Oceana Palms trade came through!!!

[Stefa]

Our trade came through this morning for next July. I'm completely in shock since we did not use a Marriott week for this request.

It looks like now is the time to get those requests in. II code is MVO.

 

[rsackett]

what did you trade and what size unit did you get?

Ray

 

[Stefa]

I traded a 1br Sheraton Desert Oasis winter week for a 2br at MVO.

I think I got very lucky.

 

[dougp26364]

Right now our 2010 schedule if full but, I'm thinking I might take a shot for 2011. Maybe we'll do a request first using our Grand Chateau week and take a shot at a March exchange. If it doesn't come through, Vegas in March is great by us.

 

[gomike]

Awesome to see they only have two bedrooms! I am looking forward to checking out all three new FL marriott resorts.

 

[abbie31]

We just got our exchange, too - for June! We only had Oceana Palms and Crystal Shores on our exchange request, and II has been telling me for 2 months that there was "no chance" we would get into either property. We also traded a non-Mariott property - 1 bedroom platinum week in Vail, CO.

 

[Stefa]

We just got our exchange, too - for June! We only had Oceana Palms and Crystal Shores on our exchange request, and II has been telling me for 2 months that there was "no chance" we would get into either property. We also traded a non-Mariott property - 1 bedroom platinum week in Vail, CO.

We only requested Oceana Palms and were also told we would never get our trade. II even called me at work to try to get me to abandon my trade request. Three days after that call we got our confirmation.

What is really interesting is that these weeks may not be appearing online with Interval.

 

[abbie31]

We only requested Oceana Palms and were also told we would never get our trade. II even called me at work to try to get me to abandon my trade request. Three days after that call we got our confirmation.

What is really interesting is that these weeks may not be appearing online with Interval.

I have been searching almost daily on II for anything in the year 2010 and have not seen any weeks for Oceana Palms. I thought maybe I just wasn't seeing them because of my trading power w/ the one bedroom non-Mariott.

II has literally been calling me daily trying to get me to take a 1bd at Ocean Pointe (we were just there in May), and they even booked that room without my permission a couple weeks ago. When I called to explain that we didn't approve that exchange or request it, the rep seemed embarrassed and cancelled it. The exchange for Oceana Palms went through on Oct 17th.

I got the speech about not being a Mariott owner (our property used to be a Mariott prop but was sold), trying to exchange into a 2bd w/ a 1bd trade, etc. I just kept telling them we were fine waiting and would wait until 2011 if we had to. I'm surprised and very excited that it went through - I can't wait!!

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

One possible reason Oceana Palms may not show up on the Interval website is that there are many requests on the sidelines just waiting for a week to become available.

My guess is that those waiting requests are filled prior to posting any leftover weeks on the I.I. website.

Additionally, the resort is new, and many owners may rather use their week for the first year or two instead of trading it away. Hence, available weeks will be scarce.

 

[rsackett]

I find it interesting that both of these trades came from non-Marriott properties.

Ray

 

[Stefa]

I find it interesting that both of these trades came from non-Marriott properties.

Ray

I agree with you. I also think it is interesting that II was pushing so hard for us to change our trade requests.

 

[Stefa]

One possible reason Oceana Palms may not show up on the Interval website is that there are many requests on the sidelines just waiting for a week to become available.

My guess is that those waiting requests are filled prior to posting any leftover weeks on the I.I. website.

Additionally, the resort is new, and many owners may rather use their week for the first year or two instead of trading it away. Hence, available weeks will be scarce.

I'm surprised that there were no reported sightings for MVO. Supposedly Marriott owners should have had 21 (or is it 24?) days to pick up these weeks before they became available to non-Marriott exchangers. Either no one was checking or these did not show up online...

 

[abbie31]

I was told by II reps, that Mariott owners have first dibs until 60 days prior to the available week and then it becomes availabe to everyone. I was expecting to get a late exchange confirmation, at best. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but this is what I was told by two different reps.

My guess is that the developer deposited units and we just happened to be in the pipeline at the right spot (after the waiting Mariott owners were given weeks).

 

[Stefa]

I was told by II reps, that Mariott owners have first dibs until 60 days prior to the available week and then it becomes availabe to everyone. I was expecting to get a late exchange confirmation, at best. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but this is what I was told by two different reps.

