Marriott on the Move

Posted By: Leen van 't Hoog (06/25/2010 at 02:14 PM)
Comment:

Dear Bill,
flexibility could also apply to being able to upgrade or sell some weeks.It also means that when Intervall charges 250 bucks exchance fee you (as an owner) feel that the fair deal you had is no longer possible.Also when you were promised lifetime platinum it should not take 6 months to get it and be downgraded after one year.
Please do what you promise and promise what you do, no more no less
Leen van 't Hoog
*************

Posted By: Virginia Levy (06/25/2010 at 02:27 PM)
Comment:

The flexibility of any day-of-week check-in and anytime-of-year use is a much welcomed feature of Marriott Vacation Club Timeshare Ownership! I bet I still won't be able to use my Las Vegas Grand Chateau unit over New Year's unless I "upgrade" though! Oh, well!
Thanks for listening to your Owners and other prospective buyers!
Virginia Levy
Los Angeles

Posted By: Leslie G Bramhill (06/25/2010 at 03:12 PM)
Comment:

Bill, MVCI has lost the support of the majority of its guests. I first purchased 2 weeks red time at MRP in Orlando in 1987. I went on to purchase a total of 10 weeks. (As 'Point Farms')My brother bought a week in Phuket. My eldest son purchased a week in Hilton Head. My second son purchased 2 weeks in Marbella.So Marriott has made an awful lot of money from me and my family.In 1987 Marriott gave me 110,000 Reward points for one week of ownership. Today I still get exactly the same number of Reward points. Clearly 1987 offered excellent points value, today the exchange is not worth considering.I have therefore stopped exchanging for reward points. Thankfully I still had my timeshare weeks to provide a vacation - although it was not quite the vacation plan that Marriott promised for me. So all that made me feel rather bad about Marriott. Now you have introduced the new exchange club, and this leaves my weeks at MRP some of the lowest stock value within Marriott for new exchanges, although historically with Interval I had some good exchanges.I now have to trade possibly one and a half weeks or more for a week at other Marriott resorts. Bill my whole family is so upset with the way Marriott has treated us that we no longer truly enjoy our vacations. We would all like to sell, but we cannot do that economicaly. Enjoy your family vacations, you are a lucky man, you didn't purchase a Marriott timeshare!
Just consider this:-
“VACATIONS CLUB DESTINATIONS EXCHANGE PROGRAM.”

ROYAL PALMS RED TIME EARNS2125
ROYAL PALMS EXCHANGES FOR 2450
A MARK UP OF 15%

UNDER THE OLD SYSTEM MRP RED WAS A PRIME RESORT AND EXCELLENT FOR EXCHANGING THROUGH INTERVAL FOR VACATIONS AT MOST OTHER RESORTS

NOW IT APPEARS IT WON’T EXCHANGE ANYWHERE, UNLESS I USE TWO WEEKS TO EXCHANGE FOR ONE. AN ASTERISK IS FOR THOSE THAT I HAVE STAYED AT OVER 23 YEARS. BUT PERHAPS NEVER AGAIN!!

THE VALUES BELOW ARE TAKEN FROM PRIME WEEKS WITH A ‘SECOND CLASS VIEW I.E. OCEAN VIEW AND NOT OCEAN FRONT.

BOSTON CUSTOM HOUSE 3175
MANOR CLUB W’BURG 2950*
OCEAN WATCH HH 4675
BARONY 5400
SUEF WATCH 6500
GRAND OCEAN 5400*
MONARCH 3775
HERTAGE 2500
CRYSTAL SHORES 4250
BEACH PLACE 2400*
OCEANA PALMS 5900
OCEAN POINT 5900*
LAKESHORE 3725
GRANDE VISTA 3900*
CYPRESS 2675*
LEGENDS 2675*
CANYON VILLAS 2225*
GRANDE CHATEAU 3350*
SPRING VILLAS 1 4225
SPRING VILLAS 2 3775*
SHADOW RIDGE 3175
SR THE ENCLAVE 3500
NEWPORT 4225*
MAUI OCEAN CLUB 6700
KO OLINA 5725*
KAUAI BEACH CLUB 5900*
KAUAI LAGOONS 6700
WAIOHAI 5875*
ARUBA SURF 4650*
ST KITTS 2975
FRENCHMAN’S REEF 5675*

