Speculation About Marriott's New Timeshare Structure [merged]

[l2trade]

The bottom line is that the only way for things to be fair is for the percentage of reservations for each week to reflect the percentage of points versus week ownership; thus, for example, if a resort has 3 days for check-ins, and, for argument's sake, 240 villas, and if 50% convert to points, then 40 villas each day should be reserved for point reservations, regardless of whether that is for points owners using home resort priority or exchanging in, and 40 villas each day should be reserved for weeks owners booking in their own season according to the rules currently in effect.

I try to avoid using the word 'fair' for any type of reservation system change that developers implement unilaterally and undemocratically and inconsistently which divides an existing owner base, since I consider such action to be inherently 'unfair'...

The bottom line is that those 240 villas will all be given implicit point values, whether owners convert or not. When a weeks owner makes a reservation, they are in essence spending their weeks point values in full. Only fixed owners are guaranteed the granularity of a specific week during their reservation window. Seasonal owners are guaranteed a fight for the best weeks out of the seasonal pool. To the extent that one owner is helped or hindered in that 12 month (13 month ), first come - first serve seasonal reservation system fight as a result of their accepting or declining membership to the new points program.... well, I would consider that to be 'unfair' when it is allowed to happen without a majority vote.

I would be upset if I called out 12 months in advance and could not secure a seasonal reservation that was still available to the other pool of seasonal owners, be it points or weeks. And, I would be extra upset if Marriott cut into that fight and secured a disproportionate share of units on behalf of one type system (points or weeks) over another. I'm unable to see 'fair' in this change. Time will tell how this all plays out.

 

[dougp26364]

....I would be upset if I called out 12 months in advance and could not secure a seasonal reservation that was still available to the other pool of seasonal owners, be it points or weeks. And, I would be extra upset if Marriott cut into that fight and secured a disproportionate share of units on behalf of one type system (points or weeks) over another. I'm unable to see 'fair' in this change. Time will tell how this all plays out.

There are owners upset about this issue right now and Marriott doesn't have a points program. The problem with weeks is, when you want to trade, owners believe they must have one of the highest value weeks in order to get whatever they might want in exchange. Thus, some of the popular weeks get snapped up for exchange. It doesn't matter now that Marriott doesn't have a points program. Those weeks can be impossible to get unless you time your call for the precise moment to be ahead of all the other owners. Just ask anyone wanting a summer week at NCV. I've never been able to reserve memorial week or Thanksgiving week at Ocean Pointe for the same reasons.

What a points system does is eliminate that problem. Points are points. They have a set value. No more owners reserving the most popular week just for trade power.

A more legitimate question might be, what happens to points owners when weeks owners flood the reservation center all trying to get the highest demand week? Will Marriott hold out a specific number of those floating weeks just so that points members can have a shot at reserving them? My bet is no they won't. Initially, points members are just as likely to find themselves in the same position you believe weeks members.

 

[l2trade]

Are we talking about this highly sought after product?

Yes, we are! Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. I think $1 is too high a price to pay for Diamond Resorts resale. But, as always, the marketplace will eventually sort it all out.

I plan to NEVER buy one of the new, post-Jun 20th, Marriott timeshare products resale. I know all I need to know already. It is not for me, but I respect that others may like it. Call me old school, if you must. As it relates to timeshares, I don't consider that an insult. I much prefer the guarantee of a specific fixed week at a fixed resort and the separation of powers in exchanging through a 3rd party. I will keep an open mind about buying one of the older 'weeks-only', Marriott resort deeds someday, preferably fixed platinum plus or holiday.

Marriott can never be like Disney and this isn't the first time they've tried. Marriott's Great America, anyone?

 

[dougp26364]

I believe ALL Marriott owners will have reduced exchange value - ALL.

In my case there isn't any question - I'm not going to go to Maui anymore either joining Marriott or staying with II.

I can't think of a case where ANY Marriott owner will do better than what they have now.

Sure you can combine Points from a few Gold weeks and get Platinum but kiss ANY existing "upgrades" bye bye.

This is exactly what you would expect with a sales/exchange system - Marriott "lost" lots of money for 20+ years by allowing owners to exchange upwards - that should have been their upgrades to sell.

So starting on 6/21/10 your ability to upgrade an exchange now belongs to Marriott.

What about II?

I'm assuming the 24-day rule will expire soon and my Gold week will exchange in II for a similar Gold unit. II will have the opportunity to level the playing field too.

This is going to be a great opportunity for Marriott and II to level the playing field and pocket all those lost upgrades they have been eying for 20 years.

I believe all owners will have a fair (there's that word again) value to their ownership - ALL. I believe Marriott owners, for the first time, will actually be able to see what their week is worth. Salesmen won't be able to hide the REAL value of the bronze HHI week when the prospect can't afford the Platinum week. Sales will become.....gasp.....a little more honest.

 

[SueDonJ]

My point was that if exchangers have access to resorts, whether at 8 months or 12 months, owners can get locked out of their season much earlier than they could now. Even if all they care about is getting a random week. That's simply due to the fact that you give outsiders access to those weeks so there could be more requests for all the weeks in a season than there are owners.

What if there is the same stipulation in the points contracts as is in the weeks contracts, that in order to exchange an owner must first secure a home resort reservation? In the current system that reserved week is the one deposited to II, which creates the mess we have now where the high-demand holiday weeks are gobbled up by owners looking to maximize their exchange values. This system will continue with weeks owners even after the points system is implemented.

But within the points system, it could be set up so that when an owner makes a reservation with the intent to exchange, the owner's equivalent point value is transferred to the owner's account and ultimately to the resort to which he's exchanged. At the same time, rather than Marriott making that deposited or any other specific week available for exchanging, any non-home resort owner who wants to exchange in can do so on an equivalent point basis subject to availability and the reservation procedures.

Whether or not inventory for home resort usage is depleted by weeks or points owners looking to exchange doesn't really matter, does it? The intervals remain fixed according to unit type/view/# of days/weeks in a season, and the number of folks who can stay at a resort at any one time is finite. But with points, exchange windows can open later than occupancy ones, and the possibility exists that MORE of the highest-demand weeks could be occupied by owners of either weeks or points because only weeks owners will be able to deposit them for exchanges.

As well, in the current system you as an owner have no idea when you're shut out of a desired reservation if that week was taken by an owner who will occupy it or exchange it. Theoretically, currently at 12 months out 100% of any week could be completely gone, reserved by owners who intend to exchange. At least within the points system with a home resort priority, when the reservation window opens you won't be competing with every other owner because points owners who want to exchange will have a later reservation window.

 

[l2trade]

... Initially, points members are just as likely to find themselves in the same position you believe weeks members.

I am not biased or predicting winners yet. I think everyone loses when a developer divides a pool of owner interests against each other. I think both a converted points owner and a weeks owner may want to make a home resort reservation in their shared season for the same reasons - to stay or rent it out for a profit. Why should one find themselves competing in a different pool than the other for it?

Anyway, this hypothetical scenario of different pools is not the case in the new program rolling out.

 

[BocaBum99]

I believe all owners will have a fair (there's that word again) value to their ownership - ALL. I believe Marriott owners, for the first time, will actually be able to see what their week is worth. Salesmen won't be able to hide the REAL value of the bronze HHI week when the prospect can't afford the Platinum week. Sales will become.....gasp.....a little more honest.

No it won't. You are making the fundamentally flawed assumption that the average owner knows basic facts about their ownership vs. others. And that they demonstrate any curiosity whatsoever as to whether or not their deal is better than the next. In general, they don't. It's only a small percentage of people who will even look closely at the situation. Many of them are here on TUG.

On the other hand, the new program (whatever it turns out to be) gives the Marriott sales rep many more ways to confuse the owner therefore forcing them to "trust" the sales rep that they are leading them in the right direction.

 

[DanCali]

What if there is the same stipulation in the points contracts as is in the weeks contracts, that in order to exchange an owner must first secure a home resort reservation? In the current system that reserved week is the one deposited to II, which creates the mess we have now where the high-demand holiday weeks are gobbled up by owners looking to maximize their exchange values. This system will continue with weeks owners even after the points system is implemented.

But within the points system, it could be set up so that when an owner makes a reservation with the intent to exchange, the owner's equivalent point value is transferred to the owner's account and ultimately to the resort to which he's exchanged. At the same time, rather than Marriott making that deposited or any other specific week available for exchanging, any non-home resort owner who wants to exchange in can do so on an equivalent point basis subject to availability and the reservation procedures.

Whether or not inventory for home resort usage is depleted by weeks or points owners looking to exchange doesn't really matter, does it? The intervals remain fixed according to unit type/view/# of days/weeks in a season, and the number of folks who can stay at a resort at any one time is finite. But with points, exchange windows can open later than occupancy ones, and the possibility exists that MORE of the highest-demand weeks could be occupied by owners of either weeks or points because only weeks owners will be able to deposit them for exchanges.

As well, in the current system you as an owner have no idea when you're shut out of a desired reservation if that week was taken by an owner who will occupy it or exchange it. Theoretically, currently at 12 months out 100% of any week could be completely gone, reserved by owners who intend to exchange. At least within the points system with a home resort priority, when the reservation window opens you won't be competing with every other owner because points owners who want to exchange will have a later reservation window.

Most signs so far point to no home resort priority, which would make the situation for points owners bad.

Second, yes it is inefficient that high demand weeks are picked up for trading power, but at least you know you can get those weeks if you play the same game by going through II with your own high demand week. In a points system, those reservations rarely come back into the system once they are gone. If there is home resort priority and you want to exchange you'd have a higher shot getting high demand weeks via II than waiting for a cancellation from a points owner.

 

[PerryM]

Doggy bags..

What if there is the same stipulation in the points contracts as is in the weeks contracts, that in order to exchange an owner must first secure a home resort reservation? In the current system that reserved week is the one deposited to II, which creates the mess we have now where the high-demand holiday weeks are gobbled up by owners looking to maximize their exchange values. This system will continue with weeks owners even after the points system is implemented.

But within the points system, it could be set up so that when an owner makes a reservation with the intent to exchange, the owner's equivalent point value is transferred to the owner's account and ultimately to the resort to which he's exchanged. At the same time, rather than Marriott making that deposited or any other specific week available for exchanging, any non-home resort owner who wants to exchange in can do so on an equivalent point basis subject to availability and the reservation procedures.

Whether or not inventory for home resort usage is depleted by weeks or points owners looking to exchange doesn't really matter, does it? The intervals remain fixed according to unit type/view/# of days/weeks in a season, and the number of folks who can stay at a resort at any one time is finite. But with points, exchange windows can open later than occupancy ones, and the possibility exists that MORE of the highest-demand weeks could be occupied by owners of either weeks or points because only weeks owners will be able to deposit them for exchanges.

As well, in the current system you as an owner have no idea when you're shut out of a desired reservation if that week was taken by an owner who will occupy it or exchange it. Theoretically, currently at 12 months out 100% of any week could be completely gone, reserved by owners who intend to exchange. At least within the points system with a home resort priority, when the reservation window opens you won't be competing with every other owner because points owners who want to exchange will have a later reservation window.

Right now folks set their atomic clocks to 8:00:00 AM CST to snap up juicy weeks and those that miss it by 5 seconds miss out. How many of those are for usage, renting, and exchanging? I don't have ANY Marriott stats so let's guess 33% go to exchanging.

If Marriott follows other Point systems an exchange outside of Marriott into II will be NOT by juicy weeks but by doggy weeks.

Marriott has NO reason at all but to not give II dogs - that's probably what Marriott and II debated a month or so again. Why in the world should Marriott turn over a high demand week mixed into a bag of doggy weeks - to make the average better? What's in it for Marriott?

Marriott could care less who exchanges in - they will all be invited to the sales pitch and I doubt that the better the exchange the better the chance of a sale applies.

So my guess is that there will be a lot of Silver and Gold weeks that II folks exchange into and thus Marriott folks will get doggy weeks in II - Marriott could care less.

Hopefully II will keep track of the doggy bag exchanges and owners who reserve high demand weeks - one can only hope...

 

[PerryM]

It doesn't mater is my Point...

I believe all owners will have a fair (there's that word again) value to their ownership - ALL. I believe Marriott owners, for the first time, will actually be able to see what their week is worth. Salesmen won't be able to hide the REAL value of the bronze HHI week when the prospect can't afford the Platinum week. Sales will become.....gasp.....a little more honest.

I've got my work cut out for me when words like "Fair", "Worth", "Value", and "Honest" are used in the same sentence as a timeshare sales group.

I doubt of the number of Points a person gets for their deed makes that much difference to 95% of Marriott owners. Folks here, yes.

It's going to be a take it or leave it proposition and the clock will put pressure on converting instantly.

Let's give an example:

You own a week 52 at MountainSide and Marriott's calendar shows that it's worth 60,000 Points.

The same week at the Maui Ocean Club is worth 70,000 Points.

Do you convert or not?

Then to top it off waiting a single week costs you $500 a week to convert.

The Points mean nothing and it's just a decision to be welcomed into Marriott's loving arms or be kicked in the teeth.

Owners will convert no matter what the Points say.

P.S.
In the above example the Park City owner will not only convert and pay for that but probably buy 10,000 more Points just so they can vacation in Maui once in a while.

 

[Dean]

Very well said!

As for how Marriott determines which week goes into the point pool- wouldn't they either have to acknowledge the week on the deed they are taking back- so that they would then retain the rights to whatever week was on the deed or, alternately, maintain the stance that the week indication was for inventory purposes only and, if that is the case, wouldn't they only be entitled to whatever portion of every week according to the percentage of point weeks versus week weeks (so if 25% of owners convert to points, then 25% of every available arrival date will be in the points pool and 75% left in the weeks pool)? Of course, that would mean the percentages would constantly be in flux, as potentially more people opt in over time.

Legally, can they just arbitrarily decide which week they want to assign to the points pool? I would think (and hope) that it would either be a straight percentage or according to the actual deeded week. If the latter- it will be interesting, because of course the more in demand weeks will be more rewarding for Marriott to convert. And, at least some of those are resale weeks (as a matter of fact, my Plat. Aruba week happens to have one of the highest TDI weeks on the deed).

TDI doesn't mean much because they are not standardized. IF this happens Marriott will have to have a "fair" way to allocate which unit weeks go into the new system and which stay in the old. The two ways they could do it are by the week on the deed converted or by a straight % of the season, my guess is the latter. They will have to run separate inventories unless everyone converts OR unless they get a vote of the actual owners to modify the documents and I'm guessing they need a super majority to make such a change but haven't checked.

So you have no problem with Marriott taking weeks 22 to 30 and converting one of those prime weeks to points every time a platinum beach owner converts just because it is legal? Marriott's blatant disregard for current owner's loss for the benefit of "points members" is irrelevant? You don't mind that 100% of the converted points inventory will be prime platinum weeks while the majority of people who don't convert will choose from 100% of the non prime in season weeks (18 to 21 and 31 to 34) that marriott left in weeks and the ever decreasing availability of prime in season weeks?

I think we all would object to converting only a prime portion of a given season. I don't see any way they could legally approach it this way UNLESS they got only owners deeded in those weeks to convert and even then, it'd be a little rocky legally.

How would a point system work with Accomodation Certificates (both receiving and using)?

That would be up to II. It's likely that a points deposit would not get an AC. You can only use them for inventory that is available that is within the parameters of the AC, same as currently.

Not an offensive statement, not a statement naming any particular person, and still a statement I stand by. If MARRIOTT OWNERS ( not you specifically) are going to trust Marriott to do what is best for them with reagrds to the new points program, I think they are too trusting, or naive, and either way in for a rude awakening (once again IMO).

I agree, and always have. That is no different now than it was 5 years ago and no more so (or less) with Marriott than with DVC or anyone else, actually I'd put more trust in Marriott than most. What I find interesting are those that bought making many assumptions and having too much trust and now they're realizing that things aren't quite what they thought they were. Rude awakening for some. However, at the end of the day, participating with ANY timeshare resort or system requires a certain amount of faith in that resort/system. At least with a system like BG, Marriott, Disney, you're a lot less likely to have the GM or sec/trea run off with a significant portion of maint fees for the year as has happened a couple of times that I am aware of.

 

[Dean]

I believe ALL Marriott owners will have reduced exchange value - ALL.

In my case there isn't any question - I'm not going to go to Maui anymore either joining Marriott or staying with II.

I can't think of a case where ANY Marriott owner will do better than what they have now.

Sure you can combine Points from a few Gold weeks and get Platinum but kiss ANY existing "upgrades" bye bye.

This is exactly what you would expect with a sales/exchange system - Marriott "lost" lots of money for 20+ years by allowing owners to exchange upwards - that should have been their upgrades to sell.

So starting on 6/21/10 your ability to upgrade an exchange now belongs to Marriott.

What about II?

I'm assuming the 24-day rule will expire soon and my Gold week will exchange in II for a similar Gold unit. II will have the opportunity to level the playing field too.

This is going to be a great opportunity for Marriott and II to level the playing field and pocket all those lost upgrades they have been eying for 20 years.

Perry, once again you take the worst case scenario and go beyond it. I think it's unrealistic to think that everyone that's currently an owner will be a loser, some will be worse off and others better off and likely most in the middle. I too am assuming the 24 day priority will eventually go away but it might not. Marriott might simply use points deposits within the current framework which is likely the best of both worlds for both current weeks owners and future points owners. If that is the approach they take, all you'd lose in II would be volume but with a proportionate decrease in the volume on the other side as well. And you'd likely have increased trade power in general either way though so would the other Marriott owners who are using II.

 

[tombo]

Those weeks can be impossible to get unless you time your call for the precise moment to be ahead of all the other owners. Just ask anyone wanting a summer week at NCV. I've never been able to reserve memorial week or Thanksgiving week at Ocean Pointe for the same reasons.

What a points system does is eliminate that problem. Points are points. They have a set value. No more owners reserving the most popular week just for trade power.

How will points eliminate issues of supply and demand? Many more owners want Memorial week or Thanksgiving week than there are weeks to go around. There is less supply of prime weeks than there is demand. Marriott is not decreasing the number of owners, or increasing the number of prime weeks, so the same heavy demand for an extremelly limited supply will always exist.

If it is easier for you to get prime weeks using points, it means that Marriott has allocated a larger number of prime weeks to points inventory per points member than they allocated to weeks inventory. The easier access to inventory for those who convert to points will mean virtually no access to prime weeks for those who don't convert. If you think it was hard to reserve a prime week before, don't convert to points and try to get one next year.

 

[dioxide45]

How will points eliminate issues of supply and demand? Many more owners want Memorial week or Thanksgiving week than there are weeks to go around. There is less supply of prime weeks than there is demand. Marriott is not decreasing the number of owners, or increasing the number of prime weeks, so the same heavy demand for an extremelly limited supply will always exist.

If it is easier for you to get prime weeks using points, it means that Marriott has allocated a larger number of prime weeks to points inventory per points member than they allocated to weeks inventory. The easier access to inventory for those who convert to points will mean virtually no access to prime weeks for those who don't convert. If you think it was hard to reserve a prime week before, don't convert to points and try to get one next year.

I have to agree with Doug. currently people looking to book for personal use that want prime week are competing against people wanting to book the highest demand week to plop in to II. In a point system, that all goes away. Those people exchanging are just reserving somewhere else. I would bet those in points wanting to exchange through II will get their week picked for them by Marriott.

There is now less demand for those super prime weeks and those that were shut out in the past by exchangers may actually get a week to occupy.

 

[tombo]

I have to agree with Doug. currently people looking to book for personal use that want prime week are competing against people wanting to book the highest demand week to plop in to II. In a point system, that all goes away.

Under weeks people wanting to reserve prime weeks for personal use, for renting to others for profit, and for exchanges in II, all currently compete for limited inventory. Under points people wanting to spend a prime holiday week at the beach or ski resort will use their points the first day that reservations are allowed and they will compete against each other and the points members wanting to reserve a prime week to rent for profit. The only demand that might have been reduced is those who reserved prime weeks for their strong trading power to get good exchanges with II. Of course now that those people can't use the high demand Marriott weeks to snag good II inventory, they will snag the prime weeks to use personally because they will not be able to get the good II trades anymore. The result is no net reduction in demand.

Points will not decrease demand for prime weeks, in fact many savvy owners will still grab the best weeks at the first second they come available as they always have, except now they will grab them for personal use rather than exchange power. The people who worked the system best before will not go away,they will change tactics. I will personally figure out some new angle if possible. If nothing else I will reserve the most sought after week I can get, rent it to someone for the most money I can, and then use the rental income to pay for a vacation from another owner who has a Marriott week I couldn't get, or who has a non Marriott week that I would have gotten on exchange in the past.

 

[PerryM]

That tingling feeling up my leg...

Perry, once again you take the worst case scenario and go beyond it. I think it's unrealistic to think that everyone that's currently an owner will be a loser, some will be worse off and others better off and likely most in the middle. I too am assuming the 24 day priority will eventually go away but it might not. Marriott might simply use points deposits within the current framework which is likely the best of both worlds for both current weeks owners and future points owners. If that is the approach they take, all you'd lose in II would be volume but with a proportionate decrease in the volume on the other side as well. And you'd likely have increased trade power in general either way though so would the other Marriott owners who are using II.

I've taken a studio week 52 at MountainSide and exchanged it for a 2BR in Orlando all within the Marriott 24-day II window. I'm sure many have done this. Not any more.

Somebody show me a scenario where ANYONE can do what we did in II all the time? I can't think of a way to use Points and leverage them upwards. Sadly the only thing left are equal exchanges and a lot of lesser exchanges.

Why? Because a sales system has slithered up the legs of the exchange system and what was common before can not be allowed to happen when sales is involved.

We are NOT exchanging one exchange system for another exchange system - we are dumping an exchange system for a super sales system that will do a poor job of exchanging; compared to what we have now.

A year from now the complaints about II will simply be replaced by complaints about the new exchange system.

 

[PerryM]

I have to agree with Doug. currently people looking to book for personal use that want prime week are competing against people wanting to book the highest demand week to plop in to II. In a point system, that all goes away. Those people exchanging are just reserving somewhere else. I would bet those in points wanting to exchange through II will get their week picked for them by Marriott.

There is now less demand for those super prime weeks and those that were shut out in the past by exchangers may actually get a week to occupy.

How about just about EVERYONE competing for the same holiday weeks the salesreps sell 24/7.

Before there were limits, a Point system eliminates those limits and that carries over to exchanging. So instead of ALL MOC owners wanting Christmas week how about ALL Marriott owners wanting the same thing; either to use or rent for big bucks.

Folks, this is going to be a completely different Marriott than what we have had for 20+ years.

P.S.
Don't be shocked when Marriott forbids renting your week. It might not happen initially but the jealously won't take long and folks will demand that renting be abolished. Marriott will just smile and forbid renting. Of course they will continue to rent...

 

[scrapngen]

I've taken a studio week 52 at MountainSide and exchanged it for a 2BR in Orlando all within the Marriott 24-day II window. I'm sure many have done this. Not any more.

Somebody show me a scenario where ANYONE can do what we did in II all the time? I can't think of a way to use Points and leverage them upwards. Sadly the only thing left are equal exchanges and a lot of lesser exchanges.

Why? Because a sales system has slithered up the legs of the exchange system and what was common before can not be allowed to happen when sales is involved.

We are NOT exchanging one exchange system for another exchange system - we are dumping an exchange system for a super sales system that will do a poor job of exchanging; compared to what we have now.

A year from now the complaints about II will simply be replaced by complaints about the new exchange system.

Perry, Perry, Perry....You can't have it both ways!!

Here is a quote from your OWN post #2349:

"...I just reviewed my II account and EVERY exchange going back to 2000 is an "upgrade" - everyone of them.

There were many times I exchanged 4,000 WM credits to stay at Beachplace Towers in a 2BR at 59-days in II. I counted 4 of them; my son and his frat brothers had a great time. My MF for the WM credits was $200 + exchange fee and the MF for BPT was always around $1,000.

That was an upgrade and nobody wanted that exchange so I got it; and it was a hell of an upgrade.

This is but one example of exchanges just sitting out there and folks decided to pass the reservation by...."

....Just sayin'

...Pretty sure WM is a points system last time I checked.... (and one many including you seem to like for its flexibility, etc, although I am sure it has its own things owners don't like as well)

 

[Dean]

I've taken a studio week 52 at MountainSide and exchanged it for a 2BR in Orlando all within the Marriott 24-day II window. I'm sure many have done this. Not any more.

Somebody show me a scenario where ANYONE can do what we did in II all the time? I can't think of a way to use Points and leverage them upwards. Sadly the only thing left are equal exchanges and a lot of lesser exchanges.

Why? Because a sales system has slithered up the legs of the exchange system and what was common before can not be allowed to happen when sales is involved.

We are NOT exchanging one exchange system for another exchange system - we are dumping an exchange system for a super sales system that will do a poor job of exchanging; compared to what we have now.

A year from now the complaints about II will simply be replaced by complaints about the new exchange system.

I've done the same and better but that doesn't make it reasonable to the system, it really isn't a fair trade for the other side.

 

[Dave M]

I'm currently hearing that it will cost $169 every year (in addition to MFs and any conversion cost) to belong to the points program. Although the source seems authoritative, I don't have my usual 100% confidence in this statement.

 

[Darlene]

I'm trying to catch up on this thread.
We went through this to some extent with Shell a few years ago. They converted everything to points. We were already a fixed week owner, and while they tried to get us to convert to points, for a nominal fee I might add we kept our week. We still trade it with II, and I have not seen any difference.
We own a fixed week with Marriott. So what I can assertain from this thread is -
1. Marriott will have to continue to honor giving us our fixed week every year, so I know they will come after us to convert to points.
2. We will still be able to trade for points, even though that has changed for Marriotts advantage.
3. We will still be able to use II as an exchange company.

Will Marriott be doing an internal exchange system for those who are on the new points system?
Perry, you mentioned point values being assigned to weeks under the new system. Does that mean my fixed week will never be able to trade into another season or into a higher resort on the tier?
So many questions, too little time.
Darlene

 

[BocaBum99]

I'm currently hearing that it will cost $169 every year (in addition to MFs and any conversion cost) to belong to the points program. Although the source seems authoritative, I don't have my usual 100% confidence in this statement.

Does that include an II membership at no additional cost? Or, do owners still have to get that separately as well?

 

[rsackett]

I'm currently hearing that it will cost $169 every year (in addition to MFs and any conversion cost) to belong to the points program. Although the source seems authoritative, I don't have my usual 100% confidence in this statement.

But tere is the question! Is the conversion cost $100 or $10,000? Is it per week or per account? Only time will tell.

 

[SueDonJ]

I'm currently hearing that it will cost $169 every year (in addition to MFs and any conversion cost) to belong to the points program. Although the source seems authoritative, I don't have my usual 100% confidence in this statement.

It makes sense, it's only a slight increase from the $159 mentioned in that Nov '08 survey, anyway. (Thanks again, Gary!)

I suppose it can't hurt to go fishing, Dave. Do you hear anything about the "Preferred Resort Priority" and the fee associated with that if it's adopted?

 

[GregT]

Anyone heard of Marriott Vacation Club Destinations?

I believe this is a new sign in the Sales Gallery -- please correct me if I'm wrong. I'm trying to upload the picture, but it's too big -- will keep trying.

Picture uploaded on next message -- #2376 -- Aruba, here we come!!

All the best,

Greg