Thread Dedicated to the Upcoming/Anticipated Integration of Vistana and Marriott Ownerships

[dsmrp]

Vistana - Is there a list of the specific properties that will be added for points and when? A salesperson at OceanWatch had a few pages of required points for various resorts at the end of June. I should have taken a photo of the booklet. It was no secret but merely not widely distributed at that point.

I think all Vistana resorts except Harborside Bahamas and Westin Riverside (CO) can be in the Abound program. There is a PDF file for 2022 point values. I've seen it in various posts here. Or suggest you check the stickies.

 

[ljmiii]

Vistana - Is there a list of the specific properties that will be added for points and when?

I have this, which shows the Vistana (and MVC) properties which will be accessible with MVC DPs. I haven't seen the points charts.

 

[dsmrp]

I think all Vistana resorts except Harborside Bahamas and Westin Riverside (CO) can be in the Abound program. There is a PDF file for 2022 point values. I've seen it in various posts here. Or suggest you check the stickies.

@DRH90277, here is the stickies post in which SunDonJ has linked in the 2023 DC club redemption tables. Vistana resorts aren't in it tho.

Marriott Abound (formerly Destination Club) Points-System FAQ & Guide

** During 2022 Marriott Vacations Worldwide announced in Investor Meetings that Vistana timeshares would be integrated into the Marriott points system, and, that the Destination Club would be renamed Abound. After all details have been officially announced, this FAQ will be reviewed/edited to...

tugbbs.com

 

[Bodie]

We bought two weeks in Aruba back in 2004. We enjoyed our ownership and the benefits that came with it. In 2012 we added 2500 DC points. For the past few years, the entire process of planning for a vacation has become - to me - ridiculously cumbersome. Moreover, the product has become stale and boring. There are those on this site who seem to navigate the rules and opportunities with ease; I am not one of them. The spin off from Marriott, Inc has not enhanced the MVC product. Within the next few years, I will sell our interests for whatever price I get. We knew from the beginning this was not an "investment" that would gain in value. Regrettably, I can no longer recommend MVC and its product(s) to anyone.

 

[VacationForever]

We bought two weeks in Aruba back in 2004. We enjoyed our ownership and the benefits that came with it. In 2012 we added 2500 DC points. For the past few years, the entire process of planning for a vacation has become - to me - ridiculously cumbersome. Moreover, the product has become stale and boring. There are those on this site who seem to navigate the rules and opportunities with ease; I am not one of them. The spin off from Marriott, Inc has not enhanced the MVC product. Within the next few years, I will sell our interests for whatever price I get. We knew from the beginning this was not an "investment" that would gain in value. Regrettably, I can no longer recommend MVC and its product(s) to anyone.

The alternative is to pay more to stay in a tiny hotel room. We refuse to stay in a standard hotel room anymore. Space is very important to us when we are away from home. No matter how bad a timeshare product is, whether it is a Marriott or a Wyndham, the value proposition remains excellent.

Where are you going to stay when you travel? Other than cruising, there is not another product.

 

[Bodie]

The alternative is to pay more to stay in a tiny hotel room. We refuse to stay in a standard hotel room anymore. Space is very important to us when we are away from home. No matter how bad a timeshare product is, whether it is a Marriott or a Wyndham, the value proposition remains excellent.

Where are you going to stay when you travel? Other than cruising, there is not another product.

We are aging out on travel . At some point, it will become too difficult. Not tomorrow or next year but within the next 10-12. Right now, we're active and healthy. Cruising is not our thing. Simply saying, I could not recommend MVC - as it has become - to anyone.

 

[Ken555]

The alternative is to pay more to stay in a tiny hotel room. We refuse to stay in a standard hotel room anymore. Space is very important to us when we are away from home. No matter how bad a timeshare product is, whether it is a Marriott or a Wyndham, the value proposition remains excellent.

Where are you going to stay when you travel? Other than cruising, there is not another product.

Private home rentals. There’s more out there than just hotels and timeshares.


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[VacationForever]

Private home rentals. There’s more out there than just hotels and timeshares.


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I don't do private home rentals, period. To each his own.

 

[Ken555]

I don't do private home rentals, period. To each his own.

That’s fine, but doesn’t mean others won’t…still means your earlier post was incomplete. I was just pointing out one type of alternative rental, and there are others, too, beyond cruises, hotels or timeshares.


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[GregT]

I don't do private home rentals, period. To each his own.