THIS LEAVES THOSE THAT I CAN AFFORD TO EXCHANGE TO AS:-
FAIRWAY VILLAS,
HARBOR POINT,SUNSET POINT,
HERITAGE CLUB

Not quite 57 resorts and 2,500 hotels.
Sunny wishes,
Leslie Bramhill

Posted By: Bill (06/25/2010 at 03:21 PM)
Comment:

Well after waiting for MVCI to roll out a point system now that’s it’s out it’s a complete disappointment. We’re multiple week owners Hawaii and after going over new allotment to join into the program you shorted us by 20% for a like kind exchange into our home resort and then a 39% loss of value as if we locked off into a studio and then one bedroom. Hopefully that was just error in judgment, as owners who purchased from MVCI we feel terrible how we’re being treated. We thought we should of at least got as good as we gave, not the reverse.

Posted By: William Sturgis (06/25/2010 at 04:07 PM)
Comment:

Bill , I wanted you to know that we are going to a conference in Baltimore and there was a mess up on the number of rooms that I needed and when, But your staff especially Cathrine in sales made everything right.
In hoc
Bill Sturgis

Posted By: Rosalie Boerstler (06/25/2010 at 08:47 PM)
Comment:

Thepoints-based system has its merits, but I still like knowing which condo I'm going in and which week. On flexible weeks and condos, it seems like you always have to "fight" to get what you think you bought in the first place. I like the guaranteed time and place-call me old-fashioned.

Posted By: Leslie G Bramhill (06/26/2010 at 02:21 AM)
Comment:

Bill,Did you know that you have thousands of unhappy,disappointed and angry timeshare owners? Yet your moderator will not publish them on this page!

Posted By: Charles House (06/26/2010 at 07:06 AM)
Comment:

Very good article.

Posted By: Tom Guerin (06/26/2010 at 07:28 AM)
Comment:

Sounds good, kind of like our RCI Membership, which has really been great. Only thing is, we live in New York, which is the only state excluded from the offer.

Posted By: Leslie G Bramhill (06/26/2010 at 01:12 PM)
Comment:

Bill, I'm afraid you have been listening to your manager's opinions, and not those of your timeshare owners.
Your company did mot get to the high points that it reached in 2008 by listening to managers - it was well respected for listening to what the guests had to tell you.

Posted By: A.E.'BUDDY' WOOD, JR. (06/26/2010 at 08:33 PM)
Comment:

MR. MARRIOTT-THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL YOU AND YOUR COMPANY HAVE DONE FOR MY FAMILY AND I OVER THE 20 PLUS YEARS I LIVED ON THE ROAD. IN MID 1987 WE BOUGHT OUR FIRST MARRIOTT TIME SHARE AND SINCE HAVE PURCHASED ONE IN MAUI AND KUHAI. WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MORE THAN HAPPY WITH OUR VISITS TO OUR HOME RESORTS AND ANY OTHER PROPERTY WITH THE MARRIOTT NAME ON IT. WE HAVE BEEN TO THAILAND, SPAIN, GREECE, ITALY, AND ONLY THE GOOD LORD, KNOWS WHERE ELSE, AND WHJEATHER WE ARE IN A MVCI OR MARRIOTT HOTEL, EVERY THING HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY GOOD.IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THE POINTS PROGRAM IS SET OUT TO WORK WITH THE PRESENT OWNERS.AS OF THE WRITING OF THIS, I, NOR ANY OF MY FRIENDS WHO I HAVE GOT TO BUY, HAVE RECEIVED ANY INFO ON IT. WILL THE INFO BE COMING OUT SOON, OR IS THIS JUST FOR PEOPLE WHO BUY FROM IN THE FUTURE?

