New MVC owner within 10 day cancellation window

[WBP]

Yep, 4,000 points at a discounted price of $44k with 8,000 bonus points.

"4,000 points at a discounted price of $44k"
$44,000.00! Wow!

 

[tubelaw]

All good advice, and I would add if you want to buy direct from Marriott look into a hybrid package. We too wound up at a presentation at Grande Vista and have 3 days left on our 10 day rescind period. We already own 2,000 points and have an enrolled week at Williamsburg. We have come close to buying resale and/or hybrid package a few times over the last 8-10 years to get to executive and even rescinded one hybrid 5 years ago. Current deal is for 2000 points at $13 and change and a 2br L/O platinum Harbour Lake week for $9,000 which elects for 2550 points. Total point cost comes in just under $8.00 per point. I know we could get resale for between $5 and $6, but with the bonus of 4000 points and a developer week deposited into II (6 months to use once we request they deposit it anytime in the next 3 years I think) we thought the slight premium is worth the flexibility of electing points, using a Florida week or using the L/O.

Since we never owned a lock off, wondering how valuable the feature is in the current trade environment on II. We have not traded in quite some time as we generally elect points for our Williamsburg week. Also, wondering if anyone can advise on how well does a Harbour Lake week trade?

 

[jwalk03]

All good advice, and I would add if you want to buy direct from Marriott look into a hybrid package. We too wound up at a presentation at Grande Vista and have 3 days left on our 10 day rescind period. We already own 2,000 points and have an enrolled week at Williamsburg. We have come close to buying resale and/or hybrid package a few times over the last 8-10 years to get to executive and even rescinded one hybrid 5 years ago. Current deal is for 2000 points at $13 and change and a 2br L/O platinum Harbour Lake week for $9,000 which elects for 2550 points. Total point cost comes in just under $8.00 per point. I know we could get resale for between $5 and $6, but with the bonus of 4000 points and a developer week deposited into II (6 months to use once we request they deposit it anytime in the next 3 years I think) we thought the slight premium is worth the flexibility of electing points, using a Florida week or using the L/O.

Since we never owned a lock off, wondering how valuable the feature is in the current trade environment on II. We have not traded in quite some time as we generally elect points for our Williamsburg week. Also, wondering if anyone can advise on how well does a Harbour Lake week trade?

I bought a Platinum 2BR Harbour Lake week on eBay last year for $300 all-in. I traded the studio last year for a 1BR Aruba Ocean Club in April, but I was forced to re-traded that due to the international travel rules because of COVID. So I re-traded into a 1BR OF at Ocean Pointe Memorial Day week.

The 2021 studio I traded for a 2BR Ocean View at Ocean Pointe for 2022 Memorial Day week.

The two 1BR halves of the lock-off I have not traded yet. I have ongoing searches placed for HHI & Marco Island for 2022- so we'll see if any of those come through.

$9000 feels like a REALLY high price for something I paid $300 for- but its your money.

 

[Dean]

All good advice, and I would add if you want to buy direct from Marriott look into a hybrid package. We too wound up at a presentation at Grande Vista and have 3 days left on our 10 day rescind period. We already own 2,000 points and have an enrolled week at Williamsburg. We have come close to buying resale and/or hybrid package a few times over the last 8-10 years to get to executive and even rescinded one hybrid 5 years ago. Current deal is for 2000 points at $13 and change and a 2br L/O platinum Harbour Lake week for $9,000 which elects for 2550 points. Total point cost comes in just under $8.00 per point. I know we could get resale for between $5 and $6, but with the bonus of 4000 points and a developer week deposited into II (6 months to use once we request they deposit it anytime in the next 3 years I think) we thought the slight premium is worth the flexibility of electing points, using a Florida week or using the L/O.

Since we never owned a lock off, wondering how valuable the feature is in the current trade environment on II. We have not traded in quite some time as we generally elect points for our Williamsburg week. Also, wondering if anyone can advise on how well does a Harbour Lake week trade?

