confused about Marriott rules for internal exchanges and Resale vs. Developer

[rubin Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close rubin]

Marriott has done very well for us rental wise and exchange value wise too. When they rented our timeshare, we got the full value for our week minus their cut. After that, we did it on our own and got the same amount which was a good deal to the renters and for us too. They rented from us several years on a row because of that.

When we traded in our Marriott timeshare for one of their newer ones (the new Lahaina tower in Maui), we made a very nice profit but Uncle Sam is taking a big chunk away of that but that is not Marriott's fault. We have to pay these taxes if we like it or not but if you pay taxes, that means you made a profit. That's better than selling your timeshare at a big loss. How many other timeshares make you a profit? Not too many. Thank you Marriott!!!

Out of curiosity, will Marriott accept a week purchased resale as an "upgrade" for a developer unit at another (or even the same) resort and, if so, what sort of credit would they give for it towards the new purchase?

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Out of curiosity, will Marriott accept a week purchased resale as an "upgrade" for a developer unit at another (or even the same) resort and, if so, what sort of credit would they give for it toward the new purchase?

Marriott is much more selective about what they will take back now.
When I purchased Aruba Surf Club in Sept 2002, I had the option (not that Marriott suggested it - in fact they DISCOURAGED it ) of trading in my Fairway Villas week - I would have gotten credit for 75% of the current price - 13,000ish - which at that time would have been around $9,300 - plus had to spend another $15,000 for the new week ($20,000 for Plat Plus). Didn't do it because the deal was better another way....but 6 months later wanted to do it to purchase a Gold 3BR in Aruba.
The numbers would have worked (price was $24,900) but Jan 1, 2003 Marriott implemented the 'if we don't won't it, we won't take it' rule so my property was no longer accepted in the upgrade program.
This was NOT what Marriott told us when we purchased in 2001 but that conveniently changed.
I know Dave will say, if it isn't in writing ....... so I guess it wasn't.

As far as the first part of your question - I am not sure, again, it has to do with the demand factor and whether MAR needs the week.

Look for a TS4Ms member who goes by "jme" and ask him questions...he knows more about the Marriott system than anyone I know.

???

[JudyS Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JudyS]

......
I understand that there is always going to be a limit on the number of units available and impacted weeks will be hard to come by. What I am hoping is possible would be that Marriott has 'x' number of rooms at each resort for each week of the year. Any Marriott owner can make a request for a room at the resort and they will prioritize the requests based on owners at that resort, owners of another Marriott resort then other II exchangers. I don't know if this is the way that Marriott works through II....

I'm not 100% sure what you mean here, and I'm not sure that other posters are either.

To be clear, if you want to reserve at a resort directly through Marriott, you must own at that Marriott resort. So, you wouldn't be able to reserve at say, the Marriott Maui, unless you owned there. If you don't own at the Marriott Maui, you could put in a request with II for an exchange into that resort. But, in order for the request to be filled, an owner at the Marriott Maui would have to deposit their week, and II would have to give your request higher priority than all the other pending requests from other Marriott owners. So, unless you had another Marriott week that II valued very highly, your odds of getting this trade would be low, except maybe as a last minute cancelation.

I think that you are maybe asking, "Does Marriott make inventory available at its resorts for owners at other Marriott resorts?" The answer here is no -- Marriott is not going to hold onto inventory at its resorts and make that inventory available to owners at other resorts. Marriott is going to try to sell all of its inventory at its resorts (well, they might keep a little bit to rent out for cash -- I know Disney does this.) So, the only way that inventory at other Marriott resorts would be available to you would be if individuals owners decided to deposit their weeks in II. For very desirable weeks (say, Maui at Christmas) this rarely happens.

The only exception to the rule that Marriott weeks in II come from individual owners is that if a resort is new, many of the units may not have been sold yet. In that case, Marriott may deposit those weeks into II rather than letting them go to waste. I got a Memorial Day week at Marriott's Newport Coast Villas that way, and I didn't even use a Marriott week to trade in.

So, your original supposition, that a week at another resort will be available to you only if an owner decides to deposit that week with II, is correct. Despite this, many people here are very happy with their Marriott ownerships.

Disclaimer: I don't own Marriott. If I am wrong on any of the above info, hopefully a Marriott owner will correct me.

[m61376 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close m61376]

The above post is correct. Just to add a little more info. (in case your head isn't spinning yet ) is that when a Marriott week is deposited into II, only another Marriott owner can "see" the week for exchange for 24 days (it shortens closer in). While only another Marriott owner can exchange into it during this period, they still have to be offerring a powerful enough trader. So- a bronze studio isn't able to get a Platinum Hawaii 2 BR. Now, if no one with enough trading power can nab that week during the 24 day Marriott only lock, the week becomes availbale to other traders. So, in the above example, a great trading Harborside or DVC week, for ex., might get that 2 BR Maui week.

Within the last 59 days (Flexchange) the rules change, and the Marirott to Marriott hold decreases to as low as 3 days. During that timeframe, even weak traders (such as the Bronze Summit weeks that several people bought for this purpose) can nab a great trade.

[jvincent16 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jvincent16]

i know my head is spinning! can someone explain the floating week. how do you trade a floating week? maybe i dont understand what a floating week is. thanks. (also looking into purchasing marriott).

[m61376 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close m61376]

i know my head is spinning! can someone explain the floating week. how do you trade a floating week? maybe i dont understand what a floating week is. thanks. (also looking into purchasing marriott).

Marriott sells most of their units as floating weeks. What that means is that you do not purchase a specific week nor a specific unit. You purchase the right to reserve a week during a timeframe (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze or other designated "season") every year. In many resorts, you also purhcase a view. What that means is that you are entitled to make a 1 week reservation in your purchased view-type during a specified timeframe.

This has plusses and minuses, depending upon your vantage point. It allows for flexibility and doesn't constrain you into vacationing the same week every year. That way, if you have personal or professional obligations one year, you don't lose out on using your specified week. On the other hand, you do have to reserve your week 12 months out and hope to get it; some years you may not be able to get "the" week you want, esp. if you are counting on a holiday week.

Many Marriott resorts sell the holiday weeks separately for this reason. But, if you aren't bent on travelling during those holiday weeks every year, then floating weeks are, IMHO, a big plus because of lifestyle flexibility. Family structure changes, kids get older and travel needs change...floating weeks allow for flexible lifestyles.

The Marriott system, btw, allows you to trade whatever week you reserve in II. So, if you reserve a high demand week you get the benefit of a better trading week, unlike some systems that deposit whatever week they want to when you are trading your week, and not the week you reserved. IMHO, Marriott's system is a big plus for trading value; on the other hand, it does make competition for those premium weeks keen, because people are trying to reserve them not only for use but for trading value. Some people maintain that's unfair.

[JudyS Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JudyS]

I stayed at the Marriott Newport Coast Villas about a week ago. (Great resort!) I did the tour, although I didn't buy. The salespeople (there were two of them) insisted that anyone who bought resale would be forever labeled an "external owner" (I think that was the term) and would lose out on some important perks. Now, I know that owners who buy resale don't have the ability to trade their week for Marriott Reward Points. But, I thought that was really the only difference.

These salespeople insisted:
1) If I bought resale, I would not be given the same priority for desirable views as would Marriott owners who bought from the developer. Instead, I would get the least desirable units, the same as II exchangers who didn't own Marriott at all.
2) If I bought two weeks resale, I would not get the early (13 month?) reservation window that is available to owners of multiple Marriott weeks. Instead, I would only be able to reserve at the same time as people who owned one week. (It wasn't clear to me whether I would have to buy both weeks from Marriott, or could buy one from Marriott and one resale, to get the early reservation window.)

I hadn't heard either of these things before. I thought Marriott Reward Points were really all you lost when buying resale. But I also thought Marriott salespeople were supposed to tell the truth about their product. So, what's up?

[camachinist Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close camachinist]

We're owners of multiple weeks at NCV and appreciate the way Marriott is protecting we developer owners. Have sales put that stuff in writing and fax it to me. I'd be appreciative



Pat

[intromaster Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close intromaster]

While only another Marriott owner can exchange into it during this period, they still have to be offerring a powerful enough trader. So- a bronze studio isn't able to get a Platinum Hawaii 2 BR. Now, if no one with enough trading power can nab that week during the 24 day Marriott only lock, the week becomes availbale to other traders. So, in the above example, a great trading Harborside or DVC week, for ex., might get that 2 BR Maui week.

Within the last 59 days (Flexchange) the rules change, and the Marirott to Marriott hold decreases to as low as 3 days. During that timeframe, even weak traders (such as the Bronze Summit weeks that several people bought for this purpose) can nab a great trade.

So, at what point does that bronze studio see that Platinum Hawaii 2 BR?
Only at flexchange?
After non-marriott owners with a powerful trader that dont want the Platinum Hawaii 2 BR?

[Bill4728 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Bill4728]

So, at what point does that bronze studio see that Platinum Hawaii 2 BR?
Only at flexchange?

Yes, the only time a trade will happen between a very weak unit and a great unit will be during flextime. This is true, even if there are no requests for the week.

[intromaster Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close intromaster]

Wow! Bill, thanks for clearing that up for me!

[mlc Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mlc]

I agree with Bill on that one. YOU always have to remember supply and demand. In years past you could use a weak trader and get a platinum week but those days with II are gone just like trying to get a studio for a 2 bedroom in prime season. I can still get a 2 bedroom with a studio only during flextime.