My guess is that the developer deposited units and we just happened to be in the pipeline at the right spot (after the waiting Mariott owners were given weeks).

Not only do Marriott owners have first dibs, there is supposed to be a window (either 21 or 24 days) when only Marriott owners can get the week. For example, if a Marriott week gets deposited on June 1, only Marriott owners can be matched with that week until the Marriott preference has expired several weeks later. If no Marriott owners are waiting for the week, it sits with II until the Marriott preference expires even if 100s of non-Marriott owners have requested the exchange. This is why I am so surprised I got the exchange.

 

[ral]

On the Sightings/Distress List

I'm surprised that there were no reported sightings for MVO. Supposedly Marriott owners should have had 21 (or is it 24?) days to pick up these weeks before they became available to non-Marriott exchangers. Either no one was checking or these did not show up online...

Saw II availability at 5:00 AM DST, Oct. 17, 2009:

Marriott's Oceana Palms
MVO
Riviera Beach, FL, USA Resort Details & Photos | Map It!
June 27 2010 - July 4 2010 2 6 8 268

 

[Stefa]

Saw II availability at 5:00 AM DST, Oct. 17, 2009:

Marriott's Oceana Palms
MVO
Riviera Beach, FL, USA Resort Details & Photos | Map It!
June 27 2010 - July 4 2010 2 6 8 268

Did your search include July as well as June? I'm trying to figure out why my July week didn't show up in your search?

 

[ral]

Only saw the one date at the time indicated.

I also wonder how you received the match. Perhaps the week you were issued did not go through the Marriott priority period.

 

[m61376]

Although all owner weeks deposited for exchange are supposed to get the internal Marriott preference, I wonder if Marriott has deposited some developer weeks for exchange as advertising to encourage sales. If in fact there are weeks that don't have the 24 day preference, maybe that is the explanation (although I am just guessing here).

 

[jerseyfinn]

I traded a 1br Sheraton Desert Oasis winter week for a 2br at MVO.

I think I got very lucky.

Actually it's more about unusual opportunity in the unlucky timeshare economy.

Marriott is not selling developer weeks as quickly in this economy and a building is sitting there at MVO with all sorts of unsold inventory ( especially so in the platinum season, but there's also a large chunk of gold season inventory as well ). This means that at this time, MVO is not behaving like a more traditional MVCI resort in that owners control more inventory through occupancy versus trade ( the usual availibility quotient which drives how the II demand and fulfillment curve will work ).

So congrats! You've shown that weeks can indeed be had in 2010 without like-for-like being quite as strong of a criteria at MVO. It's great news for folks wanting to trade into a nice Marriott beach front location. MVCI folks will likely continue to be queued first, but the door is open for more people who want to try. So notice is served for all who would like to try ocean front Florida. Get your requests in for 2010 aned 2011 as Marriott definitely has excess inventory to serve up & this situation is likely to persist for at least the next couple of years.


Barry

 

[Transit]

Actually it's more about unusual opportunity in the unlucky timeshare economy.

Marriott is not selling developer weeks as quickly in this economy and a building is sitting there at MVO with all sorts of unsold inventory ( especially so in the platinum season, but there's also a large chunk of gold season inventory as well ). This means that at this time, MVO is not behaving like a more traditional MVCI resort in that owners control more inventory through occupancy versus trade ( the usual availability quotient which drives how the II demand and fulfillment curve will work ).

So congrats! You've shown that weeks can indeed be had in 2010 without like-for-like being quite as strong of a criteria at MVO. It's great news for folks wanting to trade into a nice Marriott beach front location. MVCI folks will likely continue to be queued first, but the door is open for more people who want to try. So notice is served for all who would like to try ocean front Florida. Get your requests in for 2010 aned 2011 as Marriott definitely has excess inventory to serve up & this situation is likely to persist for at least the next couple of years.


Barry

It just seems to me this area usually has availability at this time of year .Ocean Pointe and the rci gold crown resorts are usually available.To the north Disney Vero beach and Vistana beach club will show up and also Beach place to the south.

 

[jerseyfinn]

It just seems to me this area usually has availability at this time of year .Ocean Pointe . . . are usually available.