I can't imagine buying a "trading unit" as a hybrid purchase. Like above, I bought HL Platinum for a song including closing and that years week. Even if one wanted to end up with points and an enrolled HL week (or similar), buying resale and enrolling with a qualifying weeks purchase (like an Aruba Ocean Club 1BR Platinum week) would be a far better deal IMO. The benefit of a hybrid is to end up with a high end enrolled week for the cheapest up front AND yearly. It's almost always better to just buy what you want resale and if enrolling makes sense, do so separately.

 

[SML123]

In my opinion, for what thats worth, the only places where I feel that I get equal to what I would get if I stayed at a high end hotel or better is when I trade through RCI to Mexico - for the most part Vidanta or Garza Blanca resorts. I can also fairly regularly trade for Hilton Vacation Club weeks in the US or Hawaii or even Disney weeks that have given us daily nice accommodations. Other than that, the timeshares offered on exchange are dated condo and converted motels - I find it costs less money and gets me nicer digs to pay for a Hilton or Hyatt or Marriot hotel. Unless you know what you are doing, its not worth giving anyone more than $1000 to buy in. NEVER buy a timeshare thinking you can pay for it by renting it or can sell it at any time.

I have two weeks that I paid $500 total for both, at an old but very well maintained beach resort in Fort Lauderdale that give me over 60 points a year with RCI. Right now I have four 2 bedroom units booked for 10 points each for our kids grandkids and great grandkids at Vidanta for next year. Even with the Vidanta fee, the huge spotlessly clean condos with divided master suites, at their fabulous resort gives us a priceless value for our family. We love treating our families to memory making trips. If you know what you are doing, and dont buy in high $$$$, timesharing is fantastic.

Unfortunately, when I am vacationing at a Vidanta resort and overhear the pool conversations, I am too often unable to explain to people WHY they should cancel their $40k reload purchase that morning. It is common for me to meet folks who have given a developer $100k over the years and are proud of it. When I tell them I am staying at their resort and I am even in their exclusive beach club pool and I only paid $500, way back 35 years ago for my week, they still dont quite understand. I am the one who tells my husband to STAY OUT OF IT when he overhears the latest buying stories. I find it is harder to kick people out of a contract than it was years ago when I sold for a developer.

 

[csalter2]

In my opinion, for what thats worth, the only places where I feel that I get equal to what I would get if I stayed at a high end hotel or better is when I trade through RCI to Mexico - for the most part Vidanta or Garza Blanca resorts. I can also fairly regularly trade for Hilton Vacation Club weeks in the US or Hawaii or even Disney weeks that have given us daily nice accommodations. Other than that, the timeshares offered on exchange are dated condo and converted motels - I find it costs less money and gets me nicer digs to pay for a Hilton or Hyatt or Marriot hotel. Unless you know what you are doing, its not worth giving anyone more than $1000 to buy in. NEVER buy a timeshare thinking you can pay for it by renting it or can sell it at any time.

I have two weeks that I paid $500 total for both, at an old but very well maintained beach resort in Fort Lauderdale that give me over 60 points a year with RCI. Right now I have four 2 bedroom units booked for 10 points each for our kids grandkids and great grandkids at Vidanta for next year. Even with the Vidanta fee, the huge spotlessly clean condos with divided master suites, at their fabulous resort gives us a priceless value for our family. We love treating our families to memory making trips. If you know what you are doing, and dont buy in high $$$$, timesharing is fantastic.

Unfortunately, when I am vacationing at a Vidanta resort and overhear the pool conversations, I am too often unable to explain to people WHY they should cancel their $40k reload purchase that morning. It is common for me to meet folks who have given a developer $100k over the years and are proud of it. When I tell them I am staying at their resort and I am even in their exclusive beach club pool and I only paid $500, way back 35 years ago for my week, they still dont quite understand. I am the one who tells my husband to STAY OUT OF IT when he overhears the latest buying stories. I find it is harder to kick people out of a contract than it was years ago when I sold for a developer.

Are your trades peak or off peak when you are getting the 2 bedrooms in the US? I find getting ocean front unit trades during peak season next to impossible. In fact trades are last on the totem pole for priority in the accommodation ranking. You’d have to be EXTREMELY fortunate to receive an oceanfront unit through a trade. Off peak,your chances increase. If one isn’t concerned about the type of unit, then sure you can trade and your chances again increase.

Paying $500 for two weeks is absolutely fabulous. Resale is the way to go to save money without a doubt. I’ve traded into the Grande Luxxe property on Cancun and will concede that it was the nicest unit I’ve ever stayed in within any other timeshare including the Four Seasons. But it’s Mexico so I’m not surprised.

 

[MikeM132]

*Edit - my other concern is my research of property availability and being able to book the property you actually want. Do you experience issues with this? Do you have to actually book as soon as it becomes available? At the Select level, if I want to book 5 nights I can only book 12 months out. Will there still be prime properties during peak travel times available?

The definitive answer is.....maybe. You want a hot resort on the peak week, you need to book as soon as that inventory becomes available. This vacation planning can be tense, nerve wracking, exciting, require getting up and logging in somewhere early to be the first on the keyboard. It can involve booking a timeshare as well as trying to coordinate a "free" FF reward flight. It's a niche sport. People on this forum are players, so you can learn how to do it.
It requires you to know how early stuff becomes available and be right there at the moment it does. Or.....roll the dice and wait until like a month before and see if something popped up....this is not all that unusual. Working the timeshare system is a skill which you can develop on this forum. If you take another sales presentation me (and many others here) have found mentioned the TUG forum is a litmus test for salesperson honesty. If they are visibly dismayed, they stink. If they welcome your background knowledge, you got one of the better ones (a relative scale...none of them are really your buddy).
"Destinations Program" is a hybrid program where if you own a week you can convert it to points and select either option every year. It is not that big a deal, in my opinion. Owning an actual week (again, my opinion) is your highest value option, especially a resale week. Long ago the selling point of buying from Marriott direct was the ability to convert your week to Marriott Reward Points (now Bonvoy). These are so devalued now they are a joke (again, my opinion) so that's not a factor. Don't take anything I have said as the definitive story on timeshare. I bought retail weeks from Marriott (so I'm not the smartest guy here). I'm sure I can vacation for less money. However....I believe the timeshare condo thing really is way superior to a hotel (and Marriott used to sell on that but now that so many new properties are actually glorified hotel rooms, has changed their pitch..check "Club Pulse"). I like that I HAVE to go on vacation somewhere. Marriott has beautiful resorts in great locations. It is a first-class experience (but boy, do you pay for it in Maintenance Fees!!!).
I'm a pretty old guy now and have had my 3 Marriott weeks a long time. I'll tell you what I was told by a big shot at a company I worked for when I got out of the Navy long ago "the most valuable thing you have is time". Money you can replace but not time. Overall, I'm glad I own them (but this has never stopped me from complaining). Good luck.

 

[SML123]

Are your trades peak or off peak when you are getting the 2 bedrooms in the US? I find getting ocean front unit trades during peak season next to impossible. In fact trades are last on the totem pole for priority in the accommodation ranking. You’d have to be EXTREMELY fortunate to receive an oceanfront unit through a trade. Off peak,your chances increase. If one isn’t concerned about the type of unit, then sure you can trade and your chances again increase.

Paying $500 for two weeks is absolutely fabulous. Resale is the way to go to save money without a doubt. I’ve traded into the Grande Luxxe property on Cancun and will concede that it was the nicest unit I’ve ever stayed in within any other timeshare including the Four Seasons. But it’s Mexico so I’m not surprised.

We dont have kids, so we prefer shoulder seasons, but when I look at availability today, there are plenty of condos everywhere. Its balanced out by the points. Hawaii would be 35 points - Kauai in October at Gold Crown 2br. Next week in Myrtle Beach is 9 points 2 br. Im pretty flexible where we go, its a sport.

Back when it was a week for a week on a trade, unless you owned somewhere POPULAR you couldnt go anywhere, but now its handicapped by the points. If you own in a location that only gives you 5 RCI points a year, it would take 7 years of points to go to Kauai but you could still go. Its better than saying NO.