THANK YOU

Posted By: Polly Leung (06/27/2010 at 12:20 AM)
Comment:

Dear Bill:
At first, I was very pleased of learning about this new point system like Hilton Grand Vacation Club. After studying more details and reading comments in TUG, I am getting more upset and furious.
1. Communication to the existing customers. I cannot believe that Marriot did not provide adequate communication and information to us, not even asking for our feedback.
2. Point allotment is way low. I own Kings' Land at Hilton Grand Vacation Club for 12,500 points per year(similar $ I paid for Ko Olina) versus Ko Olina for 4500 points. My Canyon Villa is worth of 1500, that is less favorable for me to sign up for the point system.
3. When I hear from Marriott resale owner informed us about their low cost per point,I personally feel like being riped off. By paying extra 1400 ($1995 MINUS $595), they can obtain the same points as the current direct purchaser. It really disappoints me and my loyalty.
Thanks for your point system. The idea is great, but very poor in communication and fairness to the direct purchaser Marriot fans.

Posted By: Kevin (06/27/2010 at 06:23 AM)
Comment:

Mr. Marriott,
I think this is a great idea. Are there any plans to allow current Marriott Timeshare owners to convert to the new system?
Since I am in the military, my schedule is difficult to predict the months in advance required to make reservations for our timeshare. The flexibility of the current Marriott system has worked well for us most of the time since we bought our timeshare at Marriott Harbour Lakes in Orlando (back in 2004 when it was Horizons). I have enjoyed having the ability to bank a week or convert it to Marriott Reward points. Unfortunately, we've banked more weeks than we can actually use. We stand to lose a week in January 2011 that was previously banked, but we haven't been able to use, and I won't be able to take any vacation before January.
This new system would be nice if the points don't expire and we can just use them when we want to use them.
Warm regards,
Kevin

Posted By: James E Harkins (06/27/2010 at 11:21 AM)
Comment:

I was unable to respond to your survey request due to an error with a supposed password for doing so. I just wanted you to know that a problem I had had with the medicine I had left at your Courtyard in Ft. Lauderdale (on A1A) was resolved very efficiently by Alfredo, head of housekeeping. This response is very late due to my hectic schedule. The matter was resolved on April 22 of this year. I'm sure I'll be repeating my stay at this Courtyards. Very nice experience and staff.

Posted By: Dr. Terry M. Gordon (06/27/2010 at 05:47 PM)
Comment:

Would Mr. Bill offer any comments on why there is no Marriott presence in Bermuda? I understand that sometimes key families on these islands have significant control over hotels and land (and therefore influence with their governments) to keep competitors out. Also, any chance of a Vacation Club in Curacao? Thank you.

Posted By: Lenna (06/27/2010 at 05:53 PM)
Comment:

Hello Bill,
I've been an owner since 2005 and am rather skeptical of your new point system. To me, and I later found out others feel the same way (i.e. TUG website etc..) , this point system is nothing more than a Marriott wolf in sheep's clothing.

After seeing what Marriott is offering as far as points given for my unit vs points required for me to reserve my same unit in the same season I own, I have to say that I am very disappointed in Marriott.

Reading between the lines, I see that Marriott stands to "encourage" owners (by drastic point differences required for weekends vs weekday) to use their points during the weekdays(3:1 difference). This will allow the high value days (weekends) to stay in Marriott's inventory and remain in Marriott's control so that it may use them in their normal reservation system for a premium price.

This new "point" system really only benefits one type of consumer: the consumer who might otherwise not vacation a full week at a time and not use their entire week. The only other entity this benefits is Marriott, since they essentially can start taking control of more high value inventory and also taking control of weeks that would otherwise be out of Marriott's control by allowing owners to point bank, dissuading owners to deposit into II.

There is no way that I would elect to joint this point system or buy another week "POINTS?!" from Marriott now. What is to keep Marriott from increasing the points needed over time so that one week's worth of points purchased only amounts to a few days after a few years?! With deeded weeks, that's difficult to do, but if all I owned was some club points "Marriott dollars", inflation of those dollars by Marriott is sure to happen.

