More points or sell to buy Marriott Vacation club?

[ExRIGuy]

Hopeful to hear from Marriott owners especially, but will take all thoughts (and we do not want to own both):

We are contemplating selling DVC and buying Marriott, becuase frankly, we've decided that SSR is like staying off-site because of the distance, lack of Disney oriented theming, bus hassle (we just drive), and because, unlike as we were told ("flexibility of staying at all resorts"), we can never seem get what we want without a waitlist (we go 1st week of January usually --just after New Years) -- and even then it doesn't come through sometimes and it's therefore unreliable and sometimes outright stressful if we don't want to stay at SSR (we like SSR a lot and bought to stay at ALL the resorts, not one in particular).

We like Disney, of course, and are a large family of 6 who need a 2 bedroom, so that is an important driver for us and why we focus on a timeshare. We like to see different places and plan on one "full week" vacation "somewhere" every year, and perhaps Disney will be every other year (as now) or even every third year as the kids get older.

The draw to Marriott is that they offer a bunch of locations -- but they are no less expensive (red week is $27k ish) -- especially considering they depreciate so much (but not as bad as many others). We would probably be in a situation with Marriott where we'd be trading out most of the time into different places anyway, either into their other locales or via Interval. So, my spouse suggested that we add enough DVC points so that we could get a 2-bedroom high season through Interval every other year and go to WDW in the off years.

Questions:

1. How hard is it to get trades via Interval (especially 2br)? Any tricks? My spouse says it's probably not bad because everyone wants to be on-site at Disney. We'd have some flexibility as to location, and are not "gotta stay at peak season / Christmas/TG week" people, but would like to know where we are going with plenty of advance notice -- maybe 6 months or so.

2. Any Marriott owners know in reality how hard it is to get into other locations? Is it about the same as using Disney via Interval (I note that Marriott Vacation Club properties are also available via Interval)?

Another consideration is cost & resale -- the costs of selling DVC and adding Marriott and then incurring presumably worse depreciation instantly at Marriott might just offset a little more hassle of using Interval if it is a decent enough and reliable system.

3. If we add points at a different resort, do we now get to book there at 12 months even if we don't quite have enough points at that resort?

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[3DisneyKids]

Hopeful to hear from Marriott owners especially, but will take all thoughts (and we do not want to own both):

We are contemplating selling DVC and buying Marriott, becuase frankly, we've decided that SSR is like staying off-site because of the distance, lack of Disney oriented theming, bus hassle (we just drive), and because, unlike as we were told ("flexibility of staying at all resorts"), we can never seem get what we want without a waitlist (we go 1st week of January usually --just after New Years) -- and even then it doesn't come through sometimes and it's therefore unreliable and sometimes outright stressful if we don't want to stay at SSR (we like SSR a lot and bought to stay at ALL the resorts, not one in particular).

We like Disney, of course, and are a large family of 6 who need a 2 bedroom, so that is an important driver for us and why we focus on a timeshare. We like to see different places and plan on one "full week" vacation "somewhere" every year, and perhaps Disney will be every other year (as now) or even every third year as the kids get older.

The draw to Marriott is that they offer a bunch of locations -- but they are no less expensive (red week is $27k ish) -- especially considering they depreciate so much (but not as bad as many others). We would probably be in a situation with Marriott where we'd be trading out most of the time into different places anyway, either into their other locales or via Interval. So, my spouse suggested that we add enough DVC points so that we could get a 2-bedroom high season through Interval every other year and go to WDW in the off years.

Questions:

1. How hard is it to get trades via Interval (especially 2br)? Any tricks? My spouse says it's probably not bad because everyone wants to be on-site at Disney. We'd have some flexibility as to location, and are not "gotta stay at peak season / Christmas/TG week" people, but would like to know where we are going with plenty of advance notice -- maybe 6 months or so.

2. Any Marriott owners know in reality how hard it is to get into other locations? Is it about the same as using Disney via Interval (I note that Marriott Vacation Club properties are also available via Interval)?

Another consideration is cost & resale -- the costs of selling DVC and adding Marriott and then incurring presumably worse depreciation instantly at Marriott might just offset a little more hassle of using Interval if it is a decent enough and reliable system.

3. If we add points at a different resort, do we now get to book there at 12 months even if we don't quite have enough points at that resort?

Thanks for your thoughts.

Others can answer this far better than I, but here are some basics...

1. Don't buy more DVC points so you can trade through II. You will definitely want to purchase something with direct II access.

2. Many owners of other timeshares can get into DVC without too much hassle...of course, just like for DVC owners, OKW and SSR are what seem to be easiest to get. Thus, you can still stay on property on the years your trade in. (Although my friend just traded into BCV...and I still haven't been able to book there, so go figure! )

3. If you add on at a different resort, then you get the 11-month booking window there (not 12), but you can only book for the amount of points you have available. Don't forget about banking and borrowing, though. Let's say you buy points at BCV...even if it is a small contract...with banking and borrowing you can still book a full week vacation every second or third year using the 11-month window.

FWIW, I have always been able to secure reservations close to my travel time and have a few choices of resorts. For example, we are going down next month...I booked at only 7 weeks out and had my choice of 5 resorts...everything but BCV was available.

Ok, now the real experts can take a shot at this...

 

[linzbear]

If it were me, I would do the following:
Buy enough points at the DVC resort you want for a 2 bedroom every *other* year (you can do this through banking or borrowing, so just divide the 2bed/year #of points in half).
Buy enough of a share in Marriott to stay there every other year.

Then, sell SSR points.

 

[dbertola]

I own Marriotts Oceanwatch 4th of July week and that one has not depreciated and my friend owns Marriott's Timberlodge @ Lake Tahoe and their value has also gone up. I haven't traded but she has and she just was confirmed for a 1 bdrm VWL for 1st week in March(She traded a 1 bedroom and she waited only 3 days). Last year she traded and got a 1 bdrm at BWV and a studio At SSR. She seems to never have a problem. You also have to look at your maint fee costs.

 

[ExRIGuy]

We are looking at the Manor Club property in Williamsburg. Low fees, close by, and they give you 110k Marriott Rewards points every year if you don't want to stay or trade into another property.

At any rate, thanks so far for the input.

 

[TammyAlphabet]

Before you do anything, go to www.tug2.net, get on the forums and start reading. This is the timeshare users group and they have a marriott forum. With kids you have to travel at peak times, unless you homeschool, and you have to take that into consideration.

But, even if you want Marriott, BUY RESALE. You may find a cheaper resort that will trade for the places that you want to go. The first week of January is a slow time for many destinations and you should be able to get a decent trader for a LOT less money than Marriott will charge.

I believe that DVC is for those that see the value in it and will use it at the DVC resorts. For trading, there are many, many other alternatives that are alot less expensive.

Look for posts by PerryM, he has been trading into Marriotts for a long time, using a Worldmark account. Worldmark will also trade into DVC for non peak times. Good Luck and educate yourself before making a move.

 

[littlestar]

Some Marriotts are harder to get into than others (just like DVC). Hawaii is usually always in demand (certain months are a little easier than others), Hilton Head summer is tough, Myrtle Beach summer is tough. Some Marriott owners own more than one week just to get a 13 month booking advantage (single week owners can book at 12 months out). I would only own in Hawaii if I planned on using the week (dues are very high). Hawaii would be too expensive to trade.

Trading is never guaranteed. It is through Interval International. If you want the ultimate ability to stay at a certain resort at a certain time, I would want to own it or rent it from an owner off of redweek.

Do your homework and go take a look at tugbbs.com and timeshareforums.com. Plan on spending at least a few months reading before you buy anything. If your aim is trading and you can travel off season, you might not even need a Marriott. There's a lot of systems out there.

The best plan to me is to own something you wouldn't mind using and occasionally trade. I would still want to own some DVC points, though, if you know you'll go there every other year.

 

[3pirates]

We own at Disney and a week at Marriott Barony Beach. We are considering selling the Barony Beach because:

a) We don't like being tied to a full week at one place.

b) Interval Charges every year to belong. If you want to try to trade, even within the Marriott system, you have to use Interval. We liked the expansiveness or the Marriott system, but you really get little benefit.

c) Check the pecking order of trades with Interval/Marriott. Home resort owners and multiple week owners get priority.

We have had some luck getting into places, and love the Marriott properties. For us, though, there just aren't that many places we want to be for a week, and they are all high demand! (We travel with our children, so we go at busy times.)

 

[SuzanneSLO]

To the OP: I just wanted to pass on something that I read on other boards.

The 2 BR units at many Marriotts are lockoffs and each half of the lockoff unit can be separately deposited into II. Many Marriott owner use half the lockoff and deposit the other half to trade thru II. As a result, there may be very little 2 BR inventory deposted into II for some Marriott properties.

Best of luck in your decision -- Suzanne

 

[JimC]

We own MVCI for non-Disney and DVC for Disney vacations.

Like the OP, we also go in January. But we have never had a problem or a wait list for a non-home resort using our OKW points. We generally trade into VWL.

I suspect that there are less expensive timeshares than MVCI if you only want to trade into DVC. MVCI is a well regarded operation and while it is generally less expensive than DVC (to buy and own); it is considered fairly expensive compared to many other timeshares.

The problem is that trading in is somewhat dependent on DVC owners trading out. I have no idea how the supply compares to the demand.

 

[Caskbill]

Be sure you understand all the fees associated with Marriott. Fees you don't see with Disney.

1. Yes you can trade your week for Marriott points, but there's a fee to do so, about $125 if I recall.

2. Marriott units are basically full weeks. You cannot do a day here and a day there. You can do a 4-day/3-day split, but there is a fee to do that.

3. You can exchange to other places, Marriott or otherwise, but you must be a member of II in order to do that as all Marriott trades are handled through II, even if you're going to another Marriott. The annual membership fee for II is about $80.

4. If you trade your week for a week somewhere else, there's a fee to do that. I think it's abouyt $79 to trade into another Marriott, and more for other trades.

5. You can split your 2-bedroom unit into a 1-B/R and a Studio. Basically use the 1-B/R for 1 week, and the Studio for another. Of course, there is a fee but I don't recall how much.

6. Depending on where you buy, I believe most of Marriott is 'floating' weeks and not fixed weeks. So you'll still have to call and make your reservations.

Just FYI

 

[littlestar]

We're actually selling our Marriott right now. I like the convenience of our DVC points and being able to pick up the phone and book what I want when I want to go. And if I want to change it, being able to change it is wonderful.

We are still keeping one EOY lock off mountain timeshare (managed by VRI) to keep our Interval membership (as we like booking the Marriott Vacation Club getaway weeks on cash through Interval if we want an extra week beyond DVC). But we've found that our DVC points fit us best. If a Contemporary DVC comes on board, we'll probably add on more DVC points there.

 

[mjy]

Be sure you understand all the fees associated with Marriott. Fees you don't see with Disney.

Holy macaroli . . . you enumerated a heck of a lot of additional costs! I've never heard of those before; but, then again, I've never looked in Marriott so how would I have?

Makes me appreciate my DVC even more!

 

[flyerron]

Be sure you understand all the fees associated with Marriott. Fees you don't see with Disney.

1. Yes you can trade your week for Marriott points, but there's a fee to do so, about $125 if I recall.

2. Marriott units are basically full weeks. You cannot do a day here and a day there. You can do a 4-day/3-day split, but there is a fee to do that.

3. You can exchange to other places, Marriott or otherwise, but you must be a member of II in order to do that as all Marriott trades are handled through II, even if you're going to another Marriott. The annual membership fee for II is about $80.

4. If you trade your week for a week somewhere else, there's a fee to do that. I think it's abouyt $79 to trade into another Marriott, and more for other trades.

5. You can split your 2-bedroom unit into a 1-B/R and a Studio. Basically use the 1-B/R for 1 week, and the Studio for another. Of course, there is a fee but I don't recall how much.

6. Depending on where you buy, I believe most of Marriott is 'floating' weeks and not fixed weeks. So you'll still have to call and make your reservations.

Just FYI

Caskbill is correct. We own 1 week at Marriott in Aruba as well as 3 weeks of other timeshare & 320 points at DVC. We have traded our Marriott unit for other places & the fees are accurate. We have stayed off site at WDW & without a doubt it is better to stay on site even if you rent a car to get around while staying on site (not done that yet but there are plenty of others on this board who reccomend it).

 

[Dean]

The systems are entirely different. For exchanges and for a full unit for a full seven days Marriott will be much cheaper. It'll also be better for exchanges as well some the benefits of belonging to interval directly. The benefit to DVC is the flexibility including different unit sizes times of the year and number of days.

Still, it's easy to get into a situation with Marriott where most every trade is a down trade. I think buying directly from Marriott is a poor choice for almost every situation. I cannot think of any circumstance were it's reasonable to buy from Marriott directly for the points option alone. One can buy platinum act manor Club for under ten thousand for a lock off and less than that for the non lock off.

Anyone just as happy to stay off property at one of the top resorts, will be many many thousands of $ ahead both in the short and long run. One can easily buy Marriott for under 7000 dollars and yearly fees under 700 dollars that will get you into a top Marriott in Orlando. Certainly more sought-after destination such as Hawaii, Aruba, ski destinations and summer beach options will be more difficult. And that moderate price Marriott will give you a much better chance of trading into those high demand destinations then Disney Vacation Club.

As for difficulty of exchanging, realized that those that have the best generally don't give it up for exchange. You're always going to be better off being in the middle of the pack when it comes to exchanges. Better to own something moderately priced and not be able to get a specific exchange than to pay A far higher price up front and yearly simply for mildly increased trading power.

Fees are not less for Disney just set up differently. You actually pay all those fees and more they are just built into the price. Above the purchase price and yearly dues, the other fees to be aware of with Marriott and most other time shares include a yearly exchange company membership, lock off fees, interval exchange fees, any fees to bank or borrow points and multiple reservations fees. Typically interval membership is about 84 dollars per year, lock off fees can be as high as 99 dollars per year and I believe The fee to trade a week for points is just over 100 dollars. There is a cancellation fee I think is still 39 dollars. You do not have to pay the next year's fees to exchange unlike most time shares. Assuming 800 dollars yearly fees, the two bedroom lock costs should cost you know more than around 1200 dollars per year but would yields between two and three exchanges.

 

[Bwalker]

We are not experts by any means, but we own 300 DVC points and Sheridan Starwood.

We compared Marriott vs Sheridan - because we like Marriott alot and we both travel on business and love staying at the Residence Inns, thus gathering up points to use on our vacations.

However, we went with Sheridan after a year of debate and we are enjoying it immensely. Granted, there aren't as many Sheridans as Marriotts but we liked the way it was set up.

We bought a 2 bedroom unit - but with Sheridan, you don't buy a specific week, so it's very flexible. It's kind of a points system and you can divide your week (but it gets hairy and there is a minimal cost) - or like disney, you could get 2 weeks if you chose a studio instead of using the 2 bedroom.

As I said, I am no expert, but have you considered looking into the sheridan plan?

Aloha,
Bwalker

 

[flyerron]

I would agreee with Dean as well. still the best advice is to buy where you want to stay! We've been there & done that for over 20 years & that advice is true no matter what anyone else will tell you. Even the most sought after & most tradeable home resorts can be a pain when trying to trade. Trust me!

 

[tomandrobin]

Overall, great advice and very educational!

 

[dbertola]

I too agree with Dean. I own the Marriott Oceanwatch Myrtle Beach for the 4th of july week and I am considering selling it and buy Marriott Manor Club Lock off resale. Then I can still buy some DVC points if I want. The oceanwatch is more expensive and it is difficult to want to trade because for what you paid it's hard to want to give that up. Also they are all dedicated 2 bedrooms so you can't lock it off. Anyways, I have learned a lot through these boards and Tug.

 

[CarolA]

I am not a Marriott owner....

I was coming on here to post about my experience this weekend at Marriott's Harbour Club at Hilton Head..... Let's put it this way, this place has me very glad I passed on Marriott when I toured several years ago. Hopefully this is NOT characteristic of the majority of their products, but as I plan to point out in my letter to Marriott, this is not exactly selling the product. LOL!

For those of you that complain about Disney check in.... you should have seen this front desk. They HONESTLY did not have a clue which units were due for check out, much less where to put NEW guests....I was amazed!!! It's hard to describe the scene and I am not sure how I plan to explain it to Marriott.

The "concerige" was checking me in. This woman is CLUELESS!!!! My room was not ready (no real suprise at 1 PM) so I asked for my parking pass so I could park for the beach. Her response, just use your $5 "day pass" (which you have to buy to get to the resort to check in) I KNOW that Sea Pines won't let those passes park at their beach club. When I pointed this out to the "concerige" she said "Are you sure?" (They finally gave me someone else's parking pass, not sure what that guest gets to use) I asked about bike rentals "I think we are out" Anyplace close to rent " I don't know" (How about NEXT DOOR???) LOL

I had to wait on the room to be "inspected" before I could have it at 4. I think the inspection is just to make sure the villa still exists. The inspection apparently does not look for cleaning or mechanical issues.......(The trash and linen from the last guest have been outside my villa door for two days!!!) The bathrooms here are kind of gross and the overall place needs some major rehab work. (None of my DVC rooms have ever looked this sad or dated)

Marriott does not point out to you that this "resort" has NO front desk staff after 5 pm. (Check in is at 4. If you miss that hour you get to drive across the resort to another Marriott where I guess they can check you in???)

I took the Marriott tour once and have always considered it a good product, this "resort" has certainly raised some concerns for me.....