It's an old chestnut..but

[Ireland's Call Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ireland's Call]

MFs are killing Marriott TS over here.
Not an Advert, but would gladly sell all 3 weeks for what I bought them for ( and I bought them as "resales") Can buy "on net " any week in most resorts for 50 % of fees.
On top of that there are some private apartments available in very "classy " locations for again 50 % less.
All a bit sad as I am very committed Marriott person...but family are beginning to ask....why....
G

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

MFs are killing Marriott TS over here....

By "over here," do you mean in Europe? Are European Marriott MFs even higher than US Marriott MFs?

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

I am sure it is posted somewhere, but what are your fees on your ownership?
Aruba Surf Club Plat was at $990 this year for the 2BR, Grande Vista Plat 2BR was around???? $800ish, sorry can't remember!

[Ireland's Call Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ireland's Call]

I am sure it is posted somewhere, but what are your fees on your ownership?
Aruba Surf Club Plat was at $990 this year for the 2BR, Grande Vista Plat 2BR was around???? $800ish, sorry can't remember!

Just under $900 per week. But in June (which I had to work really hard to get) I could get a week (indeed several a weeks for $450 at same location) Not Marriotts fault I know.

Sometimes it will work fine . For example where would I get 7 nights at Custom House standards in Boston in early Sept , but then I have to pay II fee on top. MVCI have only 4 locations in Europe one near Disney (not near Paris )

G

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

That's probably the biggest reason I've stayed away from buying Marriott- but it does keep the riff-raff out. The Royals are not far behind in the $ 700's now. I long for a great resort with fees under $ 400 and I have the checkbook ready.

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

Just under $900 per week. But in June (which I had to work really hard to get) I could get a week (indeed several a weeks for $450 at same location) Not Marriott's fault I know.

Sometimes it will work fine . For example where would I get 7 nights at Custom House standards in Boston in early Sept , but then I have to pay II fee on top. MVCI have only 4 locations in Europe one near Disney (not near Paris )

G

Have you read my "Lemonades out of Lemons" thread on this board?

Here is what your hotel stay would have costs you (6 nights - add one more day) for early September from Marriott.com

Marriott's Custom House Boston, MA

My Stay Check-in: September 7, 2007 (Friday)
Check-out: September 13, 2007 (Thursday) 6 nights
Number of rooms: 1
Number of guests: 3

This hotel is nonsmoking

Summary of Room Charges Cost per night per room (USD)
September 7, 2007 (Friday) - September 10, 2007 (Monday)
(3 nights)
389.00 Regular Rate * luxury one bedroom one bath villa living room sofabed
kitchenette dining area two TVs high speed Internet
September 10, 2007 (Monday) - September 13, 2007 (Thursday)
(3 nights)
415.00 Regular Rate * luxury one bedroom one bath villa living room sofabed
kitchenette dining area two TVs high speed Internet
Estimated government taxes and fees
50.05

Total for stay (per room)
2712.29 plus another $415+50.05 for Thursday = $3167.34

On-site parking, fee: 7 USD hourly
Valet parking, fee: 35 USD daily
Changes in taxes or fees implemented after booking will affect
the total room price.

I keep a running list of what I paid for the unit plus yearly fees (MF and EX fee) and the other column has where I stayed and what I would have paid to rent there using 'usual methods' - like 95% of the population who books hotels by calling or using the web.

Here is my stay for Aruba next March.

Marriott's Aruba Surf Club Palm Beach, Aruba
My Stay Check-in: March X, 2008 (Saturday)
Check-out: March X, 2008 (Saturday)
Number of rooms: 1
Number of guests: 3
Room Preferences & Description Edit preferences >>
Room Type Room details >>

No room preferences were selected.
Summary of Charges No booking fees when you reserve on Marriott.com!
Summary of Room Charges Cost per night per room (USD)
March X, 2008 (Saturday) - March X, 2008 (Saturday)
(7 nights)
600.00
Onebedroom Oceanview - 1bed/1bath,full kitchen,livingroom,1king
1sleepsofa,washer/dryer in room,balcony * Max 4 ppl**
Estimated government taxes and fees
48.00

Total for stay (per room)
4536.00

and week 2 in a studio

Marriott's Aruba Surf Club Palm Beach, Aruba
My Stay Check-in: March X, 2008 (Saturday)
Check-out: March X, 2008 (Sunday)
Number of rooms: 1
Number of guests: 3
Room Preferences & Description Edit preferences >>
Room Type Room details >>