Hello VF,

I'm curious about this -- Jonell and I do it with increasing frequency as a different outlet to our traditional 15-year travel pattern -- I would appreciate your thoughts on the downsides as our experience has mostly been good.

Best,

Greg

 

[VacationForever]

Hello VF,

I'm curious about this -- Jonell and I do it with increasing frequency as a different outlet to our traditional 15-year travel pattern -- I would appreciate your thoughts on the downsides as our experience has mostly been good.

Best,

Greg

Renting someone's home means there can be surprises. It maybe something as basic as beds and linens, and cleanliness of the home. There is also the worry of the remote chance that there are hidden cameras. Going with big brand names means consistencies, the ability to change rooms and escalate to get problems resolved. When we were in Italy, the tour guides were pointing out the AirBnB apartments and we were rather turned off. Sometimes pictures don't realistically depict the conditions of the accommodation. We are somewhat picky, especially my husband. Surprises mean stress for him, which translates to stress for me.

 

[Ken555]

Renting someone's home means there can be surprises. It maybe something as basic as beds and linens, and cleanliness of the home. There is also the worry of the remote chance that there are hidden cameras. Going with big brand names means consistencies, the ability to change rooms and escalate to get problems resolved. When we were in Italy, the tour guides were pointing out the AirBnB apartments and we were rather turned off. Sometimes pictures don't realistically depict the conditions of the accommodation. We are somewhat picky, especially my husband. Surprises mean stress for him, which translates to stress for me.

On the flip side, I had friends who were in Italy last week and rented several private homes. They had wonderful experiences. That said, they were expensive. If you plan on renting a private home and pay the same or less than a hotel, your experience will be different.


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[JIMinNC]

Hello VF,

I'm curious about this -- Jonell and I do it with increasing frequency as a different outlet to our traditional 15-year travel pattern -- I would appreciate your thoughts on the downsides as our experience has mostly been good.

Best,

Greg

@GregT, as another data point, my sentiments are almost exactly the same as @VacationForever

We also prefer the more predictable quality of timeshares and hotels that are affiliated with the major chains. About the only time we would consider an AirBnB or VRBO would be if we were going somewhere where there were no major brand affiliated timeshares/hotels. Our feelings have only been solidified in the last three years that we've owned our Hilton Head condo. Most of the units in the complex where we own are in some kind of rental program and we've now seen the great variability in quality from unit-to-unit. Some friends of ours have exceedingly nice renovated units that we would be happy to put friends or family in if we needed extra space in addition to our 2BR in the future, but some other units I would be embarrassed to send someone too. I find it hard to trust online reviews as the unit we bought was rated 4-5 stars on VRBO, but we thought it was awful and would have been very disappointed if we had rented that unit from the previous owner. We only slept there two or three times before we launched a $100K full renovation.

 

[DRH90277]

Vistana - Weston and Sheraton timeshares. Has anyone been able to compare these to the Marriott timeshares? Are they considered the equivalent, worse, or better in terms of the locations, facilities and experiences? Is Vacation Club trying to upgrade or downgrade the experience and cost?

I looked online at the one in Myrtle Beach and it didn't seem up to the Marriott standard in terms of the facilities and location.

My only other experience with recent additions to the portfolio is with the Mayflower Pulse in Washington, DC. We stayed there a couple of years ago and it was a pretty big step down and in need of a major renovation. The only attribute we saw was the location. We will give it another chance if they clean it up and fix it up. I would love to hear a good report on this one.

 

[alexadeparis]

Vistana - Weston and Sheraton timeshares. Has anyone been able to compare these to the Marriott timeshares? Are they considered the equivalent, worse, or better in terms of the locations, facilities and experiences? Is Vacation Club trying to upgrade or downgrade the experience and cost?

I looked online at the one in Myrtle Beach and it didn't seem up to the Marriott standard in terms of the facilities and location.

My only other experience with recent additions to the portfolio is with the Mayflower Pulse in Washington, DC. We stayed there a couple of years ago and it was a pretty big step down and in need of a major renovation. The only attribute we saw was the location. We will give it another chance if they clean it up and fix it up. I would love to hear a good report on this one.

IMHO, Westin exceeds Marriott, Sheraton is a little lower sometimes than Marriott, but usually almost equivalent.

 

[dioxide45]

Vistana - Weston and Sheraton timeshares. Has anyone been able to compare these to the Marriott timeshares? Are they considered the equivalent, worse, or better in terms of the locations, facilities and experiences? Is Vacation Club trying to upgrade or downgrade the experience and cost?

