Should I enrol in Destination Points?

[excalibur474]

Background: we have a Platinum and Gold H week in Son Antem, Mallorca. Just got the pitch for DP, at $2.9k or buy a Silver Week at anther Spain resort, negating the enrolment fee. Trying to understand the pros and cons fm various sites, it seems that the early days of the DP program (and many negative comments) have improved, and that the flexibility of points over weeks can be attractive to us, now kids are grown up. But I am concerned about inventory management / booking, and I want to confirm that the DP program is an overlay, and does not replace my ability to just select weeks at my home resort.

Any advice - pro or con - would be much appreciated.

 

[SueDonJ]

Background: we have a Platinum and Gold H week in Son Antem, Mallorca. Just got the pitch for DP, at $2.9k or buy a Silver Week at anther Spain resort, negating the enrolment fee. Trying to understand the pros and cons fm various sites, it seems that the early days of the DP program (and many negative comments) have improved, and that the flexibility of points over weeks can be attractive to us, now kids are grown up. But I am concerned about inventory management / booking, and I want to confirm that the DP program is an overlay, and does not replace my ability to just select weeks at my home resort.

Any advice - pro or con - would be much appreciated.

First, welcome to TUG!

About what's bolded - correct, enrollment of a Week is simply an overlay that allows the Week to be used exactly as you've always used it including home resort stays. (The only difference is that if the enrolled Week is an external-resale, upon enrollment it will be eligible for a Marriott Rewards Points exchange benefit which otherwise doesn't convey upon external resales.)

Assuming your Week(s) are eligible for enrollment you could simply enroll them and not purchase any DC Points at all, instead renting Points from other Members to supplement as needed the amount of Points you'll get for your enrolled Weeks. TUGgers will suggest either way because some see the usage value in the higher status tiers of DC membership.

You may want to read this forum's FAQ - MVC DESTINATIONS Points Program sticky thread as well as the "Should My Week(s) Be Enrolled?" link within.

 

[rthib]

Background: we have a Platinum and Gold H week in Son Antem, Mallorca. Just got the pitch for DP, at $2.9k or buy a Silver Week at anther Spain resort, negating the enrolment fee. Trying to understand the pros and cons fm various sites, it seems that the early days of the DP program (and many negative comments) have improved, and that the flexibility of points over weeks can be attractive to us, now kids are grown up. But I am concerned about inventory management / booking, and I want to confirm that the DP program is an overlay, and does not replace my ability to just select weeks at my home resort.

Any advice - pro or con - would be much appreciated.

The big Pro on DC is no more exchange or lock-off fees and the flexibility.
For me the yearly dues are less than my II/trade/lock-off so it was no problem.

But for non-lock offs the dollars are harder to justify (especially at the much higher price.)

How much do you spend each year on II and trades?
Do you even want to add a few days to and exchange or just do a short exchange?
Can you exchange for a Su-TH (F & Sat points stays are much more expensive)?

For me I love the flexibility and the fact I can usually find points reservations easier than weeks at high demand places.
But again, with lock-off I am usually sitting on extra deposits in II, so I can alternate between staying, depositing and "pointing" my week.

It really depends on how you use your weeks.

With us, now with grand kids we need to be able to book certain weeks, so points help.
I think your statement that now kids are grown up, would lead me to trend away from points. Flexibility in when you travel make II work much better.
Points are good when you need a specific week, exchanging is good when you want to go somewhere and can go when others are stuck in work/school.

 

[bazzap]

Background: we have a Platinum and Gold H week in Son Antem, Mallorca. Just got the pitch for DP, at $2.9k or buy a Silver Week at anther Spain resort, negating the enrolment fee. Trying to understand the pros and cons fm various sites, it seems that the early days of the DP program (and many negative comments) have improved, and that the flexibility of points over weeks can be attractive to us, now kids are grown up. But I am concerned about inventory management / booking, and I want to confirm that the DP program is an overlay, and does not replace my ability to just select weeks at my home resort.

Any advice - pro or con - would be much appreciated.

Were you at a European resort when you got the pitch for DP?
You mention $2.9k, presumably that was the enrolment fee they quoted for your weeks?
Their alternative offer of buying another week to have this fee waived is highly unlikely to be attractive, unless you really want that specific extra week and even then you will not only have the extra Maintenance Fees but they will probably be charging you an excessively high price for this week compared to what you could pick it up for Resale.
DP can be a really good extra option and if it is an option you would be interested in, you would almost certainly be best to bite the bullet and pay the enrollment fee.
Then, as Susan says, you can always rent additional DPs if and when you need them.

 

[excalibur474]

Should I enrolled in Destination Points?

Many thanks for the replies in the last 24 hours. To respond:

- the $2.9k is the enrolment fee
- the extra week offered is to ostensibly give another 2600 DC points to use and to get access to Executive owner status, thus enabling 13 month booking ahead. Offered at £8700 (Silver week in another European resort)

In terms of our usage, we do want to move away from the peak European months of July and August, and come to our home resort in other months - less crowded and cheaper flights.

Finally, on a point of principle - and it only a minor point in the context of other considerations - I feel somewhat let down, as an owner, from being pitched a position of high status ( due to our high season weeks) to an implied lesser status if we don't take up the DC overlay option and hand over cash for the privilege!

 

[bazzap]

Accepting that spending the £8700 with MVC would give you the DC benefits, you can compare that with current Resale prices.
I just checked the listings from the UK broker we have used. I couldn't immediately find Silver weeks, but they have Gold weeks in Son Antem and Marbella Beach Club for ~£2500 which could get you the best weather outside the non peak July/August period you are looking for.
My priorities may well be different to yours, but if it were me and I wanted to expand my portfolio I would probably pay the $2900 to enrol my current weeks and pay ~£2500 to add a Resale week.
This would save me money and get me into DC for other/future options with my current weeks.
Also, no guarantees but it would give me a very good chance of booking the non peak weeks I want, whereas European inventory availability with DC Points is still fairly limited.

 

[excalibur474]

Tx Barry, if it is possible to recommended the UK broker within the usage terms of TUG, I would be interested in that option. Although I guess a resale week could not be turned into DP points.

 

[bazzap]

True, unfortunately Resale weeks purchased after the cut off date (2012 in Europe?) cannot currently be enrolled - who knows whether MVC will one day open up this option again?
I will send you a private message with further specific information.

 

[m61376]

Keep in mind that the enrollment fee isn't necessarily just a wasted upfront cost. I'm not sure if the European offer is different, but Marriott had been offering a substantial number of one time use holding points ( good for reservations within 60 days) which could be parlayed into a nice vacation, at least partially offsetting the enrollment fee. I received 380 points and coupled it with a 40 off Orlando promotion, giving me enough points for 3 2BR villas for 6 nights each for late June, where getaways were in the 1K range for a week. I landed up only needing 2, so I rented one last minute here on TUG for 580, offsetting my 2400 enrollment fee, and I feel the 2 units for 6 nights each were worth the 1800 remainder, so I feel like I broke even with enrollment. We lucked out in that there was an Orlando promotion and family wanted to go to Disney, so for me it was a win win- but with a little creativity you can at least partially offset your enrollment cost by making good use of the bonus enrollment points.