No room preferences were selected.
Summary of Charges No booking fees when you reserve on Marriott.com!
Summary of Room Charges Cost per night per room (USD)
March X, 2008 (Saturday) - March X, 2008 (Sunday)
(7 nights)
475.00
Oceanview guest room,1queenbed,1sofabed,microwave,small fridge,
coffeemaker,toaster - balcony * Max occ 4**
Estimated government taxes and fees
38.00

Total for stay (per room)
3591.00

Do you feel any better about your ownership now?
It is what you make of it....and we are I feel unusually savvy consumers when it comes to travel and TSs - we know about redweek rentals and other sites to get a great - but usually short notice - travel.
the majority does not and pays a lot of money to stay in places we exchange into.

After 2 years of ownership at Surf Club - I made up my purchase price of a little more then 16K - so now I look at my stay there as purely the cost of the MF - $990 - and I am getting an almost 7K stay for that cost...the rest is gravy

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

Gee thanks Pat.....I'm feeling much better about my Aruba stay/timeshare. And, if I get lucky, and grab a 2 bdrm, to switch with my 1 bdrm, I'll feel even better.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

MFs are killing Marriott TS over here.
Not an Advert, but would gladly sell all 3 weeks for what I bought them for ( and I bought them as "resales") Can buy "on net " any week in most resorts for 50 % of fees.
On top of that there are some private apartments available in very "classy " locations for again 50 % less.
All a bit sad as I am very committed Marriott person...but family are beginning to ask....why....
G

Garry, do you have the web site link for these rentals?

My girlfriend called me today. She lives in Germany but she told me that she rented a flat in Rome for a whole month during Easter time. It had a kitchen too and room for 5 people but I forgot to ask her if it was a 1 or 2 BR flat. She was in the center of Rome too which was so convenient. When she mentioned the monthly fee she paid, I was thinking how foolish it is today to own a timeshare condo and keep paying the high maintenance fees plus trying to match the weeks you want for exchanges, especially in Europe.

She stayed nine months in Paris too and liked that better than Rome as it was extremely busy there because of the Vatican and Easter. She gave me the name of the company but I can't find it on the Internet. I will have to ask her for the web site. I tried the name with .com and .fr but nothing comes up. She mentioned that it also had flats in NYC as she is interested in that too. Are you willing to share your link? TIA.

If you bought your Marriott timeshares re-sale and want to get rid of them, you shouldn't lose any money and you can rent a flat anywhere in Europe or rent a private condo in the USA anywhere you want to go. We even found them in Maui furnished where you can stay for a longer period of time at better than daily or weekly rates. Owning a timeshare condo at a hotel resort may be cheaper at the long run, if you like to return there many years because they don't offer weekly or monthly rates.

I quickly went to see if TUGmar is up and running again but they are not and someone has a good explanation why not here, see post #12. You could always try his web site for a direct exchange or here or OY or even Redweek.com but I have a feeling that a direct exchange is even harder yet to do than a normal exchange. Renting is the way to go, we are finding out now. JMHO.

[Ireland's Call Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ireland's Call]

Garry, do you have the web site link for these rentals?

My girlfriend called me today. She lives in Germany but she told me that she rented a flat in Rome for a whole month during Easter time. It had a kitchen too and room for 5 people but I forgot to ask her if it was a 1 or 2 BR flat. She was in the center of Rome too which was so convenient. When she mentioned the monthly fee she paid, I was thinking how foolish it is today to own a timeshare condo and keep paying the high maintenance fees plus trying to match the weeks you want for exchanges, especially in Europe.

She stayed nine months in Paris too and liked that better than Rome as it was extremely busy there because of the Vatican and Easter. She gave me the name of the company but I can't find it on the Internet. I will have to ask her for the web site. I tried the name with .com and .fr but nothing comes up. She mentioned that it also had flats in NYC as she is interested in that too. Are you willing to share your link? TIA.

If you bought your Marriott timeshares re-sale and want to get rid of them, you shouldn't lose any money and you can rent a flat anywhere in Europe or rent a private condo in the USA anywhere you want to go. We even found them in Maui furnished where you can stay for a longer period of time at better than daily or weekly rates. Owning a timeshare condo at a hotel resort may be cheaper at the long run, if you like to return there many years because they don't offer weekly or monthly rates.