I looked online at the one in Myrtle Beach and it didn't seem up to the Marriott standard in terms of the facilities and location.

My only other experience with recent additions to the portfolio is with the Mayflower Pulse in Washington, DC. We stayed there a couple of years ago and it was a pretty big step down and in need of a major renovation. The only attribute we saw was the location. We will give it another chance if they clean it up and fix it up. I would love to hear a good report on this one.

There are certainly some properties that aren't up to snuff. Those tend to be the hotel conversions or older resorts that are not as consistent with the brand. The Mayflower is a hotel conversion. I am not sure why you would say the Myrtle Beach location was not up to standard. I suspect you are talking about OceanWatch? This is one of Marriott's flagship properties with beautiful 2BR villas. The location isn't on the boardwalk of Myrtle Beach, but many like the location in North Myrtle Beach. The Marriott OceanWatch resort is far and above better than Sheraton Broadway Plantation.

As for comparing the different resorts; Sheraton, Westin & Marriott. We own both Marriott and Vistana and have stayed at over 30 resorts. I would put the Westin resorts on par with most of the top tier Marriotts. The problem with many Westins is the amenities in the units, especially the kitchen is lacking. Poor quality cooking supplies like pots and pans along with a poor selection of cooking utensils is one thing we don't like about the Westin Vacation Club properties. Westin and Sheraton don't even provide any food storage containers in the kitchen. Marriott's have higher quality dinnerware, silverware and pots and pans than both Westin and Sheraton. As for the rest of the unit, Westin is far and above better in the bathroom department. Their villa bathrooms are fantastic. Marriott has an edge for in room entertainment given that most of their units have internet connected television systems that allow you to connect to Prime, YouTube and Netflix without needing to have your own device. I have yet to see that at a Westin or Sheraton property. Westin and Sheraton also use flat sheets on the beds and don't seem to have a proper duvet. We always have to pack our own fitted sheet when we know we will be staying in a Vistana property.

As for the rest of the resort; Marriott, Westin and Sheraton all seem to compare about the same. Onsite food and beverage is about the same but we tend to notice that Marriott usually has few more options and I give the Marketplaces at Marriott resorts a bit of an edge. There are of course outliers on either side where a resort isn't up to par or where a resort far exceeds. Westin Kierland Villas is like this. The resort and overall feel of the resort more than make up for the shortfalls that exist in the villas (kitchens without ovens and low quality supplies).

 

[Dean]

IMHO, Westin exceeds Marriott, Sheraton is a little lower sometimes than Marriott, but usually almost equivalent.

I would concur for the properties I've seen but one should investigate each property they are interested in for any system.

 

[DRH90277]

There are certainly some properties that aren't up to snuff. Those tend to be the hotel conversions or older resorts that are not as consistent with the brand. The Mayflower is a hotel conversion. I am not sure why you would say the Myrtle Beach location was not up to standard. I suspect you are talking about OceanWatch? This is one of Marriott's flagship properties with beautiful 2BR villas. The location isn't on the boardwalk of Myrtle Beach, but many like the location in North Myrtle Beach. The Marriott OceanWatch resort is far and above better than Sheraton Broadway Plantation.

As for comparing the different resorts; Sheraton, Westin & Marriott. We own both Marriott and Vistana and have stayed at over 30 resorts. I would put the Westin resorts on par with most of the top tier Marriotts. The problem with many Westins is the amenities in the units, especially the kitchen is lacking. Poor quality cooking supplies like pots and pans along with a poor selection of cooking utensils is one thing we don't like about the Westin Vacation Club properties. Westin and Sheraton don't even provide any food storage containers in the kitchen. Marriott's have higher quality dinnerware, silverware and pots and pans than both Westin and Sheraton. As for the rest of the unit, Westin is far and above better in the bathroom department. Their villa bathrooms are fantastic. Marriott has an edge for in room entertainment given that most of their units have internet connected television systems that allow you to connect to Prime, YouTube and Netflix without needing to have your own device. I have yet to see that at a Westin or Sheraton property. Westin and Sheraton also use flat sheets on the beds and don't seem to have a proper duvet. We always have to pack our own fitted sheet when we know we will be staying in a Vistana property.

