deal?

 

[DEScottzz]

You can buy resale points for about $8. Of that, $5 will go to the owner and MVC will get $3 to transfer the points to your name. If they offer you points for more than $8, it's not a good deal. (They won't. I was just on a tour today.)

 

[Finntastic]

We have 1500 pts and only ever plan to use it for off season. example we r doing HHI Surfwatch canadian march break 3 BR for 1250 pts sun to thursday. great for us. remember you can always rent pts from owners if u need more.

 

[jpenderg]

Great!! This is just what I needed to know.

 

[newportbeach]

Curious if you check out the price for renting. If you got a week deal subject to a tour that gives some indication of value or pricing, but usually its 3 nights with a tour. I believe the off-season weekly rental is $1500-$1800, and at that price point for a rental why purchase for $30,000+ to possibly save $300 to $500 in mf fees. I would consider renting or purchase a Marriott trader with a deeded week and simply do an II exchange. That has worked for me.

 

[winger]

I am staying at the Marriott Newport Coast Villas this week and I am attending the owner's tour Wednesday.

Is there anything I should be asking or looking for?

I am not in the market for a place, but I can't pass up a good deal if one is presented.

-James

Just curious since we will be arriving in a few more days-what are they offering you in return for your time (usually three choices) for taking the 'tour'?

 

[DEScottzz]

We were offered $200 in Amex gift cards or 30,000 MR points. When we arrived, they said, "Let me get your $100 Amex gift card." I had to say,"I thought it was $200."

 

[davidvel]

We were offered $200 in Amex gift cards or 30,000 MR points. When we arrived, they said, "Let me get your $100 Amex gift card." I had to say,"I thought it was $200."

At least they were preparing you for what they would do to you in your tour.

 

[winger]

We were offered $200 in Amex gift cards or 30,000 MR points. When we arrived, they said, "Let me get your $100 Amex gift card." I had to say,"I thought it was $200."

Did they give you the correct amount?

 

[DEScottzz]

Did they give you the correct amount?

Yes, they did.

I probably wouldn't do it again for just $200, but I did buy an encore package for $1095, which includes 4 nights and 50,000 MR points, but comes with an obligation to sit through a 60 minute torture session.

 

[jpenderg]

Sounds like I got shafted. They offered me a GoPro. I had to put my cc down as well to ensure my attendance. They do give it to you at the moment you check in which is cool.

 

[jpenderg]

And, I looked on eBay last night...points are going for $2-$3 a point all in. That sounds like the very best deal out there.

How do I find owners willing to rent points? I need to get back in this resort next week for at least 3 days.

 

[BocaBoy]

We were offered $200 in Amex gift cards or 30,000 MR points. When we arrived, they said, "Let me get your $100 Amex gift card." I had to say,"I thought it was $200."

30,000 MR points is a great deal. The incentive is seldom more than 20,000 MR points and often is only 10,000 or 15,000. Based on our travel patterns, I would take the 30,000 MR points in a heartbeat over the $200 AMEX gift card.

 

[Fasttr]

And, I looked on eBay last night...points are going for $2-$3 a point all in. That sounds like the very best deal out there.

How do I find owners willing to rent points? I need to get back in this resort next week for at least 3 days.

Keep in mind...the $2-$3 a point likely does not include the $2/point fee that must be paid to MVC to open up the points to full access. Also, its HIGHLY likely that it will take closer to $5/point (plus the $2 fee) to pass MVC's ROFR.

To your second point....go to either www.vacationpointexchange.com or www.ownertrades.com Those are the two most active sites and are run by TUGgers. You may have to sign up as a user to see the listings.

 

[jme]

30,000 MR points is a great deal. The incentive is seldom more than 20,000 MR points and often is only 10,000 or 15,000. Based on our travel patterns, I would take the 30,000 MR points in a heartbeat over the $200 AMEX gift card.

I have also been offered (and taken) 250 Destination Points, which is even better. 30,000 Rewards Points, even though it's better than what's usually offered and a great deal in its own right, might only get 1-2 nights at best at a low to mid-level hotel.

Off-season nights at 50-75 DC points per night (depending on location) can go a long way.......Of course the OP must be a DC member I would presume.



.

 

[BocaBoy]

I have also been offered (and taken) 250 Destination Points, which is even better. 30,000 Rewards Points, even though it's better than what's usually offered and a great deal in its own right, might only get 1-2 nights at best at a low to mid-level hotel.

Off-season nights at 50-75 DC points per night (depending on location) can go a long way.......Of course the OP must be a DC member I would presume.

This is very true. I have not yet taken a tour where DC points were offered, but I would gladly take 250 DC points. As one example, that could pull 5 January or early December nights at Grande Ocean in an ocean side villa using the discount for booking within 60 days of check-in, which is usually possible at Hilton Head. Similar opportunities exist at the other ocean front resorts on Hilton Head as well as at OceanWatch. You can book 5 low season nights at Harbour Club even without a discount. (I am not sure if the DC points offered for a tour are restricted to bookings within 60 days of check-in.) Many similar off season opportunities exist elsewhere throughout the MVCI system, especially if one is willing to take a 1BR or a studio.

 

[DEScottzz]

I noticed that several people are offering points on VPE for $0.40, a killer price.

If there is availability at NCV for next week, you could get in during the week for 200 points per night, which is $80, by getting the points owner to make the reservation for you. (That assumes the owner gets the 35% discount for owning a jillion points or so.)

 

[dgf15215]

I will refrain from offering advice about your meeting tomorrow or how to use points - there's a lot of that posted already. Allow me to make a few suggestions as to how you might enjoy your time in Newport Beach, one of my favorite places to book a property.

First, right down the hill from the resort in the same small complex as Trader Joe's is Javier's Restaurant (Mexican). Absolutely fabulous place to eat, always crowded and noisy, the food outrageously good and the service excellent. Second, Gelson's Market in Newport Beach - a supermarket bordering on fine dining takeout. Nothing like it, a real shopping experience for groceries, baked good and prepared foods. At lunch they'll carve lean roast beef and make a sandwhich for you that you'll not believe. Third, Saturday morning there is a huge farmer's market at a church complex a few miles up the hill. I think there's a least a hundred stands there covering everything grown in CA as well as a wide variety of esoteric goods. Finally, drive down Rt 1 into town and look for Rose's Bakery (actually a very good bakery, good coffee and lunch fare), make a left towards the ocean and park. Then walk down towards the ocean until you can't go any further and you're on Ocean Blvd. Multi-million dollar home overlooking the ocean and a perfect walk from one end to the other for views you can only get in a handful of spots in the world.

Oh, and if doing all this encourages you to buy enough points to come back to Newport Beach over and over again, I wouldn't blame you.