There is always availibility in this area. Better question to ask is what is the resort annual occupancy rate and what kind of villas are availible in trade at the resort. Ocean Pointe & Oceana Palms are not exactly comparable.

At Ocean Pointe, the year-round occupancy rate hovers near 90%. This is a product of the area itself ( which is sought after ) it's ocean front location, & extremely high owner occupancy in the platinum season. So very few owner weeks trickle out to II during that platinum ( winter ) season while the summer ( gold ) season has a more typical owner occupancy usage and weeks can be found on II for trade. The low season, ( silver ) is equally easier to find weeks. In any case, MPB year round demand is high. Furthermore, the number of weeks that Marriott itself has availbile ( either II, preview, or Marriott.com ) remains a product of the cache of weeks set aside for exclusive Marriott use, & the numbers of owners trading their week for MR points or the rental program. Then again, this is the typical usage footprint of any mature timeshare resort.

And if one looks carefully at the type of villa offered at Ocean Pointe, one will definitely find 2 bedroom units, but you are just as likely to find only a 1BR or a lock off week offered either in trade or at Marriott.com as lots of savvy owner lock off their units ( and Marriott too has figured out that they can make more money by splitting many of the units ). So one may not always get that like-for-like trade they are looking for.

Oceana Palms is not a mature resort & has no occupancy rate as the resort does not even open until January 2010. That said, one can divine the potential occupancy rate by considering the numbers of owners ( which at best, is no more than 40% of all availible annual inventory). Marriott is holding a huge cache of unsold inventory there in both seasons. Every unit at Oceana Palms is an assured 2 BR unit ( no lock offs here ). Check out the asking price to visit Oceana Palms via a Marriott.com booking and then ponder the cost of a trade ( essentially your annual MF ). Like I said, an Oceana Palms trade is a deal to had and will remain so until sales catch up and the owner paradigm begins to exert itself.

Barry

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

Does anyone have any idea how many weeks have been sold in the first tower?

Obviously not enough to begin construction on Tower 2, but what is the actual availability?

 

[jerseyfinn]

Does anyone have any idea how many weeks have been sold in the first tower?

Obviously not enough to begin construction on Tower 2, but what is the actual availability?

Yes. Approximately 1300 weeks have been sold at Oceana Palms ( info current thru Aug 08 ). To calculate total inventory: Multiply 52 weeks x 7 ( villas per floor ) x 10 ( floors ). It's a 19 story building ( no 13th floor ) & 2 floors are dedicated to sales and administrative uses, and allow for the parking levels. I might be off a floor, but these figures are close enough to get the relative sense of what is going on.

Tower #2 is not going to happen any time soon since sales have slowed drastically. Then again, such is the case at every MVC resort awaiting buildout. This is actually an advantage to both MVC owners and to Marriott. It can make for "quieter resorts" until sales fill in the existing unsold inventory. For Marriott, it means cost containment until they sell inventory and determine if it is feasable to proceed towards original buildout. The only issue for certain MVC resorts could be at places where the public infrastructure ( pools etc. ) are not yet fully constructed. Using Playa Andaluza as an example, there remain two buildings to reach buildout and no plans currently exist to do so. All infrastructure is in place, so owners there have a stable resort with all ammenties ( only less people to fill them ). It's a matter of wait and see while they slowly sell their existing inventory.

It is likely not an unresonable assumption that the economy will continue to drag -- actually our timeshare future lies in the health of the general real esate market. Present housing foreclosure numbers do not look promising, and these numbers will drive the overall recovery up, down, or sideways as higher employment levels depend in part upon a healthy housing market. As the housing market heals, so too will the overall economy, and with that, folks will have both disposable income and confidence to spend a little more. Hopefully some of that returns to timeshare. Pure conjecture here on my part, but I've figuring 5 years at least with 8 to 10 not being out of the question.

We are fortunate indeed to be with Marriott during these difficult times.

Barry

 

[linmcginn]

Oceana Palms

Checked Interval this morning to see what was available for exchange using our Marriott Newport Coast Villas and found Oceana Palms May 14-21. Looks like our daughter gets her wish... to spend her birthday in Florida! :whoopie: