Table of Regular Owner vs Premier vs Premier Plus Status - from MVCI web site

[seema]

See the link:

http://www.marriottvacationclub.com/common/cms/mvc/pdfs/owners/benefits_chart.pdf

I have been told that the stays at the Grand Residence Inns (in addition to the Ritz-Carleton clubs) are being introduced as benefits for premier/premier plus owners.

 

[FractionalTraveler]

Yes, that seems correct. Funny though, I don't see the Grand Residence Club mentioned in the chart, only the Ritz-Carlton under Luxury Club Residences.

These are some pretty sweet benefits for Premier and Premier Plus status.

I really don't care too much for the trading for reward points, cruises, tours, or events.

I do think the reservation windows, point/rental discounts, and Ritz-Carlton Residence benefits are nice.

I was able to test the rental discounts on the MVCI website, and low and behold it worked! When I tried to make a points reservation within the 14 day window, I was automatically given the 20% points discount upfront. Sweeeeet.....

A 45% discount for rentals (Premier Plus) using the MR Visa is also a nice deal.

 

[seema]

Yes, that seems correct. Funny though, I don't see the Grand Residence Club mentioned in the chart, only the Ritz-Carlton under Luxury Club Residences.

These are some pretty sweet benefits for Premier and Premier Plus status.

I really don't care too much for the trading for reward points, cruises, tours, or events.

I do think the reservation windows, point/rental discounts, and Ritz-Carlton Residence benefits are nice.

I was able to test the rental discounts on the MVCI website, and low and behold it worked! When I tried to make a points reservation within the 14 day window, I was automatically given the 20% points discount upfront. Sweeeeet.....

A 45% discount for rentals (Premier Plus) using the MR Visa is also a nice deal.

I was told that MVCI is introducing the benefit regarding access to Grand Residence Inns - therefore, it has not yet been put up on this table, or on the MVCI web site yet. I learned this when I attended the webinar/seminar on Vacation Club points last week at the Grand Chateau Resort.

 

[dioxide45]

I was able to test the rental discounts on the MVCI website, and low and behold it worked! When I tried to make a points reservation within the 14 day window, I was automatically given the 20% points discount upfront. Sweeeeet.....

I was initially a little confused by this. I couldn't figure out where you would book the rental discounts (25-45% off rental prices) on the MVCI website. I think I was confused by your use of the term "rental". These are really just DC points bookings, not the cash rentals where you can get discounts based on ownership level and use of the Marriott Visa.

 

[dioxide45]

I think for Trust owners, the advance booking window has more power, since they have access to that trust inventory right at the 13 month mark where legacy owners have to rely on that inventory getting in to the exchange company first. That doesn't seem to happen right at the 13 month mark except for a very few limited situations.

The extra cash discount on rentals is cool, but it is really only 10% higher than what the MOD discount will get for Standard Owners and unenrolled owners. So it is a good benefit if you are already a Premier or Premier Plus owner, but I still don't think it is wise to spend extra money to buy more points to chase these higher levels.

The other benefits, including the 20% points discount on late reservations, will only be used by a very small slice of the ownership. So IMO they don't have a lot of value overall. You could use the Puck trick to swap points and get a few points back, but that comes with having your cancelled points limited to the penalty box.

 

[m61376]

I think for Trust owners, the advance booking window has more power, since they have access to that trust inventory right at the 13 month mark where legacy owners have to rely on that inventory getting in to the exchange company first. That doesn't seem to happen right at the 13 month mark except for a very few limited situations.

The extra cash discount on rentals is cool, but it is really only 10% higher than what the MOD discount will get for Standard Owners and unenrolled owners. So it is a good benefit if you are already a Premier or Premier Plus owner, but I still don't think it is wise to spend extra money to buy more points to chase these higher levels.

The other benefits, including the 20% points discount on late reservations, will only be used by a very small slice of the ownership. So IMO they don't have a lot of value overall. You could use the Puck trick to swap points and get a few points back, but that comes with having your cancelled points limited to the penalty box.

I agree- but it sure looks good on paper, and I think that's a great sales tool. Prospective buyers are lured with getting a 40 or 45% discount, not by being told they'll get an additional 5 or 10% discount over what they can already get. And thing about how nice the prospect of saving 20% of your points is if there is still availability 2 weeks beforehand; it sounds like a big bonus until you find out that all those recouped points (which is the entire original point reservation, since you have to use additional points to rebook the last minute exchange) are now relegated to the "penalty box" and only good for last minute reservations.