Posted By: George J Bornheimer (06/27/2010 at 08:46 PM)
Comment:

Bill,

It is great to see that Marriott continues to evolve the program based upon feedback from owners. Providing another option for owners to better utilize their vacation ownership is a great idea. Our family happened to be on our annual vacation to our home property in Maui this past week when the program was announced and I sat down to hear the details. I have to say that I am extremely disappointed that Marriott would be charging existing owners who have spent a great deal on their ownership over the years $595.00 to have acess to the points option. Charging a fee to opt-in makes no sense as an owner and I feel is just Marriott's way to get more money out of their existing customer base. The points option should not require a charge to have the option and the fees should only be required for the annual use of the points option(I.e. $165.00) In these tough economic times Marriott should be looking for ways to better support their customers and not charge them more feess.

I have been a loyal Marriot customer staying at your properties on business/pleasure with over 600K marriot points, purchased a vacation club and carry the Marriott credit card. The new program approuch for existing customers makes me question the value puts on my loyalty as a customer.

I appreciate your review and considering my feedback.

Thanks,

George J. Bornheimer

Posted By: Candice Paff (06/28/2010 at 12:57 AM)
Comment:

Mr. Marriott,
Although you say that the villa to hotel point ratio is a fair one, it is not. I have found that when I first purchaed my villa the ponts went much further than they do now. You have changed your program and it is no longer a fair and equal exchange. You have cited inflation as a reason to charge more points to use your hotel, but have not issued any additional point to the people how have purchase your time share. I used to rave about Marriott and the villa program, but unless it changes I will tell everyone, "buyer beware!".

Posted By: Michael Zak (06/28/2010 at 10:05 AM)
Comment:

Mr. Marriott,

Thanks for giving us the opportunity to provide feedback. As an owner of three weeks with MVCI, I must tell you that I am NOT happy with the changes. The biggest issue is the way that you are assigning points.

Why are you giving a certain point value to an owner, but requiring people reserving that same time slot to pay a higher (in many case, MUCH higher) point total. In the example of my Waiohai timeshare, I am almost 900 points short of trading "like-for-like" to Ko Olina, a very similar property in terms of cost.

The answer I received from the rep at Marriott? "Buy more points!" This is not representative of the trust that I have seen from Marriott in the past.

I will be happy to provide you with many examples that reflect this and the impact that it has on owners. This is a BIG issue for us.

The other major change is that once we enroll, we are required to give up our voting rights. Whenever someone wants to take away an owner's right to vote on issues, I get suspiciuous.

I have looked at these (an other) issues very closely, and have yet to receive a satisfactory response from Marriott. In fact, many of the people I have talked with there have no idea why there is a difference in points.

I bought with Marriott because of my trust in the name. Today, that trust is broken.

Thank you,

Michael Zak

Posted By: Michelle L. Beatty (06/28/2010 at 10:18 AM)
Comment:

Mr. Marriott, we have exclusively stayed at Marriott properties for the last 10 - 15 years. We consider you and your organization to be top-notch and honest. However, I see nothing top-notch or honest about your new timeshare points system.
First, timeshare owners who have already paid significant amounts of money to purchase one of your properties must now pay more money to "enroll" in your new, flexible program. That might be exciting for you as a new way to make a profit but it certainly is NOT exciting for us!
Secondly, different people have to pay different amounts depending on where they purchased their timeshares. If a person owns a deed to a property, he/she owns it outright, how can you unfairly discriminate in this way? I'm looking for a class-action law suit on this one.
Another "exciting" idea with this system is that one does not have to pay any more for II membership. Well, some of us have 5 year memberships to II so that exciting offer is worthless to us.
If you read any forum on timeshares on the internet, you will see that current Marriott timeshare owners are very upset with this change and I do not think it will benefit Marriott in the long run.
Finally, it would have been courteous to give timeshare owners a heads-up on this change before initiating it.
This is NOT the way I thought Marriott operated and I am very disappointed in this scam.

Posted By: Marilyn Morris (06/28/2010 at 12:25 PM)
Comment:

Mr. Marriott-
Like many MVCI owners, I was a very loyal customer and looked forward to the advent of your much anticipated point program, with the flexibility and other beneficial features that were being touted, and with the expectation that Marriott would treat its customers who had been supporting its product for so many years in the same way its reputation was built on.

