Secret Villa Allocation Rules

[answeeney]

I am feeling aggreived because we have just arrived in Marbella and for yet another year we have had to complain about our villa allocation. We own three weeks here and are occupying two of our owned weeks so according to the published rules we have top priority when it comes to villa allocation. We submitted a request in advance of our stay but our request was pretty much totally ignored.

Apparently (and for people in the know, I am sure I will sound naive) there is a guideline that says that the time the request is submitted is crucial despite the published guidelines making no mention of this. We have never been told this despite being owners here for 10 years and so the reason we have never been allocated a prime unit becomes clear. Is Marriott Marbella operated by crony rules or, more likely am I just being a fool for reading the guidelines and taking them at face value.

By the way, I have no problem with the timing of requests being a factor if I had been told and it was part of the published guidelines.

 

[Xpat]

I am feeling aggreived because we have just arrived in Marbella and for yet another year we have had to complain about our villa allocation. We own three weeks here and are occupying two of our owned weeks so according to the published rules we have top priority when it comes to villa allocation. We submitted a request in advance of our stay but our request was pretty much totally ignored.

Apparently (and for people in the know, I am sure I will sound naive) there is a guideline that says that the time the request is submitted is crucial despite the published guidelines making no mention of this. We have never been told this despite being owners here for 10 years and so the reason we have never been allocated a prime unit becomes clear. Is Marriott Marbella operated by crony rules or, more likely am I just being a fool for reading the guidelines and taking them at face value.

By the way, I have no problem with the timing of requests being a factor if I had been told and it was part of the published guidelines.

I also learnt about this rule at check-in, a few years ago. The current guidelines do include this rule, although I think it could be made clearer. It actually sounds like they may have misplaced your request. This happened to us once before - front desk admitted a mistake when we enquired why we were placed in a ground floor unit right in front of the petanque area. We were moved to another unit a few days later...

Is there any information at the resort about the upcoming refurbishment? I read it was due to start in November.

 

[dioxide45]

That seems rather silly. Marriott doesn't even send out the email asking for requests until about three weeks before arrival. Do they even for that for the European properties? Even if they don't, can you call far in advance? My experience is that the properties don't even have access to your reservation until about a month out.

I guess you could always call owner services and add your preferences shortly after you make the ressie.

I think the property is actually just making up a story to cover for their miss.

 

[Fasttr]

Apparently (and for people in the know, I am sure I will sound naive) there is a guideline that says that the time the request is submitted is crucial despite the published guidelines making no mention of this.

Are you sure its the timestamp when the location request is made, or the timestamp of when the reservation is booked. I have seen folks indicate that various other MVC resorts use the reservation timestamp as a factor. So if you booked your ressie at 10 months out and others booked 11 and 12 months out... all else being equal, those that booked earliest would get the more desirable locations.

 

[bazzap]

That seems rather silly. Marriott doesn't even send out the email asking for requests until about three weeks before arrival. Do they even for that for the European properties? Even if they don't, can you call far in advance? My experience is that the properties don't even have access to your reservation until about a month out.

I guess you could always call owner services and add your preferences shortly after you make the ressie.

I think the property is actually just making up a story to cover for their miss.

Yes, European properties also send out pre-arrival emails about 3 weeks before check in date allowing owners to submit our villa preferences.
I am not aware of them prioritising villa allocation based on time stamping of the reservation, but I guess we would never know for sure.
Our experience is that they do generally endeavour to meet home owners requests and do seem to recognise multi week owners, MVC ownership levels, MR elite levels...

 

[MALC9990]

This has not been my experience over the years as an owner at two of the resorts in Europe, but I do not own at MBC. At Son Antem we get an email 3 weeks before we are due to check in and are asked for preferences but are advised not to request specific units since they annot guarentee to meet such a specific request. We usually get something in the area that we request as first option.

At Playa Andaluza, we do get an email 3 weeks before arrival but they never ask for requests. We usually put in a request separately after we get the email at 3 weeks ahead.

Last time at Playa was on an II exchange and we were surprised to get a really nice location. Wjen I asked why, the rep just said that as owners at the resort we get priority on location.

We are jus coming up to the 3 week point for our next stay at Playa, using DC Points this time. Our own week is a winter season week which we always change into DP points since we enrolled. So we will see what we get when we check in.

So I am not aware of what the OP has posted.