And, as you said, that 13 month window looks great on paper, but for legacy owners at least a lot of the inventory hasn't been there until 12 months.

But have to hand it to them- those perks sure look good on paper, but it's a lot of glitz without much substance- a win-win for Marriott, not so much for owners.

 

[FractionalTraveler]

I agree- but it sure looks good on paper, and I think that's a great sales tool. Prospective buyers are lured with getting a 40 or 45% discount, not by being told they'll get an additional 5 or 10% discount over what they can already get. And thing about how nice the prospect of saving 20% of your points is if there is still availability 2 weeks beforehand; it sounds like a big bonus until you find out that all those recouped points (which is the entire original point reservation, since you have to use additional points to rebook the last minute exchange) are now relegated to the "penalty box" and only good for last minute reservations.

And, as you said, that 13 month window looks great on paper, but for legacy owners at least a lot of the inventory hasn't been there until 12 months.

But have to hand it to them- those perks sure look good on paper, but it's a lot of glitz without much substance- a win-win for Marriott, not so much for owners.

Good points, but you should see how people get here in Florida when tax free school days (7% discount) is announced. Its a virtual stampede to the retail outlets. So I wouldn't neccessarily think an additional 10% off vacation rentals is trivial to folks.

The penalty box for recouped points using the Puck trick looks only to be for people who require a guaranteed reservation, so if you are flexible in your travel plans which is what the 20% discount provides at 14 days out, then this should not be an issue.

Not sure what your experience has been like, but at 13 months out, I have not experienced any trouble reserving anything I have selected from inventory in the last 2 years. Also, the 14 day discount has been great.

This has included 1,2,3,4, 7, and 10 night stays. This may not be typical, but it has certainly been my experience.

2-nights at custom house for a quick business trip no problem.
1-night at Lakeshore Reserve for a conference at the JW no problem
3-nights at Doral golfing with prospective customers, no problem
4-nights at Newport Coast for a quick getaway, no problem
7-nights at Timberlodge ski week awsome
10-night in Saint Thomas island hopping anf fishing no problem.
2-nights at Ritz Carlton in SF for business meetings not an issue

Now that I actually put this on paper, it looks much better than paper to me.....

 

[m61376]

So I wouldn't neccessarily think an additional 10% off vacation rentals is trivial to folks.

The penalty box for recouped points using the Puck trick looks only to be for people who require a guaranteed reservation, so if you are flexible in your travel plans which is what the 20% discount provides at 14 days out, then this should not be an issue.

Glad it has worked for you. Please understand I was not inferring that an additional 10% was trivial, just that (imho of course) it wasn't worth spending thousands of dollars to reach the next status, since it is "only" 5 or 10% over the discount that owners normally enjoy.

I do think that unless you are looking to go somewhere within driving distance, even for those with a lot of travel flexibility 14 days or less is short notice to get decent airfares, which is why I feel that it isn't as great a benefit perhaps as it seems on first glance.

 

[FractionalTraveler]

Glad it has worked for you. Please understand I was not inferring that an additional 10% was trivial, just that (imho of course) it wasn't worth spending thousands of dollars to reach the next status, since it is "only" 5 or 10% over the discount that owners normally enjoy.

I do think that unless you are looking to go somewhere within driving distance, even for those with a lot of travel flexibility 14 days or less is short notice to get decent airfares, which is why I feel that it isn't as great a benefit perhaps as it seems on first glance.

I totally agree with these comments. In my case, I do own trust points but the bulk of my portfolio is in legacy enrolled weeks (Premier Plus) so I definitely agree that buying another 1500 to 2500 trust points just to be able to hit a status level and the ability to save an additional 10% is risky.

I also agree with many others here that if Marriott changes the status levels too much or too frequent, then they run the risk of alienating many of their top customers.

Good point about the driving distance. Guess I'm blessed to have 3 of my resorts within a 4 hour drive from home.

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[DKT]

Hi,
I am confused...
Can someone explain the "Owner Rental Discounts" Item?

Thanks,
Denise

 

[SueDonJ]

Hi,
I am confused...
Can someone explain the "Owner Rental Discounts" Item?

