• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 31 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 31st anniversary: Happy 31st Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $23,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $23 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    Tens of thousands of subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

No gift tours for non-marriott owners at Grande Vista?

W

WorldT

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2023
Messages
858
Reaction score
592
Currently at GV on an AC from a non-marriott unit. Checked in late, concierge was closed. Next day I spoke with concierge and she pulled me up and said I don't own any Marriott units so there is no offer for a gifted tour.
First time at a Marriott on an exchange or through II.
 
Interesting. I think someone who owns a different timeshare would be an ideal person to send for a presentation and learn the value of MVC....
 
I know when we didn't own, we were invited to a presentation while staying at a Marriott hotel in Orlando. I know others have reported, as non owners, when exchanging in they don't always get invited to a timeshare presentation. It seems they use promo packages via Bonvoy referrals and their hotel partners to bring in non owner leads.
 
WorldT said:
Currently at GV on an AC from a non-marriott unit. Checked in late, concierge was closed. Next day I spoke with concierge and she pulled me up and said I don't own any Marriott units so there is no offer for a gifted tour.
First time at a Marriott on an exchange or through II.
Click to expand...
That doesn't make sense, there must be something else going on at that location or something in your profile that suggests that you are unlikely to buy or don't meet their sales tour criteria.
 
Sounds like BS to me. They certainly do tours for non-Marriott owners. You likely were just not targeted for some other reason and the concierge person just gave you that line instead.
 
Dean said:
That doesn't make sense, there must be something else going on at that location or something in your profile that suggests that you are unlikely to buy or don't meet their sales tour criteria.
Click to expand...
We were traveling with friends who exchanged into cypress and they told them they could come with us for our update but would not be gifted because they were exchangers. I asked if they could come as our Refferal and tour and they said it had to be booked that way but she couldn’t gift them on this stay. Seemed odd. My friends were intersted too
 
Wanderlustgrl said:
We were traveling with friends who exchanged into cypress and they told them they could come with us for our update but would not be gifted because they were exchangers. I asked if they could come as our Refferal and tour and they said it had to be booked that way but she couldn’t gift them on this stay. Seemed odd. My friends were intersted too
Click to expand...
That makes more sense given they were with you and already paying for one set of bribes but I'm sure there are variables we don't know.
 
WorldT said:
Currently at GV on an AC from a non-marriott unit. Checked in late, concierge was closed. Next day I spoke with concierge and she pulled me up and said I don't own any Marriott units so there is no offer for a gifted tour.
First time at a Marriott on an exchange or through II.
Click to expand...

I find it interesting how marketing has changed over a couple of decades. 23 years ago we were exchangers coming in to Ocean Pointe on an AC from a non-Marriott unit. We were not Marriott owners at that time. We were offered a gifted tour, and that’s when we became Marriott owners. Now it appears to be the complete opposite.
 
WorldT said:
Currently at GV on an AC from a non-marriott unit. Checked in late, concierge was closed. Next day I spoke with concierge and she pulled me up and said I don't own any Marriott units so there is no offer for a gifted tour.
First time at a Marriott on an exchange or through II.
Click to expand...
Are you travelling with your spouse? If not Marriott won't gift. If you aren't married they may or may not let you tour with a gift but they prioritize you much lower and if they do gift it is less than half of what is offered to couples.
 
dougp26364 said:
I find it interesting how marketing has changed over a couple of decades. 23 years ago we were exchangers coming in to Ocean Pointe on an AC from a non-Marriott unit. We were not Marriott owners at that time. We were offered a gifted tour, and that’s when we became Marriott owners. Now it appears to be the complete opposite.
Click to expand...
They are reasonably transparent on their target market in the investor brief.

1) They are actively seeking new owners, but with a specific profile.
1737275397515.png


2) Interestingly, compared to the 2019 investor day info, they seem to have made the switch, and owner median income has dropped.
1737275896692.png



3) If you're a new owner, they can squeeze more out of you. I guess the sales pitches given to people disappointed with their initial 2k points purchases, that they need to buy more to get better access work!

1737275293453.png
 
tschwa2 said:
Are you travelling with your spouse? If not Marriott won't gift. If you aren't married they may or may not let you tour with a gift but they prioritize you much lower and if they do gift it is less than half of what is offered to couples.
Click to expand...
I am traveling with my spouse and make above the required income. Only thing on my record might be I had a presentation back in May of 2023 on a paid package (4 days/3 nights type deal). The concierge didn't say that was the issue. She only said I was not an a Marriott owner. Maybe they have their hands full currently with potential targets?
My presentation in 2023 was my first ever timeshare presentation. I didn't buy from them but the conversation was cordial and really was how I got into owning a timeshare. I didn't say or do anything that would disqualify me from any future offers. That was before I even found TUG and ended up buying retail. I am sure any fuzzy math and lies this time around will receive a different expression from me given what I now know.
 
Last edited:
My experience over the past twelve years has been it's a moving target as to who they invite or not and could vary by month, region, property, etc. The last time I specifically remember not being invited for a sales update was in 2019 at Grande Vista as a then Vistana-only owner...MVC had already purchased Vistana via ILG but the systems weren't yet linked up. Frankly, it was a relief to not be asked! The concierge told me that MVC was focusing on just its owners at that time. However a couple weeks later at OceanWatch in Myrtle Beach, they were all over me to go (which I did). So whatever we figure out here could be different tomorrow.
 
It certainly does vary. I am an owner but only of resale weeks- and sometimes I get invited and sometimes I don’t. It’s about 50/50 for me.
 
WorldT said:
I am traveling with my spouse and make above the required income. Only thing on my record might be I had a presentation back in May of 2023 on a paid package (4 days/3 nights type deal). The concierge didn't say that was the issue. She only said I was not an a Marriott owner. Maybe they have their hands full currently with potential targets?
My presentation in 2023 was my first ever timeshare presentation. I didn't buy from them but the conversation was cordial and really was how I got into owning a timeshare. I didn't say or do anything that would disqualify me from any future offers. That was before I even found TUG and ended up buying retail. I am sure any fuzzy math and lies this time around will receive a different expression from me given what I now know.
Click to expand...
If you meet the requirements (spouse attending & $100K income) then either there's something else in your profile or something going on in Orlando. or temporarily with MVC.
kozykritter said:
My experience over the past twelve years has been it's a moving target as to who they invite or not and could vary by month, region, property, etc. The last time I specifically remember not being invited for a sales update was in 2019 at Grande Vista as a then Vistana-only owner...MVC had already purchased Vistana via ILG but the systems weren't yet linked up. Frankly, it was a relief to not be asked! The concierge told me that MVC was focusing on just its owners at that time. However a couple weeks later at OceanWatch in Myrtle Beach, they were all over me to go (which I did). So whatever we figure out here could be different tomorrow.
Click to expand...
It's even a moving target from one resort to another. In some cases I've seen a requirement of 90 days between tours, in others it could have been back to back days (HI). I think the only somewhat hard block I've seen is where someone has bought within a specified time frame, I think it's 90 days. Even that might not be absolute.
 
Why would any non Marriott’s owner be disappointed that they were not offer to tour a Marriott’s resort. IMHO, that is 90 minutes more that they can enjoy their vacation.
 
I have not been invited on a tour since Custom House 15 years ago.
I have been staying in Marriotts yearly on exchange since then probably at least 2-3 exchanges per year and never asked again to do a tour.
I think I've been blacklisted which is just fine with me.
I had to complain to get Custom House to give me my points promised because after 3 months I still didn't see them in my loyalty account.
But whatever, I have saved a ton of money exchanging in instead of owning and ironically, now I'll be an owner at GV if my transfer ever goes through. LOL.
 
We were told that Grande Vista was full for owner tours for a specific day this week. Not sure what that was about, but they didn't want any more owners signed up for tours that day. We had to pick a different day.
 
I got some additional info on this issue today. Apparently MVC is targeting owners of certain companies for tours and not all exchangers. Disney, Wyndham and Hyatt were mentioned as examples. Supposedly there is some variability from one location to another as well. This will likely be a moving target. I'm still surprised that they continue to offer incentivized tours to certain members when it's clear they will not be purchasing. That would seem to be an easy group to eliminate to maximize sales efficiency.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top