As for the rest of the resort; Marriott, Westin and Sheraton all seem to compare about the same. Onsite food and beverage is about the same but we tend to notice that Marriott usually has few more options and I give the Marketplaces at Marriott resorts a bit of an edge. There are of course outliers on either side where a resort isn't up to par or where a resort far exceeds. Westin Kierland Villas is like this. The resort and overall feel of the resort more than make up for the shortfalls that exist in the villas (kitchens without ovens and low quality supplies).

Thank you. I'm glad to hear this. Some of the items you mentioned are pretty easy to upgrade. I'm more hopeful now that these properties will enhance our options and experiences. Of course, it will be nice when we are able to see the point values, etc.

We will stick with our OceanWatch for Myrtle Beach - it would be a tough sell to the families to move off the beach.

 

[Ken555]

Marriott has an edge for in room entertainment given that most of their units have internet connected television systems that allow you to connect to Prime, YouTube and Netflix without needing to have your own device. I have yet to see that at a Westin or Sheraton property.

While the Marriott "smart" tv functionality is nice to have, it's incomplete for me since it doesn't offer all the streaming channels I use and requires me to login to each. At least it's smart enough (or says it is smart enough) to automatically logout of my account at the end of my stay (when I remember I do this manually). Of course, I rarely use this feature since I travel with a Roku 4K stick which is very small and simply connect it to the TV.

Some of the Vistana resorts make it easy to connect your own device, such as at WKV, which takes a few seconds to connect the HDMI port and has USB power for the device right below the tv.

 

[dioxide45]

While the Marriott "smart" tv functionality is nice to have, it's incomplete for me since it doesn't offer all the streaming channels I use and requires me to login to each. At least it's smart enough (or says it is smart enough) to automatically logout of my account at the end of my stay (when I remember I do this manually). Of course, I rarely use this feature since I travel with a Roku 4K stick which is very small and simply connect it to the TV.

Some of the Vistana resorts make it easy to connect your own device, such as at WKV, which takes a few seconds to connect the HDMI port and has USB power for the device right below the tv.

View attachment 60395

I agree, those are pretty handy as we do usually bring along our Firestick in the event we want to watch Hulu, but most often our TV never gets turned on during our stay unless it is to watch Shark Tank. For some reason we seem to watch that when we travel. We tend to consume most video on our computers or iPad. Good that there are multiple options.

 

[rcv82]

There are certainly some properties that aren't up to snuff. Those tend to be the hotel conversions or older resorts that are not as consistent with the brand. The Mayflower is a hotel conversion. I am not sure why you would say the Myrtle Beach location was not up to standard. I suspect you are talking about OceanWatch? This is one of Marriott's flagship properties with beautiful 2BR villas. The location isn't on the boardwalk of Myrtle Beach, but many like the location in North Myrtle Beach. The Marriott OceanWatch resort is far and above better than Sheraton Broadway Plantation.

As for comparing the different resorts; Sheraton, Westin & Marriott. We own both Marriott and Vistana and have stayed at over 30 resorts. I would put the Westin resorts on par with most of the top tier Marriotts. The problem with many Westins is the amenities in the units, especially the kitchen is lacking. Poor quality cooking supplies like pots and pans along with a poor selection of cooking utensils is one thing we don't like about the Westin Vacation Club properties. Westin and Sheraton don't even provide any food storage containers in the kitchen. Marriott's have higher quality dinnerware, silverware and pots and pans than both Westin and Sheraton. As for the rest of the unit, Westin is far and above better in the bathroom department. Their villa bathrooms are fantastic. Marriott has an edge for in room entertainment given that most of their units have internet connected television systems that allow you to connect to Prime, YouTube and Netflix without needing to have your own device. I have yet to see that at a Westin or Sheraton property. Westin and Sheraton also use flat sheets on the beds and don't seem to have a proper duvet. We always have to pack our own fitted sheet when we know we will be staying in a Vistana property.

As for the rest of the resort; Marriott, Westin and Sheraton all seem to compare about the same. Onsite food and beverage is about the same but we tend to notice that Marriott usually has few more options and I give the Marketplaces at Marriott resorts a bit of an edge. There are of course outliers on either side where a resort isn't up to par or where a resort far exceeds. Westin Kierland Villas is like this. The resort and overall feel of the resort more than make up for the shortfalls that exist in the villas (kitchens without ovens and low quality supplies).

In addition to the bathrooms, another area the Westins and Sheratons have the general advantage is in the small side unit of a lock-off. Many are smaller one bedroom units while others are studios (pretty good sized in most locations). In both cases they have washers/dryers, a full size (or nearly full sized) refrigerator, and a decent limited kitchen with a small dishwasher.

