MVC Looking for Advice on Booking

[blhar15]

We are chairman level with MVC for three years now and finding it very difficult to book places we want to go to. They told me I can book 13 months out, but even when I check at certain places on day one of the 13 months, there is still no availability. This is my biggest complaint about the club so far. We have had some nice vacations already and really like the resorts we have been to.

Any advice to navigating the site or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[ljmiii]

Where are you looking? Keep in mind that any resort outside the US can't be in the Abound Trust. Availability at resorts that can't be in one of the trusts depends on owners electing their enrolled weeks. Also, some of the most prime weeks (i.e. Maui Ocean Club Oceanfront) have very little inventory in the Abound Trust.

The best points availability is at those resorts that are 'Points Only'...

Marriott Vacation Club, San Diego - United States, California - San Diego
Marriott Vacation Club, San Francisco - United States, California - San Francisco
Marriott's Crystal Shores (Egret Building)- United States, Florida - Marco Island
Marriott Vacation Club, South Beach - United States, Florida - Miami Beach
Marriott Vacation Club, Waikīkī - United States, Hawaiʻi - Honolulu, Oʻahu
Marriott's Waikoloa Ocean Club - United States, Hawaiʻi - Waikoloa Beach, Big Island
Marriott Vacation Club, New York City - United States, New York - New York City
Marriott Vacation Club at The Mayflower, Washington, D.C. - United States - Washington, D.C.

Marriott Vacation Club at Surfers Paradise - Australia, Surfers Paradise - Gold Coast
Marriott’s Bali Nusa Dua Gardens - Indonesia, Bali - Nusa Dua
Marriott’s Bali Nusa Dua Terrace - Indonesia, Bali - Nusa Dua
Marriott Vacation Club at The Empire Place, Bangkok - Thailand, Bangkok - Yannawa, Sathorn
Marriott's Mai Khao Resort — Phuket - Thailand, Phuket - Mai Khao, Talang

 

[SChiam]

I’m at Chairman level. I never have problem booking 12 months out with Abound, however 13 months out not so great. Seems like what I want shows up 12 months out instead of 13 months out. I have both Marriott and Westin Abound points. Wondering which properties (and room categories) you were looking for?

 

[Pamplemousse]

We are chairman level with MVC for three years now and finding it very difficult to book places we want to go to. They told me I can book 13 months out, but even when I check at certain places on day one of the 13 months, there is still no availability. This is my biggest complaint about the club so far. We have had some nice vacations already and really like the resorts we have been to.

Any advice to navigating the site or suggestions would be appreciated.

Be sure you are looking at the ‘when can I book’ calculator on the owners site and noting the dates based on brand too.
If you don’t get it on minute 1 of 13 month release keep looking repeatedly- inventory is always changing sometimes by the hour if people cancel. Look minute 1 at 12 months too and place a waitlist and keep looking if you don’t find what you want. It’s a process, not a one time time chance.

I have personally booked a number of ways- minute 1 @12 months, getting lucky and finding what I wanted sitting in inventory @3 months, waitlisting, collecting nights as they showed up until I had my full stay.

 

[blhar15]

We have been using the Marriott owners website, https://owners.marriottvacationclub.com/

 

[blhar15]

Should also mention the ones that have been really hard to book are:
Both locations in Aruba, Los Sueños Costa Rica, Crystal Shores Marco Island, St. Kitts Beach Club, Waiohai Beach Club

 

[jwalk03]

Should also mention the ones that have been really hard to book are:
Both locations in Aruba, Los Sueños Costa Rica, Crystal Shores Marco Island, St. Kitts Beach Club, Waiohai Beach Club

The international resorts do not belong to the points trust. They were all sold as weeks. So there is almost never going to be any inventory available at any of them to release at 13 months out. Points inventory is only made available when a weeks owner elects to trade their usage in a given year for points instead.

The best way to get a reservation at any of the international resorts is to try at 12 months and if its not available put in a wait list request so you have a chance of automatically matching when a weeks owner trades for points.