 

[cwtkm3]

Marbella allocation

I've owned at Marbella for 13 years. I was told by my rep to request an allocation as soon as you make your booking. A few years ago they introduced an allocation request form which is available on the my-vacationclub.com site.

In the early days before the resort was built out we always got beach side locations but in latter years we've been next to the quiet pool which is also a great location IMO.

In June we got our no.1 request, seafront block 30. I submitted the form 13 months in advance.

A couple of years ago they totally ignored my 13 month out request and said they only had 3 units free (one of which was block 42 which we didn't want). So they took us round in a golf buggy to the 3 units and let us choose. We ended up in block 22 which was as fabulous corner unit looking down to the sea and up to the quiet pool.

I've been told that many owners now use the forms so even with received requests they can't guarantee the view. On the form you get 3 preferences in different areas of the resort.

I've never seen such a form for Playa. I've been going there many years too and even though own garden view have always had a lovely sea view.

IMO they made a huge mistake with Marbella in not building a third outdoor pool. The footprint is much larger than Playa and as a result the resort always feels so busy. Every single time I check in there's always someone complaining about their villa allocation.

I've friends who own multiple weeks there and always request block 42 to be "in a quiet spot" so at the end of the day we all have our preferences and the resort does try its hardest to accommodate owners.

What's the weather like. We'll be there for our first ever early September visit next year instead of our usual June.

 

[cwtkm3]

We are jus coming up to the 3 week point for our next stay at Playa, using DC Points this time. Our own week is a winter season week which we always change into DP points since we enrolled. So we will see what we get when we check in.

Malcolm,

You managed 3 weeks with DC points? I've never seen Spain available with DC points although am aware of people from TUG who've managed it.
When are you off to Playa?

Am thinking of exchanging my lock-off unit for Son Antem - have you ever managed this?

 

[ilene13]

I used DC points for 9 days in Marbella last September.

 

[cwtkm3]

Hi Irene,

How far in advance did you book; did you have to go on a waiting list?

Thanks
Carole

 

[answeeney]

Well the good news is that we have been offerred a new unit which (although I haven't seen it yet) sounds like it will be much closer to what we had hoped.

To clarify in response to some comments above, we were told that many regular guests fill out a request form during their stay one year for next years stay. this then gets signed and stamped by the Marbella staff and copy handed back. This would give them priority over someone responding to the 3 week email.

The message seems to be to make your request at the same time you make your ressie.

 

[bazzap]

We are jus coming up to the 3 week point for our next stay at Playa, using DC Points this time. Our own week is a winter season week which we always change into DP points since we enrolled. So we will see what we get when we check in.

Malcolm,

You managed 3 weeks with DC points? I've never seen Spain available with DC points although am aware of people from TUG who've managed it.
When are you off to Playa?

Am thinking of exchanging my lock-off unit for Son Antem - have you ever managed this?

I will chip in with our experiences.
We have once successfully exchanged our Grand Chateau lock off unit for a Club Son Antem 2 bed unit (we have only tried this once though and not tried with our Playa Andaluza lock off unit)
We have also many times exchanged both our Playa Andaluza and Grand Chateau lock off units for both Phuket Beach Club and St Kitts Beach Club 2 bed units.
I do believe these trades are becoming more difficult, but they are still working for us.
Good luck.

 

[Xpat]

At Playa Andaluza, are all the "seafront" units nice or are there some allocations that should be avoided? Just asking as I am closing on a 3-BR seafront gold bought resale for $5500 (all-in) - is that a good price?

I already own at Marbella but the key reason for buying this is having a guaranteed sea front unit, and getting more value for the maintenance fees by using the lock off for cheap shoulder season exchanges. We've always had reasonably good allocations at Marbella but I dislike not knowing where we'll be until check-in

 

[bazzap]

Yes, there really are no bad Playa Andaluza Seafront 3 Bed units.
Normally, we would choose the highest floor possible, but for us that is less important at Playa. In fact, the 1st floor (UK terminology) the lowest in the central Granada building has enormous balconies as it is above the restaurant / leisure area.
If I were being especially picky, I might just try to avoid the Ground floor unit in the side Almeria building with a view slightly limited by vegetation...
Your cost seems very reasonable to me. We paid substantially more as a Developer purchase pre-opening, before discovering Resale for our later purchases.
Enjoy.

 

[JonP]

I am closing on a 3-BR seafront gold bought resale for $5500 (all-in) - is that a good price?

That is a seriously good price...I am surprised it got through ROFR.

 

[Xpat]

In fact, the 1st floor (UK terminology) the lowest in the central Granada building has enormous balconies as it is above the restaurant / leisure area.

I noticed that the last time I stayed in the Almeria block - they are truly huge and I don't think the Marbella resort has anything like that. Personally, I'd prefer something a bit more private the top floor balconies in Granada (the square covered ones on each corner) look very interesting.

I am surprised it got through ROFR.

It hasn't gone thru ROFR yet but I'm hopeful it will as it's a gold week not platinum and I haven't heard of much ROFR activity at the Europe and Phuket resorts. Do they actually exercise ROFR there?

On a side note I think the gold season at Playa is great, covering all the nicest months to go and school holidays, outside of the too busy and too hot (in my opinion) months of july and august. The Marbella gold holiday season is similar, but you cannot book the gold weeks online.

 

[MALC9990]

We are jus coming up to the 3 week point for our next stay at Playa, using DC Points this time. Our own week is a winter season week which we always change into DP points since we enrolled. So we will see what we get when we check in.

Malcolm,

You managed 3 weeks with DC points? I've never seen Spain available with DC points although am aware of people from TUG who've managed it.
When are you off to Playa?

Am thinking of exchanging my lock-off unit for Son Antem - have you ever managed this?

We got 2 weeks using DC point at Playa. Arrive on a Thursday 24th Sept.

 

[bazzap]

"

I noticed that the last time I stayed in the Almeria block - they are truly huge and I don't think the Marbella resort has anything like that. Personally, I'd prefer something a bit more private the top floor balconies in Granada (the square covered ones on each corner) look very interesting."

I agree the top floor square covered balconies in Granada are private and excellent.
(I took the attached photo across from Cadiz to Granada earlier this year)
However, I am as sure as I can be that these are 2 Bed units not 3 Bed units.

 

[Xpat]

I agree the top floor square covered balconies in Granada are private and excellent.
(I took the attached photo across from Cadiz to Granada earlier this year)
However, I am as sure as I can be that these are 2 Bed units not 3 Bed units.

Thanks for sharing this. Looks like the balcony wraps around the unit
If they're 2-BR I wonder if they can be allocated to 3-BR owners locking-off.

 

[bazzap]

Thanks for sharing this. Looks like the balcony wraps around the unit
If they're 2-BR I wonder if they can be allocated to 3-BR owners locking-off.

I fear that may be wishful thinking, but I too would welcome the chance of getting that 2 Bed unit allocated when locking off the Master suite of my 3 Bed unit.
One can only ask the question though.

 

[bazzap]

"

It hasn't gone thru ROFR yet but I'm hopeful it will as it's a gold week not platinum and I haven't heard of much ROFR activity at the Europe and Phuket resorts. Do they actually exercise ROFR there?"

MVC have a 30 day ROFR period in Europe and Phuket.
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=225207
As I recall, our resale purchases in Club Son Antem and Phuket Beach Club passed well within this timeframe.
I can't recall hearing of them invoking ROFR in Europe or Phuket, but that is not to say they haven't
Hopefully someone else will chip in if they know of any instances.

 

[MALC9990]

"

It hasn't gone thru ROFR yet but I'm hopeful it will as it's a gold week not platinum and I haven't heard of much ROFR activity at the Europe and Phuket resorts. Do they actually exercise ROFR there?"

MVC have a 30 day ROFR period in Europe and Phuket.
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=225207
As I recall, our resale purchases in Club Son Antem and Phuket Beach Club passed well within this timeframe.
I can't recall hearing of them invoking ROFR in Europe or Phuket, but that is not to say they haven't
Hopefully someone else will chip in if they know of any instances.

Both my resale purchases at Son Antem passed ROFR but that was before the DC came to Europe. However at Son Antem, MVCI have a steady supply of weeks being returned to inventory through revocations due to non payment of MFs. Failure to pay MFs for two years results in losing the week back to MVCI who will then sell the week again at full frieght prices. These are often low season weeks and so there has also been a buy back programme for prime season only weeks in the last year or so. Also the resorts in Europe cannot be added to the Trust for Trust DC points - only weeks can be sold for EU resorts. All this tends to depress the need to use ROFR at EU resorts.