However, like many other owners, I am sorely disappointed. I own 2BR Platinum and 3BR Gold units at the Aruba Surf Club. Until least week, MVCI felt that an Oceanside view was almost $5000 more valuable than an Oceanview room; this week the point system says they are worth the same. Moreover, while I understand that demand varies depending on the week reserved, I was not allocated enough points to book ANY week in my owned Platinum season.

I do not understand how you can reasonably rationalize the allocation for point for the Surf Club units. On one hand, Marriott finds the supply and demand during even Aruba's Gold season justify much higher rental rates (from Marriott directly) than even the peak seasons in Hilton Head and Palm Beach, and on the other hand MVCI says they are not worth even as much. Rental rates justify Gold weeks being valued similarly at the very least to these properties, yet even Platinum Aruba weeks fall far short. A night during Aruba’s Platinum season has a fair market value (as evidenced by Marriott’s own rental rates) of double that of a Platinum Ocean Pointe villa and almost double that of a Surfwatch and other Hilton Head property villas during their peak season, yet is allocated hundreds of points less. It is astounding to me that I would be trading in a week that Marriott rents for in the $5500-6000 range, and can’t exchange into a week that Marriott itself rents for $3000.

Yet I am being told repeatedly by your representatives how wonderful and fair this new program is, and what wonderful opportunities joining opens up. And, of course, I am welcome to add to my portfolio by purchasing the points that Marriott shorted me in their allocations.

So, while I really respect what you have done heretofore for the company, understand that there are many, many disappointed owners, who feel that for some reason Marriott no longer values their business.

Sincerely,
Marilyn Morris

Posted By: Paul Fairweather (06/28/2010 at 12:31 PM)
Comment:

Bill, I second the comments from Dr. Terry Gordon regarding our lack of Marriott presence in Bermuda, one of my favorite locations in the world. We had a hotel a Castle Harbor a number of years ago??? Bermuda would be a real valuable jewel in the Marriott crown!!!

Posted By: Mary Ware (06/28/2010 at 01:54 PM)
Comment:

I'd like to second the opinion expressed by George Bornheimer. There is no incentive at all for those of us with deeds to pay the amount we'd have to pay to "opt in" for the point system...however once in awhile, we might want to use the point option -- why not a "one time charge" when that is done. That would be a lot more user-friendly. It also might help those of us with many weeks (I have 9) not worry so much about this new plan "deflating" our value and also reducing our trade-ability.

Posted By: Julie (06/28/2010 at 02:33 PM)
Comment:

Dear Mr. Marriott,
Thanks for listening to our complaints. We bought our timeshare a platinum 2 bedroom villa and with your new system, we will not even be alotted the amount of points it takes to stay at our resort during platinum season. This is absolutely unfair. We should be getting the exact amount it would take to stay at our home resort during platinum season for 7 days straight. Oh yeah, and the opt in fee would be fair maybe if we were alotted an additional 900 points each year not just one time. We have already spent ample money buying into your product to begin with, not to mention the yearly maintenance fees, interval fees, etc. At this point, I have no good reason to opt in to your point system. Your old loyal patrons are getting ripped off. If I knew 5 years ago what you would be doing, I would have never invested.
Disapointed Marriott Club Members,
Julie & Gene Spellman

Posted By: Munnyman (06/28/2010 at 02:33 PM)
Comment:

I am so upset with what your timeshare division has done that I'd put up all six of my Marriott timeshares for sale on Ebay if they would sell for just a third of what I paid direct to you for them.

I can't even trade into my home resorts wit hour it costing me more Trading my Canyon Villas unit use to be an equal trade through Interval Intl to get anywhere else including HI but now I'd have to give up over two years use to get HI.

You want me to join and this is how you treat owners? And if I did join I have to sign over my owner voting rights to Marriott so owners cannot kick Marriott out as managers. I would be a fool to join your new plan unless you go back to the drawing board.