Thanks,
Denise

If you are a Marriott owner of purchased DC Points, or, if you have enrolled Weeks into the DC, then you're eligible for discounts on cash stays at the MVCI timeshare properties. The discount is 25% for Standard DC Members, 30% for Premier DC Members, and 35% for Premier Plus DC Members. In addition, if you use your Marriott Chase VISA to book and pay for these stays, you get another 10% on top of the DC Member discount.

For comparison, the MOD cash discount code that MVCI owners have been using for years is 25% with an additional 10% using the VISA card.

All of these discounts are subject to availability, of course.

 

[DKT]

If you are a Marriott owner of purchased DC Points, or, if you have enrolled Weeks into the DC, then you're eligible for discounts on cash stays at the MVCI timeshare properties. The discount is 25% for Standard DC Members, 30% for Premier DC Members, and 35% for Premier Plus DC Members. In addition, if you use your Marriott Chase VISA to book and pay for these stays, you get another 10% on top of the DC Member discount.

For comparison, the MOD cash discount code that MVCI owners have been using for years is 25% with an additional 10% using the VISA card.

All of these discounts are subject to availability, of course.

Thanks!
Denise

 

[SueDonJ]

I love that chart but the "Trade for Marriott Rewards Points" is a bit confusing in that what's on the chart only applies to DC Trust (purchased) Points. The MRP exchange option for DC enrolled Weeks is different - direct-purchased Weeks have the same MRP exchange benefit they've always had; external-purchased Weeks are eligible for the same amount of MRP's as similar direct-purchased Weeks but only half as often.

 

[m61376]

I love that chart but the "Trade for Marriott Rewards Points" is a bit confusing in that what's on the chart only applies to DC Trust (purchased) Points. The MRP exchange option for DC enrolled Weeks is different - direct-purchased Weeks have the same MRP exchange benefit they've always had; external-purchased Weeks are eligible for the same amount of MRP's as similar direct-purchased Weeks but only half as often.

Sue- Has the "half as often" been verified? I know there was a lot of discussion reading/interpreting the documents about this, and like many others, I was told that externally purchased weeks enrolled in the DC could be traded for MRP's the same as the developer counterparts; my source was the former Director of Customer Advocacy, so theoretically he should have been an accurate source.

Irregardless, I don't see much value in this, and I think as MF's escalate and MR points devalue, the "benefit" becomes less valuable, although there are many here who still find it worthwhile.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

Sue- Has the "half as often" been verified? I know there was a lot of discussion reading/interpreting the documents about this, and like many others, I was told that externally purchased weeks enrolled in the DC could be traded for MRP's the same as the developer counterparts; my source was the former Director of Customer Advocacy, so theoretically he should have been an accurate source.

Irregardless, I don't see much value in this, and I think as MF's escalate and MR points devalue, the "benefit" becomes less valuable, although there are many here who still find it worthwhile.

I agree that there isn't a lot of value in Marriott Reward Points because their value declines as time progresses. However, one thing they do offer is no time restriction in their use (unlike DC Points).



.

 

[NJMOM2]

Sue- Has the "half as often" been verified?

OceanWatch was selling to the direct purchasers with the option to elect MRPs every year. As an enrolled resale owner I can only elect MRPs every other year. I don't know if that is true for all resorts because there a document for OceanWatch that posts all different amounts and dates for electing MRP's.

I agree that there isn't a lot of value in Marriott Reward Points because their value declines as time progresses. However, one thing they do offer is no time restriction in their use (unlike DC Points).

That is the only reason I elected MRPs for my OceanWatch in 2010. With all the bonus time we got for joining I needed a place to 'store' the week that would not expire.

 

[m61376]

OceanWatch was selling to the direct purchasers with the option to elect MRPs every year. As an enrolled resale owner I can only elect MRPs every other year. I don't know if that is true for all resorts because there a document for OceanWatch that posts all different amounts and dates for electing MRP's.

I'm not sure that really indicates anything about their policy, because I would expect them at most to allow the exchange according to the lowest frequency and value that any of their direct purchasers can. Many resorts were every other year for many, if not most, of their direct sales period, but later changed or had periods where purchasers were entitled to annual exchanges.

Has anyone been told they can only exchange once every four years?