As was stated, the hotel conversions tend to be more cramped, but still have the same basic features. The Sheraton Steamboat does have some rooms labeled as “hotel rooms”. Those do not have the studio features, but are cheap in terms of points.


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[Ken555]

In addition to the bathrooms, another area the Westins and Sheratons have the general advantage is in the small side unit of a lock-off. Many are smaller one bedroom units while others are studios (pretty good sized in most locations). In both cases they have washers/dryers, a full size (or nearly full sized) refrigerator, and a decent limited kitchen with a small dishwasher.

As was stated, the hotel conversions tend to be more cramped, but still have the same basic features. The Sheraton Steamboat does have some rooms labeled as “hotel rooms”. Those do not have the studio features, but are cheap in terms of points.


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FWIW, both WDW and WKV have a full size dishwasher in the small 1-bed. Also in regards to the small 1-bed, WDW has a full size refrigerator and WKV has a small (but perfectly adequate) refrigerator. The only kitchen amenity missing in the small unit is an oven.

The direct comparison for the vast majority of resorts is that of the Westin/Sheraton small 1-bed to the Marriott studio, which is essentially a hotel room. This was the main reason I bought SVN way back when (and that I liked the idea of every large 1-bed at WMH had its own BBQ on the patio…which I believe is no longer true). The large 1-bed Marriott units are great, but I won’t stay in a small unit for more than a single night since it’s just a hotel room with a microwave. Really, Marriott? What a horrible design choice.


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[Dean]

FWIW, both WDW and WKV have a full size dishwasher in the small 1-bed. Also in regards to the small 1-bed, WDW has a full size refrigerator and WKV has a small (but perfectly adequate) refrigerator. The only kitchen amenity missing in the small unit is an oven.

The direct comparison for the vast majority of resorts is that of the Westin/Sheraton small 1-bed to the Marriott studio, which is essentially a hotel room. This was the main reason I bought SVN way back when (and that I liked the idea of every large 1-bed at WMH had its own BBQ on the patio…which I believe is no longer true). The large 1-bed Marriott units are great, but I won’t stay in a small unit for more than a single night since it’s just a hotel room with a microwave. Really, Marriott? What a horrible design choice.


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I'll point out that any time there's a small/large 1BR option; one should always be cautious when exchanging in to those resorts. In many cases one will get the smaller BR when exchanging and it may not be obvious up front. Just another reason to investigate any possible exchange.

 

[Ken555]

I'll point out that any time there's a small/large 1BR option; one should always be cautious when exchanging in to those resorts. In many cases one will get the smaller BR when exchanging and it may not be obvious up front. Just another reason to investigate any possible exchange.

To the best of my knowledge, when exchanging via II all the small 1-bed units show “LK” (limited kitchen) vs “K”. This isn’t difficult. BTW, the Marriott studios don’t show any kitchen designation at all at II.


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[SueDonJ]

FWIW, both WDW and WKV have a full size dishwasher in the small 1-bed. Also in regards to the small 1-bed, WDW has a full size refrigerator and WKV has a small (but perfectly adequate) refrigerator. The only kitchen amenity missing in the small unit is an oven.

The direct comparison for the vast majority of resorts is that of the Westin/Sheraton small 1-bed to the Marriott studio, which is essentially a hotel room. This was the main reason I bought SVN way back when (and that I liked the idea of every large 1-bed at WMH had its own BBQ on the patio…which I believe is no longer true). The large 1-bed Marriott units are great, but I won’t stay in a small unit for more than a single night since it’s just a hotel room with a microwave. Really, Marriott? What a horrible design choice.


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I agree, studio units without a kitchen don't appeal to me at all for anything other than a quick one-night stay, and even then only if a more-economical hotel room isn't available. But there's definitely a market for them, especially among the people who are using Points (as opposed to Weeks) because it costs so much fewer points to book them. Disney's another system where the studio units are useless for my purposes, at least some of them at judging by the DVC Beach Club studio I once stayed in, and there are probably others.

I'm interested to see the Abound Points Charts for Westin/Sheraton resorts to see the differential between what you call the "small 1BR" and the "large 1BR." I'm wondering if they'll correlate to the differentials between Marriott Studio and 1BR units, or, if the Westin/Sheraton "small 1BR" will cost more points than a Marriott Studio.