I quickly went to see if TUGmar is up and running again but they are not and someone has a good explanation why not here, see post #12. You could always try his web site for a direct exchange or here or OY or even Redweek.com but I have a feeling that a direct exchange is even harder yet to do than a normal exchange. Renting is the way to go, we are finding out now. JMHO.

Try this one ...a friend has used,
G
If you are interested in self-catering holiday apartment rental in France and Italy visit our website at:

Reid Apartments: Holiday Apartment Rental in France and Italy, Abruzzo, Sulmona, Normandy, Calvados

[Ireland's Call Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ireland's Call]

Have you read my "Lemonades out of Lemons" thread on this board?

Here is what your hotel stay would have costs you (6 nights - add one more day) for early September from Marriott.com

Marriott's Custom House Boston, MA

My Stay Check-in: September 7, 2007 (Friday)
Check-out: September 13, 2007 (Thursday) 6 nights
Number of rooms: 1
Number of guests: 3

This hotel is nonsmoking

Summary of Room Charges Cost per night per room (USD)
September 7, 2007 (Friday) - September 10, 2007 (Monday)
(3 nights)
389.00 Regular Rate * luxury one bedroom one bath villa living room sofabed
kitchenette dining area two TVs high speed Internet
September 10, 2007 (Monday) - September 13, 2007 (Thursday)
(3 nights)
415.00 Regular Rate * luxury one bedroom one bath villa living room sofabed
kitchenette dining area two TVs high speed Internet
Estimated government taxes and fees
50.05

Total for stay (per room)
2712.29 plus another $415+50.05 for Thursday = $3167.34

On-site parking, fee: 7 USD hourly
Valet parking, fee: 35 USD daily
Changes in taxes or fees implemented after booking will affect
the total room price.

I keep a running list of what I paid for the unit plus yearly fees (MF and EX fee) and the other column has where I stayed and what I would have paid to rent there using 'usual methods' - like 95% of the population who books hotels by calling or using the web.

Here is my stay for Aruba next March.

Marriott's Aruba Surf Club Palm Beach, Aruba
My Stay Check-in: March X, 2008 (Saturday)
Check-out: March X, 2008 (Saturday)
Number of rooms: 1
Number of guests: 3
Room Preferences & Description Edit preferences >>
Room Type Room details >>

No room preferences were selected.
Summary of Charges No booking fees when you reserve on Marriott.com!
Summary of Room Charges Cost per night per room (USD)
March X, 2008 (Saturday) - March X, 2008 (Saturday)
(7 nights)
600.00
Onebedroom Oceanview - 1bed/1bath,full kitchen,livingroom,1king
1sleepsofa,washer/dryer in room,balcony * Max 4 ppl**
Estimated government taxes and fees
48.00

Total for stay (per room)
4536.00

and week 2 in a studio

Marriott's Aruba Surf Club Palm Beach, Aruba
My Stay Check-in: March X, 2008 (Saturday)
Check-out: March X, 2008 (Sunday)
Number of rooms: 1
Number of guests: 3
Room Preferences & Description Edit preferences >>
Room Type Room details >>

No room preferences were selected.
Summary of Charges No booking fees when you reserve on Marriott.com!
Summary of Room Charges Cost per night per room (USD)
March X, 2008 (Saturday) - March X, 2008 (Sunday)
(7 nights)
475.00
Oceanview guest room,1queenbed,1sofabed,microwave,small fridge,
coffeemaker,toaster - balcony * Max occ 4**
Estimated government taxes and fees
38.00

Total for stay (per room)
3591.00

Do you feel any better about your ownership now?
It is what you make of it....and we are I feel unusually savvy consumers when it comes to travel and TSs - we know about redweek rentals and other sites to get a great - but usually short notice - travel.
the majority does not and pays a lot of money to stay in places we exchange into.

After 2 years of ownership at Surf Club - I made up my purchase price of a little more then 16K - so now I look at my stay there as purely the cost of the MF - $990 - and I am getting an almost 7K stay for that cost...the rest is gravy

YES indeed !...good one thanks.
G

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

Wow, this sounds just like the pitch every timeshare salesperson has given me during the presentation. Of course, they never discuss the time value of money, the concept of supply and demand (which ties directly into the original poster's comments regarding MF vs. rental prices), uncertainty in value of points, increases in MFs., etc

That being said, I'm in the process of buying a Marriott timeshare. =)