 

[claraj]

Both locations in Aruba, Los Sueños Costa Rica, Crystal Shores Marco Island, St. Kitts Beach Club, Waiohai Beach Club

Many of these locations (Aruba, Costa Rica and I think St. Kitts) are not available to reserve with points until a weeks owner elects to convert their week to MVC points. I'm surprised you were not able to book Marco Island at 13 months out. Though I did run into a situation recently where I could only book 13 months out if I changed my reservation to 7 nights (I was only looking for 4 nights).

 

[Pamplemousse]

.

 

[ljmiii]

Should also mention the ones that have been really hard to book are:
Both locations in Aruba, Los Sueños Costa Rica, Crystal Shores Marco Island, St. Kitts Beach Club, Waiohai Beach Club

Of those Aruba, Costa Rica, and St Kitts can't be part of the Abound Trust. Aruba and Costa Rica are indeed very tough to book using Abound Points.

But I've never had any trouble booking St Kitts nor at Waiohai at 9:00AM at 13 months. Nor at the Egret Building half of Crystal Shores (Pool Side High, Pool Side, Islandside, and Standard View) that has no weeks ownership. However, Gulf Front *is* extraordinarily difficult in high season.

(EDITED) Though as @claraj wrote, many resorts have minimum stay restrictions...particularly in high season. If you're not seeing availability at a resort for any dates you should try 7 (and sometimes 3) nights.

 

[Dean]

Should also mention the ones that have been really hard to book are:
Both locations in Aruba, Los Sueños Costa Rica, Crystal Shores Marco Island, St. Kitts Beach Club, Waiohai Beach Club

Also all of those other than St. Kitt's are going to be difficult to book for all of us. Make sure you understand exactly when the units you want will come onboard which is 13 months out on Tuesday at 9 AM for 13 months out and Friday for 13 months out. Also at 12 months out you can wait list if needed. I too find a lot more availability at 12 months out than at 13 months. There are reasons but I won't derail this thread with the reasons this is the case. Also, make sure you're looking at multiple weeks and not trying to get the highest demand weeks like Xmas, NY, Spring break and the like. Make sure you're looking for a full week that starts on a day or days that the resorts schedule. For most it'll be Friday, Saturday or Sunday but Aruba Surf club for example also has weeks that start on Thursday and Monday. I think if you lean just a little more, are proactive, have some flexibility and use the wait list; you'll do much better than you've described.

 

[blhar15]

How do you use the wait list? I don't see any options on the website to do this or is this something you have to call in for? Thanks

 

[Dean]

How do you use the wait list? I don't see any options on the website to do this or is this something you have to call in for? Thanks

You have to call. Once the 12 month window opens you can wait list. You can't do this at 13 months out. They will hold your points though so those points will not be available for other usage unless you call them. I've only used it a few times but always had success even with difficult to get options.

 

[Pamplemousse]

How do you use the wait list? I don't see any options on the website to do this or is this something you have to call in for? Thanks

Dean answered you but I’ll add a few more details-
You can waitlist multiple things and they only hold the number of points need for the most expensive option.
You can also cancel a waitlist using the MVC chat or by phone.
If you find something you would like to book you can put it on the 15 minute hold and in my experience the waitlist was released fast enough to use the points to book.

 

[danill]

We have found Crystal Shores to be a tough one to book, especially for Gulf Front, but have had success for 3 years now at 13 months by looking online right as they open. If you miss, there is additional inventory at 12 months, and then it is hit or miss, with rooms going fast when they do pop up. I'd recommend waitlisting after the 12-month window.

 

[cindyandjp]

I got frustrated not being able to book Aruba at 13 months however I just booked it for late Sept. 2025 through Interval International. I reserved Las Vegas and then deposited my week to book Aruba. I did watch a few You Tube videos before doing it so that I understood how to make the trade. I also called a II rep and had them explain how it works too. The only drawback is that I am not guaranteed a room with a view but that is not a dealbreaker for me.