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Why can't you reserve a Marriott Gold week if you own platinum?

icydog

icydog

TUG Review Crew: Expert
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I was trying to help a friend reserve a Memorial week using her Marriott Horizons Platinum week. I was told that she would have to deposit her week with II and then exchange back to her same resort for Memorial Day. Doesn't this sound ridiculous? Why shouldn't a platinum be able to reserve in Gold. In any other timeshare if you are platinum you have the whole year to chose from.
 
I don't think that is true - maybe in points based systems where platinum owners get more points.

I own a non-Marriott that works just like Marriott. I own prime winter season at a ski resort and can only book during that season. Just like Marriott, if you are ONE minute late calling for your reservation of prime ski weeks, you will not get it.

Teery
 
Although it sounds reasonable, there is a flaw in your reasoning. Gold season has owners too. We bought gold, not because of the price, but because we would rather vacation without the crowds. So if platinum could reserve whenever they wanted too, then there wouldn't be enough inventory for gold owners to reserve their weeks.

Anyways, judging on last years inventory, there should be plenty of room. They had Memorial weekend on II Getaways for $550 in 2008. We were there, and Disney was like a ghost town. Maybe the gas prices had something to do with it?

If your friend does deposit, I'd be interested in what the availability is. We already have our Memorial weekend reserved there, but we are hoping to get a second villa for family.
 
In order for it to work that way they would have to let some gold owners reserve in to the Platinum season, otherwise there may not be enough gold weeks go go around.
 
icydog said:
I was trying to help a friend reserve a Memorial week using her Marriott Horizons Platinum week. I was told that she would have to deposit her week with II and then exchange back to her same resort for Memorial Day. Doesn't this sound ridiculous? Why shouldn't a platinum be able to reserve in Gold. In any other timeshare if you are platinum you have the whole year to chose from.
Click to expand...


Most of the other systems that I'm aware of that allow this also have a home resort reservation period where only owners at that resort, during the season they own, can reserve a week. After the home resort period ends then it's open season for anyone to grab a week, either moving up from a lower season or down from a higher season.

Hilton, for instance, grants home resort advantage for 3 months. At the 9 month mark anyone can reserve whatever inventory is remaining. With DRI the home resort advantage is only 2 months. Both of these are points based systems.

Marriott remains a weeks based system. You own in a particular season and can reserve a week only in that season. Since it's a weeks based reservation system, you must exchange one week for another if you want to stay in a different season.

In some ways, points based reservations systems are similar. You have to wait until the home resort reservation period has ended and then, if the owners in that season have reserved all the weeks available, you can choose from what's left over.

IMO, points based reservations systems are more user friendly. They allow for movement between seasons you own in, assigning higher values to more popular seasons. Of course there are pro's and con's to both systems but, in general, I do prefer the flexibility offered by points based reservations systems. However, that's not how Marriott handles reservations for owners. So your stuck in the season you own unless you want to exchange. I would suggest making a reservation in Platinum season and then doing a request first interal exchange. That way the owner doesn't turn loose of their week unless there is a week available for exchange.
 
don't forget...

Besides the obvious reasons described above, WHY would you want to?

Book a platinum week, deposit it, and trade into gold, AND get a bonus (A/C) week in addition. Those weeks can be worth a 'great time' if you use them wisely. jme
 
I got a supervisor from Marriott who explained all this to me. I guess I have too many points based timeshares and didn't understand this policy. As it turned out I reserved the 4th of July week for her at Horizons. That ought to be a fairly good exchanger even though it is summer in Orlando.
 
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